Campfire Audio make exceptional in-ear monitors for audiophiles, with models such as the Solaris Stellar Horizon delivering… well, stellar sound for high-end buyers. And now the firm has announced what may be its most elite wired earbuds yet, the Campfire Audio Astrolith. According to the company, these deliver the most refined and enhanced acoustic experience you can get.
The Astrolith IEMs are made with Campfire's new Additive Acoustic Optical Inclusion housings, which are mirror polished stainless steel housings encasing not one, but two planar magnetic drivers.
There's a custom 14.2mm driver for mid, low and sub-low frequencies, and the highs are handled by a custom 6mm planar magnetic tweeters. Using planar drivers means harmonic distortion is very low – less than 0.3%, Campfire says – and the diaphragm of the Astrolith's voice coil keeps its shape even at high volumes.
Update: an earlier version of this article reported that the Campfire Audio Astrolith have three planar drivers per ear, not two, based on information provided by Campfire Audio. The company has issued a correction to TechRadar to clarify that the earbuds have a dual-driver setup, with 14.2mm and 6mm planar drivers. We regret the error.
Campfire Audio Astrolith: specifications, pricing and availability
The Astrolith IEMs have a frequency response of 5Hz to 25kHz, an impedance at 1K of 8.2 ohms, and an SPL of 94dB at 1kHz and 44.90 mVrms… for those who keep track of such things. You get both 3.5mm and 4.4mm cables, three sizes of ear tips, plus a black leather folding wallet, a two-pocket mesh pouch and a cleaning tool. And there's a Campfire Audio pin included too.
We love planar magnetic drivers here on team TechRadar – you can just look at our glowing reviews of the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 and Edifier Stax Spirit S5 for evidence of that, along with the fact that Managing Editor Matt Bolton still has a pair of Oppo PM-1 headphones in a drawer, and he flat out refuses to ever get rid of them.
As ever with Campfire, these challengers to the best earbuds are for the more affluent audiophile: at £2,199 / $2,199 / €2,399 they're a lot more expensive than the likes of the Sennheiser IE 900, although they're actually more affordable than Campfire's Solaris Stellar Horizon. Sadly that means they're way beyond my budget, but if you're fortunate enough to afford a pair please consider leaving them to me in your will.
The Astrolith IEMs are available now from retailers including Audiologica, Audio Sanctuary and Amazon.
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