Campfire Audio Andromeda Reference In-Ear Headphones Green

Product Information

Thanks to the open and airy nature of the sound it is not bothering me as much, but you know, we all have our preferences. On the other hand, Aurum is a power-hungry, engaging, v-shaped box of fun, that is not far in terms of detail and ability. As always, preference is key; expect to sacrifice some atmosphere and midrange warmth that, for some, may be the very reason they enjoyed the original so much. Having recently re-purchased the 2020 because I never could get its sound out of my head-- even after owning the MW10-- my sense is that it doesn't have quite the low end emphasis that the MW10 did but the overall presentation is more to my liking, most likely for the reasons you're describing here but I can't say for sure as I've never a/b'd them back to back.

Another thing about influence, and this has been covered extensively in Stereophile, is that undue influence is extremely easy to spot.which is quite on the lower side, making Andromeda a lot more sensitive on catching white noises depending on the cable and player. It’s something that balanced armatures do very well, and combined with the timbre it will send shivers down your spine. There’s little danger that the independent reviewers here are going to be unduly influenced by any one product, unless of course one company starts squeezing out their competition by sending product after product and hogging the reviewer’s time. I was curious about this part, as it is slightly recessed compared to the previous iterations of the Andromeda. Great choice when you want to reinforce the pros of the Andromeda, but since the top end is recessed in both it can get unexciting in some songs.

It does scale well in terms of resolution and staging, however, I would definitely recommend pairing the Andro 2020 with a resolving, low impedance source. It exploits the depth of the soundstage to create a 3D like effect where notes may play on top of each other while having their own separate stage to express themselves.

Now, I should mention that the contrast is less than strikingly glaring, especially if you’re AB-ing for only a minute or two. It is instead dry and cozy, making it more desirable for digging into the fine texture details without getting too grainy. In short, Ara produces a sound that feels like a “fog-peeled-off” version of the Andromeda with enforced clarity and airiness.