Campfire Audio Jupiter In-ear Earphone Review

Design –

Industrial but unique, strikingly angular but forgiving on the ear, Campfire’s locally sourced and machined housings are a work of art. There are few earphones that really stand out from the usual negative profile pod shaped earphones and fewer yet that I could observe for hours on end, but Campfire’s armature-based earphones are definitely among them. With 3-piece machined aluminium housings hand assembled in the United States, the Jupiter achieves a level of aesthetic intrigue and in hand solidity matched by very few earphones. Of note, the Jupiter’s design has changed slightly from earlier revisions; newer models have more chamfers and smoothing of their internal faces to create a more comfortable fit and a revised finish promises to be more durable over prolonged use.

The Jupiter immediately impresses with its build quality, the machining on the housings is some of the best I’ve seen with perfect mating between each component and the tolerances are higher than even the 1More Quad Drivers. This is all topped off with a new Cerakote finish, a ceramic based compound commonly used on firearms, that is designed to be hard wearing and tactile. The finish is fabulous, perhaps not as eye catching as the lustrous raw metal finishes of earlier revisions, but Campfire’s earphones no longer chip themselves during transport.

This very industrial look is topped up with three rose gold screws and a milled Campfire logo on the outer face that add some visual interest to their geometric design. The nozzle is not integrated but is completely constructed from aluminium. It is angled perfectly like the 64Audio earphones and has 2 sound tubes which similarly improves phase and separation. The nozzle is quite wide, accepting T400 sized Comply foams, and relatively short though it is fluted and holds tips very well. I wouldn’t be concerned in the slightest of the Jupiter’s durability, they are just as trusty and hardy as a well-oiled rifle.

Ergonomics are also very good which is surprising given how angular the housings are. In the ear, those sharp edges can’t be felt and the Jupiter provided pretty faultless comfort for me over extended listening periods. Due to some clever housing design, the Jupiters also didn’t produce a hotspot over my concha like the 64Audio U3 and while they aren’t quite as low-profile and ear hugging as the AF1120, in use, the Jupiter really has no issue with comfort or stability. I did notice some discomfort initially, but once the memory wire ear guides had been appropriately formed, the earphones were reliably held in a comfortable position. They are a large earphone and they do somewhat protrude from the ear, but being fully sealed and somewhat deeper fitting, the Jupiters aren’t prone to wind noise and provide great fit stability during activity; they didn’t require any adjustment during a recent 6km run. Isolation is also stunning, among the best I’ve experienced from a non-custom in-ear due to their deep fit and metal ear-filling housings that attenuate noise exceptionally well. I actually found them to isolate slightly more than even the Plussound Prism and Etymotic ER4, all with foams, making them ideal for travel. That being said, such levels of isolation can be quite dangerous during commute, I would suggest switching to silicone tips and even then, spatial awareness is not ideal.

The Jupiter also sports a removable cable using the tried and tested MMCX interface. Campfire are using custom connectors made from beryllium copper to provide vastly increased solidity over traditional cables. I found the connectors to be tight and very snappy with retained tension after multiple plugs and unplugs when cable swapping. But users probably won’t be in a hurry to swap because, being a former cable manufacturer, it goes without saying that the Jupiter comes with an exceptional unit. While older generations came with ALO’s tinsel cable, all newer models come equipped with the much improved Litz cable which is thicker and considerably more pliable; subjectively, it sounds a little cleaner and more open too.

The cable has a handsome braid coated in a lustrous satin silver. It is exceptionally supple and compliant while avoiding tangles. The cable is one of the softest I have handled with absolutely no memory, easily beating out the 64Audio, Westone EPIC and even Plussound EXO cables in ergonomics. They have memory wire ear guides that are quite soft and easy to manipulate, they provide some extra stability to those larger housings though I still prefer heat shrink style guides.

They have a reliable chin slider that slips into the low-profile y-split and a beefy yet case friendly right angle 3.5mm plug that looks to be well relieved and durable. The cable is really the icing on the cake, wonderfully rounding off an already impressive package.

Some may find the Jupiter’s to be a bit large and sharp, but only one of my immediate friends and family had any issue finding a comfortable fit. They don’t disappear, but for my ears, the Jupiter provided a reliable, isolating and deceptively comfortable fit.

Next Page: Sound