Hey Guys,
My brother needed a new set of IEM’s so I gave him my Noble 3’s, which left me with no closed back IEM’s. I wasn’t sure what to do, as I have my LCDi4’s (which I love.) However, as I said in my recent mini review of them, they are a bit useless for on the plane, subway, bus etc… Anywhere you need isolation, the LCDi4 are a bit of a flop. I headed over to my local headphone shop, which happens to stock Campfire Audio. I had tried the Andromeda before as everyone raves about it, and I enjoyed it, but knew it wasn’t for me. I thought about the Orion being a possibility, but really didn’t know what to expect from the rest of the CA lineup. I knew I wanted a replacement for my Noble 3’s for a travelling/bus/everyday IEM, but wasn’t sure which would be the best fit for my needs.
With the release of the new Atlas IEM’s, the Vega were on sale. I can’t remember if I have tried the Vega before, if I have, it was a short audition that I’ve forgotten. I wasn’t really expecting to be that stoked on them given what I have read here and also the fact that I hadn’t loved the Andromeda, an IEM that everyone else loves so much.
I really, really enjoyed the Vega. I suppose the Andromeda is more of an “audiophile” tuning and maybe that isn’t fully my thing? I’m not sure, but I prefer the Vega. I enjoyed them so much I ended up purchasing them. Regardless of price, I prefer the Vega to the Andromeda. Some of the reviews I have read say it has a “fun” tuning, which is perhaps more my thing? I’m not too concerned with how something measures, or if it is “accurate” or whatever. I just follow my ears and see where I end up.
The Vega is a bass heavy IEM, there is no denying that. The mids are pretty good (maybe a bit uneven?), and the upper Treble is boosted a bit to give it some sparkle, I think. I can totally see how someone might prefer the Andromeda over the Vega. To me it seemed to be a bit more of a neutral tuning, less bass than the Vega for sure. I know that when I will be using these IEM’s, I’m not doing critical listening, I’m just enjoying some tunes. The Vega are perfect for that, especially with the kinds of music I listen to.
Compared to the LCDi4 the Vega lack the open airy sound, which makes sense. They also have a smaller soundstage, less impressive technicalities, and don’t sound as “big.” I reckon this is all fine and makes sense given the design differences. However, if I’m on a plane for example, I won’t feel like I am missing out too much listening to the Vegas. They just offer a different presentation of the music, and it is one I find really enjoyable.
At the end of the day, the Vega is a bassy, kinda V shaped IEM with a bit of treble sparkle. I can understand someone disliking these. I definitely understand someone preferring the Andromeda. However, the Vega just work for me and my ears, which at the end of the day, is all that really matters I suppose. I wasn’t expecting to spend as much as I did on a pair of closed IEM’s. I just enjoyed the Vega enough to give them a go.
