Review: Campfire Audio Andromeda 10

Sound impressions

I’ve been listening to Andromeda 10 for the past few weeks using my regular rotation of test tracks and new music discovery. All listening was done with the stock cable, SpinFit CP145 tips, and a HiBy RS8 II DAP in low gain.

One of the Achilles’ heels of the original Andromeda, at least in my opinion, was its extreme sensitivity. The running joke was that it would hiss when connected to almost anything – even sources that weren’t switched on. That may be an exaggeration, but on today’s modern DAPs and powerful portable dongles, the original is undeniably limited in usable volume range.

Thankfully, Andromeda 10 is far less sensitive. I experienced no amplifier hiss with any of the sources I tried. It’s still very easy to drive – a good ten volume clicks lower than the also easy-to-drive U12t, for example – but now there’s ample room for fine volume adjustments when needed.

Tonality

I hear Andromeda 10 as having a mild V- or U-shaped presentation that remains largely balanced and mostly natural. There’s a noticeable bass lift, particularly in the midbass, a slightly recessed midrange and vocal region, and a mid-treble lift that adds sparkle – and occasionally a bit of bite – up top.

I wouldn’t describe the overall tonality as warm, but there’s a definite hint of warmth carried up from the elevated midbass into the mids. On Beyries’ Alone, the reverbs on the bass guitar have a pleasing density, blooming just slightly into the midrange and lending the presentation a warmer-than-neutral character.

There’s a touch of sub-bass roll-off, so drums on Brandi Carlile’s The Story tend to boom rather than thwack, but overall bass balance is very good. Texture is respectable, and it’s leagues ahead of what my audio memory recalls from the original Andromeda – in fact, I’m fairly sure my old notes simply read “bass: none”.

What Andromeda 10 definitely isn’t is a basshead IEM, and I doubt it was ever intended to be. Considering bass on the original felt more like an afterthought – there to support the performance rather than lead it – the fact that I enjoy Andromeda 10’s bass as much as I do is praise in itself.

Moving into the midrange, the presentation is clean but slightly recessed, more so for male vocals than female. I do pick up some added energy from the treble on the leading edges of female vocals – more on that shortly – but it never crosses into anything offensive.

The contrast between Holly Throsby and Mark Kozelek on What Do You Say is telling. Holly’s voice sits slightly forward with a faint glassy shimmer, while Mark’s is set further back and sounds less chesty than I’m used to on this track. This points to a mild lift in the upper mids combined with a dip in the lower mids – something Campfire’s own SPL graph appears to support.

There’s no shortage of space or separation in the midrange. Instruments and vocals are clearly delineated, and there’s strong textural detail on fundamentals like guitar plucks and piano keystrokes, very much in line with what I’d expect from a premium IEM at this price point.

Which brings us to the problem child of the tonal trio: treble. I say that somewhat tongue-in-cheek, because treble is generally well controlled and of good quality, but certain treble-forward tracks – Def Leppard’s Love Bites being a prime example – can sound a little spicy for my admittedly treble-peak-sensitive ears.

The mid-treble lift injects liveliness and air, but it can also make the trailing edges of female vocals sound slightly grainy – assuming that grain exists in the recording to begin with. As a result, Andromeda 10 can be a touch less forgiving on certain material, or at least remind you that treble has always been an area where Ken Ball’s tunings tend to err on the expressive side.

That’s not to say Andromeda 10’s treble is loose, but it’s certainly not the last word in silky smoothness either – and I suspect Ken wouldn’t have it any other way.

The upside of this tuning is that crisp transients like stick hits and cymbal crashes are easy to follow and add welcome dimensionality to the presentation. In fact, I’d argue there’s more here for treble lovers to enjoy than in some of Campfire’s more recent releases.

Technical performance

Like most Campfire IEMs, Andromeda 10 is a strong technical performer – and I’d rank it among the company’s better efforts. Imaging and instrument placement are particular highlights, with sounds arriving from clearly defined positions across the stage.

On Radical Face’s Along the Road, one of the standout tracks from Ghosts, the creaking effects in the left and right channels are so convincingly rendered that they feel as if they’re coming from just beyond the outside of my ears.

Soundstage is generous, especially in terms of width, with slightly less emphasis on depth. It may not be class-leading, but it comfortably sits among the stronger performers in this category.

Detail retrieval is another area where Andromeda 10 scores well. While it doesn’t quite reach the resolution of IEMs costing two or three times as much, it should still satisfy all but the most obsessive detail hunters.

Finally, Andromeda 10 delivers a convincingly dynamic listen. Subtle shifts in intensity are rendered just as clearly as more dramatic swings in volume and energy. My go-to test for this, Hans Zimmer’s Mountains, is particularly satisfying here, with a slow, restrained build-up giving way to a powerful and unexpected crescendo that lands with real impact.

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