Campfire Dorado 2020
Mar 2, 2021 at 1:09 PM Post #406 of 1,452
This also makes me reflect on the nature of these threads. Are they here to confirm or to promote discourse for better or worse. When I'm in a thread dedicated to gear I like, I really like to hear others' positive opinions, bask in the shared enjoyment and walk away feeling better about my choices.

I've thought about this a lot. I've spent hours in just about every major online community relating to portable audio there is and while I think they all have their value and appeal Head Fi is probably the one I frequent most and it's for precisely this reason. Nobody in my immediate personal circle really cares about portable audio and some of them would probably have a heart attack if I told themr how much any of it costs. Given how emotionally invested we all are in our gear and in this hobby it's really nice to have a place to come banter with like minded enthusiasts who love the same things you do. Most audio communities have their quirks-- Reddit shames you if you spend more than $500 on something (and I would expect them to tar and feather me if I ever mentioned the Leo II Octa I just bought), SBAF is a great community and a great place to go for good to-the-point information, but it's not the best place if you want to banter about your gear, Discord can be a source of great info and is a great community, but the range of acceptable opinion tends to be much narrower in my experience. Head Fi is still the only real place where anyone can come to partake in this hobby in whatever way they want, be it through kilobuck cables, multiple IEMs, measurements, or whatever-- and find others of like mind to find fellowship with. It is the human side of something that always interests me the most and I'm really grateful this community exists.

Personally I think the individual product threads should be fundamentally about sharing the love of the gear in question...at least this is what I appreciate most about them. Anyone serious about investing in a piece of gear should get all the info they can, with an associated product thread being one of many resources. I personally get the best info from regular people who likes and tendencies I have an appreciation of and who i can consistently relate back to my own.

Edit: Just to be clear I'm not implying the threads should be just collections of people wanking over each other and their gear-- both extremes are problematic. The ideal to me is useful information in a climate of appreciation.
 
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Mar 2, 2021 at 1:30 PM Post #407 of 1,452
I've thought about this a lot. I've spent hours in just about every major online community relating to portable audio there is and while I think they all have their value and appeal Head Fi is probably the one I frequent most and it's for precisely this reason. Nobody in my immediate personal circle really cares about portable audio and some of them would probably have a heart attack if I told themr how much any of it costs. Given how emotionally invested we all are in our gear and in this hobby it's really nice to have a place to come banter with like minded enthusiasts who love the same things you do. Most audio communities have their quirks-- Reddit shames you if you spend more than $500 on something (and I would expect them to tar and feather me if I ever mentioned the Leo II Octa I just bought), SBAF is a great community and a great place to go for good to-the-point information, but it's not the best place if you want to banter about your gear, Discord can be a source of great info and is a great community, but the range of acceptable opinion tends to be much narrower in my experience. Head Fi is still the only real place where anyone can come to partake in this hobby in whatever way they want, be it through kilobuck cables, multiple IEMs, measurements, or whatever-- and find others of like mind to find fellowship with. It is the human side of something that always interests me the most and I'm really grateful this community exists.

Personally I think the individual product threads should be fundamentally about sharing the love of the gear in question...at least this is what I appreciate most about them. Anyone serious about investing in a piece of gear should get all the info they can, with an associated product thread being one of many resources. I personally get the best info from regular people who likes and tendencies I have an appreciation of and who i can consistently relate back to my own.

Excellent points and an interesting conclusion. I don't participate anywhere else, mostly for time reasons and that I haven't really found anywhere else that I'm willing to invest in..
I agree somewhat with your sentiments about the threads but it means that maybe there should be two forums, the "praise" and the "criticism" or the "Light Side" and the "Dark Side" for each item. As I have so many family commitments (and spend more time that I probably even should on this forum) I appreciate measured criticism. Nobody needs, for example, (one that is too common) people parachuting into a cable thread with "you're all stupid, cables don't make a difference" or this type of behaviour. But respectful criticism for me is very welcome as I use the threads as the short version of reviews.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 1:32 PM Post #408 of 1,452
Excellent points and an interesting conclusion. I don't participate anywhere else, mostly for time reasons and that I haven't really found anywhere else that I'm willing to invest in..
I agree somewhat with your sentiments about the threads but it means that maybe there should be two forums, the "praise" and the "criticism" or the "Light Side" and the "Dark Side" for each item. As I have so many family commitments (and spend more time that I probably even should on this forum) I appreciate measured criticism. Nobody needs, for example, (one that is too common) people parachuting into a cable thread with "you're all stupid, cables don't make a difference" or this type of behaviour. But respectful criticism for me is very welcome as I use the threads as the short version of reviews.

Indeed balance is key. Respectful constructive criticism is always helpful, as well as respectful constructive criticism of the criticism when appropriate :)
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 3:56 PM Post #409 of 1,452
Just wanted to say that I enjoy this discourse in all the twists and turns it took. You guys make great points. I am an Andromeda 2020 owner and have been on the fence for months on whether the Dorado would be good alternative IEM to purchase. I am a Campfire fan, interested in a hybrid model, but not quite ready to shell out for a Solaris. Like others, I don't want to think about the time I've spent reading reviews dissecting the Dorado's bass response, yet I have enjoyed the mental exercise of weighing various opinions for what is - despite the price tag - a pretty inconsequential decision. If the Dorado was a couple hundred dollars less expensive I would probably own one by now.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 5:49 PM Post #410 of 1,452
Unfortunately not. I have the Z1R which seems to be very similar in terms of signature (from everything I’ve read) so it’s never really appealed to me.
I can see that. Even to audio geeks like us, the Trio and Z1R are more alike than different. However, to audio geeks the differences are readily apparent and it's easy to pick the pair you like best. I could be happy with the Z1R, but I like my Trio better. At least this week. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a pair of Z1R from a friend for a few days. I posted my thoughts of the two elsewhere. I think in both the 64Audio and Z1R threads.

I guess I'll have to search this thread, maybe somebody has posted thoughts about the D2020 compared to the Z1R.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 5:57 PM Post #411 of 1,452
I owned the trio for a while and have the dorado now. Keep in mind that it's been a while though since I owned the trio. I think the trio is almost certainly the winner probably hands down if we are talking technicalities. And if you are already quite happy with the sound signature of the trio I am not sure there is much to gain with the dorado.

There are likely some similarities overall to the tuning, but the dorado is probably what would be described as more wild and untamed. Bass is bigger and more bombastic and treble is also potentially a bit sharper and edgier.

I personally found the treble a bit hot on the trio, just a bit. But I likely would say the dorado is even a bit hotter. And while I sold the trio, if it was a direct comparison to the dorado, the dorado likely would have been the one sold instead.

That said, the dorado is a quite fun iem if that kind of untamed sound appeals to you and while not quite on the same level I think it does fairly well technically. Again, if that type of sound appeals to you. And while not directly audio related, the form factor is quite nice and compact and the ceramic shell also feels quite premium, even compared to the trio. And at less than half the msrp of the trio it's certainly a better buy there (except that new trios can often be had much closer in price). Though if you already have a trio, that part is likely not relevant.
Thank you, @mashuto. I now have one independent opinion which agrees with my idea (based on exactly 0 first-hand experience with the Dorado 2020), that the Dorado is superficially similar to the Trio and may compete with it if someone wants a wilder sound or can't make the leap to the cost of the Trio. As you said, since I've already paid for my Trio, the Dorado 2020 may be redundant. Not that I'm looking to replace Trio, but I was curious. Everyone who has written about Dorado 2020 has made them sound like they're in the same family as Trio.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 6:54 PM Post #412 of 1,452
Thank you, @mashuto. I now have one independent opinion which agrees with my idea (based on exactly 0 first-hand experience with the Dorado 2020), that the Dorado is superficially similar to the Trio and may compete with it if someone wants a wilder sound or can't make the leap to the cost of the Trio. As you said, since I've already paid for my Trio, the Dorado 2020 may be redundant. Not that I'm looking to replace Trio, but I was curious. Everyone who has written about Dorado 2020 has made them sound like they're in the same family as Trio.
I mean, I can tell you right now the Dorado 2020 isn't on the same level as the Z1R technically in pretty much all aspects, but to my ears they don't have the same sig so I don't categorise them as 'better' or 'worse' as one another. As with everything in this hobby, it all comes down to preference. The Dorado 2020 is definitely a lot more bombastic while the Z1R is definitely a more refined audiophile listen that is more likely to blow your friend's/family's socks off with what it's capable of. If the Trio is anything like the Z1R and you're looking for a similar sig, I'd say the only similarity really is in the exaggerated sub bass response. The Dorado 2020 has more mid-bass (which is personally what I love about it) and a more aggressive treble to my ears. Kind of a slightly more civilised, balls to the wall type signature (with some added audiophile credentials) that was found on the Atlas.
 
Mar 2, 2021 at 7:45 PM Post #413 of 1,452
Thank you, @mashuto. I now have one independent opinion which agrees with my idea (based on exactly 0 first-hand experience with the Dorado 2020), that the Dorado is superficially similar to the Trio and may compete with it if someone wants a wilder sound or can't make the leap to the cost of the Trio. As you said, since I've already paid for my Trio, the Dorado 2020 may be redundant. Not that I'm looking to replace Trio, but I was curious. Everyone who has written about Dorado 2020 has made them sound like they're in the same family as Trio.
Yea, I would say that both the dorado and trio are sort of different flavors of a somewhat mild v shaped signature. So in that sense, yea they are somewhat similar and I would say sort of fill the same so called niche. Though again its been a good bit of time since I have had the trio. But definitely from memory, the dorado is more bombastic, sharper/edgier, and a bit less refined. So again yea, to someone who already has the trio and is happy with it, its hard to recommend the dorado directly based on sound alone. Unless as you say, that "wilder" sound is desired.
 
Mar 6, 2021 at 11:34 PM Post #415 of 1,452
Sorry for the dumb question but what the diffence between a mild v shaped and a u shaped IEM ?

None of these terms are very standard, people use them inconsistently.

IMO, the purpose of both U- and V-shape tunes is to create contrast at the expense of neutral tonality. Contrast can be exciting, engaging, "fun."

"U-shape" would generally describe elevations isolated to lower bass and upper treble -- AirPods Max is a good example I think. You get contrast at the far ends of the FR, with relatively even (but dark) midrange.

"V-shape" to me often means similar elevation in bass, but less focused to the sub-bass, and elevated treble including lower treble and upper midrange. This creates contrast in the midrange, can create forwardness in vocals but with a slightly unnatural tone.
 
Mar 10, 2021 at 5:39 PM Post #416 of 1,452
... That said, I've heard some "big bass" IEMs I like better than Dorado/Vega....

Just reading this thread back for the pure entertainment factor and I’m curious, which big bass IEM’s have you heard that you like better than the Dorado 2020? (that are of the same price range obviously) ... Always on the lookout for IEM’s that nail good bass....
 
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Mar 10, 2021 at 8:11 PM Post #417 of 1,452
Just reading this thread back for the pure entertainment factor and I’m curious, which big bass IEM’s have you heard that you like better than the Dorado 2020? (that are of the same price range obviously) ... Always on the lookout for IEM’s that nail good bass....
Fiio FH3, Moondrop Dusk -- they're much more sub-bass focused, which I generally prefer if looking for bass emphasis. I'm currently listening to Sennheiser IE 300, which is more bass-dominant than I prefer tonally, but I think it's still quite a bit better tonally than Dorado and Vega. IE 300 is similarly very warm with vocals recessed to the background, but it doesn't sound as ... for lack of a better word ... accidental. Bass boost is more focused, bass hits with better definition, and even though midrange is recessed it's not overly smeared and muffled sounding. Top end resolution probably not quite as good as Dorado, but better than Vega.
 
Mar 11, 2021 at 5:00 AM Post #418 of 1,452
Fiio FH3, Moondrop Dusk -- they're much more sub-bass focused, which I generally prefer if looking for bass emphasis. I'm currently listening to Sennheiser IE 300, which is more bass-dominant than I prefer tonally, but I think it's still quite a bit better tonally than Dorado and Vega. IE 300 is similarly very warm with vocals recessed to the background, but it doesn't sound as ... for lack of a better word ... accidental. Bass boost is more focused, bass hits with better definition, and even though midrange is recessed it's not overly smeared and muffled sounding. Top end resolution probably not quite as good as Dorado, but better than Vega.

Fair enough, looking at the graphs I don’t think any of those would scratch my bass head itch... but each to their own.
 

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Mar 11, 2021 at 10:26 AM Post #420 of 1,452
I think normalizing to 500Hz is more telling.

graph (43).png

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What is it telling you? To me, it's showing that the blessing 2 and FH3 are actually bright leaning IEM's and not really ones that someone would be looking for as a 'bassy' IEM. I think it's more telling by normalising at 1K because it represents what someone would be hearing if they volume matched at that FR.
 

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