- expatinjapan
Please also see the earlier Campfire Audio Dorado review:
*Some minimal amount of the content is repeated from the Dorado review.
Whats in the box?
As usual Campfire Audio provides a box that is just the right size, no over sized and vacuumed sealed.
A beautiful black leather case to protect your precious earphones whilst traveling.
Each ear piece comes safely wrapped in a small red velvet pouch to prevent scratching whilst in transit
Every Campfire Audio earphone comes with the excellent Litz cable.
Specifications
Lyra II combines a single 8.5mm beryllium PVD dynamic driver and a unique liquid metal alloy housing to effortlessly deliver high fidelity music.
– World’s First 8.5mm Beryllium PVD Dynamic Driver
– World’s First Liquid Alloy Metal Earphone Housing
– ‘Dusk’ PVD Finish
– Premium Litz Wire cable; Silver-plated-Copper Conductors
The bass for the Lyra II hits at around 110.0, the Vega at about 118.5 and the Dorado at around 116.0.
(Left side of the chart).
Short impressions
I received the Dorado from Ken Ball at the Fujiya Avic headphone show in Tokyo in October, 2016 for review. I had a chance to listen to all new models at the time and listed my short impressions as thus:
(Short time at the show impressions):
`The Vega, Dorado and Lyra II
The Vega is deep and full sounding. It has excellent clarity and sound stage. The bass hits but is also clean, tight and fast.
The Dorado is deeper, and has a medium v shaped signature. Bouncy and energetic. It has a good weight to the sound. Fun but still CA smooth.
The Lyra II is more flat...in a sense, it has more mids, warm, even and with great instrument separation. Full with an excellent low end.
In terms of sound signature to my ears (And Ken confirmed I was pretty much on the Ball - excuse my pun).
Vega = XXX
Dorado = XxX
Lyra = XXx`
Of course short impressions at a show or in store can give a hint of what is to come, more is revealed with concentrated and analytical listening and more layers and nuances are discovered.
I did not ask how many hours they had on them. They had stock foam tips fitted.
What one has to realize with these new earphones that Campfire Audio has released is that they do increase in sound quality by price point.
Each of their sound signature is well designed and incremental, the Dorado whilst definitely a V shaped earphone isnt strictly so in the usual sense, it is more of a flattened V which retains some body and soul of tracks recorded.
And the Lyra II whilst presenting itself as a low and mids focussed earphone certainly doesnt totally lack in the highs department.
It isnt extreme tuning at the expense of all else, it is a controlled and measured tuning to present the best that can be reproduce concerning certain traditional choices of sound signatures, being the XxX (Dorado), the XXx (Lyra II) and the XXX of the Vega. No sharp rises or drop offs here.
Smooth, measured and timely.
Build
The build of all Campfire Audio products is sturdy and strong, from the lithe but able Litz cable to the robust MMCX connectors, the Lyra II is built to last.
The ear pieces being of metal means they will withstand more abuse than the average plastic earphones, thats not to say to be rough with them as the inside drivers are still delicate.
A protective metal gauze to prevent earwax getting inside.
The Litz cable as I have mentioned several times in other review is a well made, and fabulous sounding cable. Sturdy yet supple. No real need for an upgrade.
Fit
The fit is identical to the Vega and very similar in foot print to the Dorado (apart from the longer nozzle of the Dorado).
*Please excuse me as I recycle the photo from the Dorado review as I think it illustrates the fit well.
The shorter nozzle is similar to the BA IEMs of Campfire Audio, you need to have the right tip to get a good seal to maximize the performance of the Lyra II and your enjoyment thereof.
Stock foam tips on the left, the Comply Tx-400 I got from the Andromeda/Nova boxes.
I settled on the Comply Tx-400 tips for the Lyra II in the end, silicone did the trick with
the JVC Spiral tips and also Ortofon.
But as Ken Ball at Campfire Audio said, foam is best for these earphones.
The Litz cable comes with a chin slider to assist for fit if needed.
The new Campfire Audio earphones build and shape compared.
The new line up of Vega (metal/silver color),
Dorado (bronze/gold color) and Lyra II (Red brown black color).
Campfire Audio Dorado size comparison with CA Andromeda below:
Foot print is basically the same as the Lyra II except for the longer nozzle.
Sound
Testing of the Lyra II was done with a variety of Dap and dac/amps from the Opus#1, Hifiman MegaMini, ipod touch 6G, Shozy Alien Gold, CEntrance DACportable, Hifi-Skyn to the Hifi-M8.
Ipod touch 6G 128GB used Dan Leehrs Flacplayer app.
FLAC used was mainly 16/44.
The Lyra II had a burn in period of around 100 hours before commencing with the review.
In the end I found the Lyra II to be quite resolving and pleasing, but lets enjoy the journey first.
As I mentioned at the show after a short audition I decided to describe the Lyra II as having a XXx signature which Ken Ball confirmed.
Show impressions recap: `The Lyra II is more flat...in a sense, it has more mids, warm, even and with great instrument separation. Full with an excellent low end`.
Later after a short amount of burn in (10 hours?), using the Litz cable and supplied foam tips my next impressions found the Lyra to be `a bit dull, perhaps due to lack of highs, not so musical but can get airy and full of space with the track`.
I then departed onto the Dorado review and occasional hits of the CA Vega and left the Lyra II to burn in some more.
Once the Dorado review was complete, I moved onto the Lyra II.
Now the Lyra II had around 100 hours on it.
Opus#1 (old Firmware), Comply Tx-400 tips.
LARD and Oasis seemed a bit dark at first listen, perhaps also the shock of coming from the V shaped Dorado, my ears need a bit of adjusting I guess.
Adele sounded great, full, spacious and clear.
A bit surprised at the dark low end after a strict diet of the Dorado V.
As the Vega is to the Andromeda, and the Dorado is to the Jupiter ...the Lyra II is to the ????
Death in Vegas with Hope Sandoval sounds cool, If but a bit muted.
Less energetic than the Dorado of course, adjusting...
Lyra II with Spiral Tips later that same day
Bass still there although less prominent.
Vocals and treble more forward than before, treble has more of a presence with the silicone than with the foam.
Bass is solid still, just not so `thick`.
I find this combination more listenable and a tad more cleaner.
Opus#1 Dap just got a huge stunning firmware update.
The Dap has better resolution, more airiness and sparkle.
More space and separation between instruments than before.
I see this echoed in the improved performance of the Lyra II also.
I am really enjoying the Lyra II after the Opus update.
The Opus#1 with its latest Lollipop firmware update really shines when paired with the Campfire Audio Lyra II, great detail, the treble comes alive rather than recessed, lower bass is clean, clear and quick without a trace of muddiness, the mids are slightly warm, with a hint of lushness without becoming too enveloping or demanding.
Testing of the Lyra II was done with a variety of Dap and dac/amps from the Opus#1, Hifiman MegaMini, ipod touch 6G, Shozy Alien Gold, CEntrance DACportable, Hifi-Skyn to the Hifi-M8.
Ipod touch 6G 128GB used Dan Leehrs Flacplayer app.
FLAC used was mainly 16/44.
The Lyra II had a burn in period of around 100 hours before commencing with the review.
In the end I found the Lyra II to be quite resolving and pleasing, but lets enjoy the journey first.
Campfire Lyra II with CEntrance DACportable
As I mentioned at the show after a short audition I decided to describe the Lyra II as having a XXx signature which Ken Ball confirmed.
Show impressions recap: `The Lyra II is more flat...in a sense, it has more mids, warm, even and with great instrument separation. Full with an excellent low end`.
Later after a short amount of burn in (10 hours?), using the Litz cable and supplied foam tips my next impressions found the Lyra to be `a bit dull, perhaps due to lack of highs, not so musical but can get airy and full of space with the track`.
I then departed onto the Dorado review and occasional hits of the CA Vega and left the Lyra II to burn in some more.
Once the Dorado review was complete, I moved onto the Lyra II.
Now the Lyra II had around 100 hours on it.
Campfire Audio Lyra II with Opus#1 Dap
Opus#1 (old Firmware), Comply Tx-400 tips.
LARD and Oasis seemed a bit dark at first listen, perhaps also the shock of coming from the V shaped Dorado, my ears need a bit of adjusting I guess.
Adele sounded great, full, spacious and clear.
A bit surprised at the dark low end after a strict diet of the Dorado V.
As the Vega is to the Andromeda, and the Dorado is to the Jupiter ...the Lyra II is to the ????
Death in Vegas with Hope Sandoval sounds cool, If but a bit muted.
Less energetic than the Dorado of course, adjusting...
Lyra II with Spiral Tips later that same day
Bass still there although less prominent.
Vocals and treble more forward than before, treble has more of a presence with the silicone than with the foam.
Bass is solid still, just not so `thick`.
I find this combination more listenable and a tad more cleaner.
Opus#1 Dap just got a huge stunning firmware update.
The Dap has better resolution, more airiness and sparkle.
More space and separation between instruments than before.
I see this echoed in the improved performance of the Lyra II also.
I am really enjoying the Lyra II after the Opus update.
The Opus#1 with its latest Lollipop firmware update really shines when paired with the Campfire Audio Lyra II, great detail, the treble comes alive rather than recessed, lower bass is clean, clear and quick without a trace of muddiness, the mids are slightly warm, with a hint of lushness without becoming too enveloping or demanding.
Campfire Audio with Shozy Alien Gold Dap
The Lyra performs best with a dap etc that has a decent amplifier and a low output impedance to retain its signature and show its true colors. With the Hifiman MegaMini it was impressive at times when I cranked up the volume but the Lyra II desires more power.
Back to the Opus#1 with its new firmware.
Really nice body to the music, resolution is beautiful and top notch.
On to the CEntrance DACportable, Tx-400 Comply tips, Gain 2.
As usual the CEntrance DACportable with its power amplifier inside and low output impedance gives a realistic picture of what an earphone does and can do.
It always seems to come back to that point about signature, in this case the XXx shape.
Within that parameter one might ask `is that it?` Many other earphones have a similar signature. So what makes the Lyra II special, If at all?
The Lyra II like all the other Campfire Audio earphones I have listened to is smooth, well detailed and has a decent soundstage.
It has accurate placing of the instruments and a true portrayal of the vocals therein.
I can`t technically fault it as such.
It is a high performer worthy of its asking price.
I myself prefer a XXX signature, but thats my ears and personal preference.
Bass, then vocals, mids and finally highs seems the order of the day when it comes to the Lyra II.
But yes, the Lyra II, a clear fantastic sense of space and resolution with a beautiful
timbre within its parameter of XXx.
ALO Reference 8 cable, a nice match.
Value
Coming in at the lower priced end of the latest Campfire Audio line up at US$699, value as always is relative to ones wallet and of course the actual sound quality.
IE value for money, did I get it? Is usually the first wondering after an audio enthusiast parts with their precious money after spending weeks scouring forums trying to find the best bang for their buck that doesn`t break their bank.
Build of course is excellent as is all Campfire Audio products and the sound is stunning, If you like a slightly bassier and warmer XXx signature you`ll love the Lyra II.
I cover the value also in the Overall section.
Coming in at the lower priced end of the latest Campfire Audio line up at US$699, value as always is relative to ones wallet and of course the actual sound quality.
IE value for money, did I get it? Is usually the first wondering after an audio enthusiast parts with their precious money after spending weeks scouring forums trying to find the best bang for their buck that doesn`t break their bank.
Build of course is excellent as is all Campfire Audio products and the sound is stunning, If you like a slightly bassier and warmer XXx signature you`ll love the Lyra II.
I cover the value also in the Overall section.
Campfire Audio Vega (same sized housing) with the Hifiman MegaMini
Overall
The Lyra II is a steady performer and as with all the other earphones that come out of Campfire Audios stable it is a picture of quality in build as well as in sound.
With so many Campfire Audio products to choose from now, deciding which one is best for oneself is the first fun stage.
Price and sound signature. Simply once one has decided on a budget then the parameters of what one will purchase grow narrower, from there its simply a choice of sound signature preferable paired with a decent fairly neutral player with a low output impedance.
So where does the Lyra II fit into this, considering the II tacked on to the end of its name we would presume that this is a new improved version of the first Lyra, as I have never heard the Lyra this is my uneducated guess.
Out of the seven earphones Campfire Audio has on offer the Lyra II is the cheapest single driver DD unit, and it is the third placed (above the Orion - single BA unit and the Nova) in price, behind the Jupiter, Dorado, Andromeda and Vega models.
But I digress somewhat. Apologies.
The Lyra II due to its signature of XXx in my view matches well with a neutral to a bright source to really shine.
The Opus#1 with its latest Lollipop firmware update really shines when paired with the Campfire Audio Lyra II, great detail, the treble comes alive rather than recessed, lower bass is clean, clear and quick without a trace of muddiness, the mids are slightly warm, with a hint of lushness without becoming too enveloping or demanding.
As usual I paired the earphones with many different players/source, Dac/amps etc to try to get to the heart of the earphone, its essence; and came away quite pleased with the Lyra II. Having the Vega and the Dorado also in my possession meant I knew on an unconscious level I would probably look down on their cheaper cousin. I went the review route of Dorado>Lyra II> to try to combat this thinking.
The choice still is If you want V excitement then get the Dorado, If you want something a bit warmer and perhaps even laid back get the Lyra II and If you want the whole shebang of fullness, balanced, linear even then get the Vega.
Whilst the Lyra II is no slouch in its overall performance, its focus on the lows and mids might not be for everyones taste. Each to their own.
The Lyra II like all the other Campfire Audio earphones I have listened to is smooth, well detailed and has a decent soundstage.
It has accurate placing of the instruments and a true portrayal of the vocals therein.
A winner for fans of the XXx style signature.
Thank you to Campfire Audio for sending the Lyra II to Head pie for review
-expatinjapan
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