Astell&Kern Pathfinder IEM: Review – ecoustics.com

Astell&Kern does not need an introduction in the planet of superior-end particular audio, but the Korean DAP producer is most certainly not a manufacturer title that most customers know. Their top quality DAPs command a significant rate and audiophiles who are extremely severe about higher general performance headphones and transportable playback, have pretty much assuredly experimented with or owned one particular of their merchandise.

When you have continuously sent the greatest, possible collaboration companions are not really hard to locate. With the exception of the not long ago launched Astell&Kern UW100 Wi-fi Earphones, all of their headphones and earphones have been made and manufactured in partnership with other manufacturers Jerry Harvey, Beyerdynamic, and Campfire Audio.

The collaborations so much, have been retuning positions of present headphones or earphones and almost nothing has seriously been what I would contact a recreation-changer. The products had been previously great and the modifications had been produced to much better accommodate the playback capabilities of their current DAPs. There is not anything completely wrong with that but just how much does that go the needle?

I recently acquired the new Astell&Kern Pathfinder IEMs and I really hope that the two models just take the ball and run with it this is potentially the finest collaboration that I have been fortuitous to evaluation so significantly and I am glad to see that Astell&Kern and Campfire Audio have acquired from their working experience with the Solaris X collaboration and built the important modifications.

The Pathfinder is not the first collaboration between the two providers and although I’m confident Solaris homeowners will get their torches all set — I was not overly impressed with the Solaris X all round. I expected a lot much more and I say that simply because I have been a Campfire Audio purchaser for a several many years and have a whole lot of knowledge with their solutions the Andromeda is one of my favourite IEMs and nonetheless receives standard use.

I travel with a pair of Campfire Audio Andromeda and the Astell&Kern KANN Alpha DAP and the mixture is one particular that I enjoy very substantially It is arguably a single of the most satisfying sections of my working day when I can eliminate myself even though I commute listening to new music by way of these two exceptional goods.

There was most unquestionably some trepidation reviewing the Pathfinder, simply because I feared that it may well close up being my fourth chance to evaluate the Solaris which compared with the Andromeda has not been a love affair for me.

The Skinny

We are not in the unboxing business, but I was incredibly amazed with almost everything that Astell&Kern and Campfire Audio integrated in the packaging. The package arrives with the Pathfinder earpieces, a divided fabric bag to protect them, and Campfire’s regular zipper circumstance to shop the earpieces and a person of the furnished cables.

There are three sets of cables to pick from in the box 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and a person that is terminated with 4.4mm jacks.

Really couple makes do that lots of only source just one and charge you up to $350 for the added cables.

They have also long gone the additional mile when it will come to ear ideas the bundle features a established of silicone recommendations, a few sets of foam tips, and a full established of Remaining Audio E-Collection tips. I cannot feel of too quite a few earphone producers that do that and also include a carry bag for the cable and suggestions, cleaning resource, and manuals.

The earpieces are concluded in black and silver with a cast human body in gloss black and steel deal with plates with a mirror finish. The industrial structure is a mix of the Solaris and the angular designs from Astell&Kern with the faceplate getting 6 sides of varying sizes.

The nozzles are brilliant stainless as perfectly with matching rings about the MMCX port and vent. The complete package deal has alternatively significant heft and it most undoubtedly feels as if Astell&Kern have had a larger hand in the construct excellent and total look and experience.

The cables are silver plated OFC Copper Litz in a 4 strand facet-by-side flat housing that is also really visually impactful. The cable appears heavier than it is and with the ear-hooks at the north stop, bodyweight is perfectly dispersed and I had no problems with microphonic sounds.

Astell&Kern and Campfire Audio unquestionably shipped on the visible conclusion, but pretty few people today invest this kind of money on earphones for the reason that they are visually appealing the Pathfinder is a hybrid layout with a 10mm dynamic driver with a twin diaphragm and radial venting procedure to better handle the minimal close.

The midrange is taken care of by a new dual chamber well balanced armature, and the highs are taken care of by a pair of balanced armatures all of the armatures had been custom intended by Knowles for Campfire Audio.

The impedance was calculated at 6.9 ohms (the supplied push package lists 6.2 ohms) and the calculated sensitivity was 96 dB/mW, producing the Pathfinder simple to drive but considerably resource specific. 

The Pathfinder is designed to match effectively with Astell&Kern DAPs and other resources with close to zero output impedance. If your source has a superior output impedance, treatment wants to be taken when pairing them.

Sound

I paired the Pathfinder with my Astell&Kern KANN Alpha, Sony WM1A, and a borrowed Astell&Kern SP2000 to take a look at its effectiveness with portables, and an RME ADI-2 FSR BE Reference DAC and Yulong Aurora to test place of work/desktop pairings.    

There was no shock that the Astell&Kern DAPs presented a marginally hotter and much more natural sound than the Sony which leans a lot more to getting analytical sounding.

Equally the RME and Aurora offered identical sonic signature with a bit significantly less warmth than the Astell&Kern DAPs but a contact much more than the Sony. The best pairings had been the Astell&Kern SP2000 and Yulong Aurora that struck the greatest stability among color, texture, and detail over-all.

There is some included emphasis in the very low close that offers the Pathfinder a little bit of more influence and definition, but it begins to trail-off around 100Hz and I never ever felt that it crossed about better in the bass assortment.

The sub-bass is effectively managed notes had superior texture and detail and I usually felt that it was well defined irrespective of the genre of songs that I listened to.

The frequency assortment from the mid-bass to the reduce midrange is incredibly linear sounding and it absolutely appears to be like Astell&Kern and Campfire Audio aimed for a “W” tuning with the Pathfinder.

The new twin dynamic driver is really articulate sounding with a lot more than enough texture, clarity, and control there is practically no bleed from the bass into the mid-vary which retains the overall presentation rather open up and balanced.

The Pathfinder is a not a bass head IEM, but with some EQ applied, the reduced stop can produce reference excellent affect and definition and I problem why any one would want a lot more. Do not punish your listening to.

The lower mid-selection is clean and free of charge of any additional emphasis male vocals are delivered with outstanding take note bodyweight, correct timbre, and much more than plenty of element. I was pretty impressed with how the Pathfinder reproduces the cello and acoustic guitar timbre, detail, and hardly ever pushed also significantly ahead into the mix that they interfere with the vocals.

There is some additional emphasis in the midrange that does include some electrical power and presence to violin strings and piano notes I was worried that it would lengthen as well significantly into the higher mid-assortment and effects vocals, but it manages to restrain itself just sufficient and not develop into hard or strident sounding.

One particular of the areas of the Solaris’ performance that I did not adore was the identical emphasis in the mid-variety followed by a fairly sharp dip which led to unevenness in the upper mid-selection and decreased treble.

Whilst the Pathfinder shares the same increase in the mid-vary, it does not practical experience the similar dip as we shift from the higher mid-assortment into the lessen treble the final result is that woman vocals are smoother, fewer recessed, and sent with extra resolution and existence. There is a very small dip but not plenty of to improve the in general tonal harmony and presentation.

The reduce treble is additional balanced sounding than the Solaris X percussion has fantastic snap, and cymbals and snares are offered with more than enough vitality to sound realistic. There is some additional emphasis about 5kHz, but it doesn’t extend significantly outside of 6kHz.

Vocals are sent with superior presence and avoid turning into fatiguing in the 6 – 9kHz vary. The Pathfinder sounds rather open up at the top rated and there is a gradual roll-off all over 14kHz there is a degree of airiness and sparkle at the top that hardly ever sounds synthetic or etched.

The soundstage has really superior depth and top, but closed IEMs still only provide a fairly intimate performance. The orchestra placement demonstrates incredibly excellent stereo separation and instrument separation on the phase. Imaging is great with musicians carved firmly in area and with extremely small shift.   

Conclusion

The $1,900 Astell&Kern Pathfinder IEM is a really remarkable collaboration that exceeds the seem top quality of any Solaris model yet released. I’m going to take in my terms and say that it is a retuning of the Solaris and that I adore it.

It is definitely not low-cost and you do require to use large good quality DAPs and desktop DAC/Amplifiers to really expertise what it can do your Iphone 13 with a Dongle DAC won’t sound horrible with the Pathfinders but it will not be the identical practical experience.

How does it look at to the relaxation of Campfire Audio range? It is their best launch since the Andromeda and that is somewhat high praise.

If you presently own an Astell&Kern DAP and are searching for a pair of IEMs that will by no means be the weak link in the chain — think about the Pathfinder because they characterize their most effective collaboration to day. If you really do not have an Astell&Kern DAP, the Pathfinder is continue to the best Solaris variant however and effectively worth a seem.

The place to invest in: $1,899 at Audio46

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