Campfire Ara Review - Perfection - Nicely Done!

Ara loaner impressions

Impressions were done on my zx300 balanced port and compared with my Andromeda v3 (2019 revision). CF foamies.

Going into this loaner, I was really only looking for an earphone that could improve in one or two areas compared to my Andros while not messing up the best parts of the later. I can't say the Ara is a better iem, but it did shine a more specific light on what I want from one.

Bass - This was the area I was expecting the biggest difference based on previous impressions. Perhaps it's my source (which has an OI of around 2), but the bass is very similar in quantity. Perhaps the Ara hit a bit harder in the sub bass on occasion, but not so much as to say it's an upgrade over the Andros which I find a bit anemic at times. Listened to a bunch of Chvrches and they were very similar, with the Ara showing up here and there in a slightly bigger way.

Treble - The second biggest difference I was expecting, not for the better. I was pleasently surprised that the Ara didn't sound much brighter than the Andros. I'm pretty sensitive to treble but for some reason these two from CF don't seem to bother me unless with specific recordings (black metal like Windir is terrible). Clarity on the Ara is EXCELLENT. I would have never considered my Andros to be anything but crystal clear, but damn does the Aras improve here.

Now for some nitpicks.

Bass is still just okay. I definitely prefer dynamic driver bass. It just has that more natural oomph that armatures don't seem to get right. I also prefer female singers on the Andros. They stand out more in the mix while they take more of a back seat on the Ara, my preference is the former.

Fit wise, very similar. The Ara stuck out of my ears just a little further due to the longer nozels. I really dig the titanium shell.

Overall these are really great IEMs, just unfortunately not quite the upgrade I was looking for, but can easily see others preferring the Ara. I'll be sticking with my greens for now.

 

What is it you’re looking for, exactly?

The Andro Gold are the same price, same technicalities (allegedly) and different tuning.

 

Thanks to @ChaChaRealSmooth , @purr1n , and @KenBall for allowing me the opportunity to hear the Ara and compare with my own Andromeda Gold : SE

I only compared the Ara to the Gold due to their similarities and what they represent in my personal lineup of headphones and in-ears. *hint - enjoying a wide variety of music on a wide variety of systems.

Comparisons were made with their stock cables (both the same Smokey Litz stuff in 3.5mm flavor) and Azla Sedna EarFit Light MS tips (don't make me type that all again)

I used two systems to compare:

Work: AMB Gamma 2 -> HeadAmp Pico Power (High Gain) -> Ara/Gold
Home: SFD-1 Mk2 (Modified) -> Krell KSA5 Klone -> IEMatch -> Ara/Gold (My preferred presentation)

The Ara is very much the "at work" version of the "at home" Andromeda Gold. What I mean by that is, the Ara is the skilled technician that doesn't break any rules and their work is among the masters of their craft. The Gold is that same person who gets home and has the freedom to partake in their favorite libation and dance in the kitchen.

It seems the boot system has given Campfire the ability to tune the system without the penalties of normal electrical/physical acoustic tuning methods. The Ara is just as technically competent as the Gold, if-not more or giving the illusion of more by dialing back the forwardness of the mid-bass and treble and allowing you to savor all the texture from top to bottom. The Gold is a more in your face and holographic experience than the Ara - somewhat like the Solaris. The Ara is more of an improved OG Andromeda Experience. Everything is more evenly presented and tonally balanced than the Gold.

 

I have not heard the Gold's, sounds like I should try them.

I prefer dynamic bass so a neutralish dynamic or hybrid. I really liked the OG Solaris, but the fit was abysmal. Need to try the smaller Solaris 2020.

 

Lotoo Paw S1?

 

@jexby is Solaris 2020 has the same length nozzle as the OG one? One big reason I'm goo goo gaa gaa for the Ara is its nozzle.

 

I just got the Ara in. Listening to Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues right now. They are on the bright side in my opinion. Tonality seems better than the Andromeda 2020.

I’m onto foam tips trying to get the right FR balance. Unfortunate I prefer silicone tips and think that a properly tuned iem sounds best with silicone because foam mutes transients.

but I’ve got a lot of good foam tips to try

thank you!

 

My apologies for the delay on these loaner impressions, I know that the entirety of SBAF(and all those ASR lurkerz) have been waiting with bated breath for my, undoubtedly, earth shattering impressions. /sarcasm

I really enjoyed my time with the Ara. I haven't had much experience with BA design iems. It is definitely a unique experience that, for an aging audiophile, really goosed some excitement from these increasingly jaded ears.

I tend to do a more narrative approach to impressions so feel free to skip to the end for the tl;dr.

My first go to track with all Audiophool purchases is Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon on the Graceland album. As a kid, I had this weird obsession with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. (everyone listens to this commercial legitimately as a song, right?)

I have probably heard "Diamonds" thousands of times, on every piece of audio gear that has passed through my home. Now I hope everyone is sitting down for this because... I actually heard things I have never heard before with the Ara. During the end of the song I had always heard women's voices, but it was just blended into the soundscape. With the Ara, I could actually hear and understand the words they were singing. These types of experiences have become few and far between and it was exciting to experience a piece of gear that genuinely provided a legitimate "whoa" moment.

The best part was that, in spite of the ridiculous detail these things demonstrated, I still found the musical presentation pleasing. Don't get me wrong, the sound was embossed in a manner reminiscent of the Focals, but, like the Focals, it detracted nothing from the enjoyment of the music as the spectrum was still evenly presented. I found myself just sitting and listening to track after track and found that they handled the diverse spectrum of my musical tastes with equal aplomb.

So like all pieces of audio gear, there has to be a "but" involved and the magnitude of this one would score a lifetime spot riding shotgun in Sir Mix-A-Lot's Benz. It's the hiss. I have always been sensitive to hiss and there was no escaping it with the Ara. I will admit that I listen to music at ridiculously low levels and so I am likely more sensitive in this area. That being said, if you have similar issues, I would invest in an iem specific amplifier for the Ara. I tested these with the iphone dongle and the way they powered up I thought maybe I had accidentally wired these through the Alpine mosfet amplifier from my old 2002 Honda Civic.(RIP)

Silliness aside, the hiss behaved like all hiss where the audibility completely subsides when actual music is playing. Barring this one, very specific issue, the Ara is without a doubt the best sounding IEM I have had the pleasure of hearing. If the prospect of the marriage of BA micro-detail with legitimate bass presence excites you, the Ara should be on your short list.

tl;dr These iems manage to balance a microscopic attention to detail with a sense of soul and excitement in their musical presentation. If it wasn't for the hiss, I would already have a pair on order, as the immersion level for a set of iems was second to none.

Tech notes:
Sources: iPhone-> dongle, GO 1000
IEM comparisons: Noble X Massdrop, Shure SE215
Tips: Final Audio Silicone Tips
Chair: Eames
Eyes: Closed

 

When I had the Ara loaner I used the small marshmallow tips. I normally used the medium one, but with the longer nozzle of the Ara I really love the fit with the small tips. It made all the difference for me.

The nozzle of the OG Solaris just didn't go in deep enough for my liking.

 

I got one of those in the mail a few weeks ago and it was a revelation for me...to the degree that I presently have a Lotoo PAW 6K (the full size equivalent of the S1) on the way. What did it for me was a combination of the "reference" tuning and inky black background. Compared to the S1 all the other sources I've used have either colored the sound somewhat (the mid-bass bump of the A01 board on my n6ii or the faint glare of the E01) or have hissed to the point of distraction (ZX300). With the S1 the tuning is very neutral and I feel like I'm getting an unalloyed experience of the Solaris. The real bonus, though, has been the black background. I never had a problem with hiss on my n6ii but with the S1 you get that extra 5% of detail retrieval and clarity that you didn't even know you were looking for and I find it quite addictive. Highly recommended little unit.