The Campfire Audio Vegas were the Campfire flagship until the recent release of the Atlas.
FEATURES
SPECS
Frequency Response: 5Hz–22 kHz
Sensitivity: 102 dB SPL/mW
Impedence: 17.5 Ohms @ 1kHz
Connections: Beryllium / Copper MMCX
Casing: Liquid Alloy Metal Shell
Driver: Amorphous Diamond Like Carbon Diaphram Dynamic Driver
Cables: Litz
Lol @ Vegas. How does the Vega compare to the Lyra II and Andromeda?
Bassy. Very bassy. They also have a smaller build which I know me and @andrew had some issues getting the right seal.
At their price drop, I’d aay they are the right price. An alternative to the Andromedas. The Vegas don’t quite have the same detail and clarity though. If you’re listening to EDM, hip-hop and the like, the Vegas are great. Everything else, not so much. If you’re looking for the same bass but with better details, early word is that the Atlas is just that.
I can’t speak for comparisons to the Lyra II though. I haven’t heard them and I don’t know if I will since I believe they are being discontinued.
Oh, interesting that you and @Andrew had issues getting the right seal with the Vega. I was reading that some folks had some comfort issues with the Andromeda, which I thought might be problematic in ensuring a good seal. I wondered for a while how compatible my smol ears are with the entire CA line-up . . .
Are you and Andrew in the middle of reviewing the Atlas? (They’re so shiny, omg.)
What a shame CA is ending Lyra II; there are so many folks who have raved about that earphone since its first iteration!
I love the Vega. It sounds great on my EQ’d iPhone, and can easily be driven with the 3.5 MM headphone jack. It has a warmths to it. I also like the atlis, but can’t use that on my phone as it has even more base than the Vega. Yay for the Vega! sounds great to me.
We won’t have our hands on the Atlas until early June most likely unfortunately. They are definitely very shiny! Its also a straight in-ear fit which makes it real easy to get a seal.
The Andromeda has a large fit while the the Vega has a small fit so a fit in between them would be nice.
The Vegas are also a lot easier to impedance match. You can drive them straight from your phone with no hiss unlike the Andromedas.
Ya I can’t entirely speak to it being discontinued but it was Massdropped a couple months ago and outside of certain companies, usually when something is dropped it means its end of life.
I just put out a review of these. I thought they were interesting. I do appreciate that CA tried going for a different sort of sound sig with a bassy and trebly IEM but I’m not sure I’d pay $1100 for them. They’re super pretty though.
At their price drop they are a little more reasonable. Although unless you really like bass, I don’t see a ton of reason to get them over the Andromeda when they are the same price.
Like you, I also really enjoyed them (aside from their fit which I found made it difficult for a proper seal) but at their price its really hard to recommend them to someone who may only ever spend $1100 on a pair of headphones once over the Andromedas. I don’t for-see another price drop on them anytime soon though unless the Atlas ends up completely out-shining the Vegas in every way.
We’ve had a pair of Vegas come through recently. I’m still trying to decide if I enjoy Tito’s or Bulleit with them more though.
Going to be A/Bing them against the Atlas and see if the Atlas does show some real improvements. I thought so at CanJam Socal 2018 but listening at shows is a completely different experience than listening in the comfort of your office/home.
I don’t think I’ve read of anyone liking the Vegas more after trying the Atlas, I’m looking forward to your thoughts.
I tried the Atlas yesterday, too bad the dealers sent back their Vega demo I wanted to a/b.
So I’ve been using the hell out of my Vegas over the last week or so. I’m just going to type what comes into my head, this isn’t a full review or anything. Just some thoughts after a bunch of use. I should note that these were a demo pair so are fully burned in, although I’ve only had them for a couple weeks.
Source: MacBook Pro headphone out, iPhone 6
Preferences: Bass, and I’m only slightly ashamed of it, wait no…not at all ashamed. I love me some bass. I like sparkly treble. I think I’ve done some damage to my hearing over the years as a drummer despite my best effort at protection, so a little bit treble emphasis isn’t the end of the world for me. Mids it depends. I think my taste has evolved over time, as I used to prefer warm warm warm headphones. I don’t mind a bit of a v shape, and a little bit recession in the mids nowadays.
From the above preferences, you can perhaps understand how I might enjoy the Vega. I love them. They have big bass. There is no need for an EQ bump in the low end…at all. The low end is perhaps a little bit bloated at times, but I think this has to do with seal and tip choice more than the actual earphones signature themselves.
Definitely a bit of a V shape.
These are not a “reference” “audiophile” tuned earphone, and I just don’t care. I use IEM’s on the bus, on the plane, when I’m doing stuff. I just don’t care about critical listening when I’m using my Vegas. I’m just trying to enjoy some tunes. The Vega do have a bit of a bump at 6.5k, which I could see bothering some people. It doesn’t bother me.
The Andromeda are definitely the better earphone. They have a bigger soundstage, better technicalities, better balance in terms of tuning. I just don’t enjoy them as much for my uses. The Andromeda are also cheaper. Try both if you can before purchasing. However, if you like bass, and still want a quality earphone, you could do a lot worse than the Vega.
I love my Abyss, and the Vega are kind of like an earphone version of the Abyss. I mean obviously not exactly, but big bass, a bit less mids, and kinda sparkly treble. The treble could be a bit sibilant for some people I think. It doesn’t bother me, but if you are treble sensitive there might be better options in terms of earphones.
I’m not sure how these will compare to the new Atlas, but if you want a pair of Vega, there are some sales going on right now due to the introduction of the new TOTL model. This is just a guess, but if the Vega were tuned by Ken Ball and represent his idea of a flagship earphone, I think he and I might have similar tastes in terms of tuning. We both recognise others might prefer a more Andromeda style of tuning, but in terms of just listening and having fun the Vega has a place in the CA line up. If the Atlas is replacing the Vega, then I hope it has a similar tuning, as it would be a shame for this to disappear even though most will probably prefer the Andromeda.
All in all, these are my favourite closed earphones that I have heard to date. The Andromeda are killer, and better for more ears I think, but if the Vega are right for you and your ears, then you certainly could do a lot worse. Big bass, slightly recessed mids, sparkly treble (that might be a bit sibilant.) These are killer for the kinds of music I listen to. Lots of electronica, rock, metal. I do listen to jazz and what not, but not as often. Definitely recommended, especially if you can find a great deal on a demo pair or something like I did with the Introduction of the Atlas.
Thanks to the community preview program I was able to test the Vega out this week and compare it to my Andromeda. My evaluation focuses on a number of key differences between the two, so this is going to be a quick comparison.
Specs
Vega:
Andromeda:
Comparison
The Vega is notably less sensitive than the Andromeda, both in terms of impedance and SPL/Mw. This is likely to do with the five balanced armature configuration of the Andromeda compared to the single “non-crystalline diamond” dynamic driver in the Vega. Because of this difference, the Vega has less trouble finding a decent source. With the Andromeda, even if you run it from an audiophile smartphone like the V30, it picks up digital noise (or oversampling), and on most moderately priced portable devices there’s a bit of background hiss. Moreover, device output impedance can have a significant impact on the Andromeda’s frequency response, which further limits source options for it (unless the intention is to drop some of the bass). The Vega doesn’t have as much variation, and while it’s still important to find a good pairing, it’s a bit more flexible in that regard.
The Vega has a smaller housing and is therefore more comfortable and less noticeable. Both work great with foam and silicone tips.
The Vega’s performance is at least as good as the Andromeda in just about every category. Detail retrieval and speed capabilities are as good or better. The Vega hits a bit harder in the bass, but that could be due to differences in tonality rather than actual driver performance. Soundstage goes to the Andromeda, but the imaging is about the same between the two. They’re both just as good at instrument separation. The main difference in performance is that the Vega doesn’t have the balanced armature timbre of the Andromeda, and to some this will be a welcome improvement. Personally I’ve never had an issue with the BA timbre but the result is that the Vega sounds slightly more natural.
The tonality is very different. The Vega has a more ‘V’ shaped frequency response, with an elevated bass and lower midrange. The rest of the mids are fairly even, but the treble rise shows up slightly earlier with the Vega, causing a bit of splashiness in the treble. This is especially noticeable on cymbals. Overall the Andromeda has slightly smoother and ultimately more enjoyable treble - but that’s not to say the Vega doesn’t perform well either. The Andromeda does just a bit better up top.
Surprisingly the Vega has the better practical application. I use IEMs for their portability, which means I’m generally using them whenever I’m on a trip somewhere or taking some form of transit. Unfortunately, this is not the ideal listening environment because you always hear a low frequency drone that’s caused by whatever method of transportation you happen to be using. This low frequency sound drowns out some of the bass and lower midrange of the Andromeda, which causes it to sound a bit thin (but only in those environments). The Vega, by contrast, doesn’t have this problem due to its elevated bass and lower midrange. This causes the Vega to sound more full and rich, and I never found myself missing instrumentation that hits below 200hz.
Conclusion
Ultimately both are excellent IEMS that are appropriately priced given the competition. For me, the better option between the two comes down to relative application. For ideal listening environments like at the office, at home, or any other quieter space, the Andromeda is the better choice. For any noisy environment, the Vega does a better job of representing your music. Additionally, those who prefer a more ‘V’ shaped tonality should opt for the Vega, and those who prefer a bit more linear bass and smoother treble should go for the Andromeda. So in my mind, it depends what you plan to use it for, and at the end of the day it’s tough to go wrong with either of them.
Check out the video review here.
Nice detailed review and pretty pics! I pretty much agree completely with your observations. I’ll have to check out the video this weekend.
This one was only 2 minutes long haha. I know there’s a lot more to be said about both, but I wanted to try out a shorter format for videos a bit. Not everyone has the time to sit through my usual 20 minute adventures so the goal is to pack as much as possible into a more bite sized and digestible format. Streamlining? Something like that.
how can you compete with Z if they’re only 2 mins?
By saying more relevant stuff in 2 minutes than he does in 30 
I also have this same take away between the Andromeda and the Vega … Both are enjoyable, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good the Vega was. I still prefer the Andromeda though…for whatever that is worth lol. Also the Vega kept being pulled out of my ears by my cables…these are very small compared to the Andromeda and especially next to the Solaris…
I haven’t really looked at what’s required for the community loaner program.
I’d certainly be interested in hearing some decent IEMs, as all I’ve ever owned is some Monster Coppers (way back when they actually received some good reviews on head -fi).
I think it was around the time I bought the Micro Stack from the Headphone.com store. I can’t be certain as it was so long ago now.
Since moving to London, Ontario there has been no opportunity to go to any more meets. Not even micro-meets, with just a few “headphone people”
I’ve been seriously considering some custom IEMs but wanted to try some higher end universals before taking the plunge.
I don’t mind wearing foam ear-plugs for hours and have used then for years at night. I can even forget they’re in at times!
I could never find a decent fit with universals, even with all the tips that came with the Coppers. I think customs would likely be great and there’s an excellent audiologist here in London who I think does fittings for IEMs.
I don’t even mind the wait and can accept the cost. But only if I could find/hear something exceptional in a universal that sold me on the SQ.
The Coppers didn’t sound bad but the constant re-seating them for the best SQ drove me mad.
BTW guys, If this post is inappropriate here I understand. But I wasn’t sure how or where to bring this up.
I really do miss bring able to go to meets. It’s how I got back into headphones after 20 years away. A big Toronto meet was also what turned me on to the Senn 580/600/650 series back in 2007.
I’m an honest person but don’t know how that’s proved on a new site where you’ve never met anyone in person 
Maybe I’ll have to organize a mini-meet or something. But it would be pretty hard to do as I’ve pretty much been a recluse for a few years years now. And the only friend I have into headphones big-time just uses big-time over-ear headphones!
https://forum.headphone.com/t/announcing-the-new-headphone-community-preview-program/1319
Check out this thread, it lays out everything you need to join the preview program. Also I think that there are tiers now as you progress.
I recommend just sticking to the guidelines, hit the milestones and get to the level that has the gear you would like to try, and also review.
Hope that helps!
Also the Campfire Audio IEMs are my preference, but I also like some of the cheaper ones like the Tin Audio T2-T3 which can be found under $60.
