Campfire audio Holocene review and Mammoth review, impressions and musings
More information here: https://campfireaudio.com/shop/holocene/
Blue c/2019 q4, brown Holocene, red IO, black Andro Gold
More information here: https://campfireaudio.com/shop/mammoth/
Blue Mammoth and brown Holocene above
So here we go. Much of the journey took place on the head-fi thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/campfire-audio-holocene-and-mammoth.958527/
This rings true after leaving them overnight or getting 24 hours or so on them.
Out of the box the dynamic driver is a bit wild and needs tightening and taming.
Then it all comes together nicely as intended (By Saturday).
Yellow is the CA Honeydew
Thank you to Campfire Audio for sending Head pie the Holocene and Mammoth for review
- expatinjapan
The Campfire Holocene (3BA, reference, balanced, even, natural) and the CA Mammoth (1DD, mid BA, high BA, Xxx signature, full bass, acceptable mids, treble dependent on tips.).
More information here: https://campfireaudio.com/
Holocene unboxing etc:
More information here: https://campfireaudio.com/shop/holocene/
‘ Holocene’s remarkably even, and balanced frequency response curve conceals the speed and resolution of a true audiophile’s reference earphone.’ - CA
The Campfire Audio Holocene arrived today.
The Campfire Audio Holocene arrived today.
The shell is similar if not identical in size to the Andromeda Gold, IO and c/2019 Q4.
A brief inconclusive listen reminded me of the c/2019 Q4 sonic signature. Similar….
Read the c/2019 Q4 impressions here: https://www.headpie.net/2019/11/campfire-io-versus-c2019-q4-quick.html?m=1
‘…… C/2019 Q4 - More fuller sound. I would hesitantly say that the frequency chart would be fairly flat.
It basically has plenty of everything without being mushy or smeared together. Theres a certain strength to the (wall of) sound.
Sorry, but it is a rich delicious sound, decent fast full hitting deep bass, and luxurious low/upper mids, highs extending correctly and vocals just above the music (and not overly forward - how i like it). Male and female vocals reproduced properly.
Quite easily accessible and enjoyable.’
I can hear that also somewhat in the Holocene….
…but it is early days with more to come.
From the unboxing:
Blue c/2019 q4, brown Holocene, red IO, black Andro Gold
Mammoth unboxing etc:
More information here: https://campfireaudio.com/shop/mammoth/
‘Mammoth’s bold and vibrant sound offers a surprising combination of visceral fun and technical brawn. It is an earphone you’ll find yourself turning to again and again as it injects raw power to propel your favorite recordings to new sonic heights.’ - CA
I had a quick listen but i think the CA Mammoth need a few more hours on them before i can make an informed comment on the them.
From the unboxing:
Blue Mammoth and brown Holocene above
Mammoth and Andro 2019 below
And so we begin our odyssey, think of it more as a journey than your standard intro/specs/low/mids/highs/summary review
Enjoy the ride…..
CA Holocene and Mammoth
The Holocene was an easy earphone to write up given i had heard and reviewed its earlier incarnation the Japan limited edition c/2019 q4.
The Mammoth was a different kettle of fish and require more time spent on it. I could have said L shaped or polaris v3, added some word salad and got away with it and none would be the wiser - but it has so many variables i wanted to dig deeper…
So here we go. Much of the journey took place on the head-fi thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/campfire-audio-holocene-and-mammoth.958527/
So it begins…
Further on sound…
8th/July
At the moment i am listening to the Mammoth after leaving it playing overnight and the low end has tamed/tightened up after leaving them playing overnight (at first listen it was like being in one of those cars with a souped up bassy sound system,..’boom boom’).
Campfire Audio describe it as ‘Mammoth’s bold and vibrant sound offers a surprising combination of visceral fun and technical brawn…’
And seems about right, bit of Solaris/Ara mix?? The statement ‘a mix of visceral fun and technical brawn’ seems like something i might write in a word salad review on purpose just to annoy or confuse people with a mesh of seemingly opposites….but it seems about right. The Mammoth is able to contain both without being disparate with it. It is fairly balanced with it all and doesnt seem overbearing at either end of the sonic tunings of low end power and detail/space.
I will have to compare with Solaris OG and Solaris 2020 i think…
Further on the Holocene….
i posted earlier (on HP anyway) that the Holocene reminded me a lot of C/2019 Q4 - the Japan limited Edition. After several swapping sessions i do trust my ears enough to say it is a either a general release of that earlier limited model or close enough.
I wrote at the time on the C/2019 Q4 -
‘…… C/2019 Q4 - More fuller sound. I would hesitantly say that the frequency chart would be fairly flat.
It basically has plenty of everything without being mushy or smeared together. Theres a certain strength to the (wall of) sound.
Sorry, but it is a rich delicious sound, decent fast full hitting deep bass, and luxurious low/upper mids, highs extending correctly and vocals just above the music (and not overly forward - how i like it). Male and female vocals reproduced properly.
Quite easily accessible and enjoyable.’
Campfire Audios site blurb on the Holocene reads:
‘ Holocene’s remarkably even, and balanced frequency response curve conceals the speed and resolution of a true audiophile’s reference earphone.’
Is my above assertion a hill i am prepared to die on? As they say, well no, but yes.
Looking forward to any future freq measurements to see if i am correct.
certainly it is ‘lighter’ than the Mammoth in the low end and overall more polite.
iBasso DX300 w/Amp11mark2, Spiral Dot++ tips
Mid gain for Mammoth
Low gain for Holocene
Onwards…
9th July
Holocene is basically the Campfire Audio c/2019 q4 in a new shell. Imho.
Not the Jupiter (4BA vs 3BA, Jupiter is slightly cooler, reference in a way, slight recessed mids compared to androv1/v2) or IO improved (though in a way it is).
Mammoth seems to be within the head, not outside
vocals nice and centered
BAs giving the details and space
DD filling in the rest and with a bed of oomphy goodness below
Feels like this:
Mammoth is not the Polaris reimagined - not as V shaped.
Not the Jupiter (4BA vs 3BA, Jupiter is slightly cooler, reference in a way, slight recessed mids compared to androv1/v2) or IO improved (though in a way it is).
Mammoth seems to be within the head, not outside
vocals nice and centered
BAs giving the details and space
DD filling in the rest and with a bed of oomphy goodness below
Feels like this:
Mammoth is not the Polaris reimagined - not as V shaped.
Further…
Here is a IO versus c/2019 Q4 comparison i made at the time (11/2019).
Hopefully of use to someone with experience of IO and Holocene or all three (a rarity), or a casual reader, possible purchaser. Etc etc
Originally posted here: Nov 2019:
https://www.headpie.net/2019/11/campfire-io-versus-c2019-q4-quick.html?m=1
And was posted on Head-fi.
‘I will start by saying i am a fan of Campfire Audios level of experimentation of trying out different IEM signatures.
i am not a fan of every one of their releases, but i guess thats the beauty of it - something for everyone.
The IO release kicked up quite the internet fervor when released and i followed it to t he point where i couldn't objectively listen to the earphone without voices whispering on either shoulder of mine into my ears.
I usually have a media blackout on most new devices so i can gauge them for myself, then publish. Then go back and read opinions and see how off or on track i was. But this seemed unavoidable and popping up everywhere.
Anyway - brief comparisons:
IO - two drivers
C/2019 Q4 - three drivers
iBasso DX220, amp 1mkii, low gain, filter 3/ fast roll off.
Stock Final Audio Tips.
Lazy splitter test. Gd Enuff!
...so theres those differences, same shell and nozzle basically.
IO - As has been already said. Basically
On top a v shape, with recessed upper mids and extended treble.
Underneath - laidback in a way, but technical, treble seems prominent due to the tame mids, wide sound stage.
Decent fast bass.
Some unnaturalness at times.
- i should try them again with a dap in a similar price range.
C/2019 Q4 - More fuller sound. *Hopefully someone measures it so we can compare to the IO. I would hesitantly say that the frequency chart would be fairly flat.
It basically has plenty of everything without being mushy or smeared together. Theres a certain strength to the (wall of) sound.
Sorry, but it is a rich delicious sound, decent fast full hitting deep bass, and luxurious low/upper mids, highs extending correctly and vocals just above the music (and not overly forward - how i like it). Male and female vocals reproduced properly.
Quite easily accessible and enjoyable.’
For the graph inclined ploughed from the deep furrows of the internet garden
CA IO
CA C/2019 Q4
Hopefully of use to someone with experience of IO and Holocene or all three (a rarity), or a casual reader, possible purchaser. Etc etc
Originally posted here: Nov 2019:
https://www.headpie.net/2019/11/campfire-io-versus-c2019-q4-quick.html?m=1
And was posted on Head-fi.
‘I will start by saying i am a fan of Campfire Audios level of experimentation of trying out different IEM signatures.
i am not a fan of every one of their releases, but i guess thats the beauty of it - something for everyone.
The IO release kicked up quite the internet fervor when released and i followed it to t he point where i couldn't objectively listen to the earphone without voices whispering on either shoulder of mine into my ears.
I usually have a media blackout on most new devices so i can gauge them for myself, then publish. Then go back and read opinions and see how off or on track i was. But this seemed unavoidable and popping up everywhere.
Anyway - brief comparisons:
IO - two drivers
C/2019 Q4 - three drivers
iBasso DX220, amp 1mkii, low gain, filter 3/ fast roll off.
Stock Final Audio Tips.
Lazy splitter test. Gd Enuff!
...so theres those differences, same shell and nozzle basically.
IO - As has been already said. Basically
On top a v shape, with recessed upper mids and extended treble.
Underneath - laidback in a way, but technical, treble seems prominent due to the tame mids, wide sound stage.
Decent fast bass.
Some unnaturalness at times.
- i should try them again with a dap in a similar price range.
C/2019 Q4 - More fuller sound. *Hopefully someone measures it so we can compare to the IO. I would hesitantly say that the frequency chart would be fairly flat.
It basically has plenty of everything without being mushy or smeared together. Theres a certain strength to the (wall of) sound.
Sorry, but it is a rich delicious sound, decent fast full hitting deep bass, and luxurious low/upper mids, highs extending correctly and vocals just above the music (and not overly forward - how i like it). Male and female vocals reproduced properly.
Quite easily accessible and enjoyable.’
For the graph inclined ploughed from the deep furrows of the internet garden
CA IO
CA C/2019 Q4
Later days…
Yeah early days
both polaris v1 and v2 are on loan to local audiophiles atm. But its signature was never my thing, not my taste. I dont have that sense of being driven away by the Mammoth.
Even though it has ‘dat bass’ it still has an evenness about it besides that.
Also
Polaris 1 8.5mm DD plus 1ba
Polaris 2 9.2mm DD plus 1ba
Solaris/Solaris 2020 10mm DD plus 2BA (dual high), one mid
Mammoth 10mm DD plus 2BA
hoping to compare it with the Solaris and OG and Solaris 2020 soon. A mid range solaris style in a ln easier fitting shell?
or as people say a Polaris plus v3 with a added mid ba?
I am also hoping others can chime in soon also with their findings.
Beyond the belly of the tolls…
After already asserting that the Holocene is a rerelease or one for the masses of the unique earlier Japan limited edition c/2019 q4.
I would say this is so.
It is a decent earphone and one that deserves a wider audience (like its larger sibling the Andro MW10).
Onto the Mammoth. After spending some time a/b’ing it with the original Solaris and Solaris 2020 i assert that the Mammoth is not like the Holocene a rerelease - more the Mammoth shares the Solaris 2020 sonic signature in a more comfortable shell.
A few other changes a single high BA rather than a dual, and also a more simple, basic Dynamic Driver in materials and tuning reducing the cost.
Using smokey rather super litz cable.
Solaris (og) 10 ohms, Holocene 8.1 ohms.
Not to mention r&d already largely done.
I have not cracked open the Satsuma (1BA) or the Honeydew (10mm DD) but as i have already read whispers and there have been some freq charts summising that the Satsuma is a released Comet, i am going to make a stab in the dark that the Honeydew might be a budget Atlas (makes no sense to do a Vega after the success of the Vega2020), once again saving on shell materials and a more basic DD.
Not to mention the more easily fitting shape of the well known Campfire Audio shells.
- anyway i will have to crack them open to confirm.
Overall it seems like a good idea for the consumer during this tricky pandemic time.
So some listening and some testing plus some wild imaginings of various possibilities.
More to come….
10th July, Sunday Morning.
Further on the Mammoth
Andromeda2020 and the Polaris arent my cup of tea either sound wise.
Andromeda 2019 is my sweet spot for the green Andromedas
with that i like the Mammoth. I do think it needs at least 24 hours to loosen up the dynamic driver which tightens up the low end more. Its a bit overwhelming out of the box and the BAs are lost in the mix initially. imho
Andromeda 2019 is my sweet spot for the green Andromedas
with that i like the Mammoth. I do think it needs at least 24 hours to loosen up the dynamic driver which tightens up the low end more. Its a bit overwhelming out of the box and the BAs are lost in the mix initially. imho
- Andromeda v1/v2 super good at the time. Perfected the Jupiter. A good baseline general reference.
- Andromeda V3 aka 2019 - a bit more mids. Losing that slight v but retaining the sweet treble.
- Andromeda 2020 - no, go back! (imho).
- Andromeda V3 aka 2019 - a bit more mids. Losing that slight v but retaining the sweet treble.
- Andromeda 2020 - no, go back! (imho).
This rings true after leaving them overnight or getting 24 hours or so on them.
Out of the box the dynamic driver is a bit wild and needs tightening and taming.
Then it all comes together nicely as intended (By Saturday).
Now Sunday evening - possible burn in time around 75 hours or so at a guess.
The bass has tamed quite considerably and is now more quality than quantity, the treble is more accentuated and vocals become more forward on some tracks (but mostly just over the music in a nice placed position).
On the test tracks i have been using it has matured quite nicely.
Now to work out which music works with it.
DX300, amp11mark2, NOS filter:
Spiral dots++ tips.
Beck - Already Dead. Sounds great, full, warm, depth.
Die Antwood - $copie. Bass hits full. Fast response overall.
Adele - Hello. Nicely atmospheric. Clarity. Treble is well controlled.
Billie Eilish - various. Sounds as expected, bass hits a bit more than on some other iems.
Death in Vegas - Killing Smile. Beautiful vocals, Great treble.
Dire Straits - Brothers in arms. Enjoyable. Emotion is there. Details are present.
Foo fighters - various. Speedy and aggressive.
Fugees - ready or not. Nice panning right to left to right…recessed mids a tad?
Henryk Gorecki - Symphony No.3. Dark, layered, foreboding.
Hole - miss world. Needs more sparkle.
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah. Great guitar. Smooth vocals.
(I turn up the volume at this point).
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - Shallow. Lacks a certain euphoria. Vocals strong.
Lana del rey - Chemtrails over the country club - lana seems a good match for these, smooth, low end, even vocals, melodic. Soars.
Lard - power of lard. Fine. Good. Fast..
Leonard Cohen -the future. A nice match.
Massive attack - Teardrop. Bass hits low and deep. Sounds as expected. Lacks definition of higher end CA models (as expected).
Metallica - Atlas, rise! - good match.
Morcheeba - i am the spring. Great match. Vocals and guitar.
Morcheeba - blood like lemonade - thick bass.
(My tips might be a bit too big, need to adjust at times. A deep insertion is essential for the Mammoth).
Norah Jones- Come away with me. A good match.
PJ Harvey - Good fortune.
Lou Reed - perfect day. Good. Spacious.
Kruder and Dorfmeister - going under. The dynamic driver is really working on this track. Bass.
Slayer -raining blood. Dunno. Maybe not.
The Breeders - Cannonball. Lacks a sparkle.
The Cardigans - erase and rewind. A good match.
Chemical brothers - hey boy, hey girl. Good for edm.
- under neon lights. Bass deep and fast overlays.
Karen Selfie - Chandelier. Prefer this track on top shelf Campfires. Highs could extend further.
L shaped? Xxx?
Back to burn in for a wee bit longer. Its a mid priced iem in the campfire line up. It does perform well, but dont expect an Andromeda or Solaris etc.
*Friday evening to Saturday it was a moving towards a more balanced sound with a bed of bass and ba details.
Changes continue….
Next up:
Foam, Final Audio stock tips versus Spiral Dots++
(Also redo some of the above ‘trouble tracks’ with the stock tips).
Stock cable vs super litz (solaris)
Mammoth versus Atlas, Vega, Honeydew for bass quantity and quality.
Mammoth versus Solaris 2020 redux using smokey litz x2, then superlitz x2.
Mammoth versus Andromeda Gold by popular request
Today? Tomorrow? Depends on whether or not i have a nap after watching Loki - and its a hot day…
Monday July 12th. Mixing it up
Foam, Final Audio stock tips versus Spiral Dots++
(Also redo some of the above ‘trouble tracks’ with the stock tips).
- skipped the tip rolling. I did have a slight play.
Stock cable vs super litz (solaris).
Superlitz vs superlitz
Mammoth stock - similar, a bit more tame and simple.
Solaris2020 with stock superlitz - More finesse, better detailing and layering. More extension and air.
Mammoth - W/Solaris og superlitz cable - a bit more full and enjoyable.
Solaris 2020 (as above).
Mammoth with Solaris og cable relistening to some of yesterdays tracks:
Adele, Biilie Eilish, Foo Fighters, Fugees, Hole, Lady Gaga, Beck:
Fuller sound, evened out nicer, more control, mids up a bit, more extension and detailing.
Mammoth versus Atlas, Vega, for bass quantity and quality.
Stock cables used.
Atlas: clear, coherent, deep, a unified performance, good treble, goes deeper than Vega.
Vega: Similar to Atlas, a little more treble, clear and fast.
Mammoth: close to Atlas bass, which is slightly more slower than Vega, bit more sparkle up the top end.
All fairly close bass wise. In quantity.
Mammoth versus Andromeda Gold by popular request:
Mammoth: more low end, hits lower.
Andromeda Gold: Similar again. Gold handles highs better, more control, more complete as a whole, more natural body.
Mammoth versus Honeydew
Mammoth: more of a full range with the DD and BAs combined.
Body and detail, fullness of sound.
Honeydew: Nice, controlled, good single dd performance. More polite, basic but capable (1 hour burn in).
——————————
An aside:
Nathan of the now defunct Ohm Image audio site once wrote something like - just turn it up and for many earphones the minute differences will disappear to the mind or there abouts.
This is also true of the Mammoth, satisfaction improves as the volume is turned up, sometimes though to the detriment of the control of the highs.(and possibly ones ears). One can still enjoy it at lower volumes- but increased volume gives an illusion of better sound quality - but in reality it does fit nicely into the price bracket.
One thing with the higher end Campfire models is one does not have to turn them up loud to ‘get there’ - one can enjoy all the fullness, layering, soundstage and details etc at a lower volume - thus being satisfied and also protecting ones hearing.
Bonus
Yes. Andro Gold is great. I often take it or the iBasso IT07 as one of my three IEM daily carries (for the low end love).
Also yes. This range of four are priced accordingly and fit within the Campfire range appropriately. Anyone expecting a miracle totl for the price of less a one is going to be disappointed.
its not to say their performance is lacking. They do do very well.
They just are not part of their top tier - but many would be satisfied i believe with them if they bought them with appropriate expectations in mind
Pairing with a mid to upper mid range dap or a phone (with dongle?) etc for example.
i have not delved deep into the Honeydew or the Satsuma yet.
i do rate the c/2019 q4 highly, but bow to its older sibling the Andro MW10. They both do what they do very well.
The Mammoth as a mini Solaris2020 (on a budget) is harder to place and align at times.
Also yes. This range of four are priced accordingly and fit within the Campfire range appropriately. Anyone expecting a miracle totl for the price of less a one is going to be disappointed.
its not to say their performance is lacking. They do do very well.
They just are not part of their top tier - but many would be satisfied i believe with them if they bought them with appropriate expectations in mind
Pairing with a mid to upper mid range dap or a phone (with dongle?) etc for example.
i have not delved deep into the Honeydew or the Satsuma yet.
i do rate the c/2019 q4 highly, but bow to its older sibling the Andro MW10. They both do what they do very well.
The Mammoth as a mini Solaris2020 (on a budget) is harder to place and align at times.
On tips
Tips
Stock foamies: usual foam thing. Heavy low end, muted treble. Good for some. Not really a fan myself. Works well with such music as Slayer where the silicones were too hot.
Stock silicone. Good. Can be a bit dull, less energetic at times.
Final Audio: probably the best of the three. Can tame any hot treble. Less treble. Sound stage can be smaller(than Spiral dots++) Works with such things as Hole and Slayer wheres the Spiral Dots did not.(foamies even better).
Spiral dots++: probably the best all rounder. The fit of them on the nozzle is ‘just’ (using M and ML). They fit best on Andromeda style nozzle. Wider sound stage, more air, retains the bass, can get hot in the treble at times with certain music.
I have many other tips here but usually end up going for either the Final Tips for this kind of CA nozzle, or the Spiral Dots++
I am quite pleasantly surprised. Never underrate the power of a good tip rolling.
The various tips make the Mammoth more versatile than i previously thought.
Yellow is the CA Honeydew
Summary
Its been a fun ride
The Holocene being a universal release of the Japan limited edition c/2019 q4 iem. Perhaps with some fine tuning (but not easily noticeable) when i did an A/b with the one i have here.
Its a reference style, full sound, fun earphone. It has something for everyone and is quite versatile….some might see it as a mini andro. True in a sense, perhaps the andro2019 of the green series comes close but its flat freq more closely aligns to its elder sibling also releasd as a limited edition in Japan the Andromeda MW10, which is also one of my favorite earphones.
And i do not have much more to add to it. Its an easy choice, and accessible earphone for most i would imagine.
The Mammoth has been a bit of journey of discovery of what it is and what it isnt.
I find it more fun these days writing a set of impressions as time goes by rather than a simple lows, mids, highs and final summary. Easy but yawn.
The Mammoth fits into that hard to gauge mid range area.
They are usually more of pita to write about….
They are not ‘up there’ with usually more pluses than minuses - usually more about sonic signatures/specialities.
Nor down there where its easier to point out deficencies and how they can be alliviated by tips, cable rolling & source changing (but by then its a different product).
So often its a trade off between the two extremes. Of course you get the odd unicorn (or donkey) where they can be easily placed etc
i think the bloomaudio review (Mammoth) might be one of the best summaries so far. (Mine was a bit of a rambling journey - i’m a bit bored doing the intro, specs, lows/mids/highs & summary format. Although L/M/S/S is certainly easier to read and clearer).
It also seemed easier for Bloomaudio to write about the Holocene, as i also found it to be.
We are all grasping at various straws of of opinion, impressions, measurements and reviews trying to find the solid pieces of continuity between them all before opening our wallets.
Some items seem to have a more solid thread whilst others have quite a variance.
lower end and higher end seem easier to pigeonhole, mid range stuff seems to gather more various viewpoints.
Waiting on the insightful reviews from usual suspects @ryanjsoo @B9Scrambler @rev92 etc
So the Mammoth is a mid priced (within the scope of audio gear generally - not ones own wallet) and has a Xxx signature to put it simply. It has a decent sub bass that can extend up at times and has a decent quality and quantity to it. It matures well over time, the mids are not recessed nor are they a prominent player in this story, the same for the treble. Both mids and treble are secondary to the main character in this story the dynamic driver. It does not match every type of music as seen in the short test written earlier, but it is also not designed as an all rounder. Tips and after market tips seem to be able to tailor the sound quite well. It for me is like a budget Solaris 2020, similar signature but not as much soundstage, layering, details etc and rightfully so at its price point.
One looking to move up in their collection, or someone with already a totl or two iem..or more..and wanting a simple commute or gym buddy would be happy. Its all a matter of perspective on this one.
Out of the two the Holocene is the safest choice…perhaps…but if you really want ‘dat bass’ then give the Mammoth a whirl.
There is of course many other Campfire Models new and on the used market each with its own unique sound signature- one can easily find the price point and signature that matches ones desires.
"Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world.
It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding..."
Plato.(b.428 - d.348 BC)
Thank you to Campfire Audio for sending Head pie the Holocene and Mammoth for review
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