[Tristy]

https://majorhifi.com/campfire-vega-vs-vega-2020-comparison-review/

 

[Rockwell75]

https://majorhifi.com/campfire-vega-vs-vega-2020-comparison-review/

This is actually somewhat disappointing if accurate. That said, based on impressions I've heard from others his thoughts on the Dorado were a bit off the mark, at least relative to the bass. Eager for more impressions...until I lose it and just blind buy one of these.

 

[Tristy]

This is actually somewhat disappointing if accurate. That said, based on impressions I've heard from others his thoughts on the Dorado were a bit off the mark, at least relative to the bass. Eager for more impressions...until I lose it and just blind buy one of these.

Yeah I felt somewhat disappointed too but the differing opinions from @mashuto has given me hope still regarding the Vega... my trigger finger has been very twitchy over the last 2 days.

 

[mashuto]

Yeah I felt somewhat disappointed too but the differing opinions from @mashuto has given me hope still regarding the Vega... my trigger finger has been very twitchy over the last 2 days.

My guess is that if they are saying it's less bassy, it might be because it's similar to the atlas which due to having boosted upper mids and treble was less bassy than the original vega.

Again as has been said I have seen them and audio 46 say the bass on the dorado is aggressively neutral. And I don't hear it that way. I definitely hear it north of neutral. Though maybe my idea of neutral is... Off?

 

[Tristy]

My guess is that if they are saying it's less bassy, it might be because it's similar to the atlas which due to having boosted upper mids and treble was less bassy than the original vega.

Again as has been said I have seen them and audio 46 say the bass on the dorado is aggressively neutral. And I don't hear it that way. I definitely hear it north of neutral. Though maybe my idea of neutral is... Off?

I would trust your impressions over Audio 46 / Major hifi to be honest. I can't see either the Dorado 2020 or Vega 2020 straying too far from their initial DD driven signatures. I think by aggressively neutral, like you said, it sounds more 'Balanced' with the treble more so.

 

[mashuto]

I would trust your impressions over Audio 46 / Major hifi to be honest. I can't see either the Dorado 2020 or Vega 2020 straying too far from their initial DD driven signatures. I think by aggressively neutral, like you said, it sounds more 'Balanced' with the treble more so.

Well I appreciate that. Though what I can think of as a possible explanation is just that I have struggled a tiny bit with the fit. Not anything in terms of comfort from the size, but getting a good seal without excess air pressure in my ears has actually been a little challenging. So I imagine it would be pretty easy to think that they are in, but not have a great seal, which would certainly attenuate the bass.

 

[Tristy]

@ryanjsoo I just came across this on Reddit, I hope you don't mind me posting it here. This description is very useful for those looking for more info on the Vega 2020. When does your full review come out?

 

[ryanjsoo]

@ryanjsoo I just came across this on Reddit, I hope you don't mind me posting it here. This description is very useful for those looking for more info on the Vega 2020. When does your full review come out?

Hi Tristy, thanks for the share and you're right, good to have it here! Heading into exams so will try to have the review out next week hopefully. In the interim, will share my FR measurements here for reference, take them with a grain of salt as I'm hardly a professional here! On a side note, any specific comparisons you guys are interested in?

 

[Tristy]

Hi Tristy, thanks for the share and you're right, good to have it here! Heading into exams so will try to have the review out next week hopefully. In the interim, will share my FR measurements here for reference, take them with a grain of salt as I'm hardly a professional here! On a side note, any specific comparisons you guys are interested in?

These are very useful, thank you! Any impressions you can give against the other mentioned models would be greatly appreciated! Especially a comparison against the atlas on technicalities?

I don’t suppose you have a FR graph of the new Dorado lying around too?

Oh and good luck with your Exams!!

 

[Rockwell75]

To think that in a normal world I would have been able to head to Headphone Bar this past weekend and demo the Vega and Dorado 2020 for myself...thanks covid. Honestly as an all-rounder I would probably go for the Dorado as it sounds up my alley in that regard. But as a compliment to Solaris I'm leaning towards the Vega...and I love the white. Based on my reading of that it looks like they may have remedied my only real issues with Atlas. I'm enticed...

 

[ryanjsoo]

These are very useful, thank you! Any impressions you can give against the other mentioned models would be greatly appreciated! Especially a comparison against the atlas on technicalities?

I don’t suppose you have a FR graph of the new Dorado lying around too?

Oh and good luck with your Exams!!

Thanks! and here you go:

Here's a snippet from my review re the Atlas comparison:

The Vega 2020 is somewhat of a hybrid between the original Vega and the Atlas, more resembling the Atlas. At it’s most fundamental, it is a V-shaped monitor with a bass bias, specifically the mid-bass and it has the most laid-back vocals of the 3 which may be its most contentious tuning decision. There’s enhanced contrast entering the midrange to add separation but it remains full-bodied here too. The Vega 2020 has the most laid-back vocal as it employs a similarly enlarged low-end but introduces a noticeably smoother top-end and upper-midrange.

In turn, it's vocal delivery is also the smoothest and most natural of the three, lacking the hard-edged articulation of the Atlas, similarly, the raspiness of the Vega, its midrange notes sound very "whole". It remains an earphone tuned clearly for engagement with its big, bold bass, however, it is no longer so sharp and energetic in the highs as the Vega and Atlas before. The midrange is smoother and more refined in turn, albeit lacking the same definition and clarity. I still find the highs energetic with abundant clarity and great detail retrieval, especially in the foreground.

Technically speaking, it is about the same as the Atlas, perhaps a smidge worse in some regards but with a cleaner tuning that somewhat makes up for this. The bass tuning is cleaner especially so there's a bit more separation in the mid-bass, but it doesn't sound quite as extended or hard-hitting in the sub-bass, a bit more compressed in layman's terms. The top-end is smoother but similar in terms of extension and detail retrieval. This has the most coherent and naturally voiced midrange of the bunch including the new Dorado, albeit it is quite full and laid-back so this can be hard to appreciate.

The Dorado 2020 has a clearer and slightly more forward midrange and high-end that gives it a more vivid W to U-shaped sound. I think the Dorado will be the more popular option but the Vega excels especially when listening in louder environments. I haven't experimented much with this, but you can cover the faceplate port on the Vega 2020 to reduce bass quantity at the cost of some extension and dynamics, but it retains a natural, coherent midrange voicing and the same soundstage and high-end, I quite enjoy this for a more balanced sound.

 

[Tristy]

Thanks! and here you go:



Here's a snippet from my review re the Atlas comparison:

The Vega 2020 is somewhat of a hybrid between the original Vega and the Atlas, more resembling the Atlas. At it’s most fundamental, it is a V-shaped monitor with a bass bias, specifically the mid-bass and it has the most laid-back vocals of the 3 which may be its most contentious tuning decision. There’s enhanced contrast entering the midrange to add separation but it remains full-bodied here too. The Vega 2020 has the most laid-back vocal as it employs a similarly enlarged low-end but introduces a noticeably smoother top-end and upper-midrange.

In turn, it's vocal delivery is also the smoothest and most natural of the three, lacking the hard-edged articulation of the Atlas, similarly, the raspiness of the Vega, its midrange notes sound very "whole". It remains an earphone tuned clearly for engagement with its big, bold bass, however, it is no longer so sharp and energetic in the highs as the Vega and Atlas before. The midrange is smoother and more refined in turn, albeit lacking the same definition and clarity. I still find the highs energetic with abundant clarity and great detail retrieval, especially in the foreground.

Technically speaking, it is about the same as the Atlas, perhaps a smidge worse in some regards but with a cleaner tuning that somewhat makes up for this. The bass tuning is cleaner especially so there's a bit more separation in the mid-bass, but it doesn't sound quite as extended or hard-hitting in the sub-bass, a bit more compressed in layman's terms. The top-end is smoother but similar in terms of extension and detail retrieval. This has the most coherent and naturally voiced midrange of the bunch including the new Dorado, albeit it is quite full and laid-back so this can be hard to appreciate.

The Dorado 2020 has a clearer and slightly more forward midrange and high-end that gives it a more vivid W to U-shaped sound. I think the Dorado will be the more popular option but the Vega excels especially when listening in louder environments. I haven't experimented much with this, but you can cover the faceplate port on the Vega 2020 to reduce bass quantity at the cost of some extension and dynamics, but it retains a natural, coherent midrange voicing and the same soundstage and high-end, I quite enjoy this for a more balanced sound.

This is great, exactly what I was looking for before making a purchasing decision. Thank you!

 

[ryanjsoo]

This is great, exactly what I was looking for before making a purchasing decision. Thank you!

Pleasure Tristy, will work on the full review soon!

 

[ryanjsoo]

Just posted up my Vega 2020 review complete with extensive comparisons to the CFA Dorado 2020, Atlas and OG Vega in addition to some other single-DD models such as the A8000 and Xelento. Review here.



I think most could tell I was not completely happy with the sound out of the box, it was a bit too full and laid-back in the midrange for my preferences despite the step-up in coherence and timbre over the previous CFA DD flagships. However, after testing with the bright leaning Azla Xelastec tips, I found myself enjoying them a lot more. The E-tips especially have quite a dense sound and tend to subtly lift the lower-treble so they don't pair well with the Vega's already full and smooth tuning. The Azla tips open up the upper-midrange and provide a slightly more even bass and treble for an overall more balanced experience whilst retaining an inviting richness and strong coherence.

Even with the aftermarket tips, I still wouldn't recommend this to someone wanting a balanced or revealing earphone, the Dorado 2020 certainly offers more balance and definition, but it's a strong choice if you are averse to midrange thinness, rasp or sharpness and want a very well-structured and robust sound in a compact and super-premium shell. Enjoy the read and questions welcome!

 

[Rockwell75]

Just posted up my Vega 2020 review complete with extensive comparisons to the CFA Dorado 2020, Atlas and OG Vega in addition to some other single-DD models such as the A8000 and Xelento. Review here.



I think most could tell I was not completely happy with the sound out of the box, it was a bit too full and laid-back in the midrange for my preferences despite the step-up in coherence and timbre over the previous CFA DD flagships. However, after testing with the bright leaning Azla Xelastec tips, I found myself enjoying them a lot more. The E-tips especially have quite a dense sound and tend to subtly lift the lower-treble so they don't pair well with the Vega's already full and smooth tuning. The Azla tips open up the upper-midrange and provide a slightly more even bass and treble for an overall more balanced experience whilst retaining an inviting richness and strong coherence.

Even with the aftermarket tips, I still wouldn't recommend this to someone wanting a balanced or revealing earphone, the Dorado 2020 certainly offers more balance and definition, but it's a strong choice if you are averse to midrange thinness, rasp or sharpness and want a very well-structured and robust sound in a compact and super-premium shell. Enjoy the read and questions welcome!

"The Vega 2020 implements a derivative of the same 10mm driver used in the Atlas, a step up in size from the 8.5mm driver in the Atlas."

The driver in the Atlas is 10mm. OG Vega had an 8.5mm driver I believe.