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

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by purr1n, May 13, 2016.

  1. lattugatartaruga

    lattugatartaruga New

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    so you would recommend the zx300 for the Andros? I'm trying to pick between it and the zx2... seems like most stick with the zx2 ... :oops:
     
  2. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    I have it and it’s very close to the nw-wm1a. You will enjoy it for sure. But andromeda sounds excellent in several sources with impedance match. I do use my iPhone se a lot with it.
     
  3. AvijitS25

    AvijitS25 Acquaintance

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    I do not have any experience with the ZX2 so I can not give you any feedback regarding that, now that I have a 4.4m cable it is definitely better than the SE, if you can why not try and get the zx300a and save some money
     
  4. lattugatartaruga

    lattugatartaruga New

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    thanks! what are some of the popular pairings?
     
  5. lattugatartaruga

    lattugatartaruga New

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    strange, yesterday JB was reporting the zx300 OOS. I was able to order it this morning :cool:
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2018
  6. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    Just avoid the excessive noise in here 01 phrase with no meaning. Please contact me PM if you need
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2018
  7. lattugatartaruga

    lattugatartaruga New

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    sorry, I did not mean to be cryptic, I meant Joybuy seemed to have the item out of stock but I was able to order it earlier this morning. I wasn't sure if we could mention gear sites :) it sounds like the benefits outweigh the noise factor so I guess I will deal with it :D
     
  8. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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    Are you talking about DAP noise, or the noise you're adding to this thread?

    I kid, but only partially. Read more, post less, at first anyway. The profile posts section is a great way to get noise out of your system if you have to. Stuff like shipping updates, etc, go great in the profile posts section.

    A read of this thread will reveal that popular pairings for the Andromeda include:

    * ZX2
    * ZX300
    * Other more expensive Sony DAPs like the WM1A and whatever gold plated FOTM they're selling
    * Certain Geek Out combo DAC/amps. Not technically a DAP, but they're popular.
    * The IEMatch can be used to wrangle other sources that would normally have unusable output impedance into working, at the cost of the last degree of performance.
    * shotgunshane likes the Lootoo PAW, but few others seem to give it any love.

    That's about it. It's a pretty narrow range of DAPs that get the group thumbs up here for usage with the Andromedas.
     
  9. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I would say the GO stuff is a bad pairing. I prefer ZX2 by far over the GO stuff even with IEMatch.
     
  10. lattugatartaruga

    lattugatartaruga New

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    thanks, yeah, I already went through the thread and many others...and I read about the usual suspects listed above...I just thought that perhaps some Andromeda owners were holding out on sharing their favorite pairings, thus, my question. :) I will wait here quietly/patiently for the 300A (now it seems to be out of stock again - so I'm not sure if the order is even valid). If it does finally arrive (along with the 4.4mm fiio BAL cable), I would certainly hope it will be an improvement over my current Cayin N3.
     
  11. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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  12. AvijitS25

    AvijitS25 Acquaintance

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    1368, is the regular price of the Andromeda in canada, I paid about 1344 after tax when I purchased them during the Toronto AudioFest. IMO I would just go the used route and save the 500 for the Green, after tax its like 1550. If you can afford if go for it. It seems like opinions are mixed here regarding the Green Vs S but both are amazing, the Vocals/midrange are definitely more forward on the S not by too much. Other than that there was not too much of difference between them. Instruments did seem a bit further back, I think in part due to the forwardness of the mids. Someone can correct me if this is BS and hopefully explain what is actually happening.

    Also Cad to US is so shit, the Aeolus were like 1400.
     
  13. Peter Pineda

    Peter Pineda New

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    Hi just got my andromedas a week ago and love them! Anyway im currently pairing them with a low impedance dap (Hiby R3) tidal streaming only. They sound suprisingly good actually. Anyway im planning to upgrade my dap. Has anyone tried pairing them with AK se100’s?
     
  14. lattugatartaruga

    lattugatartaruga New

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    is anyone using the Polaris black litz all copper cable - balanced 4.4mm term with their Andromeda?
     
  15. thechansen

    thechansen New

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    I recently picked up used Orions and I am absolutely loving them. I am not a huge fan of IEMs. I tried various CHI-FI IEMs to replace my work set up of Fulla 2 and HD650 (my preferred headphones to give you an idea of my subjective preference). Out of everything I’ve tried I felt that the Orions are the closest match to the 650s I’ve tried. Since the Sennheisers ended up being my end games and I love everything about the Orions, is it worth trying the Andromedas? Am I setting my wallet up for heartbreak? I am very very very curious to hear them in person and the fact that to even try them on requires paying...

    I have ALO’s deal page bookmarked and I figure I can always eBay them if they aren’t a huge upgrade over the Orions or if I end preferring the sound of the Orions. I sold pricier over the ear headphones then my HD650s.
     
  16. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    The Andros are pretty universally loved (pardon the pun) around here and I think that you can't go wrong with them. You could keep an eye on eBay for a good deal, or just order them direct from CFA and take advantage of their return policy (which is copied here from their website):

    "Campfire Audio earphones and headphones come with a 15-day no questions asked return policy that begins on the date of delivery. Returned IEMs and Headphones must be received in like-new condition with all accessories. A 20% restocking fee may be assessed for products returned in less than new condition, missing accessories, and/or in unoriginal or damaged packaging. Damaged earphones or headphones may be assessed a larger restocking fee. If it is determined a restocking fee will need to be accessed, you will be notified prior to the issuing of a refund for your order. Unopened products will not be assessed a restocking fee. Custom made products are not returnable."

    Unlike the Solaris, the Andros don't require a long burn-in period, so the return window should be enough of a trial period for you. Ken and his team are also very good at customer service if you have any questions or needs.

    Cheers and good luck!
     
  17. thechansen

    thechansen New

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    Yeah, I asked customer service if I can try a demo pair and put down a security deposit (or if they knew of any vendors that offer that) and they also mentioned the return policy. Which is fair. But that’s still $1099.
     
  18. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    @Peter Pineda - Just got the chance to play with an AK SE100 tonight and compare it to my NW-WM1A. Wasn't a fair fight to put the AK up against the 1Z, but in my opinion the 1A bested the SE100 in sound quality, having better tone and layering, while the SE100 was flatter and not as dynamic. However, the SE100 will stream services like Tidal directly, which these Sony's can't do (although they can act as a Bluetooth receiver if you want to stream from your phone to the 1A and have it do the audio processing for you). And for your reference I tested the SE100 on the Andros, Vegas and a pair of AKG N5005's a friend loaned me with the AK (didn't love the AKGs). Cheers
     
  19. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    That's true, but the Andros sound better to me than a number of $1.5K-2K+ IEMs I've heard, and they're a reference for many of us here, so they must be doing something right. :cool:

    Best to get your ears on them and see/hear for yourself. Enjoy
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2019
  20. obsiCO

    obsiCO Thai Fish Experiment Gone Wrong

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    Orion to me is a mid-centric take on Andromeda with less slam and resolution. I figure you'd like it coming from Orion, as did I. It's gonna sound a bit v-shape at first listen, though, especially with a low-Z source like Fulla 2. In fact I don't think it's quite a great match with Fulla 2 even with an IEMatch. I feel like AKM's velvet sound doesn't match well with the already a bit v-shaped Andromeda. Anyway, I also suggest reading through this thread if you haven't already. ;)
     

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