Campfire Audio - Astrolith

Having been through almost everything, nothing beats the Fatfreq Maestro SE or the Sony IER-Z1R for a well rounded bass experience. If you're looking for something more all around but can deliver truly excellent bass when called upon, my favourite IEM of all time... Campfire Astrolith.

When I read the stuff written in here for people such as yourself, I always think it is TERRIBLE information & I think a lot of that comes from (a) lack of real experience with audio / (b) people who can't afford more expensive gear & use the old diminishing returns thing without genuinely having spent significant time with more expensive sets. I've been professionally involved in audio & music for 30 years. I never though I'd say IEMs could be better than headphones - but in some cases, they absolutely can. These two 'rules' I often hear are are total & utter bullshit & I don't believe these are generally subjective opinions, I think this is simply how it is - 'Above $300 is diminishing returns' Firstly I can't think of an IEM I'd genuinely recommend for less than 450 - the Thieaudio Hype 4. I've just been through three of the most hyped 300-350 sets (I got rid of my Hype 4 as someone offered me a ridiculously good trade offer for some Campfire Audio Supermoon - the IEM I wanted to but for my Dad - and I wanted to try something else as a replacement); Xenns Tea Pro, Dunu Davinci & Aful 5+2. I didn't love any of them (I hated 2), and I thought the jump between even the best one (Davinci) & the Hype 4 was HUGE. These are my 'beater' pair as my main six sets are 1600-3000 & I don't want to take them out into the humid climate where I live - and again, that gap between these & the Hype 4 is huge. For me, I'd have to say that diminishing returns GENERALLY begins at around 1300. BUT then you have the Campfire Astrolith are $2200 & you just won't find anything better that does this particular thing at anything less. Of course you can be a dumbass & spend $3000 on a pair that is dogshit. ---- The other 'rule' that I think is absolute bollocks is - Speakers > Headphones > IEMs ESPECIALLY the Headphones > IEMs part. This 'rule' is years old & IEMs have come a very long way in the last few years. Certain IEMs can do things that headphones cannot & vice versa. As far as I'm concerned, they're now on an even keel. Speakers... I think the sheer expense & amount of room required to get something that sounds even as good as a TOTL IEM or headphone is wild. Of course if you have unlimited money & can throw 100k++ and have a room in your house acoustically treated, it's going to sound unbelievable. But that's out of reach for most.

OK First up, the really easy one, and it's a really big one - sub bass. A headphone cannot deliver sub bass like an IEM can. I own three of the big (and very good, rather than novelty type) IEMs known for their bass belivery - Fatfreq Maestro SE, which I have the CIEM version of (and thus delivers even more sub bass of due to the deep fit/isolation), the Sony IER-Z1R & thr best IEM of last year IMO, the Campfire Astrolith. There are plenty of others as well. I love my sub bass - and there are certain genres that really need it. I've tried several of the more popular bottom heavy headphones, and they just don't come close - Sony MDR-Z1R, Fostex (forgot the model number - big shiny red domes) & a couple of others. Unfortunately once you're used to how really good, sub heavy IEMs, headphones just don't come close. I do love headphones, but all of those got sold - most very quickly. --- The other big one is how hybrid driver designs work - I don't know if you're a fan, but Alessandro Cortini of NIN (Nine Inch Nails) & an artist of a very different kind in his own right is a huge fan of how hybrid IEMs work vs traditional headphones - and released a collaboration hybrid IEM with Campfire Audio; the Clara. The amazing thing with the better hybrids (done well - they need to be implement intelligently & tested thoroughly/tweaked before launch) is really how different driver types work together to create something very special. Of course you can do this with headphones, but it doesn't work in the same way as you need them to be packed together & given a small exit point to really work their magic - my personal favourite example of a hybrid design is the Thieaudio Prestige Ltd; I use these daily & I had them CIEM'd after ten months as I know I'll never sell them & CIEMs both sound better & are more comfortable. It feels like you're wearing nothing. They usd a combination of electrostatic drivers (which are incredible for high frequencies & the imaging/detail of those frequencies) balanced armatures which handle the mids & dynamic drivers which hand the bass. These are a beautifully balanced set which I have used for 8-12h very regularly & they still sound magical to me. It's not an aggressive sounding set - zero fatigue from long sessions & you cannot possibly have a similar audio experience with overheads. I absolutely adore overheads, too & I never thought IEMs could catch up - but they have - but it's a very different thing & they both have their place.

I love them all for different reasons. They're all incredible sets. I think the Astrolith are a very safe buy (IMO the safest out of all to recommend absolutely anyone - they're both really fun & technically very impressive) & their little brother, the Supermoon, are really good too. I bought those for my Dad as they are more mid centric but still have a decent helping of that pretty physical bass

As a fellow basshead, I would say forget the Scarlett Mini's - they're a bit of a novelty - a one trick pony, but it's a very good trick. Unfortunately the bass is absolutely overwhelming and they are extremely fatiguing. They're a good step more balanced than the Maestro Mini, but still....unless they're a set as part of a collection rather than be a daily long use pair, I think you'll struggle. I upgraded from them to the Maestro SE which are currently getting CIEM'd. Even those are fatiguing but a lot more balanced. My shout would be to go for the Thieaudio Hype 4 - no, the out of the box tuning isn't basshead, but those two big fat DD's are capable of so much more than that OOTB tuning. When I was listening to drum n bass, I'd push the bass up using the DSP on my Mojo 2 - you could do something similar with a software EQ, but in any case they absolutely have the capability to hit genuine basshead levels - it's a really nice, smooth deep, warm bass which gives you that club soundsystem type feel. I'd absolutely suggest you spend the cash you save on getting some custom tips done. Once you have the impressions done, you can use that 3D image file for many years to get more tips done, and that's usually the most expensive part (impressions & first set of tips). You should really shop around for a place that you can get the impressions done - I've heard that some places (ear doctors) you can have it done for less than $50. Once done you can shop around for somewhere that produces tips - or you can message me in around one month as I'm currently starting a project to make them & we should be operational by then. We are based in Asia, but we'd only need the file & could do you a deal on a bunch which we could ship to you. Even with express shipping (I buy in bulk due to anktjt project wbere I'm shipping dozens of items to the US every week, this would work out a lot less per pair than getting them done in the west. The tips make a HUGE difference in terms of getting a perfect seal & keeping all that delicious bass in. I'll never use regular tips again. Pictured - my favourite current basshead pair, the CA Astrolith with some prototypes of our tips. It's around 30% more bass & a better sound overall. Often asked question - do the tips make the IEMs stick out more? No, absolutely not. 90% of this is going into your ear canal (these fit my ear canals only). https://preview.redd.it/gpsosp8y1hxd1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48def0baa8b1c4e6bcfd20a642aa0377b8711f02

I couldn't give a shit what anyone else likes. I went through dozens (60+)of pairs to get through to six I love last year. IEMS - QDC Emperor/CA Astrolith/Fatfreq Maestro SE CIEM/Thieaudio Prestige Ltd CIEM/Final A8000/Sony IER-Z1R I have Xenns Tea Pro OTW as my out & about IEM as I live in Thailand & it's very humid. Anything I wear outside will absolutely get damaged & those are all 1600-3000. I wish the 'diminishing returns begin at $300' line was real. It isn't. Not even close - but it's good that you can get genuinely excellent IEMs sub $500. I'd also say that if you are goin high tier, you're better off buying one pair & a Chord Mojo 2 before you buy another pair. A lot of people love to rubbish the difference dac/amps make, but this thing is better than any truly portable device (it makes a HUGE difference - the Prestige Ltd /Mojo 2 combo is incredible & I have put a lot of people onto this. Include $4000 DAPs, of which I've owned most of the big ones). It's also the best for home use than any desktop amp/dac, including the $9000 Sony DMP-Z1 dac/amp/player, which I bought for overheads & will do me for life. I absolutely adore all of these. I owned the Prestige Ltd for 10 months before I reshelled/CIEM'd it because I know I'll never sell it - plus one thing these all have in common is that BUILD QUALITY is fantastic. Many great sounding IEMs are not & spending money like this on IEMs, I expect them to last me for many years. This is something a lot of reviewers overlook. My favourites are the Prestige Ltd & the Campfire Astrolith. I'm probably the only person I've ever heard who loves the Final A8000 as the highs are very abrasive for most ears. I used to play the drums - these IEMs are the most natural sounding & that's how drums sound. I've worked in music for 30 years & am myself through being a hobbyist producer a 'one hit wonder'. I've also tuned some of the best nightclub/music venue systems in the world. Music paid for these.

I've CIEM'd my PL's so I won't be selling them. I didn't like the Monarch 2 or 3 at all... that's what I went to the store thinking I'd buy... I'd never even heard of the PL's & was walking out when the manager came out of the back with the PL's that has arrived about an hour before I arrived & said 'try these' blew me away. Still my favourites after 14 months & my other six pairs are all things I bought after. The Astrolith are a very close #2/maybe even a joint #1. The Tea Pro are my going out pair & I haven't opened them yet. Only really interested in hearing the Glacier & the Fir RN6. How is the build on the Glacier? Does the metal scratch easily? I have to treat my A8000 very carefully as they apparently scratch very easily - they look like jewelry & I want them to stay that way. Fortunately the case they come with is the best/most practical IEM case I've ever seen/used. IEMS - QDC Emperor/CA Astrolith/Fatfreq Maestro SE CIEM/Thieaudio Prestige Ltd CIEM/Final A8000/Sony IER-Z1R/Xenns Tea Pro

I know 2200 is a hell of a lot but my fucking god those Astrolith are absolutely unbelievable. For EVERYTHING. Safest bet of the entire bunch. You could even go second hand and get I guess 30% off & they will still have warranty as they've only been out for around 5-6 months? Build quality fantastic also. Have you actually heard the Variations or are you just looking at graphs? To be honest I don't feel anything is lacking and if it is, it's more than compensated for by what it excels at.

It goes to show you how different people's ears are. I've owned or borrowed (for a week) most of these & I own a couple as the rest didn't do if for me. My opinions on a few that really stand out - The 64 Audio Volur were a huge disappointment for me. And the bass really isn't very special to my ears. It was lacking in both quality & quantity. I typically hate all BA bass, but I've chosen the U12T over them (which were a rare blind but & got sold extremely quickly). The Campfire Astrolith are one of the very few IEMs that I believe are actually worth spending that kind of money on... I don't find the treble an issue at all. I was given the option to borrow a demo pair for a week & within 10 minutes of using the demo pair I'd transfered the funds to purchase. It was the quickest IEM decision I've ever made alongside the Prestige Ltd. The Sony IER-Z1R are by a very, very long way biggest selling high end IEM of all time & for very good reason - they are incredible and can do blow for blow (and usually win - at worst, a draw) with any $4000 bass centric set. You need to gets to use the right tips (the Sony Triple Comfort tips that are one of two kinds they are boxed with & hook them to your ears properly with cables that will allow for it - reinforced in the few inches leading up to the MMCX cable or something a generally a bit stronger). The comfort issues are a common complaint, but they are mostly unwarranted. It's a little bit like learning to tiw your shoelaces, but with 90% less time & effort once you understand how. You certainly wouldn't be putting them above the Volur for bass & I think that's objective rather than subjective. Unless you can find someone who seems proven to have very similar tastes to you in things you have tried in terms of both likes & dislikes of several sets... I wouldn't take their opinion very seriously as it's unlikely you will have a similar experience.

That was also my concern, but after testing it out in person, I have to say I’m pretty impressed by the astrolith, especially on the bass end of things (but I’m biased as I was comparing it to my BA bass)

I just received mine 3 days ago and I’m blown away.. the bass is incredible good one of the best I have heard… I have the Trifecta and the IE900. Astrolith is just in another level. 🤯 Great Goob Campfire 🔥

Campfire Audio Trifecta & Astrolith. Both are ridiculously priced for mediocre performance.

Interesting impressions, thanks for sharing these! I actually like the Astrolith, though I can see where you're coming from, treble-wise. As far as the Trifecta, I agree that $3k is a steep price for it--but its does, IMO, bring something to the table with its bass that I have yet to hear anywhere else. Hopefully Campfire brings the same tech used with that IEM to some of their lower-priced IEMs in the future. I highly suggest you give the Vision Ears VE10 a listen if you get a chance. It sounds like you'll really like it based on your other impresisons.

It sounds to me like you just don't like it. That's totally fine. I personally avoid most planars/micro-planar IEMs since they're not tuned well. A few notable exceptions are the Kiwi Ears Aether and Campfire Astrolith.

I have tried most of the popular planar iems at E-earphones Akihabara, including other more expensive hybrid iems, and Astrolith is the end game for me. You really need to listen to it.

1300 for my Thieaudio prestige limited & another 300 to reshell /CIEM. 2200 for my Campfire Astroluth. Both expensive, but I get a huge amount of use out of both. Easily my all-time top 2... and neither are close to my most expensive.

I was at Axpona yesterday, listened to a lot of iem’s, and I was kind of amazed at how much everything mostly sounded the same. I tried every item from Thieaudio and while I had favorites, I would be completely happy with the hype 4, with the Divinity 14 and Origin being my favorite, but it was shockingly close. Same with 64 audio, liked all of their offerings favoring the u18t, followed buy the velour and u4s. At the Bloom audio table, they had almost everything to try. Crazy how much sounded the same. At the campfire table, I a/b’d the supermoon and astrolith, with the latter being better, but not $2k better. Diminishing returns really kick in super fast in this hobby.

I have demoed this and I have to say it is no doubt the best iem I’ve ever had the chance to try out. It’s the only iem I can say sounds like you’re listening to open back headphone rather than an iem.