Campfire Audio unveils Fathom wired earbuds: 6 balanced armature drivers, 4-figure price tag
Campfire Audio makes some of the best wired headphones in the industry (I still can’t decide whether I ultimately prefer the Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon or the Trifecta; each shines sonically for very different reasons). However, the company’s latest Fathom once again features a very different driver configuration, to promise a “detailed presentation with just the right touch of midband warmth.”
As we’ve come to expect from Campfire, the Fathom headphones are encased in an angular yet ergonomic housing made of machined aluminum, this time anodized in a black dip. The highlight here are those little Rainbow PVD mounting halos, which seem to cast subtle rainbows of light against the deep black of the shell.
That aside, audiophiles want what’s under the hood and Campfire has come up with a new configuration, viz six (yes, six) custom balanced armature drivers. The setup includes dual custom high-definition “supertweeters” for handling the treble; a pair of custom midrange drivers for vocals and instruments and dual custom BA woofers to keep those juicy bass frequencies down.
All this tech doesn’t come cheap, as they’re priced at a very high $1,049 / £1,049 (which is about AU$2,012).
“Sounds true to the original recording” is actually a pretty wild idea for Campfire Audio – but it’s a good one
As mentioned above, I love select Campfire Audio offerings. Besides the sound quality, I enjoy it when a company moves to the beat of its own drum. Campfire is proudly located in Portland, Oregon (a city known for its friendly, artsy vibe and “Keep Portland Weird” bumper stickers) and CA often seems seemingly holds to play with its sound signatures to offer a new recipe. It’s always a talented sound, it’s just… different in his oeuvre, in terms of tuning those different driver setups.
The purpose of Fathom’s design? “A sound that’s true to the original recording, allowing you to hear your music clearly and deeply.” So authenticity is the true goal here – not a sonic curve that is new but attractive, nor a different balance than what you are used to in your audiophile listening equipment. And I think it’s a wise move. I can’t vouch for the integration of those potentially picky BA drivers yet, but I like the plan.
And it wouldn’t be Campfire Audio if the accessories weren’t right, and here there’s a folding leather carrying case (handmade in Portugal, of course), a rainbow PVD carabiner, a total of six eartips, an earphone cleaning tool and a Campfire Audio lapel pin to enjoy your music. With Fathom you now also get two cables – 3.5mm and a balanced 4.4mm jack – in the company’s Time Stream design, with eight silver-plated copper conductors in a ribbon configuration.
Campfire Audio Fathom earbuds are available now, but as good as they sound, they won’t be making their way into any of our ‘budget’ buying guides anytime soon. However, if you’d rather spend a little rather than a lot and go wireless, check out our best wireless earbuds guide.