Campfire Audio Comet – unboxing and initial impressions

Introduction After the recent fanfare around the launch of Campfire Audio's first over-ear headphone (the Cascade), they have decided that one release in 2018 isn't enough to keep everyone busy, so they have released two new single driver models, the Comet and the Atlas. Both models use a new drop-forged stainless steel body and more... Continue Reading →

May 10, 2018 2

Campfire Audio Cascade – substance with style

Pros: Solid metal construction, stellar bass, outstanding physical texture to the sound, big sound, musical but balanced tuning, emotive midrange, crisp treble Cons: Bass will be too much for some, have to detach cables to fold and stow in carry case, pretty much nothing else Price: $799 Product site: https://campfireaudio.com/shop/cascade/ Acknowledgement These headphones have been provided... Continue Reading →

April 20, 2018 6

Focal Elear: dynamism with a dash of French flair

Pros: Incredible dynamics and punch, crisp and detailed sound, good balance through the frequencies, rock solid build and comfort, decent bass weight, highly engaging sound Cons: Small soundstage for an open-back, dip in upper mids may not be to everyone’s taste, “always on” dynamics make this a little excitable for more mellow genres Price: £769 ($799,... Continue Reading →

March 14, 2018 3

Empire Ears Athena – the goddess of Olympus

Ratings Pros: Impeccable build quality, balanced but musical tuning, incredible sense of smoothness, good note weight, fantastic midrange, good clarity Cons: May lack air in the treble for some, can take a little time to adjust to the tuning, extension/quantity in the sub bass area could be better Price (as of Dec 2017): $1299 Website: Empire Ears... Continue Reading →

January 4, 2018 4

Campfire Audio Andromeda – another stellar constellation from the stargazers at CA

Pros: Great value, classy metal build and accessory package, superbly balanced tuning, clarity, large and airy soundstage, neutral yet musical Cons: Sharp edges on the shell casing can cause discomfort for some, not for bassheads Introduction Anyone with more than a passing interest in high-end in ear audio gear costing more than $100 will most... Continue Reading →

October 13, 2017 4

IMR Acoustics R1 – unusual ceramic/beryllium hybrid with bags of tone

Pros: Smooth and organic sound signature, good all metal build, serious bass prowess, nice texture and weight to the sound, smooth and clear treble, very coherent and musical tuning, multiple tuning options with filters, capability to open up the soundstage with the open/closed port mechanism Cons: Not massive amounts of micro-detail, could potentially be a... Continue Reading →

September 11, 2017 6

Empire Ears Zeus-XR – the pinnacle of the pantheon

Pros: Sublime detail retrieval, very coherent tuning, switchable crossover modes, mid range clarity and expression, non fatiguing but truly transparent sound, superb build quality Cons: A little on the expensive side, prone to hiss with most sources, not a drastic difference between the two modes on some DAPs, not much else List Price: $2399 (empireears.com) Acknowledgment... Continue Reading →

August 30, 2017 4

Focal Elear – unboxing and initial impressions

Introduction The Focal Elear is a headphone that should need no introduction to anyone with anything more than a passing interest in over-ear headphones in the current market, making up one half of the French manufacturer's recent assault on the high-end headphone market with its big brother the Utopia. It is a headphone I have... Continue Reading →

August 4, 2017 2

Questyle QP2R – initial impressions (part 2 of 2)

Introduction This set of impressions follows on from my previous blog post about the QP2R (which you can find here), and concentrates mainly on the sonics and some comparisons with other gear. If you want to get the full picture, feel free to go back and read the first chapter - if you are the sort... Continue Reading →