We might earn income from the merchandise obtainable on this web page and take part in affiliate applications. Be taught extra ›
Portland, Oregon’s Campfire Audio launched in 2015 because the logical continuation of founder and lead engineer Ken Ball’s ALOaudio. ALO, or Audio Line Out, was an organization obsessive about the sign chain. And Campfire Audio emerged to supply hand-assembled in-ear screens able to reworking what the bespoke cables and boutique transportable amps have been transporting. With the 2016 introduction of the Andromeda [an IEM whose 10th anniversary edition we’ll have more to say about in the future], Campfire Audio’s distinctive industrial enclosures have been established alongside a layered and lucid home sound, the results of acoustic chamber experimentation targeted extra on total natural timbre than eking out each millimeter of transients. That modifications, nonetheless, with the introduction of the Chimera—a summit-fi assertion that units out so as to add all doable technicalities and physicality to the spaciousness-first basis.
Campfire Audio
The Chimera is a $7,500, nine-driver platform for quad applied sciences, together with Campfire firsts. Its structure combines an all-new 10mm True-Glass dynamic driver for lows and low-mids, a dual-diaphragm balanced-armature driver for midrange element, two high-frequency BAs, 4 Sonion EST (electrostatic) super-tweeters, and a shell-embedded 10mm bone-conduction driver for low-frequency resonance (the primary time Campfire has built-in such a part). A focused stress worth, acoustic routing, classic ceramic-film capacitor, and a “Grasp Monitor” final-stage tuning damper within the nozzle contribute to dynamic management and coherence. Early impressions from CanJam Singapore counsel this complexity doesn’t stand in the way in which of articulate texture in a gently U-shaped monitor that, with the best eartips, is quick whereas weighty, exact however extra about wealthy presence, and by no means preoccupied with injecting itself into the audio. And, at 5.5Ω @ 1kHz with a rated sensitivity of 94dB SPL @ 1kHz/14.6 mVrms, the Chimera isn’t tough to drive from a variety of DAC/amp/DAPs to attain full expression of its 5Hz – 20kHz frequency response.
Additional serving to justify the associated fee are the supplies, together with CNC-machined billet magnesium completed with a sturdy PVD coating, a carbon fiber-brass Damascus faceplate, machined brass nozzle, customized fasteners and vents, 2-pin connectors, plus an ALOaudio Valence-6 cable that includes copper + silver-plated copper conductors and 4.4mm balanced termination developed for optimum synergy. There’s additionally a black leather-based zipper case, two-pocket mesh Breezy Bag, ear tip choice, and varied cleansing instruments.
Obtainable in Black and Gold variants, the Campfire Audio Chimera is now in presale and can ship in early June 2026. Preliminary portions are restricted.
2025 PopSci Better of What’s New
