NEW - Campfire Comet and Atlas
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faithguy19
500+ Head-Fier
Keep in mind this is based off of my personal preference. Several were auditioned and I owned a few personally. My favorite IEMs ever are probably Atlas, U18t, Phantom, Vega, K10, & Andromeda.
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linux4ever
Headphoneus Supremus
How does Atlas compare to u18t based on your experience with both?
faithguy19
500+ Head-Fier
Honestly, I don't remember enough about the u18t to confidently state that. It had a huge soundstage if memory serves me correctly. I remember it being more polite than how I hear the Atlas. Less bass and better treble and mids.
Been trying to write one for a while - will be working on it over the weekend, so hopefully will be posting up early next week.
To add to the general consensus, I'm finding that the Atlas is one of the best overall sounding IEMs I've personally heard, too. Such a big and beautifully balanced sound, without any recession in the midrange.
Just for reference, my recent higher end experience includes the Andro, Vega, Zeus-XR, EE Athena, JH Angie, 64 Audio U8, AKT8IE and Rhapsodio Zombie - not heard the new EE lineup yet and only had a few brief minutes with the 64 Audio flagships at the last UK Canjam, so can't really comment on those.
Beechedwhale8
New Head-Fier
How fatiguing is the Atlas? Any sibilance?
chickenmcnug
Formerly known as 8481
Got my comets, was trying out different tips and learned something new today with the spin fit tips.
My right earhole is smaller than my left, medium spinfit fit well in my right but was loose in my left.
My right earhole is smaller than my left, medium spinfit fit well in my right but was loose in my left.
faithguy19
500+ Head-Fier
I do not get any sibilance from the Atlas. I would say it is more fatiguing than some totl iems due to its big and powerful sound.
rawrster
Headphoneus Supremus
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How does the Atlas compare with customs in the 1k-1,5k price range? The majority of universals in this price range are large and cause me fit issues (I sold the Andromeda for this reason). If the Atlas is not much larger than the Comets it sounds like they would be perfect for that use. The advantage is that I have a local dealer that sells the Atlas so I could demo and see if they fit well.
I sold the SE846 recently and it sounds like the Atlas would be similar sounding with better treble and maybe not as much bass?
I sold the SE846 recently and it sounds like the Atlas would be similar sounding with better treble and maybe not as much bass?
faithguy19
500+ Head-Fier
I too have fit issues with many totl earphones due to my very small canals. My only issue with the Andromeda was that it irritated my ears due to my small ears. Atlas fits me perfectly, but it probably wouldn't hurt to demo them if you could. They are quite small though.
Damn, now I'm interested in the Atlas. I received the Andromedas this Wednesday and they're beautiful but I'm so curious about the Atlas. I can still return these but I'm in a sticky situation...
Same here. It was quite the revelation when I finally worked out what was happening.
——————————-
On another note...
I had been listening to the Atlas solidly for a few days and went back to my beloved Andromeda.... and missed the Atlas.
This is unusual as even though I try and review other earphones and often enjoy them immensely I always get a ‘ah, back home’ with the Andros.
So this was a bit of a shock to the system.
More testing is needed.
-Atlas with the Litz didnt sound as good to me as the stock cable.
-I havent tried the Andromeda with the new Atlas cable yet.
- Also I havent done a proper comparison using a headphone switcher (and volume matched with spl) between Atlas/Andromeda and Vega yet.
...I like to give the earphones/myself etc a bit of time to go through the various stages of here it is, new toy, its different, its good here, not good here etc etc before settling down to review.
emptymt
1000+ Head-Fier
Would you kindly compare between the Atlas and the Phantom?
Those 2 are in my radar right now, but I won't be able to audition the phantom due to my location
Atlas will be in the dealership sometime next week, like many Others here I really like the Andros, so I'm expecting great thing from the Atlas.
Thx!
sorrick
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I received my Atlas on Wednesday and they are getting better and better the more I listen and burn them in. When I first listened to them, the mids and highs sounded a little bit recessed/veiled and the bass was a bit overpowering, almost like the bass formed a aural fence that you had to step over/through in order to get to the guitars, vocals, and other instruments. However, after about 5-10 hours of listening, they opened up and now the mids and highs are not at all recessed. The bass has also tightened up and it really is lovely having that big, full, and impactful bass that anchors the sound without overpowering the mids and treble. The treble is very clean, smooth, and non-fatiguing. A previous reviewer put it very well saying it is not sparkly, but it does have a nice sheen with nice but not overemphesized detail. I have not had any sibilance and all, which is nice.
I’ve done a lot of back and forth with my phantoms and they are both very different but also in a weird way very similar. Both the phantoms and the Altas have very big, full, fun, and musical sound, which can seem both intimate because of how engaging they are, but also vast in terms of soundstage when that is in the recording. The fullness and depth of both gives each iem a very three dimensional, well rounded (dare I say spherical) sound, although they are weighted differently.
The phantoms on the whole are much more balanced and although they are warm and definitely not bass light, they are very linear with bass, mids, and highs are all more or less equally emphasized. Now, because of how engaging everything is, they feel more like everything is emphasized at the same time (everything is turned up to 11), but the part that steals the show is the cohesiveness and how everything comes together rather than any one part (highs, mids, or lows). There is more sparkle in the treble with the phantoms than the atlas and to my ears a little more treble extension, but I would not describe the phantoms as super sparkly either (less sparkly than Noble Encores, for example). The phantom mids also seem to have a little more detail than the atlas, but not hugely so. The thing that really steals the show is the simultaneous naturalness of tone with the phantoms, while also maintaining great clarity, and in this sense, they do outpace the atlas. Sticking with the spherical sound analogy, they would be almost like a basketball or soccer ball, very evenly weighted.
With the atlas, the low end is definitely the thing that you are immediately struck by, but as you listen, although the bass is definitely emphesized, it is done so in a very natural and cohesive way. The big trick of the atlas is that although the bass is very big in presentation, it does not overtake the mids or the highs, and does not steal the show in a way that makes you feel like the bass is overpowering. It more provides a really nice anchor to the sound, weighting it for sure, but doing so in a very natural, and intimate way. The dynamic rumble and emphasis of the bass makes you feel the lows like you are right there at a live show, feeling the thump of the PA, or in the case of more acoustic or classical music, like you are right there in the studio feeling the bottom end of the cello or upright bass. It is very visceral bass that grounds the sound. The mids and highs are detailed, well textured, have good clarity, and natural in tone, and while the bass emphasis makes it so they do not sound quite as totally natural as the phantoms, there is something very organic, full, and whole about the bass-weighted sound. I’ll call it bass-natural...to use the sphere/ball analogy again, the atlas is like a medicine ball. The bass gives a very satisfying heft to the sound, but it is still well rounded, natural, and satisfying. It is ultimately not 100% true to life, but it is a very lovely, earthy version of reality. The big plus of the robust bass is that while it does not overemphasize bass where it does not belong (you do not feel like classical music to overly bass), it does pull it out of songs where you’ve always wished the bass sounded better/fuller than it does (I’m look at you ‘Starboy’ by The Weeknd/Daft Punk). The atlas are also a lot more forgiving on poorer quality recordings than the phantoms, which can be. I’ve if you listen to a lot of modern pop, hip hop, heavily compressed, or even classic rock where the recordings are not always the best.
All in all it really depends on what flavor you are looking for. If Ihad to choose the atlas vs the phantom, I would probably lean on the phantom because I love how right it gets it tone-wise, but I’m really glad I don’t have to, because I love the still very natural, but grounded/earthy version of reality I get from the atlas.
I’ve done a lot of back and forth with my phantoms and they are both very different but also in a weird way very similar. Both the phantoms and the Altas have very big, full, fun, and musical sound, which can seem both intimate because of how engaging they are, but also vast in terms of soundstage when that is in the recording. The fullness and depth of both gives each iem a very three dimensional, well rounded (dare I say spherical) sound, although they are weighted differently.
The phantoms on the whole are much more balanced and although they are warm and definitely not bass light, they are very linear with bass, mids, and highs are all more or less equally emphasized. Now, because of how engaging everything is, they feel more like everything is emphasized at the same time (everything is turned up to 11), but the part that steals the show is the cohesiveness and how everything comes together rather than any one part (highs, mids, or lows). There is more sparkle in the treble with the phantoms than the atlas and to my ears a little more treble extension, but I would not describe the phantoms as super sparkly either (less sparkly than Noble Encores, for example). The phantom mids also seem to have a little more detail than the atlas, but not hugely so. The thing that really steals the show is the simultaneous naturalness of tone with the phantoms, while also maintaining great clarity, and in this sense, they do outpace the atlas. Sticking with the spherical sound analogy, they would be almost like a basketball or soccer ball, very evenly weighted.
With the atlas, the low end is definitely the thing that you are immediately struck by, but as you listen, although the bass is definitely emphesized, it is done so in a very natural and cohesive way. The big trick of the atlas is that although the bass is very big in presentation, it does not overtake the mids or the highs, and does not steal the show in a way that makes you feel like the bass is overpowering. It more provides a really nice anchor to the sound, weighting it for sure, but doing so in a very natural, and intimate way. The dynamic rumble and emphasis of the bass makes you feel the lows like you are right there at a live show, feeling the thump of the PA, or in the case of more acoustic or classical music, like you are right there in the studio feeling the bottom end of the cello or upright bass. It is very visceral bass that grounds the sound. The mids and highs are detailed, well textured, have good clarity, and natural in tone, and while the bass emphasis makes it so they do not sound quite as totally natural as the phantoms, there is something very organic, full, and whole about the bass-weighted sound. I’ll call it bass-natural...to use the sphere/ball analogy again, the atlas is like a medicine ball. The bass gives a very satisfying heft to the sound, but it is still well rounded, natural, and satisfying. It is ultimately not 100% true to life, but it is a very lovely, earthy version of reality. The big plus of the robust bass is that while it does not overemphasize bass where it does not belong (you do not feel like classical music to overly bass), it does pull it out of songs where you’ve always wished the bass sounded better/fuller than it does (I’m look at you ‘Starboy’ by The Weeknd/Daft Punk). The atlas are also a lot more forgiving on poorer quality recordings than the phantoms, which can be. I’ve if you listen to a lot of modern pop, hip hop, heavily compressed, or even classic rock where the recordings are not always the best.
All in all it really depends on what flavor you are looking for. If Ihad to choose the atlas vs the phantom, I would probably lean on the phantom because I love how right it gets it tone-wise, but I’m really glad I don’t have to, because I love the still very natural, but grounded/earthy version of reality I get from the atlas.
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