Campfire Audio Andromeda Review: Holy Cow, This is a Dream, Awesomesauce!

I had a pretty good customer support experience with my Andromedas worth commenting on here. The right earphone tip piece came off in my hand when I was trying to switch out tips (it had been making a clicking sound when I put it in, so I think it was a weak epoxy joint from the beginning). Wrote to CA, and they RMA'd it with no questions asked, and I just got a replacement pair the other day. My RMA number was single-digit, so I don't think they've been running into a lot of issues. The Andromedas are impressive all over again the second time around.

 

That seems to be the weak spot on these. Someone on HF reported their Novas breaking at the same place. Shame that piece couldn't have been screwed on rather than glued.

 

The difference is supposed to be the core tube size and foam thickness, with 500 being thicker and larger in diameter/larger bore than 400's. In practice, I've found that they more or less fit IEMs the same. (I use T-400's myself).

 

ive had my andros for a while now and im gonna have to go against the grain. i honestly prefer my uerr over them.

i find the listening experience more enjoyable, slightly more laid back, yet wider Soundstage and better treble extension. i find there signatures rather similar actually, simply neutral. (listen ed out of a Nwzx2)

not to mention comfort! nothing beats a custom, soooo comfy. after only using customs for the last few years i forgot all the pain and discomfort of jamming tips in your ear.

my 2 cents

 

Not sure if anyone mentioned this yet but how do these compare to the jh13? I got a non freq phase jh13 and have been thinking of the v2 or sending it in to get the freq'ed but this Andro has really got me questioning this.

Or at least can someone help me compare the freq response for a hypothetical comparison. I'm not really good at interpreting those things

 

the non freqphase are better than the freqphase IMOTBH

id say unless you want that extra 10% stick with the jh13 they are a great iem

 

I have placed a deposit to secure the Andros and initially was torn between this and K10U.. reading some of the issues surfacing now, I'm thinking of switching to K10U for little extra?

Being an OCD, the paint chipping and now the nozzle issue is definitely concerning or maybe I'm overly reacting...hmmm???

 

Just got my Andromedas, and these are very initial impressions after ~2h of listening. I'm just jotting down notes as I go, so I'm sorry if the following isn't very organised.

• Using XS SpinFits, might order some SpiralDots given their stellar reviews
• Fit is excellent, no issues with sharp corners, but obviously YMMV
• Build is excellent and these have a very premium feel in hand. The green is also really pretty in person.
• These are very sensitive, requiring ~15 steps lower on my Mojo compared to the JH13s non-FP
• Hisses quite a bit with my Mojo, compared to Mojo+JH13s and iPhone+Andromedas (noticeable but not bothersome unless listening to acoustic and quiet passages)
• Overall a very enjoyable sound signature, doesn't seem to cause any fatigue thus far (~2h of listening)
• Next to the JH13s, the Andromedas are quite a bit slower, decay is longer, but sub-bass impact is similar
• JH13s have better micro-detail retrieval (together with the earlier point, this makes the JH13s more analytical compared to the Andromedas) - this could be due to the noisier background hiss with the Andromedas
  • This is quite significant in a few tracks I've tested:
    • Jason Mraz 'I Won't Give Up', guitars in the intro
    • Yanni 'The Storm (Live)', pretty much everything from 2:25 onwards, the JH13s brought out the details and the rhythm in the strings much better, albeit sounding thinner and also arguably less natural than the Andromedas
• JH13s have a mid-bass bump compared to Andromedas
• Andromedas produce a thicker note compared to the JH13s
• Andromedas' bass is more enveloping; JH13s' is more in-your-face and faster but overall weight is again similar
• Andromedas have a more natural timbre, and are generally smoother than the JH13s
  • This is where the Andromedas really win out - guitars, strings, piano all sound way more natural compared to the JH13s
• Soundstage is wider on the JH13s

On the whole I would sum them up as such:

• JH13 = energetic, exciting, fast
• Andromedas = organic, natural

I'll need more time to compare them further, try different tips, what not. But right now, impressions are very favourable! The JH13s and Andromedas complement each quite well; when I want to sit down and listen intently to appreciate particular nuances in my music, I'd go for the JH13s. On the other hand, if I want to just lay back and relax, the Andromedas are very enjoyable and non-fatiguing.

 

Thanks for for the input it's really insightful!

In what way are the non fp better, I have not come across may comparisons after all since most people would not get 2 jh13 but from the few mentions like from inner fidelity it seems to be an improvement but not sure if it's worth paying jh for the upgrade, but on the other hand mine don't seal as well as they use to over the years so I was thinking of a remold so might as well get the fp'ed. I guess my ears changed shape cuz I'm getting old

 

Any of the members here own LPG with Andros? Just wanted to get a general idea how much hissing is there and is it really bothersome on 'quiet passages' in the music?

thanks

 

In regard to hissing, I'm getting audible hiss with Mojo, but interestingly dead black on my LG V10 in 'normal' mode. I've not had a chance to do serious critical listening with them, but on my reference track for hiss, Stacy Kent's "The best is yet to come" the Mojo's hiss didn't seem to be distracting once the track started playing.

Mojo SQ does seem preferable to me than the V10, but it's not night and day...so chalk up another win for the V10 here.

 

Edited my previous post to say that the JH13s are actually wider in soundstage. They also have better imaging and instrumental separation. They are basically a detail king.

I've been spoilt by the JH13s when it comes to details. But it only gets to me when I compare them side by side, or occasionally when the details really make a significant difference to how I'd enjoy a particular song - why can't I get the same details on my Andromedas? The Andromedas are more than adequate themselves, and I honestly don't want to be scrutinising my music 24/7.

Still, I'm open to any suggestions that would bring out the treble on the Andromedas more. Also, would something like a ER4P-4S converter make any difference to the hiss at all?

 

Yeah, would an impedance adapter affect FR of the Andromeda? I just received my Andros and a Mojo and there is more hiss than I'd like (also it seems a good bit darker than straight out of my iPhone 6+).

 

Yeah, I guess the search is on for for a complimentary portable dac/amp in the ~2-3 ohm output Z range.

 

FWIW, mine are the JH13 non-FP. I agree with what you said regarding the perceived sharpness. The thinness of the JH's notes and bright signature definitely lend to that perception. Where I can hear 2 separate string plucks on the JH on some songs, many a times I can only hear 1 resonant sound on the Andromedas. Again, not that it matters a lot, but when I'm very familiar with a particular song and expect to hear certain details, it can be underwhelming when the Andromedas cannot deliver them. 90% of the time the Andromedas do not leave me wanting more in terms of details.

I maintain that the JH13 was able to resolve more low level information, perceived or actual, natural or enhanced, and that I can still appreciate however artificial you wanna term it.

That said, there are many more variables to play around with the Andromedas - tips, output impedance. I definitely want to experiment with more permutations given the stock experience is already excellent.

 

Thanks Marv. I was going back and forth between the iPhone 6s and my Fiio X5 (2nd gen). The latter has a zout of 0.2 ohms (if I remember correctly) and the darkness was noticeable (and I thought I was imagining things).