Nostalgia Audio reigning from Hong Kong as you may know isn’t your usual IEM maker for their premium, work of art products that spared no expense in producing world class IEM. Though their name is basically unknown to the mainstream users, the audiophile users might have heard or even owned a piece of their work of art. Today we will have a look at the product that introduces Nostalgia Audio to the world and showcases their professionalism in their tuning and handiwork and the IEM made them known to the world, the Nostalgia Audio Camelot. The Camelot is a flagship, top of the line tribrid that houses 2 dynamic drivers, 4 balanced armature and 4 Sonion electrostatic that is made in-house with their expertise and packed with their own technologies. It is touted as being one of the best tribrid that money can buy and it does come with a cost but the main question here is, is it worth it? We shall take a deeper look into these Camelot.
Willy from Starspicker has given us a rare opportunity to review the legendary Nostalgia Audio Camelot and it is a blast to have spent time with this beast of a product so a shout-out to the team of Starspicker.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Nostalgia Audio Camelot;
Technical Specifications
- 10 Individual Drivers, Tribrid Design
- 2 Dynamic Drivers – Sub-Bass, Bass
- 4 Balanced Armature Drivers – 2 Mid, 2 High
- 4 Electrostatic Drivers – 4 Ultra-High
- 5-Way Crossover Design
- Extreme Bass System
- Spiral Flow Device
- Impedance: 13 Ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 15 Hz – 40kHz
- Sensitivity: 114dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
- Bespoke Avalon High Purity OFC and OCC Copper Cable, Multiple Strand Design
P/s: Camelot is a legendary castle and court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur’s realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world.
The Nostalgia Audio Camelot can be purchased from Starspicker soon on their website as well as their amazing retail shop right here in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
https://starspickeraudio.net/?srsltid=AfmBOoqz5cBLE5HjhtN3Zk-71xAfXcAGSiVTthEEmAaB5iY8OsiegI9H
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging here for the price paid is decent but isn’t as good as their latest sibling, Durandal. It comes in a black paper box and inside has a hard paper box that slides out like a drawer. Underneath it we will find the Camelot IEM displayed neatly with a rather big, circular hard leather case. The front picture is actually an art print by an artist that goes by Gothic C.Y Chan and they are a medieval theme painting representation of the Camelot castle. The package also includes 6 pairs of eartips (3 Symbio W, 3 silicone hybrid), a pair of Dekoni Bullets foam eartips, a bespoke 4 core cable named Avalon, a leather cable cinch, a cleaning brush, an IEM pouch and some paperworks. Pretty standard professional packaging though I do wish it to be more exclusive for the asking price but the end product is usually what I put my value on.
Design
The design here is simple yet it feels premium and very well made with their near perfect polishing of the 3D printed medical grade resin. It has an all black body with a Lion Rampant emblem on it which bears similarities to the Royal Banner of Scotland and they are beautiful to look at. The faceplate seems to have a wood like design on the background that elevates the medieval theme slightly. The shell does have a rather big size but it does have good ergonomics that fits my ears snugly but users who have smaller ear concha might have some fitting issues.
The Nostalgia Audio Camelot is equipped with a total of 10 drivers with 3 different types of drivers. The low end or bass and sub-bass is driven by 2 self developed 10mm PEN (polyethylene Naphthalate) drivers with N52 magnets housed in a brass housing that they called XBS (Extreme Bass System) that reduce the Acoustic Resonance and provides less space usage and maximize the bass performance. For the midrange, it utilizes 2 custom made individual Balanced armature and another 2 for the high frequencies with SFD (Spiral Flows Device) system is designed to reduce losses from the tube curvature, presenting a smooth, sweet vocal also detailed highs and extensions. For the highs and ultra highs, 4 second generation electrostatic drivers in Camelot. Nostalgia Audio has taken extra steps by 3D printing the internal chamber for all those drivers to minimize the size and provide more referencing sound. Furthermore, a hidden venting design has been used on Camelot, a customized cm plug with vent holes in order to solve the air pressure from the two dynamic drivers. No driver flex is present here which indicates a well vented IEM. The Camelot has a unique invisible vents that is one of their creations and there aren’t any vents visible but it is well vented which is amazing.
The nozzle here has 4 sound tubes for their 4 way crossover. The nozzle has a rather long type of nozzle with a thick diameter of 6.5mm.
There are a total of 6 pairs of eartips of various sizes that consist of 3 Symbio W eartips and 3 pairs of silicone hybrid eartips placed neatly in a metal holder alongside a pair of Dekoni Bullets foam eartips that are washable.
They come with a solid leather circular case in black and with the lion rampant logo stamped on the top. Very solid yet well made case with soft velvet innards.
The Nostalgia Audio has a standard flush 0.78mm connection that has a slightly tight connection.
The cable here isn’t the custom made Vortex cable like on the Durandal but it is a bespoke cable named Avalon that has a very high quality finish with premium materials. The cable is handcrafted 4 strands cable composed of High Purity OFC and OCC Copper in Multiple strand configuration, protected with black nylon sleeve, and equipped with our latest rhodium plated 4.4mm balanced termination. The synergy of the Avalon cable and the Camelot IEM is actually superb and complements each other as the thickish sound of the Avalon brings a lusher overall sound in the Camelot.
Gears Used for Comparisons
Fiio Q7
Qudelix T71
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
Nostalgia Audio Camelot
Intime Sho DD
Letshuoer S15
Letshuoer EJ09
MIM Dark Magician
Hiby Lasya
Moji Monica Alpha
Moondrop A8
Dunu Luna
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Nostalgia Audio Camelot is a reference neutral balanced sound with a wide frequency range as they have superb extension on both ends of the frequencies. It is a very well tuned IEM that has top notch technicalities packed with details in all of the frequencies. Though being clinical in their sound, they do have a touch of warmth in the midrange that gives a sweeter, lusher sound that is pleasantly alluring. The tonal balance here is spot on and they are a natural, organic set of IEM that displays music just as it is without any altercation. Timbre here is breathy, organic and mellow and at the same time, it is lively and energetic especially at the higher range for their superb EST implementation.
Soundstage
The Camelot possesses an impressive, expansive soundstage along with a good height worthy of a flagship product. The soundstage here has a great 3D holographic that is accurate and spacious with sound placements here is easy to distinguish. Both ends of the spectrum have great extension which gives the Camelot an airy presentation that is enjoyable as it gives a rather big headroom feel free of any boxiness. I do feel that the soundstage here is one of the main selling points in the Camelot as it is expansive, airy and accurate.
Separation and Timbre
Separation is also one of the main strengths in the Camelot as the width of the separation here is amazing and with left and right sound produced in a wide stereo manner with no gaps present. Cohesion here isn’t the best for their price range especially at the low region but it isn’t a deal breaker as the Camelot is a tribrid IEM and they are tuned quite well with the drivers complementing each other making the whole frequencies sound as wide and full as possible. Timbre here is superb and even though it does has balanced armatures driving the midrange, it doesn’t exhibit any metallic sheen that is typically derived from low quality balanced armatures, instead, the timbre is is organic, breathy and lush producing an accurate, intimate yet airy timbre that is easy to listen too.
Drivability
The Camelot is rated at 13 ohms at 114 dB sensitivity which indicates that they are not too sensitive but they are still able to pick up noise and they do need some power for them to sound their best. A simple good setup won’t do justice for them and a better source that is well amplified along with well mastered tracks will give the Camelot a fuller low end and give the electrostatic drivers some push for it to sound sweeter. Source sound matching here is actually pretty easy for their overall neutral signature and they are easy to be driven to ample loudness but I personally do prefer a thicker, more energetic sound of the usual AKM or Sabre based signature for some extra lushness and bite. The Camelot is a revealing set for the clinical sound and they will show minor flaws in recordings, therefore feeding them with some well mastered tracks will increase their overall performance especially in their overall transparency and resolution. This unforgiving criteria actually does make Camelot a good candidate for monitoring purposes but on certain low quality tracks, the flaws are quite evident.
The Bass (Low)
The bass Extreme Bass System technology of the Camelot that Nostalgia pioneer doesn’t signifies an extreme amount of bass instead it is kind of a system that they implemented to reduce the resonance effect by arranging the 2 dynamic driver with a horizontally opposed structure encased inside a brass chamber that reduces acoustic resonance. With these opposed drivers structure, the bass improves in their energy conversion efficiency and reduces nonlinear distortion while making the 2 dynamic drivers more compact. The bass has an almost flat but neutral signature with an accurate bass amount with no mid bass lift. The bass here does have a generous amount of details and the are a very well textured bass with amazing imaging along with a clean and clear bass free of any bleed or bloat suitable for a wide range of genres. Bassheads might yearn for a stronger impact but for a purist, the bass here is natural with a crystal clear transparency and they dive deep with a great airy extension. Resolution here is top notch as the bass is vivid and the bass is tight with a fast, energetic pace. There is a slightly early roll off bass that makes the bass a tad polite but they do have adequate energy preventing the bass to sound dull. Sub-bass does extend deep and have a decent rumble but personally I would prefer a little more sub-bass boost to make the overall bass sounds fuller.
The Mids
Midrange is neutral with a touch of warmth and a slightly bright tone that leans towards the high range complementing the transition to the electrostatic drivers high range smoothly. They are a well balanced midrange that doesn’t have any major emphasis and they are a full sounding midrange that has great tonal balance with a full bodied sound. Details here are good that focus toward the macro details and are still capable in the micro region but for the price range they are up against serious competition in this aspect. The mids here are vibrant and vivid with top class resolving capabilities suitable for vocals and instruments alike producing a lush sound that has practically no colouration present. Though being clinical in their presentation, the Canelot does not come off as being dry or too sterile which is great as they still manage to sound fun while being accurate in their overall midrange. Vocals performance here is superb with a natural, spacious, accurate placement of sound and they sound great be it male or female vocals, the Camelot is able to produce a sweet, lush and deep midrange. The midrange is quite adaptive depending on the source matching and an all rounder midrange in my opinion.
The Highs
High range is the crème de la crème of the Canelot in my opinion. It has a mild bright tone that is pretty balanced without any major boost while possessing the distinct electrostatic high range that is clean, highly detailed, fast and sweet, showcasing a well implemented electrostatic drivers system. Details here is truly top class with minute micro details in the high range audible and having tried a bunch of electrostatic IEM throughout the years, the Camelot really stands out for their naturalness and the perfect amount of sparkle that balances the high range between being too harsh or too polite while retaining the crisp, natural and agile high range of the electrostatic drivers. Resolution here is again top notch and they are able to resolve the high range in a vivid manner without any weird metallic timbre. Transparency here is flawless with a clear, natural, airy high range that has a crisp decay making music sounds lively and it is truly enjoyable in whatever genre you throw at it. Treble here is actually spot on where it has a mild intensity and possesses great extension giving a clear overall sound presentation in the Camelot. Preferably for a treble head myself, I would prefer a more intense treble to give a stronger kick in the overall sound but the treble here has the correct amount that has the energy while incurring no fatigue even in the long run.
Comparisons
VS Letshuoer EJ09
The EJ09 is Letshuoer ex flagship IEM and they are equipped with 1 dynamic, 4 balanced armatures and 4 electrostatic drivers quite similar to the Camelot with an extra dynamic driver on the latter. The EJ09 cost half of what Nostalgia Audio Camelot asking price but the Nostalgia packaging is way more premium versus the simplistic package of the EJ09. Both have a good build and the Camelot does have a bigger shell along with a thicker nozzle. Sound signature on the EJ09 is tuned more towards a brighter tone with some emphasis on the higher region.
High range
Highs on the EJ09 have the edge in their amount with more brilliance, crispness and a more sparkly high range while the Camelot have a smoother, extended, more forgiving high range that is less fatigue. There is some upper midrange peak on the EJ09 whereas there isn’t any issue on the Camelot. Details and clarity is better on the Camelot with better extension with more air present.
Midrange
The midrange here on both of these sets are tuned towards a neutral sound but the EJ09 has a focus at the upper midrange while the Camelot is more balanced in their distribution. Resolution and details on the Camelot is better while clarity and transparency is better on the EJ09. The Camelot is more of an all rounder while the EJ09 has a more vocal focused sound.
Bass
Bass on EJ09 has the edge in their bigger presence along with a more authoritative impact but in a small margin. The Camelot bass has a more accurate amount with their flat neutral bass and they do possess better details and clarity. Sub-bass extension is similar on both in amount but the Camelot sub-bass reaches deeper and it is cleaner.
Soundstage
The soundstage on the Camelot does sound wider and deeper but only marginally. The Camelot does sound airier with better extension on both ends of the frequencies.
VS Dunu Luna
The Dunu Luna is the flagship single dynamic and they are equipped with a pure beryllium dynamic driver with a lower price at around 25 percent cheaper than the Camelot. The Luna is a more premium packaging that is above and beyond. Size is way smaller on the Luna but the Camelot does have a better seal. The Luna has a neutral reference signature that has a lean yet dead accurate sound but has a rather boring overall sound for their clinicality. The Camelot does have a touch of warmth in the midrange with better top end energy of the electrostatic drivers.
High region
The high range here does go to the Camelot for the pure electrostatic high range that is agile, sweet and highly resolving with more details and clarity. The Luna does sound more transparent with a more natural decay typical of a dynamic driver high range. The Luna highs are also more forgiving that gives less fatigue in louder volume and longer run.
Midrange
Midrange on the Luna has a slightly thicker and more forward presentation although both have a flat neutral midrange. Both have a spacious midrange but the Camelot does sound wider with the extended frequencies. Resolution on the Camelot is better while transparency on the Luna is cleaner with a more accurate, natural sound.
Bass
The amount of bass on the Camelot has a milf edge and they are tighter and have more resolution. Details and clarity does sound better on the Luna but the bass is less fun and energetic. Sub-bass on the Durandal dives deeper with a better extension.
Soundstage
Soundstage does go to the Luna but the Camelot as a tribrid does have a more extended frequency with better air.
Synergy
The neutral sound signature of the Camelot does give some flexibility in source matching and they are quite sensitive to pick up the amplifier sound signature which can be a pros and cons. For my preference I would like to have a boosted bass and treble for the Camelot to give a more fun sound signature and I do find sources from Sabre matches the Camelot pretty well giving them some bite in the higher region and a tighter lower end but only with sources that has tamed the infamous Sabre glare. While matching is good and easy most of the time, weirdly enough that pairing with R2R setup does lower down their overall details by a small margin but it does give a fun, thicker sound that has some coloration that deviates the neutral reference sound by a little.
Good pairing
- Hidizs S8PRO, FiiO Q7, FiiO BTR7, Qudelix T71, Moondrop MIAD01, FiiO KA3, EPZ TP30, Questyle M15
Not so good pairing
- Hiby FC6, FiiO K12 R2R, Dunu DTC100
Who Is It For?
The Nostalgia Audio Camelot is a perfect choice for die hard audiophiles that want a top flight IEM that has top class technicalities and cost isn’t a problem. Though there are IEMs that cost more than the Camelot, they do hold their ground by their superb flagship sound and providing exceptional build quality with premium accessories included. The sound signature is clinically amazing with an accurate sound that is wide and airy suitable for critical listeners and also for monitoring purposes. This set surely isn’t for basshead and for that I will recommend the Durandal which is their ultimate basshead IEM. Treble heads might find the high range lack bite but it might suit them as the high range here is superb in quality and crispness.
Final words
So is this a true end game option for those who want to settle down with nothing but the best? Well in my opinion there isn’t an end game in this hobby but the Camelot is a solid option for those who want the best sound that has a pure professional tuning and a neutral reference sound with a dead accurate sound reproduction. The build quality here is amazing with decent accessories but the size of the IEM itself might pose discomfort for smaller ear chonca users. The tuning here is somewhat safe and polite but they do have a spectacular wide dynamic range with great cohesion and coming from reviewing the Durandal, I can see why they chose to tune the Durandal to be that way as to complement the shortcomings of the Camelot but in exchange for the neutral reference sound that is on the Camelot. The price might deter most people but the Camelot is still a worthy flagship IEM that deserves a hall of fame spot of being one of the best. I would rate this product 4 stars over 5 stars.
Pros
- Flagship build quality
- Ergonomic fit
- Top of the line accessories
- High end, matching Avalon Cable
- Neutral reference sound for monitoring
- Wide frequency range with superb cohesion and separation
- Slightly warm, neutral, organic timbre
- Superb overall clarity and great imaging
- Amazing overall detail retrieval
- Widede, deep and accurate bass
- Good sub-bass depth
- Wide, airy, accurate midrange
- Amazing resolving sound
- Smooth, inoffensive yet highly detailed high range
- Perfect implementation of electrostatic drivers
- Accurate treble extension with crisp sparkle
- Superb overall technicalities
- Wide soundstage width and height with an airy overall
Cons
- Leaning towards a safe tuning
- Bass a little lean
- A little low on musicality
- Midrange lack body (nitpick)
- Upper midrange lack brilliance on warm sources
- Shell on the big and thick side
- Long, thick nozzle
- Price
- Packaging isn’t the best in this price range
