Campfire Vega 2020

disclaimer:  The Campfire Vega 2020 was sent to me by The Contraptionist for review.   If you haven’t checked out the Contraptionist’s blog, be sure to check it out.  He’s got a ton of good content and a lot of models that complement what can be found here.  Well worth a look.     I have no financial interest in  Campfire Audio, nor have I received any advice or incentive for this review.  I returned the product at completion so had the Vega 2020 for a span of roughly 3 weeks.

 

Unboxing / Packaging:

Campfire’s packaging on these is quite unique as it has an outer wrap over the box with the label on front showing the brand information and the earpieces and a foil seal on the reverse holding the wrap in place.  When removed the petals unfold to reveal a starburst pattern with the box at center.  The box itself uses Campfire’s star field pattern as we’ve seen in most of their packaging for quite some time now.   The soft case takes up most of the space and the earpieces themselves are shipped in a two pocket bag inside the case to prevent scratches in transit.    The Kit includes earpieces, cable, a soft zipper case, two of the two-pocket bags for earpieces and tips, a large assortment of 3 styles of tips (Silicons, Foams, and Final Audio E series), and a cleaning tool.   The requisite warranty card is also in the bottom of the package.   Overall, its a well thought out kit with plenty of protective packaging and tip options.

 

Build/fit:

The Vega 2020 looks very similar to its predecessor with the same basic barrel with connector shape and size as the earlier model.     While sharing the same shape and external shell style as its sibling the Dorado, the Vega uses a stainless steel inner shell instead of brass.    The faceplate and main shell of the Vega are made of  what white ceramic while the inner shell is stainless steel with a high polish finish.  The inner shell is hidden either by the outer shell or by the tip so is not likely to draw attention.   Shells are a three part arrangement with a thin face plate, a thick inner shell that includes the mmcx connector, and a thin inner shell with nozzle.   Nozzles exit the center of the barrel with a fairly steep forward rake for deeper insertion and a pronounced lip for tip retention.    There is a single vent on the outer shell at the junction of the round portion and mmcx housing.  The rounded shape of the Vega does allow it to roll some in ear and the ear-hooked cable while helping to hold it in place may need some adjustment for the hooks to be tight enough to prevent movement during activity.    I found the Vega comfortable for extended use with medium sized tips and experienced no physical fatigue during wear.

 

Internals:

The Vega uses Campfire’s 10mm dynamic driver with an amorphous diamond like carbon diaphragm for added rigidity and a neodymium magnet structure for added speed.  The Vega shares its outer shell and dynamic driver with its sibling the Dorado,  meaning one can compare the FR charts to see the impact of the balanced armature and the brass vs stainless nozzle structures of the two models.  One notable difference is in the specs.   Nominal impedance of the Vega 2020 is 36Ω with a sensitivity of 94 db/mW at 1kHz while the Dorado is listed at only 10Ω meaning the two may have different source preferences.   I found the Vega less source sensitive than its sibling and it paired well with a wide range of options.  The Vega does need some power to do its best work and as bass forward as I find the Vega to start with, it needs a source that is a little bass light and fairly potent to avoid getting thicker than desirable in the lows.

 

Cable:

The cable that ships with the Vega 2020 is the standard litz cable with a 90º 3.5mm jack, a 4 wire twist up to the black aluminum splitter, a chin slider, and a looser 2 wire twist up to the earhooks and beryllium Copper mmcx connectors.  Connectors are marked R/L for reference but with it being black on black this can be a bit hard to see.   The cable is well made but seems perhaps a bit under-done by today’s standards and the super-litz is my preference among the Campfire cable options.

 

Tips:

One thing I can’t accuse Campfire of is skimping on tip options.  The kit comes with as complete a set of tips as I’ve seen of late including foams, final Audio E-series, and Campfire’s own silicone tips in multiple sizes.   There are five size of Final Audio tips, 3 sizes of 2 styles of Campfire silicons, and 2 sets of foams.     I found the large Campfire tip or the medium large Final worked best for me and did most of my listening with the mid size Final audio as it was most comfortable.

 

Sound:

Bass:

The original Vega had a cavernous bottom end that was the focal point of the signature and the 2020 revision of that still maintains that same character.  Bass is big, full, and in your face from the bottom end where roll-off starts to be evident all the way to lower mids where it again begins to drop back.  Bass remains elevated above the remainder of the signature for its entirety, but the emphasis peaks around 60Hz and is most prominent in the sub-bass.   Speed is fairly good but decay is a bit slower than attack and the Vega is subject to some compression and can become a bit boomy with heavy fast tracks.   Those looking for slam and rumble will like the Vega while those looking for more balance will find these a bit bottom heavy.

 

Mids

The lower mids are a bit forward of the true mids which gives lower vocals good weight and pushes them a bit forward in the mix.  The true mids are the low point in the V but do not sound particularly recessed as they do have good clarity and detail in spite of the lack of emphasis.    Upper mids are again mildly lifted, but much less so than the bass and give female vocals a step forward.  I found the 2020 to have slightly less emphasis on the upper-mids than the original Vega which is a pleasing change as I found the original could get fatiguing.   The trade off is the 2020 is a little smoother and perhaps a touch less detailed in the mids vs the original.

 

Treble:

Lower treble plateaus and stays at roughly the same level as the upper-mids with good texture and detail but without getting strident in the process.  Snare rattle is good and cymbals don’t have a metallic click to them which is nice but they do lack a bit of energy above about 8kHz that limits the air and sparkle.   In this respect the 2020 is a much better listen than the original which I found harsh and had more energy in the 8-10kHz range than needed.   The 2020 is much more polite but rolls-off a bit earlier than its predecessor.

 

Soundstage / Imaging:

The stage has good depth and width but what really has changed from the 1st generation is the height.  The Vega delivers a good 3D space with more space than expected.  Instrument separation is fairly good once you get out of the mid-bass shadow but suffers some from that same exaggerated range.   Seating the orchestra does have a few overlaps but is overall fairly accurate in their placements.  Layering is again good above the mid-bass but suffers from some compression as tracks get faster and more dense.    Imaging is fairly good with positions being clearly defined in space and movements easily discernible as well.

 

Thoughts / Conclusion:

I’ve been a fan of the Campfire Atlas and really expected the Vega to fill a similar niche as they share a heritage and a driver.  Oddly, I came away not liking the Vega nearly as much as its cousin the Atlas or its big brother the Dorado.     The Vega 2020 has the same huge bass hits of the previous generation but manages a bit more bass texture, but the lower mids get overshadowed in the process.  The Atlas has a bit more of a recess to the mids, but has more clarity in that same range and as a result sounds more detailed.  Treble energy throughout most of the treble range  is also more emphasized and clearer on the Atlas.   The Dorado’s addition of a BA to handle that same upper range gives it more top end detail and better treble extension as well.    For those looking for big bass with a polite treble, the Vega certainly fits the description and with today’s popular music, it makes a good bit of sense.   For those of us wanting a bit better balance and more top end, the Atlas or Dorado may be better options than the Vega or for the ultimate in clarity, the Andromeda 2020 is always an option.