Disclaimer: I would like to formally thank Chris from Campfire Audio for providing us with a unit in exchange for an impartial and honest review. On behalf of the team at the Headphone List, we thank Campfire Audio for their generosity and trust in THL.
Summary:
The Fathom is a year-old entrant with a smooth-sailing, north-of-neutral presentation. Despite its portlier/meatier low-end, the Fathom is a technically nuanced and detail-rich IEM with a strong linear cohesion between its six balanced armature array.
While Campfire’s Fathom doesn’t have an immediate ‘wow factor, its endogenous strengths emerge upon closer inspection, with a close-to-holographic layering and an emotively rich midrange.
Pros:
+ Campfire’s new aluminium shell design is ultra-light, durable and stylishly themed for the ‘EDC’ crowd
+ Portly, balanced and dynamic presentation with satisfying mid-bass slam and emotive midrange
+ Holographic imaging with audible cues subtly positioned in the Z-axis
Cons:
– There isn’t an immediate ‘stand-out’ wow factor
– Exuberance-light in the treble results in a ‘darker’ sound
– Assertive mid-bass loosely veils the midrange
Introduction
Campfire Audio’s reputation precedes itself. To dogmatic audiophiles who sit in the ‘nay’ camp, this innocent observation may be seen pejoratively. Personally, I see Campfire Audio in a positive light.
My previous review of Campfire Audio X Drop’s reinterpretation of the Black Stars, the Dark Stars, paints a picture of an unapologetically ambitious Oregon-based brand. To spare myself the hassle of rediscussing the titular brand’s decades-spanning origins, here’s a word-for-word excerpt from my review of the Dark Stars:
“Campfire Audio is a Portland, Oregon-based brand that bears no introduction in the audiophile space (unless you’ve been living under a rock). Ken Ball, the brains behind the brand, is an acoustic engineer with a steadfast passion for portable audio.
In 2009, he sank his teeth in the world of metallurgy and annealing, crafting quality cables that adorned the exorbitantly priced IEMs of yonder under the ALO Audio moniker. Six years and a rebrand (to Campfire Audio) later, the newly minted brand pivoted away from high-end cables to high-end IEMs.
The Fathom is one such high-end IEM. The Fathom is the torchbearer and spiritual successor to their cult-revered Andromedas, an IEM that has seen countless iterations, the latest being the ‘Emerald Sea’. There are no fancy gimmicks, save for a humble six balanced armature array – Simplicitas.
Campfire Audio’s notoriety stems from its staunch refusal to conform to ‘Harman’ or ‘meta-like’ tunings in favour of a rotating wheel of flavours. As someone who craves ‘newness’ and a diverse array of tunings, it was only fitting that I review the Fathom, a 1,000 USD IEM that has seemingly flown under the radar.
The Fathom can be purchased directly from Campfire Audio’s official webstore.
Technology
Six balanced armature array
The Fathom utilises an all-new dual mid-driver assembly, alongside custom dual low and high balanced super tweeters for ‘top-to-bottom precision, detail, and resolution’.
Phase harmony engineering
Campfire Audio’s proprietary ‘phase harmony engineering’ systems allow their technicians to sculpt and partition the frequency response between the drivers effectively. On top of that, the precision-machining of the shells and their intricate internal structures results in a surgically tuned IEM.
Unboxing
Campfire Audio, as an American luxury brand, places an artisanal emphasis on every touchpoint, from convivial customer service down to the unboxing experience. The Fathom, like its predecessors, is no exception to their exceptional track record thus far.
The Fathom’s Italian-paper packaging is printed in a maelstrom of psychedelic colours that transported me to the muddy showgrounds of Woodstock 88, with the IEM’s name ‘Fathom’ proudly emblazoned with a serif ‘gothic’ typeface. Thematically, it is a refreshing kick-to-the-gut compared to the standard cartoon child (as Resolve Reviews would jokingly refer to).
Inside the box, you’ll notice that the accompanying copy contextualising the Fathom (e.g. instructions, backstory, accessories) is printed on the underside of the top cardboard flap or lip – an ingenious touch. You’ll find the following accessories:
- Fathom – Premium earphone crafted with care by Campfire Audio
- Time Stream Cables – Black – Eight silver-plated copper conductors in ribbon configuration – 3.5mm / 4.4mm Terminations Included
- Select Case: Handmade Leather ‘Dimensional Folding’ Case
- Breezy Bag Junior – Small mesh zipper case
- Breezy Bag Micro – Two-pocket IEM pouch
- Earphone Tips: Marshmallow and Silicon – Various Sizes
The package accoutrements are luxurious inclusions that reflect the 1,000 USD threshold. The Portuguese-made leather ‘dimensional folding’ case epitomises the brand’s luxurious slant, fashioned from high-quality cowhide and an iridescent-rainbow carabiner.
Striking a balance between being personable and luxurious, Fathom’s unboxing is a rewarding experience and a good omen for things to come.
Design
The Fathoms’ shells are fabricated from anodized aluminium shells with an iridescent, rainbow-PVD shroud/cap at the MMCX end of each channel. The Fathom (I believe) is Campfire Audio’s first earphone to feature the redesign of their signature stepped/faceted silhouette of the Nova, Polaris, Polaris II, IO, Jupiter and Andromeda.
The pentalobe screws that fastened the faceplates to the chassis are now situated by a solitary ring or screw, replete with rainbow theming for artistic consistency. Instead of stainless steel, the aerospace-grade aluminium, while not as durable, is as featherlight as titanium, which significantly enhances its comfort and appeal for long-term wear. The shells’ footprint noticeably shrunk for a more diminutive profile, each spout/nozzle finished in a piano-black, glossy lustre.
Aesthetically, the Fathom is a conservatively themed ‘Campfire Audio’ IEM, but the kaleidoscopic rainbow theming is reminiscent of flame-treated titanium hardware (e.g. knives) in the EDC hobby – I’d say this is a smart confluence of design choices where both hobbies and hobbyists tend to intersect. On top of that, I think the Fathom is plain gorgeous.
Comfort and Ergonomics
The Fathoms boast a slim and tiny footprint that sits flat and flush against my counter-helix, virtually free of discomfort or soreness during hour-long listening sessions. Because of the Fathoms’ diminutive shell profiles, the back chamber doesn’t protrude outward in a clumsy manner. The piano-black nozzles are of moderate length and should not prove to be a challenge in terms of fit, finish or discomfort.
Beneficially, the Fathoms’ exclusively balanced armature design does not require external venting to displace any pent-up bass within the chamber. This translates into superior isolation in day-to-day use with less wind-noise ingress or extraneous distractions.
Cable Quality
Campfire Audio was once Audio Line Out Audio (ALO Audio), a high-end cable company, in a previous life. Naturally, I’d have to review Fathom’s cable inclusions with a critical lens.
The Fathoms come shipped with their stock Timestream cables (in 3.5mm and 4.4mm) from their resplendent ‘Chromatic’ line-up of IEMs, fashioned from annealed silver-plated copper (SPC), sheathed in a PVC jacket and flattened into a novel ribbon-style configuration. Their MMCX connectors are custom-made with beryllium and copper for a more resilient and durable lifespan.
Save for their balanced and unbalanced terminations, both cables are the same. The flatness of the ribbon-configured cable feels quite nice in the hands, and it displays a satisfactory (but not great) flexibility and malleability, with a few kinks here and there.
Aesthetically, the snow-white cores exposed by the transparent PVC jacketing is a wonderful juxtaposition to the onyx-black shells of the Fathoms. However, the plastic hardware comprising the Y-split and terminations could’ve been replaced by aluminium or stainless-steel hardware for a more appropriate and consistent design language.
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