Campfire Audio Astrolith S+ Tier IEM Review

purr1n: Astrolith S+ tier, smitten, Golden Schlong Excellence, Home run Campfire IEM tuning for SBAF. Great value at $2200 as you just need a iphone dongle.

SBAF: Frequency graph looks bad, but we trust the overlord right? Great SBAF has a loaner!

Loaner: Honest impressions, either good or bad.

willc: Let me Troll. Why do you guys even bother contributing impressions at all?

 

So I've had the Astroliths for a few weeks now. Picked up a used pair after reading some initial reviews, wanting an unapologetically basshead, rock-your-arse off listening experience. I was also willing to shell out a bit more for real resolution and some extra soundstage. I feel like I found exactly all that and more in the Astroliths.

But it wasn't all roses at the start - because like some others, I found the treble a bit too hot on some tracks. The foam tips initially helped with this issue, but it wasn't quite enough. Well, after some tinkering, I found a solution that's worked really well for taming the treble to my liking, without compromising the sense of resolution or energy these IEM's bring (which are like no other IEM I've heard).



The mod is really simple - just slap some 3M micropore tape over the entire tip. And then carefully poke some holes to dial the hi-end to your taste. After some experimenting, I found that the tape 'breathes' well enough that perforating the center vent was enough for me.

No, I don't like having to 'mod' anything this expensive. But the change is quick, cheap, reversible, and easy enough that I suggest giving it a try if the high freqs don't quite sit well with your ears. I will say, as far as TOTL technicalities, the Astroliths easily trade blows with my Stax SR-007's and Raal SR1a's when I listen to them via opticalRendu > iBasso D16 chain. And neither of those headphones are ever as fun to listen to.

Edit: I also settled on the stock foam eartips after trying a myriad of silicone tips. I also read somewhere that CFA's own Ken Ball prefers foams?

 

I want to thank SBAF for putting this loaner together. This might be rambling a bit, but here are my thoughts after having the loaner for a few days...

Throughout my time with Astrolith, I've grown to really appreciate this iem for what it does best... bass and resolution. I find that a rarity in most iems I've heard. Let's get the elephant out of the room... I did find them to be a bit too v-shaped like others have mentioned. The bass is visceral and impactful without any bloat or flab, but to me it might be too much of a good thing for this particular iem. This is somewhat surprising because I've actual become somewhat of a basshead when it comes to transducers. It is what I look for first when evaluating a headphone or iem. However, with Astrolith, vocals and much of the midrange comes off as a bit thin and recessed to me, which is kind of exacerbated by the prominent low end and noticeably present treble. Don't get me wrong, the mids are extremely detailed and nuanced. Guitars can sound very life-like and "right", but I am missing that euphoric quality and musicality that draws me in to the music. When I listen to pick out various instruments and seek out the details, I am really blown away. Really. The details are there in spades and resolution might be the best I've heard in an iem. Problem is, I listen to music to get my toes tapping not to pick out details, and Astrolith is lacking to me in that regard. I like my elevated bass with a side of meaty mids and this combination just isn't on Astrolith's menu. I didn't even get to the highs! Wow, are they detailed and seem to extend forever. You get every shimmering cymbal, with all the microdetail you could want, but the timbre just sounds off to me. There is this metallic quality to the highs and I honestly find it a bit tinny at times, like listening to a band play in a metal shed. I know that sounds harsh, but am pretty sensitive to treble and I just can't get used to this presentation. Between the elevated bass and the uber-detailed prominent treble, I just find myself focusing too much on the parts rather than the whole. This is bad for my overall musical enjoyment.

I do listen primarily to vocal based indie and classic rock, which is what I used to develop the above impressions. I will say that to end my listening session I did try some classical and orchestra pieces, and wow! If that is your jam, I can see Astrolith as a very strong contender for you! Again, while I really do appreciate what CA has done with these planar drivers in iem form, Astrolith just isn't my cup of tea. However, if you want a v-shaped iem with slamming, high quality, prominent bass and resolution in spades, I recommend you give it a try!

I wanted to include some comparisons to some other Campfire iems, but haven't had the time to really gather my thoughts. I can tell say that *spoiler alert* I much prefer CA's Trifecta and more recent Clara, at least for my music collection as I found them both to be more musical with better balance of bass, mid, and treble. Though neither can stand up to the sheer resolution Astrolith can provide.

 

I'm still hoping for a Trifecta 2 using the newer double magnet DD drivers CFA uses now, as I think that would be the sweet spot between timbre, detail, bass impact, and musicality.

 

Totally agree! Trifecta definitely has its flaws and it's resolution is lacking, but it still sounds fantastic with a lot of my library. The new driver could really clean things up and improve on overall detail retrieval. I have a feeling this is in the works...

 

Ode to Astrolith: A Shitpost Poem

Within the realm of sound, they shine so bright,
Campfire Audio Astrolith's pure delight.
For dance and electronic, their reign is clear,
In sonic bliss, they draw you near.

With rich, warm tone, they take their flight,
Each note a masterpiece, through day and night.
The thunderous bass, it roars with might,
A glorious depth, a soul's respite.

The lows, so deep, they shake the ground,
In their embrace, pure euphoria found.
Beneath the waves of thunder's call,
You dance through realms where shadows fall.

Their mid-range voice, a bit recessed,
Yet balance found, they still impress.
For treble shines with spark and glow,
A v-shaped charm, they deftly show.

Energetic peaks in treble's flare,
A lively pulse, a dance so rare.
Detail resolved in every beat,
A symphony where worlds entreat.

A crystalline soundscape, vivid, clear,
With Astrolith, new realms appear.
In this embrace of sonic art,
A timeless joy that swells the heart.

So let the beats of music play,
And dance the night, come what may.
In every note, pure fun you'll find,
Campfire Astrolith, one of a kind.

 

This, this right here captures the essence of my brief time with Astrolith. Thank you for putting in words I couldn't find when I kinda-hulk-smashed my keyboard in frustration with these "S+" IEMs. So close, but yet still so far.

 

Just picked up a used Astrolith (I bought them new a month or so ago but returned them for reasons)...and I'm really enjoying these. I'm sticking with Spinfit 145 as they are super comfy and sound correct to me. I also prefer those tips on Clara after a lot of experimentation.

I listened for a while with the stock spc cable and thought the treble could be a bit splashy and things indeed sounded a bit sharp and etched and analytical in a bad way.

I switched to the hybrid spc and occ cable that the Clara IEMS come with and things sounded much better. Smoothed the highest frequencies out but didn't reduce treble extension. Things just sound a bit more natural and less 'hi-fi' sheen. Sort of confirms my suspicion that the base Campfire Timestream silver plated copper cable SUCKS.

I had the same experience with the Campfire Audio Darkstar and a base Timestream spc cable so I sort of had faith a cable swap would improve things.

Just something to consider. I know some other folks have had success with using pure silver and hybrid cables. Doesn't need to be expensive, just recommending to stay away from silver plated copper, at least the CA base Timestream cable.

I noticed minor differences with cables on my headphones over the years but nothing like the 3 Campfire IEMs I've heard so far. It's strange. They are sensitive buggers.

All that boring stuff being said, I dig the bass on these. Boobies in my face is two thumbs up.

 

Should have tried listening to the extra campfire cable included in the tour, but I also didn't feel like it would be fair because I wouldn't be paying anything over the base 2200 price tag. The cable probably has some effect by having higher impedance. I remember someone saying the base Campfire Timestream cable impedance is very low at like 0.6.

 

Yeah, I measured the base Timestream at or around that value. I'll try and measure the Timestream Duet version that Clara comes with tomorrow. Now I'm curious.

I also want to clarify I'm obviously not saying a cable swap would make anyone like these IEMs. Just that if you own them it wouldn't hurt to try something else as I find them a lot more pleasant to listen to.

 

@Soups you sure that is micropore tape and not the plastic Transpore tape? It looks like clear Transpore. If you're getting good results, then that's good. But I prefer micropore tape. Transpore is just regular plastic tape with holes cut into it. So its porosity is not ideal for damping orthos. Micropore tape is porous paper, so there are holes all through it all around, not just a few amid a non porous material.

Another thing to try might be to just completely cover half the front nozzle, or 2/3 the front nozzle with micropore tape. And try the front and the back or top or bottom.

And also just a note, that what your'e doing is not just blocking/filtering out treble waves, you're also damping the driver by adding resistance to the air pressure put out by the moving ortho diaphragms. which change how they move, so you might be down tuning the driver as well and.... well doing a whole lot to change how it moves and behaves and sounds. Not just filtering treble.

I imagine it's possible you could damp the drivers into being much more neutral in this simple way but I don't know.

Just worth noting that this kind of thing with ortho drivers is actually potentially very influential and could be changing a lot.

 

@rhythmdevils Sounds cool that it works but microporing a 2.2k iem to fix its tuning is disturbing to me. Maybe on sub 1k or near 300-400 iems but not at 2.2k. It should be perfect out of the box. Imagine having to mod an Yggdrasil to fix its tuning.

 

Sure, but you realize you are talking to a man who mods multi kilobuck headphones for a living...right?

 

well not for a living yet but that would be nice

I say if you can get the results you want it doesn't really matter how you get there. Especially if it's easy. I do understand the point being made but I already find this pattern with so many full size headphones, where the driver has potential that is not being met by the acoustic implementation.

Also - I don't know if it works, I don't have an Astrolith, I was just putting some ideas out there.

 

Yes, it's the 3M paper micropore tape. I did forget to mention that I went through a few iterations, initially covering different amounts of the nozzle. I settled on this cover-all approach for its flexibility (open up vents to one's liking) and simplicity (not having to manage tape placement/dimensions at all). But I'm sure you're much more aware of the finer variables than I!

Also, since I was tuning only by ear, I tried to listen closely for any loss of soundstage or resolution... which wasn't a noticeable issue for me once I got a vent or two perforated. The micropore tape does seem to breathe really well.

 

I agree for the most part. I think it's trickier with something like IEM's when you account for all the different ear shapes that could impact what 'tuning' people end up perceiving. That's also why tip rolling is widely accepted in the IEM world, regardless of price - and call it what you want - because tip-rolling to me is a 'mod'.

As for the Astrolith, I actually wish CFA might offer something like different tuning nozzles for such models, which is definitely a bit less janky than micropore mods.

 

the man is an artist! Yes…but he doesn’t do it to “fix” them, but rather elevate them to a new potential. If he can fix the Astrolith with an easy fix to reach its final form without any irreversibility, I’ll buy one.

 

Micropore is clutch. Thanks for the suggestion @Soups. I ended up opening the large center hole and 2 small holes on each ear piece. That along with the Divinus wide bore tips has these sounding chefs kiss to me with DX340.

I can listen to Billie Eilish now. Hehe.

Tri Clarion were too bright. Spinfit 145 sounded good at start but definitely neutered the air these can achieve.

 

@rhythmdevils, the Astrolith seem to pair really, really well with Yiggy A2 and Stratus v3.

I was not enjoying them much on my DX340 for extended listening. I think it's too neutral of a source (treble tended to tickle under my eyes a bit) for these IEMs. I even prefer the Alo Audio pilot DAC I got for free over it with Astro.

Strangely I prefer them on Stratus with the IEC switch on (high impedance) mode. It tames the treble peak just a bit and doesn't seem to harm anything else. I figured high imp out would mess things up too much. I'm curious what your thoughts are once you get the loaner in.

Pics or it didn't happen...

 

Going the extra mile! Though I wonder from a value perspective if a headphone of similar value would serve the chain better.