An Audiophile’s Dream – Campfire Audio Andromeda Audiophile Earphones Review

December 19, 2017 10:18 am

In the world of audiophile earphones, I tend to gravitate to Westone and Final Audio. But today I was able to get my hand on a brand I’m new to: Campfire Audio. Today I’m going to take a closer look at the Campfire Audio Andromeda. Folks across the forums have been raving about them, so I’m thrilled to hear for myself. So do they live up to the hype? Today I’ll find out with this Campfire Audio Andromeda audiophile earphones review.

In the Box

-Carrying Case- zips closed, hard case coated in leather, wool inside

-Litz Cable- MMCX cable, silver plated copper conductors, with Beryllium copper

-4 pairs of spinfit tips- xs, s, m, l

-3 pairs foam tips- s, m, l

-3 pairs silicone tips- s, m, l

-Cleaning tool

-Campfire Audio lapel pin

Design

Cable

The cable included with the Campfire Audio Andromeda is made by ALO Audio. It is a Litz Cable, which means it’s individual wires are insulated from each other. As a result, the cable has lower impedance than others. From a sound standpoint, it also makes the earphones sound more alive. I was curious to see how the Litz Cable would actually affect the sound so I listened to some earphones I know well, the Westone W60s. Listening to those earphones with their standard cable, and then switching to the Litz Cable, brought the W60s to life in a way that’s hard to put into words. They sounded more reactive to small changes in dynamics. As a result, the soundstage improved and dynamic changes had more emotional impact.

Driver Housing

The aluminum driver housing of the Campfire Audio Andromeda is created by 3D printing. Therefore, they are all made in a replicable way, but personally inspected by the folks at Campfire Audio. At first, I thought maybe they’d be too bulky for my ears. However, I was impressed because they’re so light weight, that even though they are larger than usually works for me, they still stayed in place.

Drivers

The Campfire Audio Andromeda has 5 balanced armature drivers: two for the low frequencies, one for the midrange, and two more for the high frequencies. Additionally, the high frequencies are extended due to a tuning chamber inside the driver housing. This technology, called T.A.E.C (Tuned Acoustic Expansion Chamber), is responsible for the openness of the sound, according to Campfire. So let’s get into it. How do they really sound?

Sound

Lows

The low frequencies of the Campfire Audio Andromeda are dynamic, thick, and hardy. A broad boost at 60Hz provides impressive subby energy without being over-the-top. Kick drums, bass guitars, cellos, etc all feel very true to how they should sound. They are not overemphasized, but still impactful. Additionally, the low frequencies extend down deep, contributing to the overall height of the soundstage.

Mids

The midrange feels clear and flat. It is very reactive to dynamic changes, making classical music in particular impressive in this frequency range. There are frequency cuts at both 800 Hz and 5.5 kHz. Guitars, synths, strings, keys, and horns all sound full and detailed without being overly analytical.

Highs

Boosts at both 8.5 kHz and 10 kHz make the Campfire Audio Andromeda earphones a little bit sibilant sometimes, particularly with female vocalists. Other than that, they have great high end extension and have a sound that audiophiles will otherwise really love. The high end is clear and detailed but also very musical without a hint of sterility.

Soundstage

The mid-range dynamics and detail, along with the high frequency response, provide a nice sense of depth. The degree of depth isn’t entirely speaker-like, but is more than subtle. Additionally, the extension in the highs and lows gives these earphones very true and impressive height. Lastly, the width is very accurate and spacious.

Overview

So do the Campfire Audio Andromeda live up to the hype? Yep! They do. The Andromeda earphones have a sound audiophiles will love. They are made with high quality materials and have a super impressive, high quality litz cable. Therefore, I bestow up these earphones the Major HiFi Gold Award!