[musiclvr]

I pulled the trigger on the Black Star! I missed the delivery today so hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow. I can’t wait! I’m really excited for this one. I just received the Solaris SE this past weekend and I’m completely aware of how lucky am to be able to have the two side by side soon.

I have been a fan of CFA since the OG Andro release that I blindly purchased on pre-order. I wish I would have never sold it later down the road. I have since acquired the Orion, Nova, Vega, C/2019 Q4, Ara, Andromeda Gold TI, and the OG Solaris. I was never able to land the Jupiter…maybe one day.

I am hoping that the Blk Star is indeed a balanced iem or at least CFA’s most neutral/balanced offering yet. I think the Ara is nearly there. It’s a touch bright and the mids can sound busy at times with more complex passages. Over all though the Ara is very satisfying as it IS even handed and extended with some warmth. The Andro Gld TI is the Ara with some added focus to the mid/sub-bass region. A very fun and engaging sound.

I do believe that it’s about the tuning over the driver count. CFA has been able to offer very unique sound profiles with each model they release that I have heard. CFA has seemed to be focused more on driver advancement and execution over driver count to achieve their target sound profiles. Part of why I enjoy CFA iem’s.

I did very much enjoy and appreciate when Ken would chime in and lend some insight into the various iem models or their origin stories. I will say that their customer service is one of the best out there though.

Right now the Solaris SE has ticked all the boxes for me. I waited many years to be able to add it to my collection as I wanted to buy an unused version. I’m glad I waited for the right opportunity. With that being said I went out on a limb to be able to have a listen to the Black Star rather than miss out on it and hope for another opportunity to come around. I also feel that given the type of drivers, technology, and build quality that, for 1k, it is surprising! Dare I say a good deal too! Maybe CFA is able to offer the Black Star as a sort of “Thank You” to its loyal fan base? This driver configuration has normally been offered from $1500-$1900. Sound is king though so we’ll see if this goes down as one of the greats!

 

[Dasabiii]

I pulled the trigger on the Black Star! I missed the delivery today so hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow. I can’t wait! I’m really excited for this one. I just received the Solaris SE this past weekend and I’m completely aware of how lucky am to be able to have the two side by side soon.

I've been waiting for some comparisons before pulling the trigger and your impressions are exactly what I need! Thanks in advance!
Hope there will still be some left tomorrow lol!

 

[M3NTAL]

@musiclvr - you must have chosen express delivery. I'm on the other side of town IIRC (NW corner of 101)

Mine should arrive tomorrow. I guess there are around 99 - not sure how long I'd wait to pull the trigger. I think there is a collector mentality with Campfire. They changed the IEM game. Used to be CIEM's were top dog. Hybrid CIEMS were mostly trash.

I am really hoping for something to fit where I'd want an IE 900 at. 'Balanced' does not sound like that ticket - balanced with Campfire could mean holocene or ara. Hoping for more "U" or "W" from the Black Star.

 

[musiclvr]

@musiclvr - you must have chosen express delivery. I'm on the other side of town IIRC (NW corner of 101)

Mine should arrive tomorrow. I guess there are around 99 - not sure how long I'd wait to pull the trigger. I think there is a collector mentality with Campfire. They changed the IEM game. Used to be CIEM's were top dog. Hybrid CIEMS were mostly trash.

I am really hoping for something to fit where I'd want an IE 900 at. 'Balanced' does not sound like that ticket - balanced with Campfire could mean holocene or ara. Hoping for more "U" or "W" from the Black Star.

I just opted for regular shipping. I got lucky with the mail route probably?! Hahaha

There is definitely a collector mentality with the CFA Limited Editions. Since the Black Star is an “Extra Special- Limited Release” it piqued my curiosity and FOMO. Haha

I’m hoping the Blk Star is “W”ish too. CFA won me over with that type of sound because I got the detail and extension but without any nasty peaks or obvious suck outs in sounds presentation.

 

[M3NTAL]

I just opted for regular shipping. I got lucky with the mail route probably?! Hahaha

There is definitely a collector mentality with the CFA Limited Editions. Since the Black Star is an “Extra Special- Limited Release” it piqued my curiosity and FOMO. Haha

I’m hoping the Blk Star is “W”ish too. CFA won me over with that type of sound because I got the detail and extension but without any nasty peaks or obvious suck outs in sounds presentation.

I had a chance to demo the Ara and compare against the Andromeda Gold. Solaris OG was a treat for me also. I've been lucky choosing 'winners' with their IEM's.

 

[musiclvr]

 

[Dasabiii]

How could you just drop the pics without any comments!? JK enjoy!!

 

[somnarium]

How limited is the run on this set?

 

[musiclvr]

The Black Star is an absolute winner!

It encapsulates the treble with a touch of sweetness in the uppermost registers. It has a commanding presence in both attack and precision in the bass and sub-bass while not presenting any bloat. The mid-bass doesn’t encroach into the lower mids allowing for a seamless transition for what comes next…..the glorious mids!!! The mids are fully portrayed here. They have a holographic, fleshed out, and detailed fluidity about them. Detail was had without any harshness or sibilance. I was instantly captivated by the Black Stars’ interpretation of the musical canvas in which it was slowly allowing me to experience.

The Black Star takes me to a well treated studio sitting in the sweet spot of ribbon tweeter near field speaker system underpinned by a sealed subwoofer. Very in your face but well dissected and spacious too.

Those are my initial impressions.

 

[musiclvr]

 

[Dasabiii]

The Black Star is an absolute winner!

It encapsulates the treble with a touch of sweetness in the uppermost registers. It has a commanding presence in both attack and precision in the bass and sub-bass while not presenting any bloat. The mid-bass doesn’t encroach into the lower mids allowing for a seamless transition for what comes next…..the glorious mids!!! The mids are fully portrayed here. They have a holographic, fleshed out, and detailed fluidity about them. Detail was had without any harshness or sibilance. I was instantly captivated by the Black Stars’ interpretation of the musical canvas in which it was slowly allowing me to experience.

The Black Star takes me to a well treated studio sitting in the sweet spot of ribbon tweeter near field speaker system underpinned by a sealed subwoofer. Very in your face but well dissected and spacious too.

Those are my initial impressions.

Thanks a lot for the first impressions! Looking forward to the comparisons too. Btw nice CFA collection!!

 

[rudbeard]

I wish I had the spare cash for the Black Star, is it terrible to say I hope it isn't terribly limited?

 

[musiclvr]

As I’m putting in more time into the Blacks Star I am finding they are a good value in terms of comparison being released at $1k.

Solaris SE (MSRP $1,899.00) - The Solaris SE sounds more solid in the sub-bass. The mids sound a little more wet. And the treble has a little more air up top. The Black Star holds its own in the mids though.

Ara (MSRP $1,299.00)- The Ara has a more neutral mid-bass but the Black Star has the last bit of attack in the sub-bass making it seem more extended. The Ara has a drier mid presentation. The Ara edges out the Black Star in treble extension but also has a lower treble emphasis now noticeable compared to the Black Star.

Solaris OG (MSRP $1,499.00)- The OG sounds wider due to being more “W” shaped in overall sound. I feel the Black Star sounds more intimate with a more immediate presence in the mids making the OG sound almost like a soft U shape in comparison. The OG has more sparkle and air up too though too.

Andromeda Gold TI (MSRP $1,299.00)- The Gold TI sounds more weighted in the bass and smoother overall. The treble sounds sweeter on the Gold TI. The Black Star sounds brighter and more and more open at times placing the picture in a bubble rather than a panoramic view.

I would say that the Black Star is like the Holocene when compared to the Ara. The Ara in this case being the Solaris SE as it has a more mid forward presentation. So I might not be holding onto the Black Star as the Solaris SE bests it to my ears….hmmmmm.

 

[musiclvr]

Thanks a lot for the first impressions! Looking forward to the comparisons too. Btw nice CFA collection!!

You’re most welcome and Thank You! I’ve enjoyed each CFA example I’ve been lucky enough to acquire as they are each special in their own way.

 

[OhmsClaw]

As I’m putting in more time into the Blacks Star I am finding they are a good value in terms of comparison being released at $1k.

Solaris SE (MSRP $1,899.00) - The Solaris SE sounds more solid in the sub-bass. The mids sound a little more wet. And the treble has a little more air up top. The Black Star holds its own in the mids though.

Ara (MSRP $1,299.00)- The Ara has a more neutral mid-bass but the Black Star has the last bit of attack in the sub-bass making it seem more extended. The Ara has a drier mid presentation. The Ara edges out the Black Star in treble extension but also has a lower treble emphasis now noticeable compared to the Black Star.

Solaris OG (MSRP $1,499.00)- The OG sounds wider due to being more “W” shaped in overall sound. I feel the Black Star sounds more intimate with a more immediate presence in the mids making the OG sound almost like a soft U shape in comparison. The OG has more sparkle and air up too though too.

Andromeda Gold TI (MSRP $1,299.00)- The Gold TI sounds more weighted in the bass and smoother overall. The treble sounds sweeter on the Gold TI. The Black Star sounds brighter and more and more open at times placing the picture in a bubble rather than a panoramic view.

I would say that the Black Star is like the Holocene when compared to the Ara. The Ara in this case being the Solaris SE as it has a more mid forward presentation. So I might not be holding onto the Black Star as the Solaris SE bests it to my ears….hmmmmm.

I'll trade you Andro Golds.

Thanks for the scouting report! Glad the SE continue to be the ones.