[alffla]

tried them at Hong Kong High End Audio Expo on Saturday and briefly browsed through this thread and saw that some are saying recessed mids, some are saying forward mids.
My impressions were that it has somewhat forward mids as well, but more on the lower frequency end of the mid frequencies - as you go higher and higher, there is definitely a gentle roll off.
The overall sound was more laidback and it had a pleasant and warm low+mid frequency emphasized sound with a rounder (less exacting) bass compared to other CA dynamic driver offerings like the Lyra and Vega.
I had a brief talk with Caleb from CA and he shared that it is basically the same 8.5mm dynamic driver they have been using with the Lyra and Dorado, but placed in a designed acoustic chamber to achieve a different effect. There was an exploded view video being looped at the expo, I wish I had taken a photo, but I'm sure images of it will be released soon.

 

[XERO1]

I absolutely love the SQ of the Lyra II and the Andromeda. But as for the rest of Campfire's IEMs.... not so much (sorry, Ken!).

If the Polaris is comparable to either one of them, then Ken has another winner on his hands.

Can't wait to hear them!

 

[mashuto]

Well, I am liking what I have been reading here and really like the look and design of this... so I just purchased them. They will be hopefully be a good complement to my vegas, and I will happily provide some comparisons when I receive them.

 

[vladzakhar]

Got my unit today. Very impressed. I have Vega too. The Polaris is almost where. Soundstage is even wider. Balanced with AK Kann.

 

[hellfire8888]

wow is polaris really on par with Vega??

 

[alffla]

wow is polaris really on par with Vega??

I wouldn't say it is the same as Vega at all... it is much more laidback in terms of sound. The bass may go nearly as deep as the Vega, but its definitely not as tight. The Polaris is overall a more "forgiving" IEM as it doesn't focus on the micro details as much.

 

[goodvibes]

I absolutely love the SQ of the Lyra II and the Andromeda. But as for the rest of Campfire's IEMs.... not so much (sorry, Ken!).

If the Polaris is comparable to either one of them, then Ken has another winner on his hands.

Can't wait to hear them!

The Orion is another I like for what it's aimed at and in general. Haven't hear one but the Polaris looks like somewhere between your favs with a slightly more relaxed top end. I suspect it will be popular.

 

[vladzakhar]

I wouldn't say the Polaris is on par with Vega. The sound stage is definitely wider.

wow is polaris really on par with Vega??

 

[ustinj]

Here's Crinacle's KSE1500 curve. a very highly regarded IEM. Not too dissimilar than the low z curve.

Those are nothing alike. It's 6db/step scale, those graphs are insanely different

 

[goodvibes]

Those are nothing alike. It's 6db/step scale, those graphs are insanely different

Not too dissimilar isn't saying they're the same. The mid bump and roll aren't that far off. Of course the hybrid has more bass and is a little more u shaped overall.

 

[ustinj]

Not too dissimilar isn't saying they're the same. The mid bump and roll aren't that far off. Of course the hybrid has more bass and is a little more u shaped overall.

While I do get what you're saying, imo there are other comparisons that are far more 'similar' than the 1500. One that jumped out to me was the TFZ King ...

 

[goodvibes]

Nice find and we know there's more to this than just the response curve. It was more about showing a highly regarded device can have that upper mid bump and roll to sound natural.

 

[crinacle]

I usually don't get analysis of my measurements (I prefer to be take the stance of the neutral messenger) but I'll have to agree with @ustinj here and clarify a few things.

Point A) different technologies are at play here. That means while they may be similar on FR, subjectively they may be very different. This is most evident in pure BA setups vs hybrids where similar measuring bass frequencies are not represented in actual listening tests according to results. (See: Ultimate Ears UE7 versus AAW A3H Pro V2)

Point B) KSE1500's downslope after 2k versus Polaris' 6k spike. Assuming the rigs and the techniques used are the same (they're not), that already translates to a substantial 5dB difference in 6k. And that's not counting 3-5k where they're also quite different as well.

Point C) About 8dB bass boost on the Polaris versus 4ish-dB on the KSE1500. Also furthered by point (A) in which the E-stat presentation sounds less authoritative than dynamic drivers.

It takes quite a bit of analysis to break down each graph and find the visually subtle differences, but you'll see that the two graphs are quite different.

Yes, I know I've broken my etiquette of comparing graphs made from different equipment. Just trying to drive home an example.

 

[goodvibes]

Thanks crinacle. I guess I took it a bit too far but wasn't trying to say they sounded much alike.

 

[mashuto]

Just received mine about 20 minutes ago. Doing some quick first listens now. First impressions... very good. I really like them, very fun signature. I can already tell I am going to enjoy listening to these for some time. Way too early for me to say anything in depth about them (or you know, attempt to say something in depth), but in terms of sound, I think they are definitely more enjoyable than my other mid-fi pairs, though my other ones are all decidedly less expensive. Bass has nice impact and weight, but overall it definitely feels less bass focused than the vegas.

I know the look has been a bit divisive, but I like it. I really like the blue and black scheme and the black cable is a really nice complement to that. This is my first CA pair other than my vegas so the shell is obviously larger, and hopefully wont cause any pressure points on my ears for longer listening sessions, but they are lighter than I thought and they feel comfortable enough from first impressions. Gotta do some tip rolling though to find what works best for me.

Will be happy to do some comparisons (mainly to the vega) when I have some time later if anyone is interested, but I have a few other mid-fi-ish pairs I can listen to as well (it03, p1, lz a4, trinity master) if anyone wants. I know totally different price brackets and all that...