Campfire Audio Bonneville

thaslaya's star rating system:
☆☆☆☆☆ - Fantastic!
☆☆☆☆ - Recommended
☆☆☆ - There are buyers but not for me
☆☆ - Can't see the appeal
☆ - Product is a failure

Disclaimer:
This set was provided for a trial period through the Watercooler tour. Shoutout to Bloom Audio for providing the Bonneville and to @Rockwell75 for coordinating the tours.

Gear used:
●LG v30+
●Samsung Galaxy s22 Ultra
●Samsung dongle
●iFi GO bar Kensei
●Kiwi Ears Allegro
●Hiby FC4

Source:
●Listening was done through Amazon Music HD or Ultra HD.

Introduction:
Campfire Audio (CFA) is a US company based out of Portland, OR that has garnered a reputation for uniquely tuned iems that mostly veer away from the standard targets. Their arguably most popular and well renowned set is the Andromeda but they manufacture many other cult favorites (Trifecta, Supermoon, and Solaris to name a few) and even full sized headphones. The Bonneville debuted in 2023 as part of the Chromatic series which also features the Cascara, Ponderosa, and an updated Supermoon. It sports a hybrid configuration featuring a 10mm dynamic driver and 3 custom balanced armatures, 1 for mids and 2 for highs. They are currently available on the Campfire Audio website for $1399.99. That's definitely no chump change and there are no shortage of amazing options at that price and below. Let's see if the sound and overall value warrant the asking price.

Build, fit, ergonomics:
Keep in mind that this particular set was provided as part of a tour and did not include the retail box or tips but everything else is stock. The Bonneville comes packaged with a 3.5mm cable and 2 mesh storage bags, 1 large and 1 small. The shells are available in classic black or a vibrant pink. The tour set provided is the pink variety and I have to admit it is quite fetching. It's not a color I would normally choose for myself but it's a fun and unique look that fits well with CFA's Chromatic theme. The shells have a semi-custom contour and shape and are constructed of resin with a stainless steel faceplate and nozzle. They are a bit bulky in profile but have a nice sturdy build quality and a great weight balance. The nozzle length is adequate but I would have liked it to be slightly longer for a deeper insertion. The included mesh bags are a pretty mediocre storage option at this price point. The small one has seperate pockets for each iem which offers a little protection but the large one is just a catch-all zipper pouch. I would honestly expect to see a hard case of some kind. Since I didn't have access to the stock tips, I went with my trusty Penon Liqueurs and was able to get a comfortable fit and good seal. The noise isolation is very good and I could hear little of the goings-on around me even with no music playing. Like all of CFA's iems, the Bonneville utilizes MMCX connections. I personally much prefer the standard 2 pin connection but YMMV. The stock cable is CFA's own Time Stream Chromatic cable that retails seperately for $79.99. It's not the standard braided style that I like but the flat, side-by-side wires is a unique look. The housing on the connectors and the chin slider are plastic, the cable itself feels very cheap and low quality, and the bundled cable is only available in 3.5mm termination. Well that's not entirely true; for an additional $200 you can add the "Deluxe" accessory package to your purchase (that's now a $1599.99 price tag). That includes a leather carrying case and 2 additional Time Stream cables in 4.4mm and 2.5mm terminations. The quality of the stock cable is completely juxtaposed to the quality of the iems themselves; it's like selling a luxury car with hubcabs. I have purchased many ChiFi cables at half the price of CFA's Time Stream cable that have vastly better build quality. For an iem retailing at $1399, I would expect metal housing on the connectors and modular terminations at the absolute minimum. Honestly, I'd expect to see the stock cable paired with a >$100 iem and even then I'd swap it out for something better. To be perfectly blunt, the stock cable and overall accessories included with the Bonneville is insulting. I understand that those looking to shell out $1400 for iems probably have other cables they can swap out or even prefer; however, including cheap and inferior accessories based on that assumption is not good business practice and undermines the quality of the product as a whole.



Sound impressions:
The closest profile to my ears is a u-shape with a healthy bass shelf. There is obviously a ton of low end here but it can approach overbearing and border on gimmicky at times. Pair that with a harsh, grating treble and the product of the tuning is just so strange. Theres a lot of warmth in the low end and even in the recessed midrange but the treble has thin note weight leading to an unnatural presentation. For me It's almost an incoherent tuning that doesn't work at all. I commend Campfire Audio on trying something outside of the box and experimenting with tuning but this is a big miss in my book. If the treble was warmer and less harsh then I think the overall tuning would be more coherent. Yes that tuning might be considered too warm for some, but I think it'd at least be more consistent in presentation across the entire frequency spectrum. The soundstage has good depth but just average width and comes across as intimate on some tracks. Detail retrieval is good but not the most resolving set. It doesn't really aim to be though as it's focused more towards musical enjoyment than critical listening. To my ears it plays very few genres well, most notably orchestra/classical and live performances. But it can be adequate with some R&B, rock, and pop too depending on the listener's level of treble sensitivity. String instruments ranging from stand up bass all the way to violin sound fantastic and have a natural timbre. To their credit, they a very easy set to drive and do not require amplification to get to loud levels so a simple dongle will suffice.

●Lows - Bass is definitely the focal point of the tuning and there's a large bass shelf. The punch and dynamics are good and it feels vivacious and powerful. It's very big and bold but often times I found it to be too thick and syrupy, bleeding into the lower mids quite a bit. For orchestral music the bass reverberates and adds to the weight of the notes but is not overwhelming. Bass strings, brass instruments, and percussion feel heavy and visceral mimicking a live performance. With pop music the elevated bass shelf can present as bloated and intrusive. It has a bit better presentation with rock music where guitars provide a better balance with such a large bass. It's fairly quick and keeps up well in complicated tracks but the decay lingers too long leading to a heavy-handed presentation. In short, it's big and dirty which some listeners might enjoy.

●Mid - Vocals are clear but definitely won't blow anyone away with their presentation on the Bonneville. This is not a vocal forward set. They aren't necessarily recessed but they can sure feel that way when the bass is overpowering. They never come off shouty which is a plus but I do prefer a more vocal forward presentation without mid bass intrusion. Female vocals do a better job of setting themselves apart than their male counterparts. Guitars have a realistic timbre as do piano, violin, and other instruments.

●Highs - The treble is elevated to contrast the large bass shelf. I personally prefer a warmer overall presentation but I understand why CFA wanted to increase the highs so as to balance against the boosted bass and not lose out entirely on upper end detail. Due to this increase though, there is a sharpness and harshness to certain notes, particularly the edges of "s", "sh", and "t" present sibilant at times. Snares, claps, high hats and cymbals can be piercing and splashy too. The timbre can often sound unnatural due to the boosted treble. The note weight is on the thinner side and comes off a bit cold which is a striking contrast from the very thick weighted bass. It's quite an incoherency to my ears. I personally enjoy my music at a farily high volume which may be why I can hear more of a harshness in the treble than some I have talked to about the Bonneville. When I lower the volume, the treble presentation does sound much more even, smoothing out troubled areas. However, I have never been nor will I ever be a low-medium volume listener and I don't want to have to change the way I prefer my music to gel with any headphone or iem.

Summary:
Ultimately, I give the Bonneville 3 stars which on my rating chart means "there are buyers, but not for me". So who is this set for? Bassheads? Well, yes and no. In terms of shear amount, it's one of the biggest basses I've heard in an iem but it's also not the cleanest presentation. Is it for vocal purists? The mids arent forward enough to set themselves apart from the bass at times and there's some harshness and sibilance at higher volume levels. How about trebleheads? I don't think any treblehead worth their salt would want that bass shelf. So who will get the most from them? For someone who's library caters to what the Bonneville does best and who enjoys a lower listening volume, I think they might be able to find a lot of enjoyment here. But even then, their price to performance ratio is too low and I can't recommend them outright. The superb build quality of the shells is self-evident but the pitiful stock cable and lack of a hard case undermine the overall value and are abysmal at the $1400 asking price. Seriously, there are sets retailing for a tenth of that cost touting better accessories. Personally I was very underwhelmed and disappointed auditioning my first CFA iem. For anyone that enjoys them, I'm glad you found something that works for you. I'm not here to dissuade anyone from making a purchase and can only write about how my ears interpret the sound. The thing I love most about this hobby is how everyone hears things differently. In the end the Bonneville is just not a set that resonates with me nor do I feel like they hold much value at their current price.

Campfire Bonneville

Disclaimer

The Campfire Bonneville was given to me in trade for a review, I am free to say whatever I want.

All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for a good time. These are my thoughts at this moment, and as time moves I might change my opinion.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you.
While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.

Ranking System:
1 Very bad or unlistenable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

My rating system highly values what is musical, so my rating will always be a subjective opinion.



About me and my gear used for the review

My audio preference is neutral with increased low end, mids can be forward if not shouty. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman.
I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments.

My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite Open and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.

My current favorites in IEMs are AüR Audio Ascension and 634ears Miroak-II. The AüR Audio Ascension is a tribrid with 1DD 5BA and 2EST, that is tuned to be warm and natural. Miroak-II is my favorite single DD, it has a warm and bassy sound that is also very natural sounding. Both of the models clearly belong to the similar category for, and aligns with my taste for warm sound that is more organic.

Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
I have a few DAPs and dongles to change up the sound, my favorite being HIBY R8 II.
I have a good range of cables from Clan Audio, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS, DUNU, Effect Audio and Gladiator Cables.



Who is Campfire

Copied from the About Us Page on Campfire website:
Welcome to Campfire Audio! Tucked away in the heart of Portland, Oregon, our small yet mighty team of audio engineers, designers, and craftspeople are laser-focused on one thing: taking your listening experience to the next level.

We kicked things off in 2015, starting as a humble group of earphone industry outsiders. Our experience up to that point was with amplifiers and cables. But don't let that fool you. Our fresh perspective became our superpower, allowing us to innovate and evolve into a brand that audiophiles hold in high regard today.

So, what makes us tick? It’s a shared passion for the sublime science of sound. We delve into the intricacies of acoustics, obsess over materials, and constantly fine-tune our designs. Why? To create a range of earphones that resonate with the varied tastes and preferences of the audiophile community.

And you, our incredible customers, are at the center of it all. You challenge us to be better, push the envelope, and turn the audible into the incredible. We craft not just earphones, but experiences that bring you closer to the music you love.

We invite you to be part of our journey, a journey of endless exploration into the world of high-fidelity audio. In return, we promise that our products will fill your life with the rich, detailed, and immersive sound that you crave.

Got questions, thoughts, or just want to talk audio? Reach out anytime. Let's make the world sound a little more beautiful, one pair of earphones at a time.

https://www.campfireaudio.com/pages/about



So what is the Bonneville

The Bonneville is the most expensive IEM in their Chromatic Series of IEMs, costing $1399.

The configuration is a specialized 10mm dynamic driver (DD) for the low end, and 3 custom balanced armatures (BA). One of the BAs is used for the midrange while the other two is for the highs, this is then 1DD + 3BA hybrid IEM.


It is available in two colors, black or the more fun purple. The shell is sculpted in an ergonomic way where you even get a groove for your finger to insert the IEM, and might be one of the most comfortable IEMs in the market. The purple version that I have changes from a less vibrant purple to a more vibrant pink color depending on the light, also has a cool contrast against the stainless steel faceplate.

The accessories and packaging is excellent, how it's designed is a unique experience and is reminiscent of an older time. Starting with the box in the awesome design with elements of text showcasing info you want on the outside, and when looking inside the box it continues there. Here you get warranty text on the inside cover, and in the box tips on how to use IEMs correctly. Even info about the cable and the importance of cleaning your Bonneville.
The cable provided is a matching 4 wire ribbon SPC cable, that they have called the Time Stream Cable. You also get some good eartips in silicon and foam, here also they are packed inside small paper bags reminiscent of old candy packaging. I got the Essential Edition so I have the Breezy Bag Standard together with the small pouches called Breezy Bag Micro, very bold in this color but also quite cool and different.

https://www.campfireaudio.com/products/bonneville











Timbre

First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"

First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.

First session was eye opening, bold and full sound. The Bonneville has voluptuous big bass that thickens also the low mids so voices and instruments get some extra body to them. Upper midrange is on the darker side, but the treble comes forth with good presence and clarity.

Going to use the ranges here in review:




Details and soundstage

The Bonneville has a more warm tuning and this often takes away some resolution, but since the treble is quite forward you get a good amount of treble detail. I would say the Bonneville does a very good job on the resolution, and is a step above other similar configuration hybrids I have used.
The amount of detail in the bass range is really impressive, it's a very good dynamic driver with alot of control. Same can be said for the midrange, even with it being a little dark in the upper range it's full of detail.

The soundstage is one of Bonneville's best strengths, it is large and has very good imaging capability. It goes from your head and expands very wide and deep, especially for an IEM. This just means that I get a very good holographic experience, reminding me a little of stereo speakers in an IEM.

Bass

The bass of the Bonneville is colorful, it's an amount I see as a basshead experience. Deep strong sub bass rumble and visceral slamming midbass, it also thickens the low mids making music sound thicker.

Sub bass is deep and can make bass elements come forth more easily in the mix, while it's awesome it can get too much for some orchestral pieces.
In return you get an epic experience in movies, same can be said for atmospheric gaming.
Or just like me who prefer a lot of good sub bass, the Bonneville delivers with gusto.

Mid bass is fast and visceral, it slams when asked for with authority. The speed is really good, and has still some decay so it doesn't sound sterile as BA or Planars do.

The quality of the bass is some of the best you can get at this price point, and I find it more or less perfect for my taste. Not for the bass shy.

Mids

The low midrange where instruments like guitars and most vocals lay are thick and nuanced, a very rich and fun sound. But is elevated above what's maybe neutral, some will prefer a leaner low midrange. But even if it's warm and lush it's surprisingly clean, so I even like to listen to brighter female singers. Dark vocals should be pleasing for most people, and are both nuanced and rich sounding.

But it should be mentioned that some brighter singers can lack some presence and be more relaxed, this is due to how the upper midrange is slightly dark where lots of the overtones from brighter females come from. But in return it helps certain bright vocals or instruments like brass have less piercing sound, making especially music like brighter jazz more easy to listen to.

The interesting part is that the longer I get accustomed to the sound, I don't find it to sound as dark. And then it's easier to notice how rich and detailed the midrange is, and I find it very tasteful without being bright or shouty. Now instead I have problems with sets that follow the harman curve, or just in general when upper mids are elevated too much.

Treble

The treble is elevated in similar fashion as the low end, there is plenty of treble energy. I have good hearing in my upper range, so first days with Bonneville required me to adjust volume down and also be picky on the music. After cable and tip rolling, including some burn in of the IEM and my brain it's much better now.

But it's still on the brighter side of IEMs, and can get fatiguing on certain music that's already bright in the treble. I bet this is much less of a concern for people who are older, or just people with some hearing loss that is very normal.

It's not the most airy set when comparing against some models that have an unnatural amount of upper treble, Bonneville has a natural amount of airiness and is not lacking. I prefer this style, as I find the overly boosted style some brands now do to be unnatural and piercing.



Synergies

A small part about what gear I have been enjoying the most with the Bonneville, starting with cables. The stock cable is good to get you going, and sounds decent. It's not my preference in design and ergonomics, so I changed quite early to after market cables.

The Effect Audio Cadmus 8W is excellent, but is also on the thick side and not the most comfortable. Since Bonneville is such a comfortable IEM it deserves a softer cable, my goto has been Clan Audio Type 6 litz Copper that's subtle and suits the tonality of Bonneville.

The Bonneville has been easy with tips and most work well, as the nozzle is ergonomic with nice depth and also not being too thick. My Favorites are Divinus Velvet, Tangzu Sancai and Canal Works CWU-GDECL. The Canal Works is the fullest sounding and has a visceral sound, but also doesn't tame the highs at all. The Sancai on the other hand is the least bassy of the three and gives me the softest treble, and also has the least amount of driver flex. Last the Velvet being in the middle of the other two, and is an excellent fit and my favorite.

Main source has been with HIBY R8 II, the resolution and natural sound is just pure good match. R8 II makes the bass sound more rounded and organic, while having good control of the treble not being as bright.

My desktop gear with Topping E70 and A90 Discrete might be more resolving, but is also a brighter sound. The Cayin N7 sounded too bright and energetic and is not an DAP I would pair with the Bonneville, same can be said for R6 Pro 2 being also on the brighter side.

Tried only with one warm and analog source, the Colorfly CDA M1P dongle. This was surprisingly good and had good organic synergy, but lacked the technicalities to the DAPs above.




Comparisons

When evaluating the sets I use each of them over longer periods and also some shorter sessions swapping back and forth, it takes a long time and is not done in one sitting. The most critical comparison is done on my desktop setup that is highly resolving, with volume matching through a microphone to take away loudness variance.

The spider chart is slightly exaggerated on some points to show differences.







Venture Electronics Grand Duke

The Grand Duke is the flagship of the brand, consisting of 1 single dynamic driver costing a little under the Bonneville. It Is warm and thick sounding, and has a lot of similarities to Bonneville.

The bass is boosted as much as Bonneville, but has less speed and slam. Grand Duke in return has a softer low end that is maybe a little more nuanced on stuff like double bass etc.

Mids of Grand Duke are thicker than Bonneville, so voices have even more of a husky sound to them. Instruments like piano can be more coherent and brass have more presence, but it's less detailed than Bonneville.

Treble is crisper on Bonneville with more amount, air is also slightly less. Quality of the treble is very close, but the Grand Duke is a little less refined and also less resolving.

Soundstage is huge in both of these, with very good depth and height. Hard to pick them apart when listening to the stage capabilities. Might give a small edge to Bonneville since it's wider in and more stereo-like.



Kinera Verdandi

The Verdandi is one of the newest IEMs from Kinera, using 2 Knowles BA + 2 Sonion EST + 1 DD + 1 Bone Conduction Driver. Price is just $200 under the Bonneville.
The sound is quite different from Bonneville, bass is punchy and tactile but lacks the force and warmth of Bonneville. The tactile feel of the bone conductor helps the smaller 6mm driver have something extra in the bass, even so the Bonneville seems to me much more fun and tasteful.

Midrange is quite the opposite of Bonneville, having less low midrange making it less thick sounding on instruments and vocals. It also has much more upper mids making certain brighter instruments or vocals to have more presence and bite.

Treble is well extended and has a natural amount of air, Bonneville is brighter and has a more detailed upper treble. Verdandi does have a more velvety high range, and can be more relaxing to listen to when it's music with much treble energy.

Soundstage of Verdandi is very holographic, but is on the smaller and more intimate side. So both share good imaging capability but differ in that one is spacious and the other intimate.



Music

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/ad7bbfa3-2067-4235-b2ed-f5a3fb53ff28

When comparing Campfire Bonneville to other sets I have used the tracks listed here and more.
The link is to a playlist consisting of some tracks I have saved for testing, it's still a work in progress.

I will also do it a little differently than what I usually do, I'll mention a small part under each track with how each IEM sounds like compared to the Bonneville. I will provide a link to each track for you to test out, my own listening being with my FLAC files or Tidal streaming.



Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue

https://songwhip.com/allan-holdsworth/metal-fatigue-remastered

Bonneville
Has a full and satisfying sound to Holdsworth guitar, same for the drums and voice. Cymbals are clear and authoritative, but not piercing. A full but natural sound on the darker side, has a certain richness to it all that's so excellent.

Verdandi
Swapping over to Verdandi you get a more thin sound than the other two, the guitar gets more focused in on. Drums and his voice get pushed a little back into the mix, even the cymbals have less shimmer to them. In a way that sounds cleaner but also very boring.

Grand Duke

This is closer to the Bonneville sound signature than the Verdandi, similar where drums, guitar and voice are more thick and full. Has the least amount of bite of all of them, so lacks a little of the energy. It's a little softer and safer sounding, also less dense and dark than Bonneville.



Camille Thomas, Julien Brocal - Lento con gran espressione

https://songwhip.com/camille-thomas...ongranespressionearrforcelloandpianobymmaisky

Bonneville
Opens up sounding so rich and beautiful. Bonneville has an authority to the cello that I will argue is lacking from most IEMs, since cello sounds big and full in real life. The warmth of the Bonneville makes it sound more true to life, and also the piano that is accompanying sounds organic and real. Highly resolving and picking up a lot of the nuanced playing with also the background noise of the breathing.

Verdandi
A clear and nuanced performance on Verdandi, lacks warmth but has some extra clarity to the more bright intense parts. But I will argue this sounds less natural than the real deal, ofc nowhere to know this after all the production in the studios has been done.

Grand Duke
Has the most spacious and open sound, but lacks some of the dynamic range that Bonneville has on the softer parts. Sounds less big than Bonneville on cello, but has some extra bite on the crescendo. Can compete more or less with Bonneville on classical music that's less busy and complex like this.



GoGO Penguin - The Antidote IS in the Poison

https://songwhip.com/gogo-penguin/theantidoteisinthepoison

Bonneville
Has a good balance for jazz music like this, balanced rich sound that is very resolving without being too aggressive or tiresome. The micro details of instruments are quite remarkable, with excellent separation and staging. Bass is also so dense and addictive.

Verdandi
Due to the less warmth the Verdandi has the most clarity and open sound, can also help everything sound less busy. Would have liked some extra warmth personally, but the balance is really good and might be more to some preference in tonality for jazz. Very resolving and is on par with Bonneville overall, except for maybe less bass dynamics.

Grand Duke
This is very good on GD also, and has an intense and full sound. Lack some resolution and sound a little busier than Bonneville and Verdandi. At times it can sound a little too intense, so I need to play it less loud than Bonneville. Less authoritative bass than Bonneville, but even so sound more congested.



Gojira - Drum Solo

https://songwhip.com/gojira/drum-solo

Bonneville is impressive, the tonality is spot on perfect for drums. Technicality is excellent, visceral drumming. It slam so hard, just in general sounds so impactful and fun.

Grand Duke
The tonality is close to the Bonneville on drumming, I would say it's less impactful and a little softer with slower decay. Soundstage is a small amount more spacious, like everything is happening in a larger arena. Background screaming and the cymbals are a little more behind in the mix.

Verdandi
Similar speed but way less impactful, I crank up the volume more to compensate for lack of bass. But that means also that the cymbals get louder, and borderline for what i can handle. Resolution is quite good and on pair with Grand Duke but less than Bonneville, stage sound much smaller than both.



Norah Jones - Don’t Know Why

https://songwhip.com/norah-jones/dontknowwhy

Bonneville
Has again a very rich and engaging midrange, Norah has plenty of soul in her voice.
She is never sibilant or shouty on Bonneville, but still has that edge that her voice can have at certain points. I find it surprisingly impressive for vocals, as long you like denser sound instead of super clean and leaner sounding female vocals.

Verdandi
This pushes her voice more forward, has plenty of resolving nature to show every nuance in her vocal and even more than Bonneville. Verdandi has more breathiness and a shimmery voice presentation, but also means that the more intense parts are quite intense.
The instruments are already a little in the back, but are perhaps even more pushed back here due to the upper mids pushing the vocal forth.

Grand Duke
Similar thick sound as Bonneville but with some added softness to her, can in a way sound more seducing and emotional. But lacks some clarity and is less expressive sounding, lacking some technicalities to both dynamics and resolution.



Suldusk - Anthesis

https://songwhip.com/suldusk/anthesis

Bonneville.
Suldusk is one of my latest discoveries, and her latest album is a masterpiece. Bonneville has the tonality to make intense metal less shouty and tiresome, but without making it sounding veiled or dull. It's just a thick and visceral sound, but due to the less aggressive upper mids it's not shouty. Both the instruments and her parts are super resolving and expressive, capturing a wide dynamic range. And sound equally good during the softer and melodic parts as the intense ones.

Verdandi
It starts so nice and emotional with the guitar playing and her harmonic voice coming in, but that's it. When the intense part starts with a big NO, this is insanely energetic, shouty and bright. So bright it's actually hard to hear what's going on, even if you like less warmth I dont think this is any good for intense metal.

Grand Duke
Is a softer presentation, and has the least bite of the three. The dynamics is also a step back and lacks the wider change from the loud to the soft parts, but also is the safest if your sensitive to intense parts as it's less energetic.



Nanosphere - Swamp Dimension

https://songwhip.com/nanosphere/swamp-dimension

Bonneville
My two main genres I listen to are metal and electronica, Bonneville has been my go to for metal but I also like it alot for this.
The bass is big and tight without being overblown, the treble energy makes it sound very open and resolving. Bonneville might have too much high range energy for sensitive people, for me it's on the border of what is okay. This also means I prefer to use Bonneville with less bright gear, then I find it excellent like here. But it also means that stuff like the track here can get me fatigued after a while.

Verdandi
Electronic bassy music is good for Verdandi, also makes the bone conductor show what it's capable of. Adds a certain tactile feel to the bass, but even so it's less impactful than the Bonneville and Grand Duke. It sounds a little thin and lacks the deep dense bass.
There is also the problem that most electronica have brighter treble, this comes forth the most with Verdandi and can make it fatiguing after a short while. Resolution is quite good on this, and is on par with Bonneville.

Grand Duke
Thick and fun sound for electronica, a little loose and slow. So the bass takes over more of the sound, even if it takes over so much it's a very fun experience. It also has the least bright highrange making it less piercing, but can be fatiguing still due to the amount of bass.



Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg - Still D.R.E

https://songwhip.com/dr-dre/still-dre

Bonneville
This slams hard, depending on how you like your Dre this is very fun and energetic. Both Dre and Snoop have a good body to them and the bass kick is visceral and fun, crisp and good cymbals. Usually i don't listen to rap or hip hop, but Bonneville made me enjoy it alot.

Verdandi
Lacking the body to sound good on this, both the beat and the vocals sound thin and boring. It's okay resolving, but I doubt many listen to Dr. Dre for the technical aspects.

Grand Duke
The slightly slower decay of GD is well suited for hip Hop or rap, the balance of lows and highs is also good for the genre. Perhaps better than Bonneville as it's less visceral and energetic, but still dense and full sounding. Also how both Dre and Snoop sound more full bodied on Grand Duke.



Conclusion

Most of us are in this hobby to enjoy music, and what is enjoyable differs from person to person. I for one enjoy colorful and fun tunings, the Bonneville delivers this with full force and makes me enjoy music to the fullest.

The Bonneville is not a neutral sounding IEM, it has a colorful and warm tuning. Where the bass rumbles and slams with authority, what I would consider a basshead experience. The midrange being thick and full sounding, without ever being shouty or sibilant. And a super clear and detailed treble, a nice elevation to harmonize with the lush low end. Soundstage is also one of the best you can get, wide and spacious with excellent imaging.

I see Campfire as a passionate brand that really cares about their products and their customers. The amount of detail in the box alone is quite eye opening and very special, same with how the accessories match the colorful design theme of the IEM.

I rank my reviews by technical performance and also by what I call musicality, on the technical side the Bonneville is 4.5 stars but looking at the musical score it's a pure 5 star. This is a highly subjective ranking, and for some it would maybe not be as valued as high.

Thanks again to Campfire for the review opportunity.