Campfire Dorado 2020
Nov 21, 2020 at 9:18 AM Post #106 of 1,452
@mashuto Any update on your Dorado issue ? Did you get a replacement unit ?
I did, had them back over a week now and have been enjoying them quite a bit.

I think I had some major bad luck on this one as my initial replacement had the same issue as the first one. But bloom and campfire were both awesome and took it really seriously. Based on what they told me, my units are the only ones where they had reports of that issue, but they both ended up back with campfire to be checked out by their engineering team. It was a hassle but overall I'm satisfied with how it was handled and all I ended up losing was a little time with them. And both bloom and campfire took care of my return shipping on these.

My last post I made in here with the photo is of my current pair.
 
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Nov 21, 2020 at 11:08 AM Post #107 of 1,452
I did, had them back over a week now and have been enjoying them quite a bit.

I think I had some major bad luck on this one as my initial replacement had the same issue as the first one. But bloom and campfire were both awesome and took it really seriously. Based on what they told me, my units are the only ones where they had reports of that issue, but they both ended up back with campfire to be checked out by their engineering team. It was a hassle but overall I'm satisfied with how it was handled and all I ended up losing was a little time with them. And both bloom and campfire took care of my return shipping on these.

My last post I made in here with the photo is of my current pair.

Glad that you were able to sort this out. CA's design and customer support definitely is definitely some of their strong suits.
 
Nov 21, 2020 at 4:15 PM Post #108 of 1,452
Glad that you were able to sort this out. CA's design and customer support definitely is definitely some of their strong suits.
I was a bit concerned that it may have been a larger issue since both my units had the same issue in the same way. But all I can guess is that I just was unlucky and that it was maybe a bad batch that I got them both from. But as I said, bloom audio hadn't heard any other reports of it, and neither had campfire. So I'll chalk it up to bad luck. Things happen. And both handled it excellently. Things happen.
 
Nov 22, 2020 at 7:25 AM Post #109 of 1,452
I was a bit concerned that it may have been a larger issue since both my units had the same issue in the same way. But all I can guess is that I just was unlucky and that it was maybe a bad batch that I got them both from. But as I said, bloom audio hadn't heard any other reports of it, and neither had campfire. So I'll chalk it up to bad luck. Things happen. And both handled it excellently. Things happen.

This is indeed worrisome. Getting both your first units defective means there must be a bad batch, else you are incredibly unlucky. I'll make sure to ask the question to CA when I order during Black Friday !
 
Nov 22, 2020 at 10:36 PM Post #110 of 1,452
This is indeed worrisome. Getting both your first units defective means there must be a bad batch, else you are incredibly unlucky. I'll make sure to ask the question to CA when I order during Black Friday !
Yea, pretty sure I just won the bad luck lottery on this one or I think we would have heard more reports, even though it doesn't seem like a lot of people have them. Other than that though, I have been enjoying them quite a lot. However since it's pretty much a brand new model I wouldn't expect any black friday discounts, plus I think CA doesn't normally have discounts other than sometimes making b stock units available for less on the alo warehouse site.
 
Nov 24, 2020 at 12:37 PM Post #111 of 1,452
first production model? Damnnn :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Nov 24, 2020 at 12:44 PM Post #112 of 1,452
Nov 24, 2020 at 1:14 PM Post #113 of 1,452
Nice! Looking forward to your thoughts.
Really quite enjoying them so far. Sounds even better out of the balanced output of my SE200 but I don’t have a balanced cable for it yet. I know how much the Atlas’s driver changed with burn In so not going to jump to any impression so soon. But yeah, very enjoyable listen and the ceramic is beautiful.
 
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Nov 25, 2020 at 10:50 AM Post #116 of 1,452
Interesting. Review is a bit light on details, and sort of paints with broad strokes. But an interesting read nonetheless. Listening to the podcast now as I do want to hear KB's take on these. Interesting that KB says the original vega was ceramic when it wasn't, the lyra was. I wonder if the original plan was for all those style to be ceramic before switching to metal due to whatever issues they faced.

Anyways, need more impressions from you! Other than your initial post that you were enjoying them, how are they working out for you?
 
Nov 25, 2020 at 11:29 AM Post #117 of 1,452
Interesting. Review is a bit light on details, and sort of paints with broad strokes. But an interesting read nonetheless. Listening to the podcast now as I do want to hear KB's take on these. Interesting that KB says the original vega was ceramic when it wasn't, the lyra was. I wonder if the original plan was for all those style to be ceramic before switching to metal due to whatever issues they faced.

Anyways, need more impressions from you! Other than your initial post that you were enjoying them, how are they working out for you?
Sorry, I've been a little snowed under with commitments so I've just been listening to them passively rather than anything critical. I guess that says something in itself.

So far im really impressed with the soundstage and bass presentation. Really quite nice stereo separation on these and I felt it got even better when I tested it through balanced. Not quite holographic like Solaris but these have great left - right positioning and imaging. If I were to pigeon hole these I would say that you were pretty much on the money in labelling them an Atlas+. They strike me as a "grown up" Atlas. Theres definitely an added dimension thanks to the BA. It injects that clarity and definition that was missing from the Atlas in the upper registers while leaving the awesome DD to do the heavy lifting. And to clarify, all of the hallmarks of the Atlas DD is here, great meaty textures, deep reaching and it sounds BIG. Thats another thing that struck me when coming from tubed models such as Hero, you have got to love DD's and BA's being able to do their own thing without tubes. There is just something about it that makes the music sound authentic.

Another thing that I was concerned about and what I loved about Atlas was that warm, powerful feeling that the DD was able to inject into the music while still being detailed. The Dorado pushes this up a notch in terms of technicalities (imaging, top end detail) while lowering the bass quantity ever so slightly, its still got that nice analogue warmth to it but it's slightly more civilised.

Compared to the Solaris SE, the best way I can describe it is that in the Solaris SE the BA's sound like they are doing most of the heavy lifting while the DD is relegated to the mid / sub bass for tactility purposes mostly. In the Dorado 2020 the DD is left to have more of a free rein (in both the frequency response and in upping the quantity) and the BA is just left to inject that added definition and clarity where its mostly needed.

Solaris SE = BA's + added DD
Dorado 2020 = DD + added BA
 
Nov 25, 2020 at 12:21 PM Post #119 of 1,452
Sorry, I've been a little snowed under with commitments so I've just been listening to them passively rather than anything critical. I guess that says something in itself.

So far im really impressed with the soundstage and bass presentation. Really quite nice stereo separation on these and I felt it got even better when I tested it through balanced. Not quite holographic like Solaris but these have great left - right positioning and imaging. If I were to pigeon hole these I would say that you were pretty much on the money in labelling them an Atlas+. They strike me as a "grown up" Atlas. Theres definitely an added dimension thanks to the BA. It injects that clarity and definition that was missing from the Atlas in the upper registers while leaving the awesome DD to do the heavy lifting. And to clarify, all of the hallmarks of the Atlas DD is here, great meaty textures, deep reaching and it sounds BIG. Thats another thing that struck me when coming from tubed models such as Hero, you have got to love DD's and BA's being able to do their own thing without tubes. There is just something about it that makes the music sound authentic.

Another thing that I was concerned about and what I loved about Atlas was that warm, powerful feeling that the DD was able to inject into the music while still being detailed. The Dorado pushes this up a notch in terms of technicalities (imaging, top end detail) while lowering the bass quantity ever so slightly, its still got that nice analogue warmth to it but it's slightly more civilised.

Compared to the Solaris SE, the best way I can describe it is that in the Solaris SE the BA's sound like they are doing most of the heavy lifting while the DD is relegated to the mid / sub bass for tactility purposes mostly. In the Dorado 2020 the DD is left to have more of a free rein (in both the frequency response and in upping the quantity) and the BA is just left to inject that added definition and clarity where its mostly needed.

Solaris SE = BA's + added DD
Dorado 2020 = DD + added BA
Heh sorry didn't mean to rush you. Just gets a little lonely in this thread. Also nice way to put it. I think a lot for me with the solaris (2020 version at least) was just that it was a little too polite and didn't have the solid atlas like low end I was craving and hoping for. Certainly more of a preference thing than anything else. But I think thats a preference thing more than anything, in the same way that the low end of the andromeda gold didn't really resonate with me. The fit while much improved over the SE I tried at some point, was still not great for me, so the tiny dorado shell is very welcome.

Anyways, glad you are enjoying them!

I have been giving them a lot of eartime since my last replacement came in, and I am definitely enjoying them too. Maybe enough enough to go out on a limb and say they are my favorite CA release so far (out of what I have tried, noticeably absent is the "regular" andromeda).
 
Nov 25, 2020 at 12:49 PM Post #120 of 1,452
Heh sorry didn't mean to rush you. Just gets a little lonely in this thread. Also nice way to put it. I think a lot for me with the solaris (2020 version at least) was just that it was a little too polite and didn't have the solid atlas like low end I was craving and hoping for. Certainly more of a preference thing than anything else. But I think thats a preference thing more than anything, in the same way that the low end of the andromeda gold didn't really resonate with me. The fit while much improved over the SE I tried at some point, was still not great for me, so the tiny dorado shell is very welcome.

Anyways, glad you are enjoying them!

I have been giving them a lot of eartime since my last replacement came in, and I am definitely enjoying them too. Maybe enough enough to go out on a limb and say they are my favorite CA release so far (out of what I have tried, noticeably absent is the "regular" andromeda).

Haha no thats fine! Not rushing, I just wish I had a balanced cable etc so I could do more in-depth comparisons and impressions. I feel that the single ended lacking a little on AK daps. I'm not going to go out on a limb just yet and say thats its my favourite CA products, but its certainly doing a lot better for my preferences over the Andro and Jupiter so far. The Solaris I would say is a bit of an apples and oranges comparison because again, I think the Dorado is definitely more down the Vega / Atlas road than the Jupiter / Andro one. Saying that, I don't really think that the Solaris is down the Andro road and they can co-exist independently. But what I'm trying to say is that they are certainly attempting to achieve different things and the Dorado 2020's bass response is more to my liking than the Solaris SE's.
 
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