I’ve been fortunate to experience a range of IEMs across different price brackets—everything from the lofty Traillii Ti and UM Amber Pearl to the more budget-friendly (and often polarizing) KZ models. My journey with Campfire Audio began when I got the chance to listen to the Ponderosa, an all-BA IEM with an engagingly bombastic sound signature. It instantly hooked me, and I dove deeper into their lineup, falling for the Moon Rover’s unique charm and the Bonneville’s gorgeously immersive mids.
When I heard about their collaboration with Alessandro Cortini, my interest was immediately piqued. After patiently awaiting its release, I can confidently say the Clara has exceeded all expectations.
With its four-driver configuration, the Clara delivers an exceptionally cohesive and dynamic sound. The bass is authoritative and impactful without overpowering the spectrum. Vocals are forward with impressive depth and texture, while the treble is delightfully airy, free from any trace of sibilance. The tuning strikes a fine balance between musicality and tonal accuracy, making it a versatile performer across genres.
It’s a phenomenal all-rounder that handles everything you throw at it with finesse. Bravo to the team at Campfire Audio and Alessandro Cortini for creating something truly special.
And as always thanks for MusicTeck for their outstanding service.
small gripe of no L/R indicators and doesn't say what way they are supposed to go (none of my IEM's have the 2 pin notch so took a bit to figure out orientation)
I don't think any of my IEM's are particullarly sensitive so a cable shouldn't change their sound and I didn't notice a difference
build is fantastic and looks nice though
👉🏻Pros:
😊 Semi custom black acrylic shells with machined aluminum faceplates fit comfortably in my ears and offer excellent ambient isolation.
(Fit is subjective)
😊 Unassuming 2 pin black SPC cable terminated 4.4mm pairs very well sonically.
😊 Very easy to drive.
😊 Reflects the tuning nuances of source devices, but not device fussy.
😊 Well layered mid and sub bass.
😊 Smooth, rich and detailed mids.
😊 Exquisite natural vocals.
😊 Precise airy highs with outstanding micro detail.
😊 While not extremely expansive, the intimate stage fills the head, has a dead silent background, and precise imaging and layering.
👉🏻 Cons:
😔 Semi Custom shell design may present fit challenges for some.
😔 No tolerance for poorly recorded source files.
I owned the original VE EXT back when it was first released.
I really liked the strong bass presence and exceptional detail.
They weren’t exactly V shaped but pretty strong U shape tuning.
Unfortunately I found the highly energetic mids and highs fatiguing during lengthy listens.
It was a hard choice, but I sold them a couple months later.
I was immediately interested when I saw the EXT MKII was being released.
Revised semi custom shell with smaller nozzle diameter
A more refined low frequency range with greater accuracy and detail.
Enhanced mids and vocals clarity and a more balanced presentation.
I couldn’t resist, and have no regrets.
The MKII is without a doubt more refined and better balanced.
I would say it still has a mildly U shaped signature.
The mids energy is deceptive. The super quiet background has virtually no noise, and that makes it easy to push the volume high, without noise or distortion.
At high volumes I can still fatigue over long listening sessions (I am mids sensitive)
There is really no need to push the volume high, every note and nuance of the music is there at moderate volumes.
At moderate volumes it is very easy to engage and drift into the music for lengthy multi hour listening session with no hint of fatigue.
The EXT MKII is definitely a positive improvement over the OG EXT. At least it is for for my preference.
This one’s a keeper and will be with me a very long time.
Well done Vision Ears! 👍🏻
Thank you Andrew and Grace for the always excellent customer service, and providing a source for high quality audio gear.
I received the amplifier and was impressed with the build quality. I was very pleased when I heard the first notes and have been satisfied with my purchase ever since. Music Tec is a great company to do business with.
This little dap sounds incredible. One of the most beautiful sound I ever heard from a little dap. Hard to put it down. Easy to drive hps using the 2.5mm or the 4.4mm output this dap rocks! I've tried with some of my hps like the denon d9200, hifiman ed. X, and just wow...ridiculous good. The bt sennheiser momentum 4 sounded great also, will be bringing it to the gym. It didn't play well with the focal utopia. Also for some reason the denon d7000 3.5mm jack adapter did not work well. It must be easy to drive then. Overall it's a great experience. The UI can be a bit slow at times.
Great Case, great sound, good power, no issues. Very enjoyable.
Had the original Mest and Mest Mk IIs and loved them, but sold them to explore other brands - owned the Effect Audio Gaea, Elysian Annihilator, Thieaudio Prestige LTD - and came back full circle to the Mest series with the Mk IIIs. Just overall a beautiful sound with a sprinkle of special sauce from the bone conduction driver. Sound is smooth and non-fatiguing. Shell also fits well and looks great!
I like to try most of the TWS earphones released. So far I did not like any of the Noble TWS, but these ones won me over. The dual drivers produce details and enough bass for my taste. Of course, we talk about audiophile tws, so the other features such as ANC are not great. You won't carry them for a run or exercise. But walking outside, while commuting, they are good. They have the best sound signature I found so far with TWS of any price.
Was looking for a very good DAP for travers as my N8ii is too expensive and big to carry around the world. Quality is as expected, sound a step back from N8ii, given the price not a surprise. As a lover of warmer DAP‘s this is a full recomandation. One thing to add: pairs better wir UM Multiverse than with FAudio Mezzo. As usual big thank to Andrew for his support.
S
Alpha&Omega Omega (Like New) The omega is truly a flagship, totl iem. Warm, bassy goodness, but doesn’t sacrifice mids or treble. Resolution is top tier with great detail retrieval as well. These are so fun! Omega is more musical than analytical, but keeps up in all areas. I really can not find any faults. Beautiful shells and cable to match. Highly rec’d
I love this player. It’s awesome you can do multiple things on it from installing Apps, listening and recording off FM Radio, adding your own movies and music just to name a few points. However the battery life kinda depletes a little bit fast and you have to charge it after a certain percentage but other than that it still is a great player and would still recommend it if your looking to get off your phone and use a standalone device just to listen to music and such.
Lucious tubey sound with remarkable resolution. Enough power and runs beautifully with my Susvara and DS Tungsten. One of the best affordable headphone tube amps on the market. It can even run with my most sensitive IEMs. Great communication with Andrew and Leonardo before purchase. Highly recommended.
As usual Musicteck came through with super speedy service and and a nice discount on a like new openbox. Astroliths sound amazing and are in a league all there own. CA really hit it out of the park with these. Excellent layering, extension on both ends, and nice wide sound. The Planars used here are nothing found in other earphones, trust me, I've heard most of them. These have the Planar clarity but also an authority all there own, without the odd musical drawbacks of the much cheaper Planars, such as weird highs, and thin notes. CA Astroliths are really the top dog in this price range. Thanks Musicteck for these.
Just be prepared to visit the 80’s - organic and natural music, but that’s also when the software was written. Basic, works, but very basic
T
UM Mason Fabled Sound (4.4mm) (Like New, without Van Nuys case) One of the best IEM I ever heard with combination with Luxury Precision LP6
There has already been written a lot about this wonderful set. I’ll add some subjective impressions:
I absolutely adore its warmish tuning while being super resolving and holographic with very wide stage.
It‘s a very vague and super subjective description but the MM’s have a (sorry😊) „emotional“ quality that my other sets (EE Raven, FIR RN6, CA Astrolith) don‘t have. It‘s really a complementary IEM to my little collection.
I‘m very impressed and have to give it 5 ⭐️
C
FATfreq SCARLET Mini Universals These do exactly what they claim to do and then some. They are simply fantastic. Finally, someone has crossed the border of "correctness" and given the people what they want. This is the Basshead IEM.
The cable of the APX SE is good enough alone.
First of all, the music sounds concentrated with a quiet background.
The low-pitched punch is also excellent.
The middle note, especially the vocal part, draws a sweet voice at a reasonable distance.
High notes are also open enough.
The more praiseworthy part is packaging.
PMG is not just providing cables, it is also repurposing all the packaging of APX SE, from leather bags to earphone cases.
Such total packaging will be hard to find at this price point.
Sold a pair and regretted it. Glad to have it back
Not an audiophile, but the SR35 is Exactly what I expected from other reviews. And pleasantly surprised that the battery life is near accurate with bluetooth active. My only issue is that the back is so smooth that the charging cord is enough to slide the device around my desk (and off my desk).
I was able to compare the Rex5 to the Triumph. The Rex5 is more revealing with a somewhat hotter top end. It is not as forgiving of poor recordings compared to the Triumph. A crude comparison would be the Rex5 is like a Sennheiser HD800 vs while the Triumph is like the HD650.
Only a few weeks owning the SP3000T, so still in the break-in phase. So far, very impressed with the sound. Upgraded from PAW 6000, and the difference is immediately noticeable. Wider soundstage and more detail are readily apparent. I use hybrid mostly and enjoy the added warm, without going too far. MusicTeck has been great and they deserve a shout out.
If you’re looking for a simple hi-fi portable compact DAP look no further. Very user friendly and sound is great both wireless and wired. I was very impressed by the sound quality and how easy it was to setup to tailor for my liking. Love how compact it is as well.