- Campfire Audio Introduces New Chimera In-Ear Monitors (IEM)
- Nine-driver technology includes bone conduction woofer and electrostatic tweeters
- Premium design that makes each unit unique
Everyone is talking about getting rid of Bluetooth in headphones these days. Well, if you’re looking for the best wired headphones out there, Campfire Audio has a very interesting proposition for you, but it will cost you.
it will cost you a lot.
The new Campfire Audio Chimera costs $7,500 / £6,999 (around AU$14,000). That’s 30 times the $249 / £219 / AU$429 price of the AirPods Pro 3, which I use as a reference since they’re the most popular headphone model on the planet. Suffice it to say that they are not for the average consumer; It’s probably professionals and hardcore head-fi enthusiasts who will buy them.
But wow, it’s hard to argue with what you get for that money. These IEMs look fantastic, made from carbon fiber and brass, adorned with a magnesium housing. According to Campfire Audio, each unit manufactured will look slightly different and the production method will result in subtle differences.
You can see how good they look in pictures; They’re apparently designed to catch light, so they’ll look even better in person.
The cable included with the IEMs uses four copper conductors and two 50/50 copper and silver conductors. And you get a lot more in the box: plenty of ear tips (including silicone and foam options), a cleaning tool and cloth, and a carrying bag.
But the Chimera’s real draw is the audio.
Driver? I barely know her
The Campfire Audio Chimera doesn’t have one, or two, or… okay, it has nine drivers. And there are some real surprises on that list.
You’ll get a 10mm dynamic driver for bass, a dual-diaphragm balanced armature driver for midranges, two balanced armatures for clarity, four electrostatic “super tweeters” for high-frequency sound, and also a bone conduction driver.
The latter sounds like one of the Chimera’s most interesting selling points: it’ll let you feel, not just hear, low-end sounds, to add a bit more physicality to the sub-bass.
It’s a bold choice, but it could pay off big. We’ve previously criticized the brand’s IEMs for their bass, like the Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon, and perhaps Campfire Audio has solved that problem in style.
For those who don’t mind bigger bass, the appeal lies in the use of four electrostatic drivers per bud; It’s not a technology that stands out much, so we love to see it.
To keep the show going, Campfire Audio has given the Chimera a pressure valve to maintain proper airflow and a tuning damper to ensure sound quality is the best possible. Given the spec list, these might seem like some of the best IEMs out there (and hopefully so, for the price).
The best music players for all budgets.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
