Campfire Audio Astrolith S+ Tier IEM Review

Looking forward to the time domain stuff. I've read there is a little sharpness or glare in the treble. Planar problems or a tuning feature? [EDIT: I haven't watched the video yet]

 

HAHAHA maybe Campfire could be persuaded to loan a separate one out since those are obviously not parting ways with you any time soon. Nice!

I feel I'm outspoken about my preference for dynamic-driver full-sized headphones, but folks that I chat with likely know that I feel planar drivers might have much more potential when used in smaller form factors, as in the case of the vintage dBel modded YH-100s I have; something about too much surface area resulting in finer textures being subsumed, plus as you pointed out before all that diaphragm surface necessitating the use more more metal trace to cover the lot of it.

How's this fare against the Ara for litheness? I recall you mentioned that the lows of the Ara were very oddly not-BA, and from brief demos I'm inclined to agree-- the Astrolith surpasses even that? Does this do that usual plasticky treble timbre thing, or in the case of the vintage Yamahas, more of a "glassy" timbre?

 

I know inflation is a thing but the $2199 MSRP on these just about dislocated my jaw. That said, these points are very good things all told cuz it gives me hope for planars after all (at least, out of mediocre amplification ).

I'm with you on a bit of extra bass volume for IEMs; the Harman IEM target can get bent cuz of how MUCH bass it demands and how weirdly sculpted it is, but a thicker low end never hurt anyone. It was mushy as heck at first but I sort of eventually came around to not-hating the Andro 2020s with an aftermarket cable that basically boosted bass by north of 2dB-- kinda meh as a "reference" when I'm in a quieter spot, but it works when I'm out and about.

For better and for worse though can't really play the synergy game as easily with IEMs like you can with speakers and headphones barring those really esoteric DAPs. I'm gonna see if I can get ears on these at the local store and see if they like the FiiO dongle any more than the USB-C Apple thing.

Would be curious to see burst response and maybe phase plots for these. Can't even guess where the crossover point between the two planar drivers is.

 

$2199 IEMs, sorry but I can build a solid headphone setup for one IEM. If this was $1500, then maybe for the price…….

 

I'm going to come out of retirement to voice my appreciation for Astrolith. I've been using the IE600 as my sole IEM for almost two years, and it's still a very good IEM. Astrolith is on another plane of performance entirely.

This isn't just the most resolving IEM I've heard, it's the most resolving transducer I've ever heard. The speed of the drivers and the complete lack of bass bleed into the mids make this extraordinary clear and resolving of fine details. The two driver setup with the 14mm doing lows and mids and the 6mm driver for the highs means that this IEM has some of the best low and high end extension of any I've heard and all of that information is presented coherently and with an addictive tuning. Ken also designed these to have big macrodynamics and it can absolutely hit those big swings.

Having the resistance be a consistent 8 ohms regardless of input means the FR remains completely stable and the Astros are source agnostic. They retain their level of performance no matter what you use to drive them, but they are also so resolving that they can easily make the limits of sources audible. I spend a lot of time listening on my Rag 1 connected to an Yggdrasil GS2 because the Astros do perform well enough to make the most of that combo. For a DAP I'm using the Aune M1P which is extremely resolving and muscular in its own right.

Campfire's new dual magnet DDs do have more expressive and impactful bass, but the bass on these isn't limp or lacking in body. It's incredibly articulate and still has plenty of slam. I love listening to bands with distinctive bassists on these, like Yes and The Who. Classic rock guitars have nice bite and roar, and the highs have that sparkle and airiness I recall from the OG Andros. Pianos sound especially good as you can hear the hammers hitting the strings with real tactility and resonance and the timbre is spot on, sounds very much like piano performances I've seen in concert halls.

Yeah, they're $2199 but the Andros which are justifiably classics were $1k and the Astros do everything the Andros did, but better. The clarity and speed is unbelievable, it can go from completely black dead silent to full orchestra performance in moments and you can pick out what every instrument is doing or you can sit back and let it all wash over you in a wave of sound. Very rarely does a transducer sound analytical and organic and fun all at the same time.

I ordered a set of Campfire's new slip on custom tips, waiting for them to print mine. If they hadn't offered those I would have seriously considered getting them as customs because they are in my ears so often that they are worth getting custom (to be clear, CFA is only offering them as universals, the slip on tips are covering the custom option). I've never heard anything quite like the Astrolith and I plan to walk off into the sunset with them, at least until Ken produces an even newer TOTL planar (or maybe if he makes a v2 of Trifecta with those new dual magnet biocellulose drivers).

Oh, and I will say these are very responsive to tip rolling. Foams didn't work for me at all. Wide bore silicone worked best for me, with the TRI Clarion being the best I've found to date.

 

I'm curious about that M1P DAP. Know it's a bit off topic. But I've been mising a dedicated portable player since I sold my Wm1z. Do you reccomend it? As someone who doesnt want an Android spyware player, it looks appealing.

 

The sound is excellent, the size is perfect for the hand. The battery life is mediocre and the software is downright bad, but manageable if you’re willing to navigate solely using the file structure of the SD card you put into it. Purely on a sound level I’d say it’s an absolute steal. I’ve learned to live with its software quirks. I just wish the battery life were better. They’re doing some magic with their FPGA because the DAC chip in it is nothing special. I also recommend going for the cheaper version without Bluetooth, which is what I did, as by all accounts the Bluetooth is nearly unusable.

 

Nice, yea I've heard good things about the sound.

 

They’re making the custom tips for all of their current regular production models: https://www.campfireaudio.com/products/modulate-custom-ear-tips

 

If we can get a loaner then that would be helpful because I refuse to do a blind-buy at $2199 or even attempt to consider.

 

I’ve got a Darkstar coming too I was too curious about the new DD driver and they had it for $200 off during Black Friday.

 

I am intrigued. I couldn’t jibe with the Ara because I missed the staging, airiness and sparkle from the OG Andromeda in spite of the Ara’s impressive technical performance.

I’m a fan of good IEMs effectively “down-sizing” extensive desktop rigs. Few probably know/remember/care but I retired my DIY-T2 and Orpheus years ago primarily because my Andromedas were getting more ear time just out of convenience.