[Mimouille]

Went to CanJam and had a long talk w/ ken. I thought it is hard to beat the Comet in the < $199.00 range. The sound is very balance without emphasis in any fq.range Bass is not like Vega/ Atlas heavy but its there, Look and feel is very highend.

My interest is in the Atlas. There were only three pairs at the show otherwise I would have purchased a pair. First impression can be summarized in two words: big sound , I have been using the Vega for the past year. Comparing to the Vega, the Altas is like listening in a concert hall as oppose to a small jazz club. You are enveloped by an explosion of sound. I switched off the stock cable with my Norne Silvergarde S cable which is a heavy gauge (20 ga) solid silver cable and it improved the sound in terms of tightness and body. Some impressions here mentioned that the bass is hard hitting and emphasized but just like the Vega, it will settle down after 50 hours or so and Ken agrees with that assessment. It is slightly easier to drive than the Vega and seems to be just a touch brighter than the Vega in the mid range, but I am not sure if it is due to the fact that it is still new and has not been fully burned in yet. I switched back and forth with my Vega and the Vega sounded more lush and warm in comparison but I have a feeling that the Altas will get there in time also.

Personally I prefer the Atlas over the other iems in the 3000+ dollars. It is the best deal in that price range. At yesterday audition, the Vega sounded very different from the Atlas and I don't feel like wanting to let go of my Vega yet. They sound like two separate kind of sound, but I know once the Atlas settle down, it will move closer to the Vega but I cannot tell by how much at this point. I most likely will pick up the Atlas for it big sound. For those people who just purchased the Vega or the Atlas, I definitely will not rush to burn in the phone. I will enjoy the slam and the PRaT while it last, once it is gone, you will miss it big time.

Unfortunately, there is no show discount for the Atlas as they won't be releasing till the end of the month and Ken stated that the first batch has been all taken by some resellers.

Yes, Ken confirms that he is not offering the option for different connectors, but he did show me a heavier gauge (22 ga) silver or may be SPC cable which he said will sound better but I prefer my own custom Silvergarde.

I can see a lot of promise in the Atlas. Yes, I know at $1299.00 it is not a cheap iem but to me I prefer it over the Tia Forte and other iems two to three times above the Atlas straightly on sound alone.

One thing about the Vega/Atlas line is that they have character, and if you like their style nothing else will do it for you at any price range.

Thanks for the feedback. Could you give some brief comments compared to the likes of the IE800s or the Dream?

 

[Jalo]

Only less than 12 hours i already missed the sound. Ken said he will send me an early pair.

 

[Sound~Patriot]

I love Campfire and i love my Vegas....
....but i can't help...the Comets look like a hairdryer. And both, the Atlas and the Comets stick out too much for my liking. Besides the polish is too much bling bling. I definitely will give them a try....but the look is definitely not everybodies taste.
Tastefully discreet is the opposite.

 

[Sound~Patriot]

Just place an order for the Atlas

You just bought the custom LX and the Phantoms.... lol

 

[Jalo]

Thanks for the feedback. Could you give some brief comments compared to the likes of the IE800s or the Dream?

Big, bigger sound than both, Mim, I know you have the Silvergarde also, the Atlas will scale noticeable with better cable than the stock. I have only heard the dream and IE800 briefly at show, so I can't really give you detail comparison, sorry. But this much I can say, the sound is not just bigger, it is a highend sound, clean, quick, and has a body that you can touch

 

[Jalo]

I love Campfire and i love my Vegas....
....but i can't help...the Comets look like a hairdryer. And both, the Atlas and the Comets stick out too much for my liking. Besides the polish is too much bling bling. I definitely will give them a try....but the look is definitely not everybodies taste.
Tastefully discreet is the opposite.

I have the exact image after seeing all these enlarged images on this thread, but in all reality, the both the Comet and the Atlas are very small in vivo. They Don't stick out at all, they kind of disappear in your ears.

 

[Mimouille]

Big, bigger sound than both, Mim, I know you have the Silvergarde also, the Atlas will scale noticeable with better cable than the stock. I have only heard the dream and IE800 briefly at show, so I can't really give you detail comparison, sorry. But this much I can say, the sound is not just bigger, it is a highend sound, clean, quick, and has a body that you can touch

Well Ken had better give you a commission because now I want it.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I was listening to the Comet for two hours with no discomfort or need to change earphones due to enjoyment whilst typing up some reviews.

I did put in a another brands sub $200 earphone for comparison at the end, but had to remove it after two songs due to poor sound quality.

Its a strange angel, a two edged sword of freedom.

 

[Sound~Patriot]

I have the exact image after seeing all these enlarged images on this thread, but in all reality, the both the Comet and the Atlas are very small in vivo. They Don't stick out at all, they kind of disappear in your ears.

Ah come on, stop. I don't listen !
I should unsubscribe......now i see myself ordering the Atlas. Another gemstone lying on a beach full of gemstones.
At least i will wait for a proper review including a proper comparison of the Vega and the Atlas. Man.....

 

[maira]

Anybody able to compare the comet to Fidue (a73) ?

 

[Jalo]

I had the chance to audition the Cascade also, and I prefer the Atlas.

 

[kundica]

I wrote the following as a reply on reddit but figured I'd share the same comments here since they capture most of what I have to say:

When I first listened to the Comet I thought it sounded like garbage. I used the stock medium sized foam tips that came with it OOB, which I pretty much use on everything else. The sound was boomy, veiled everywhere else, rolled off on both ends, just mediocre in general. I tried moving to over ear which was a little better(slightly more balanced), then swapped to the included medium+ Spinfits which were another step in the right direction. From there I tried switching sources, moved from my V30 to my ADI-2 DAC, but the new source didn't really help, just made the issues I had more apparent.

The following day after seeing so much praise form people online I thought either they're riding the super hype train or I have something wrong. At that point I went back to foam but to the small tips which allowed me to get deeper insertion. To my surprise they sounded a lot better, even pleasant. A lot of the veil was lifted, there was more treble extension, and better overall clarity. I should've known better, I had a similar issue with the Massdrop Noble X in terms of tips and insertion having a massive impact on sound quality.

Despite the improvement, I still don't think they're worth $200. The cable produces some of the worst microphonics I've heard. It's not the entire cable but above the split where the controls are located. The controller also makes the cable heavier than a normal CA Litz cable and a pain for me to wear the Comet without going over the ear. At $200, I think one would be better served to save up another $100 and try to score a pair of the Massdrop Plus which hit way above their price point. It's worth mentioning that I love most CA IEMs. I owned several models and currently use the Jupiter daily. Jupiter has its own shortcomings like the upper mid dip but they've served me well. The Andros are by far my favorite CA IEM, the only thing that's kept me from upgrading to them is how temperamental they are with sources.

 

[neueziel]

Went to CanJam and had a long talk w/ ken. I thought it is hard to beat the Comet in the < $199.00 range. The sound is very balance without emphasis in any fq.range Bass is not like Vega/ Atlas heavy but its there, Look and feel is very highend.

My interest is in the Atlas. There were only three pairs at the show otherwise I would have purchased a pair. First impression can be summarized in two words: big sound , I have been using the Vega for the past year. Comparing to the Vega, the Altas is like listening in a concert hall as oppose to a small jazz club. You are enveloped by an explosion of sound. I switched off the stock cable with my Norne Silvergarde S cable which is a heavy gauge (20 ga) solid silver cable and it improved the sound in terms of tightness and body. Some impressions here mentioned that the bass is hard hitting and emphasized but just like the Vega, it will settle down after 50 hours or so and Ken agrees with that assessment. It is slightly easier to drive than the Vega and seems to be just a touch brighter than the Vega in the mid range, but I am not sure if it is due to the fact that it is still new and has not been fully burned in yet. I switched back and forth with my Vega and the Vega sounded more lush and warm in comparison but I have a feeling that the Altas will get there in time also.

Personally I prefer the Atlas over the other iems in the 3000+ dollars. It is the best deal in that price range. At yesterday audition, the Vega sounded very different from the Atlas and I don't feel like wanting to let go of my Vega yet. They sound like two separate kind of sound, but I know once the Atlas settle down, it will move closer to the Vega but I cannot tell by how much at this point. I most likely will pick up the Atlas for it big sound. For those people who just purchased the Vega or the Atlas, I definitely will not rush to burn in the phone. I will enjoy the slam and the PRaT while it last, once it is gone, you will miss it big time.

Unfortunately, there is no show discount for the Atlas as they won't be releasing till the end of the month and Ken stated that the first batch has been all taken by some resellers.

Yes, Ken confirms that he is not offering the option for different connectors, but he did show me a heavier gauge (22 ga) silver or may be SPC cable which he said will sound better but I prefer my own custom Silvergarde.

I can see a lot of promise in the Atlas. Yes, I know at $1299.00 it is not a cheap iem but to me I prefer it over the Tia Forte and other iems two to three times above the Atlas straightly on sound alone.

One thing about the Vega/Atlas line is that they have character, and if you like their style nothing else will do it for you at any price range.

I also liked the Atlas more than the Fourte which seem rather plain.

 

[ustinj]

Initial impressions at Canjam were pretty "meh" on the Comet. It sounded gritty and plasticky all over, there wasn't much extension in both ends, but the bass impact for a single BA stood out to me. Though I didn't really love it, I decided to buy one anyway to review.

On the way back, I had some friends asking on impressions. I had an opinion formulated already, but decided to listen more as I got home -- surprisingly, it sounded much more pleasant than it did at the show. I'm not sure the reason, whether it be the show floor noise or the Comply tips they provide for demo (imo foam tips often murder the sound, not sure why all the exhibitors provide those)..

Anyway, here are my more leveled thoughts on Comet. I'm impressed by the bass slam and quality they were able to squeeze out of a single BA, and thank God this one actually has treble (my gripe with Orion). This sounds much bigger than a single BA driver -- the goal they aimed to accomplish with Comet (to great a huge sound) was more or less reached. Unfortunately, though what they have been able to push out of a single BA is a feat on its own, that also seems to be the source of my problems -- it sounds as if they have really pushed the limits of a single driver, as if they're stretching the sound over a sound field too wide for the Comet to handle.

Overall, the sound is impressive out of a single BA. For the price I doubt you'll find a better single BA IEM. You can find more accurate mid-range timbre in a $200 dynamic driver IEM, but the novelty and exclusivity of a BA driver is always there -- I'm sure there are people (possibly myself) that will take this over anything else at $200, trading off the more accurate and natural mid-range timbre of a proper DD driver, for the snappiness and speed of a BA driver.

edit: also, the cable is a huge disappointment in terms of practicality. The microphone hangs below chest level, which probably won't be too good for talking -- bumping into your chest would probably induce a bunch of random noise into the microphone, and the CHIN SLIDER IS MADE USELESS! The chin slider only goes up 3 inches before being stopped by the microphone, right at chest level! What?!

 

[Victorfabius]

I'm now in week three of Flares Gold ownership and I'm staring really, really hard at the Atlas right now. I know I could send the Flares back, but I won't. For those of you who have shared your impressions of the Atlas, thank you. You only make me want to spend more money I don't have. I was thinking about the Vega before I got the Golds, but I guess good things come to those who wait. I will live vicariously through you Atlas lovers.

The Comet looks rather... interesting. I wish I had the ability to preview them somewhere, but I don't. (Ok, I have the ability, but not the motivation!) Am I the only one who saw that product and realized that they have a negative association with an iem with a single BA driver? I might actually have to get the Comet just to shed that particular prejudice. I see too many people here who have used the word "impressed" with the Comet.

I wonder: for those of you who have listened to the Comet and come away positively impressed, is that due to what they've achieved with that single BA driver?