CAMPFIRE AUDIO ALIEN BRAIN
Let's get started. First off, let me take a moment to thank
@Jaytiss for the opportunity to audition the Alien Brain, as well as
@CFA Chris and Campfire Audio. This is my only my second CFA that I've had the pleasure of listening to, with the CFA Solaris being the first. I've had my eye on the CFA Clara as one of my top 3 desired auditions for Can Jam SoCal, so it came as a huge surprise when I got the opportunity to audition the Alien Brain! I had very little in the way of expectations before I put these Xenomorphs in my ear, and when I finally did get to listen to them, they massaged and unleashed an ear hugger with brilliant sonics, but that's getting ahead of myself, so read on and learn about one of the most eccentric looking IEMs on the planet. So buckle your seatbelts and prepare for a 100% unbiased impression with heartfelt observations and thoughts. Now on to the FUN stuff!
This is not a typical unboxing experience, as I believe this is a tour unit sent by Campfire Audio or Bloom, as it came with no box to unbox. What I did get was the flat style MMCX cable (similar to the 7Hz FIVE cable, but MMCX), a dual IEM storage booty, a yellow CFA storage case, the Alien Brain themselves, and a CFA dongle DAC. I tried the dongle DAC, and it's pretty much similar sonically to the Rose Technics DAC or the Softears DAC. Serviceable, but nothing to write home about. The yellow storage case is actually smallish, but really good. The envelope flap holds pretty solidly, which you can't ask for more from a case. I used the stock cable for a bit, but eventually switched it out for a DUNU modular cable, and Dunu S&S tips. The shells are ergonomic, small, and fit comfortable for long listening sessions. So folks with small ears, pay attention, as this would be an excellent IEM to own for the sheer comfort and ease of fit. Now let's move on to what most of you are here for...the sound impressions!! But first, let's look over the published specs and the frequency response graph, then we get down to the nitty gritty.
THE SPECS :
CAMPFIRE AUDIO ALIEN BRAIN
TECHNICAL INFORMATION :
Frequency Response Graph courtesy of Bloom Audio. All rights reserved.
PRICE : $999.00
Available for purchase at
this location.
The Gear :
What did I use for my listening sessions for my review??
With the Alien Brain, I used a wide range of sources that fueled my listening sessions. Now I found a superb synergy between the Sony NW-ZX100 and the iBasso DX170, so I was quite enamored with the source synergy between these two, so the majority of my listening happened to be with these rigs. It was used extensively in my listening, but other sources used in my possession, include the Cayin N3 Ultra (Modern tube mode, H gain), Cayin Ru6, iBasso DX170 (high gain), Hiby R3 II, Sony NW-A306, iBasso Nunchaku, Sony NW-A55, not pictured, the Dethonray Clarinet, and the newly minted FiiO M21 (also not pictured). All provided high quality and in many cases TOTL playback for evaluation.
Music used for the review and all my reviews in general?
Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching
Robert Glasper - Canvas
Aki Rissanen Aleatoric - Aleatoric
Mareike Wiening - Reveal
Paul Booth - 44
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Survival
Rob Van Bavel & Joris Teppe - Dutch Connection
Kaisa's Machine - Moving Parts
Esperanza Spalding - Self Titled
Junior Kelly, Bounty Killer, and Capleton - The Good, The Bad, and the Blazin'
Martin, Glasper, 9th Wonder & Washington - Dinner Party
Juan Ibarra - La Casa
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Drive By Jehu - Self Titled
Cryptosis - Celestial Death
Crownshift - Crownshift
In Aphelion - Reaperdawn
Cradle of Filth - The Screaming of the Valkyries
Shuffled Classic Rock, Reggae, and Pop Music playlist
SOUND IMPRESSIONS :
Dynamics : 5
Resolution : 4
Details : 4
Instrument separation : 4
Imaging : 4.5
Low End Impact : 4.5
Sibilance : 1 (no discernable sibilance)
Soundstage : 3.5
Overall score : 4.5/5
BASS/MIDRANGE/TREBLE :
The
Campfire Audio Alien Brain, immediately, just by the looks alone, will be polarizing, but also, this is the definition of don't judge a book by it's cover, because this smallish IEM is a BEAST! An ear hugging, sonic xenomorph MONSTER, dripping acid bass, that's got immediate impact, energy, and rumble, BUT, this is a classy bass lift. So you basically get walked to the edge of too much, but never go over that line into excess. No, this type of bass is highly reminiscent of the bass tuning found in the ISN H60, but with a slight edge in note resolution. So you got this visceral punch, that's quick and snappy, along with some nice warmth and mid bass energy, so you get a nice exciting bass, that's also capable of digging deep for details, and can provide some rumble when called upon. Now it's not bass head levels of impact or rumble, but as mentioned earlier, there's enough. It's a walk to the line of tasteful, while not going over that. So for music like reggae (Bob Marley - Survival, or Junior Kelly, Bounty Killer, and Capleton - The Good, The Bad, and the Blazin'), my toes got tappin', and the danceable energy was palpable. If these were in my rotation and not a loaner set, the Alien Brain would have shot up to my #1 reggae music IEM in my collection. The bass hits, while remaining tasteful and resolute, so that R&B, Acid Jazz, Hip Hip, and Reggae are a pleasure to immerse yourself in. Just remember, this is a classy poised and impactful bass, but it's not a bass cannon or a bass head IEM. Those of you who own or have heard the ISN H60 will know what I'm talking about?
The midrange is warm, sweet, and musical. The lower midrange does receive some of that warmth, and hence gets some nice note weight and emotiveness in vocals, but it's marginal, so the midrange is warm and musical, but still also detailed and technical. This is reminiscent of the Penon Archangel, where there's bass impact, midrange warmth, but this does not veil the detail retrieval or the instrument separation. The stage is quite dimensional, with excellent imaging, and orbital placement of information, but this doesn't mean the stage is cavernous or immense. On the contrary, it's not as immersive as some might want, and this belies the orbitalness of the imaging, so it's got excellent depth and width, but lacks a bit of height, and it's more intimate than it is immersive, and it's more boxy than it is expansive in all directions, but don't get me wrong, for being such tiny shells (this might be the reason why the stage is more intimate), there's still enough to draw you in and keep things interesting. There's also a textured musicality, so though the resolution isn't what I would call summit-fi, and the notes are more smooth and warm than they are crisp and resolute, the midrange is not dull or laid back. No, it's musical and energetic, with enough incisiveness to share that this is a kilobuck IEM, with high quality drivers. Vocals come in with emotive warmth and detailed, while male vocals have grunt and grit, without a bit of dryness. Pianos, cellos, keys, and strings have weight, resonance, and noticeable reverb, just not top end resolution or bite in the upper mids, but unless you like that sort of tuning, you won't miss it or notice it. I listened to a load of jazz, from contemporary to bop to latin, and this is the genre where if a IEM's midrange is too soft or laid back, then instruments will come off as lifeless or off, but the tonality and timbre is quite natural and musical, and bitey enough, though not quite as resolving as the Thieaudio Oracle MK III, Lime Ears Terra, or CFA Solaris, which I'd say are all kilobuck level in resolution.
Treble is crisp, airy, and extended, but also quite refined and smooth. Because of this, it will keep treble sensitive folks from being offended, and there's enough extension, texture, and air that treble heads won't say it's rolled off or boring. Again, just like the upper midrange, the resolution is tempered, so this isn't going to be a bright treble, or a ringing treble in the upper harmonics, but it will be a treble that satisfies with excellent extension, timbre, texture, and weight. It's not thin or fragile, metallic or strident. Not in the least. Like the bass, it goes up to the edge, and stays classy and refined, giving the upper range musical, crisp, and weighty harmonics. Once again, this tuning made reggae, jazz, and metal a blast to listen to. So much so, I can label this an all-arounder.
Comparisons :
Penon Archangel ($800.00) : The Penon Archangel is the latest release by Penon, who also produce the ISN line, which includes the H60, EBC80, and H20, as well as the Penon Fan 3, Penon Rival, and Penon Voltage. It's a 2+2+2 (2DD + 2BCD + 2BA), and it's got BASS FOR DAYS! But, the bass is well tuned, so it's probably bass head levels, but it's also tuned so tastefully, much like the Alien Brain, that anyone other than a neutral head would be able to enjoy it's presentation with most genres. Now overall, the Archangel's punch impact and sub bass rumble is greater than the AB, but it's not too far off, so that you could say it's comparable. Now the mid bass to lower mids transition is probably warmer on the AB than the Archangel, but really, both IEMs have a warm midrange that's musical and yet still detailed, but the difference being that the BCD of the Archangel creates an expansive, layered and immersive stage experience that envelops you in sonic goodness, where the much smaller shells of the AB simply cannot provide that breadth of stage. Midrange texture and incisiveness are similar though, and instrument separation are similar, so if you took away the grandness of the stage and midrange floor of the Archangel, you'd be listening to very similar presented midranges in terms of texture, tone, and technicalities. The treble is similarly tuned, with air, texture, and shimmer, but it's done with a bit of refinement and naturalness, that's devoid of spice, peaks, or crispiness. It's mature and well rounded, so it's a bit of a toss up. Overall, I think the Alien Brain is more balanced, more of an all-arounder, and more textured bass delivery, so at the end of the day, though they trade blows and come very close technically, I'd have to say I prefer the Alien Brain. Advantage :
Alien Brain.
ISN H60 ($350) : If there was a bit of a Alien Brain sonic twin, it would be the H60. Now exactly, but darned close. It has more to do with the ultimate balance that both IEMs present to the listener. The bass is impactful, punchy, and energetic with both, while the midrange is incisive, balanced, sweet, musical, and not quite resolute with both, and the treble is crisp, airy, and extended, without being strident or metallic. The H60 is a 4+2, with 4 Knowles BA's and 2DD. The Knowles BA's are tuned sweet and musical, with a refined top end (sound familiar?!). Layering, instrument separation, imaging, and spatial cues are also very close, though I'd probably give the edge in spatial cues and layering to the H60, while the Alien Brain bests the H60 in detail retrieval, as the midrange is just a touch cleaner and clearer, so details can more easily pop. The stage is again the territory of the H60, but let's be honest, that probably has a lot to do with the fact the shells of the H60 are goliaths. Even bigger than the Archangel! Both in shell size and nozzle width! It's not going to fit everyone comfortably, but this provides the H60 with impressive and immersive stage that presents music in a cinematic approach. Expansive and well layered, but also not the most resolving, and probably less technical midrange than the Alien Brain. This is another case of trading blows, of two excellent all-arounders, but since I prefer the tonality and shimmer of the H60 just a smidge more than the Alien Brain, and it's $650.00 cheaper, my choice for every day grab goes to the ISN H60. Advantage :
H60.
CONCLUSION :
The
Campfire Audio Alien Brain was another huge surprise IEM of 2025 for me. This seems to be the running theme for me lately. Low expectations that got blown out of the water. This is no different. Yes, Campfire Audio is legendary in our hobby, and they have made some evergreen gear that still is relevant to this day, as well as newer successes like the Clara, but as with any company, you never know? In the case of the Alien Brain, CFA hit it out of the park! This is a skillfully tuned, refined, bassy, clean, and musical all-arounder that can tackle any genre you throw at it, and it will provide a beautiful playback. This is a kilobuck IEM, so granted, you'd expect for it to perform well, but despite it's price tag, it's a value pick in my mind, because you wouldn't have to upgrade or side grade to accommodate your library, as this one IEM would have you covered regardless of genre. If you love your bass, this IEM will deliver. Love your midrange with emotive vocals? You won't be disappointed. Like crisp treble that's airy but also refined and not shouty or crispy? You won't have your sensitivities violated. Like a natural soundstage that still has plenty of fun spatial cues and detail retrieval, with a warm but clean approach? The Alien Brain will be the monstrous ear hugger you need. Personally, because of the refinement, bass, and overall balanced delivery, it checks most of my boxes, and it's become my favorite IEM from $900-$1,500, surpassing the Lime Ears Terra and Elysian Noir. It just does bass better than both, while providing a better balance and harmony between the frequencies. Yeah, it took me all the way to the end to get the best descriptor of this IEM.
Harmonious frequency syncopation! The Alien Brain is a champ at HFS!! As my favorite IEM in it's price bracket, obviously, I'm going to rec it highly, but I do not rec it hazardly. Not at a price of $999 before tax. No, I rec it carefully, and after hours of long listening sessions, and the feeling I got where I DID NOT want to take these out of my ears once I started my listening sessions (ear huggers!!!!). That was the true testament of their power over me! I loathed taking them out and moving on to a daily trio or another audition unit. Very few IEMs make me feel that way, and this one did. So feel confident in PTT on a purchase if this sounds like something you'd be interested in, knowing you would not be taking a shot in the dark. This BEAST is worth getting devoured by! BOO!!
RECOMMENDATION LEVEL : KILOBUCK ALL-AROUNDER HFS BOSS LEVEL - HIGH 9/10.
Thank you so much for reading and remember to be water with your audio luv! When you do...
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