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- Campfire Audio unveils new Chimera in-ear monitors (IEMs)
- Nine-driver tech includes bone conduction woofer and electrotatic tweeters
- Premium design that makes each unit unique
Everyone's talking about ditching Bluetooth in headphones these days. Well if you're looking for the best wired earbuds around, then Campfire Audio has a very interesting proposition for you, but it'll cost you.
It'll cost you a lot.
The new Campfire Audio Chimera cost $7,500 / £6,999 (about 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 model of buds on the planet. Suffice it to say, they're not for the average consumer — it's likely to be professionals and the most hardcore of head-fi enthusiasts who'll pick them up.
But boy, what you get for that money is hard to argue with. These IEMs look fantastic, made of carbon-fibre and brass, adorned in a magnesium shell. According to Campfire Audio, every single unit made will look slightly different, with the production method resulting in subtle differences.
You can see how good they look in images; apparently they're designed to catch the light, so will appear even better in person.
The cable included with the IEMs uses four copper conductors, and two 50/50 copper and silver ones. And you get a lot more in the box: loads of eartips (including silicone and foam options), a cleaning tool and cloth, and a carry bag.
But the real draw to the Chimera is the audio.
Driver? I barely know 'er
The Campfire Audio Chimera has not one, not two, not… okay, it has nine drivers. And there are some real surprises in that list.
You're getting a 10mm dynamic driver for low-end, dual-diaphragm balanced armature driver for midrange, two balanced armatures for clarity, four electrostatic "super-tweeters" for high-frequency sound, and a bone conduction driver too.
This latter sounds like one of the most interesting selling points of the Chimera: it'll let you feel, not just hear, low-end sounds, to add a little extra physicality to sub-bass.
That's a bold choice, but it could pay off big time. We've previously knocked the brand's IEMs for their bass, like the Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon, and maybe Campfire Audio has fixed that problem in style.
For those who don't care about bigger bass, the draw lies in the use of four electrostatic drivers per bud — it's not a tech that gets out much, so we love to see it.
To keep the show on the road, Campfire Audio has given the Chimera a pressure valve to keep the airflow correct, and a tuning damper to make sure sound quality is as good as it could be. Given the specs list, these could sound like some of the best IEMs out there (and you'd hope so, for that price).
➡️ Read our full guide to the best hi-res music players
1. Best overall:
Activo P1
2. Best budget hi-res player:
Fiio JM21
3. Best step-up hi-res player:
Astell & Kern A&norma SR35
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