Campfire Audio Fathom

Campfire Audio Fathom - Vibrant midrange

Disclaimer

I got Fathom for free in return 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 for me, so my rating will always be a subjective opinion.








So what is the Campfire Audio Fathom

Going back one year ago Campfire Audio was a brand that I had heard much about, while I had never tried any of their models. That changed fast after I got the Bonneville for review, I was super impressed and wanted more. I arranged a loan for the rest of the Chromatic series, this ended with me buying Cascara. I also wanted their green Ponderosa that is an all BA model, but I skipped it for now. For one big reason, I was waiting on getting the newest BA model from Campfire. This is Campfire Audio Fathom, the six custom-made balanced armature model.



Campfire has themself explained Fathom as being a resolving set with touch of mid range warmth to elevate vocal performance.

This model is the first to utilize their new dual mid-driver assembly, this is added to improve the midrange of Fathom. It also uses a dual BA config for the lows and the highs, all to be able to produce a precise music playback across the entire frequency range. This is balanced by their Phase HArmony Engineering, this is what assigns the drivers to each range. There is also used both shell geometry and custom damping to be sure there is no phase cancellation and creating faults that would affect the sound quality.



The body of the Fathom is made of machined aluminum that is anodized in black, the shell is quite small and has more of a universal style with some added ergonomic touches. The nozzles have average length, the width is 5.88mm and can fit most tips perfectly.



The box is as cool looking as the previous models, having a specially nice designed box with all the information you need written on the box. The accessories are of good quality, especially the new handmade leather case. The cable is decent ribbon style cables, while not looking the most premium they both feel great and sound great. You also get a set of silicon tips and foams, together with some extra accessories like an IEM pouch for each IEM and a larger one.

Fathom is made in the USA, both designed and assembled in Portland.

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

Highlights

Expansive Soundstage: Immerse yourself in a live concert experience wherever you go.

Vivid Sound: Hear your music in rich, new vibrant tones that bring every track to life.

Effortless Connectivity: Plug into any device with ease and experience pure, uninterrupted sound with the 3 Time Stream Metal cables.



Luxury On-the-Go: Carry a touch of elegance with our handcrafted leather case, a statement of style.

Sonic Craftsmanship: Feel the passion for precision in every note with earphones crafted for the purest audio journey.



What's In The Box

Fathom - Premium earphone crafted with care by Campfire Audio
Time Stream Cables - Black - Eight silver plated copper conductors in ribbon configuration - 3.5mm / 4.4mm Terminations Included
Select Case; Handmade Leather 'Dimensional Folding' Case
Breezy Bag Junior - Small mesh zipper case
Breezy Bag Micro - Two-pocket IEM pouch
Earphone Tips: Marshmallow and Silicon - Various Sizes



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



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.

Rich tonality is my first thought when I heard Fathom, everything is resolving with good note weight. What surprises me is how clean it sounds even while having a thicker warm sound, and midrange is very tasteful.

Going to use the ranges here in review:





Details and soundstage

Detail in IEMs is down mostly to quality driver and how it amplitudes the frequencies, also when the driver is faster it also increases the resolution you hear.

The Fathom is very capable at showing every nuance in the music, it's among the more resolving sets out there. Only part that lacks some is that the BA drivers cannot fully capture every nuance in bass notes like dynamic range and extra decaying notes.

Soundstage and imaging is also very good, Fathom has a good mix of depth and height making it very holographic. Would say it's very spherical with no axis really taking over the stage, but still has slightly more depth than the average set.

Bass

The Fathom is a BA set, with that comes some caveats to the bass performance. It still has a good mix of punch and rumble to please myself for most music, it's actually one of the better sets for BA bass.

The mid bass has most focus and can be quite punchy and fun, this shows on both kick drums or electronic elements in the music. Sub bass is also quite strong but could have had some extra sub bass reach, but I have a feeling that would have taken away the balance the sound have with its mid bass and low mids.

Mids

And with that lets talk about the mids, Fathom have thicker low midrange transitioning in from the bass. Even so it doesn't sound slow or muddy for me, it loses some clarity and separation but in return you get full bodied and nuanced midrange. For me this is close to full score for the midrange, and nails both vocals and instruments with excellence.

I would say the Fathom biggest strength is how nuanced and full bodied the midrange is, it also manages this without any sibilance or shouty midrange. Looking at measurements provided by Campfire it has a dip in the upper midrange, this aligns with my preference and is similar to many other sets I love like Bonneville or even my new MEST MKIII.

The transients on Fathom are not as smooth and blunted as many BA sets are lately, its cleaner and crisper instead. Actually this makes the midrange sound closer to DD sets than most BA sets, the use of custom drivers is a good choice for making this.

Treble

First, what is in the treble? The treble is mostly harmonics and what makes music sound realistic and airy, it's very personal how we like our treble. I for one don't want it to be lacking but I also don't want it to be exaggerated like some 64audio sets.

The Fathom then has a balanced treble that's clear and open and can give good brilliance to stuff like cymbals without getting piercing, this is probably also since the upper mids and low midrange softens it. This is also a little similar to how the Bonneville does it, and I'm a big fan of that treble quality. This is just a little softer and cleaner than Bonneville, and maybe a small amount less airy in comparison.

It's not sharp or tiresome and sounds very natural to me, and is in good harmony with the forward midrange.



Synergies

Most of my listening has been with a very simple setup using the iBasso DX180 and Eletech Baroque silicon tips, this neutral sounding combo lets the natural sound of the Fathom work to its fullest.



Another pairing is something that enhances the body of the sound making it fuller, this can be using the orange Penon Lacquer silicon tips together with a R2R DAC or dongle like HIBY FC6. When using the said combo here with HIBY R8 II it sounds still full but more resolving and clean than with FC6.

Most of my listening has been with the stock cable that is both good sounding and comfortable, but I have cable rolled some. Using a type 6 litz copper cable from Clan Audio made it slightly more resolving and clear sounding over stock, but lost some fullness to the sound as the cable is very pure sounding.

The use of Graphene SPC from Clan Audio is also interesting as this makes it less resolving and instead more euphonic and musical, full bodied and dense. Too bad this cable is married to my Bonneville, as it's a very magical combo. A cable with a gold mix would probably have a similar effect.



Last combo will be my newest Lavricables Grand Line silver, this cable surprised me as it does make the sound more euphoric and resolving over stock cable. Adds clarity to the air of instruments while also keeping it cleaner and more open sounding, but doesnt sound thin or bright like some silvers. It also handles brighter music better making it less prone to sibilance.



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 to take away loudness variance.

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




Campfire Audio Ponderosa

The Ponderosa is a 5 BA IEM costing $799, it's from the Chromatic series and has a sculpted resin shell instead of Aluminium on Fathom. Ponderosa is larger in size, but it also has a shell that is sculpted more ergonomic.

Ponderosa sounds smoother and less resolving than Fathom, it also has some traits that make Ponderosa a more easy IEM to listen to without fatigue and being more acceptable to bad recordings. There is a wider dynamic range on Fathom, what I mean here is that it's more dynamic between silent parts and more intense parts. The difference is not huge but I noticed it while going through some contemporary jazz and it made it more lively and realistic, but also the more clear transients also adds to this realism.

The Ponderosa can sound more rumbly and wooly in the bass compared to Fathom, it sort of lacks some of the punchyness that Fathom have. For me at least the quality is a step up on Fathom, as it's closer to DD impact. Bass quantity is close to the same, can be that Ponderosa moves more air while Fathom sounds more impactful.

Midrange is cleaner and more nuanced on Fathom, Ponderosa have less brilliance and sound thicker and more smoother. Ponderosa can be good to soften some music and be less tiresome, for example intense brass or intense guitar shredding. But when female vocals go really high and is borderline sibilant, the Fathom has it under better control.

There is some extra treble emphasis on Fathom and it makes music more airy and clear, Ponderosa is not far behind but lacks some openness up top.

Soundstage is also interesting as Fathom I find larger than average, while Ponderosa is more normal. Both have some of the 3D quality but everything is smaller with less depth on Ponderosa.



Campfire Audio Andromeda Pre 2020

This is a very popular model from CFA, this unit is from 2018. It uses 5BA and I think it was priced around Fathom when it came, and has a similar design in machined aluminium in the iconic green coating. Shell size is very similar, the Fathom is improved as it has some small ergonomic touches and it is slightly smaller. Nozzle is smaller in width while having a slightly longer stem, less sharp edges also.

Overall they share similar sound DNA but there are some clear differences, both have the clean and fast sound. But the Andromeda sounds darker and has less open sound, this is also taking away from the resolution making Fathom more technical.

The bass is more punchy and less wooly on Fathom, in my opinion the bass have improved and sound better with the new tech. Almost like it moves more air being more visceral, while also keeping itself cleaner.

Midrange is both cleaner and more present with Fathom, vocals both male and female have some extra nuance to them and is more natural sounding. Even while being darker up top the sharper elements in the mids have some grain or sharpness to them on Andromeda that is in control on Fathom, noticing it on intense parts of metal or jazz when brass or cymbals are used.

And last the treble follows a similar style being more clear and airy, seem to have some extra extension and this helps music sound more open and engaging.

Soundstage is different, Andromeda is better than Ponderosa. But if we compare the Fathom soundstage slightly diffuse and more forward with less width than Fathom, the diffuse part is maybe more due the darker tonality making it a little harder to position instruments. So it's clearly less 3D and appears flatter in the projection.



Music

When comparing IEM to other sets I have used the tracks listed here and more, I will provide some notes on what I like about Fathom under each track.

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/06b33b0c-3fa4-469c-abdb-6b1e5add45de



Slowly Rolling Camera - Helsinki
https://tidal.com/browse/track/88348133?u

The midrange of Fathom is good to capture lively jazz, lots of instruments here and be it the guitar or sax it sound full and vibrant without any harshness.



Sora - A Caminho Do mar
https://tidal.com/browse/track/111726761?u

This here is a very special electronic album and track, it has a mix of special elements making it very complex and interesting to listen to. The sounds are bouncing around in the soundstage and Fathom gets to showcase the holographic soundstage, also helps with how clean sounding transients are to make it extra resolving and separated.



Billie Eilish - CHIHIRO
https://tidal.com/browse/track/363235464?u

Latest Billie album is a great one, the track Chihiro has a full bodied sound together with her dreamy voice. Fathom capture both vibrant and punchy bass together with full and clear vocal presentation, one of Fathom's strengths is vocals and it shows here also with how nuanced and rich it is.



Cigarettes After Sex - Baby Blue Movie
https://tidal.com/browse/track/343983153?u

Latest album from the group is really nice, dream pop at its best. It is a track that has the vocalist up front with the drums and guitars more behind, his voice is nuanced and clear and sounds very full and nice with Fathom.



Fink - One Last Gift
https://tidal.com/browse/track/345859574?u

I often use Fink for midrange testing, there is both his voice and guitars to focus on. I get dragged into the music here, the clean forward midrange is lovely on Fathom. It captures his voice for full with some extra authority how I like it.



GoGo Penguin - A Humdrum Star
https://tidal.com/browse/track/84245628?u

Another jazz track for the review, I'm a big fan of GoGo Penguin. A Humdrum Star has a complexity that's both beautiful and highly musical. The BA bass of Fathom does a great job at providing a solid kick drum, while the midrange is clear and crisp for the piano. The double bass is also surprisingly nice for BA, overall I just really love Fathom for complex jazz.



https://tidal.com/browse/track/246219413?u
An Abstract illusion - In The Heavens Above, You Will Become A Monster

This one of the best metal tracks from the last few years, it's super complex and changes a lot through the track. Music like this is more clean and clear on sets with leaner midrange, but still Fathom sounds surprisingly fast and open while also being thick sounding. The midrange does make it a little more congested versus an IEM like Supermoon, but the fuller sound here is more pleasing to listen to.



Freedom Fighters, Modus - Drumville
https://tidal.com/browse/track/122522419?u

When listening to electronica I always prefer dynamic drivers for bass, still Fathom surprises me with punchy and nuanced bass here. It's a little fast but still full bodied, the overall sound signature is very engaging and full with electronica. I could have loved a little extra sub bass rumble and slower decay, but this is still very decent for a BA IEM.



Conclusion

At the same time of this review I had a lot of new audio gear arriving at my doorstep, but the only thing I wanted to do was sit back and enjoy music with Campfire Audio Fathom. It portrays music in a warm and effortless way that keeps dragging me in, this coming from one who usually prefers to listen to IEMs that use dynamic drivers.

It's almost hard to pinpoint what exactly matches my preference so well, I believe the forward midrange that's not sharp or sibilant is one of the reasons. One of the things I dislike the most in audio is recessed midrange, Fathom delivers a vibrant and clear midrange that is both excellent with vocals and instruments. This paired with what I hear as good balanced armature bass that's full bodied with a good punch, only lacking some sub bass. The treble is also airy and crisp without being harsh, the amount is pleasing for me and not too much or little.

Another very impressive feat of Fathom is the expansive soundstage that is very holographic, for me this has been the most impressive BA set for having a 3D stage. Having both great height and width, the projection forward has good depth.

It is not perfect, no set is. The downfalls of all BA designs is the bass decay being less natural, still Campfire Audio has done a good job here. Another downside is the tuning choice of having elevated low midrange and also elevated bass, this does make music more thick and full bodied in trade off with some clarity. But this is also a positive for some, we all have preferences. There is also the negative with how sensitive Fathom is, you almost need no amplification to get it loud and it also is super sensitive at picking up noise from your audio device.

I believe Fathom has an excellent price when we consider a few things. It's made in the USA, the shell has a premium design. Even the whole package with the box and accessories are well thought out, all the small touches shows that Campfire Audio really cares.

Campfire Audio Fathom​

The Campfire Audio Fathom is the newest release from the American IEM legend. It uses 6 balanced-armature drivers and it's priced at $1049.

​

Introduction to the Campfire Audio Fathom Review​

Campfire Audio is one of those companies that have been featured on Ear Fidelity the most throughout the years. Because of that, I believe that this company doesn’t need any introduction in this review. Let me just focus on the most essential aspects here.
Campfire Audio was founded in 2015 by Ken Ball. They gained enormous recognition ever since releasing their legendary Andromeda. Since then, the Andromeda and their Solaris both have been released in multiple versions.
Last year they released an Andromeda Emerald Sea and Solaris Stellar Horizon, both of which have been reviewed at Ear Fidelity in 2023. Not long ago they also presented the Orbit, which is their first TWS release to date.
Today we’re taking a look at the newest model, the Fathom. It continues the design language that is present in the Andromeda Emerald Sea, at least when it comes to the shape and materials used.
It is promised to be a neutral, reference-like tuned IEM that will please audiophiles, giving them great technical performance and universal tuning. Let’s dive right into it and see if this new release should be on your buying list.

Packaging​

I received the Campfire Audio Fathom weeks before the official announcement, and I got just the IEMs with accessories. This means that I don’t have the original box in my hand, so I cannot give you my impressions on the unboxing experience in this review.
I did get all the accessories though, so I can definitely give you my 2 cents about those.
First of all, you’ll get two Time Stream Cables – terminated to 3.5mm and 4.4mm. Gone is a 2.5mm cable included in the box, and this is a good move, As I stated in my Solaris Stellar Horizon review, this is such a niche termination nowadays, that there’s no point in including it and increasing the price of the product.
Apart from the cables, you’ll get two cases. The main case is a Handmade Leather ‘Dimensional Folding’ Case. It’s definitely a quality addition, but again – this case is not really functional. I’d much rather have a hard case that most manufacturers use. It protects your IEMs a lot more. The leather folding case of the Fathom is enough to store your IEMs in when you’re at home, but I wouldn’t trust it when tossing it into a backpack or a suitcase. Because of that, even though it’s a good quality accessory, I don’t see it serving the purpose it’s supposed to.
Another case is a mesh-type case with a zipper, that you can actually wear like a shoulder bag. It’s semi-transparent though, and the protective aspect is rather poor. Again, a cool, well-made piece of accessory that I don’t really see a purpose for. Companies like Fir Audio include high-quality, leather cases that are very protective and you don’t have to worry about your IEMs after tossing them into your bag. I wish Campfire Audio went with a more functional approach with their accessories.
Lastly, you’ll be getting both silicone and foam eartips. A lot of people enjoy Campfire Audio foam tips, so it’s nice that they continue to provide them with their IEMs. As usual, though, I’m using those with Comply foam tips, which have been my favorite for many, many years now.

Design, Build and Comfort​

Reviewed Campfire Audio Fathom shares the shape and overall design language with the newest Andromeda, the Emerald Sea. It’s made of machined aluminum shells that are anodized in black. The surface is completely smooth to the touch, and all the edges are machined to perfection.
This is one of those things that have been criticized in the previous versions of the Andromeda. People usually complained about the edges being a bit on the sharp side, resulting in somewhat mediocre comfort. The new shell that is present in the Fathom is much more comfortable and forgiving. These IEMs fit me perfectly, and I’m easily able to listen to them for hours with no fatigue whatsoever. The Fathom is also rather lightweight, which further improves the comfort.
Another comfortable aspect of the tested Campfire Audio Fathom is the Time Stream cable. It is a flat-design cable that is very comfortable and doesn’t get in the way. As always, the cables are terminated in MMCX, which is my favorite type of connector for an IEM. Additionally, Campfire Audio has been using the best MMCX sockets and plugs in the business for years now, and I never ever had a single problem with those.
Another thing is the design. The Campfire Audio Fathom is an interesting case, as it’s mainly black, but it has those rainbow PVD fasteners that add depth and uniqueness to the entire deisng of the IEM. They do have that purple tint to them, and they look truly stunning in daylight. I really like this approach, as the Fathom looks stealthy and minimalistic at first, but it has those accents that make it more interesting to the eye.
Overall, Campfire Audio has proven throughout the years that its IEMs are beautifully crafted and very durable. It’s the same with the newest Fathom, which is a very good thing in my opinion.

Tech​

Campfire Audio is one of those companies that don’t seem to follow trends within the IEMs market. We have had Bone Conductor and EST drivers for years now, but Campfire Audio only offers Dynamic and Armature drivers.
The newest Fathom uses 6 custom-made BA drivers per site, which is 1 more than their legendary Andromeda. Balanced armatures don’t usually have the impact and thickness of a good dynamic driver, not even mention Bone Conduction technology. At the same time, It’s been proven many times that with good tuning, a BA-only setup is just as competitive as all those crazy driver configurations.
At the end of the day, it’s the sound that matters, not what makes it. Campfire Audio seems to really understand this.
The Time Stream cable features 8 silver-plated copper conductors in a ribbon configuration. It is a very good stock cable, both comfortable and good sounding. I don’t believe you’ll need an upgrade anytime soon when you pull the trigger here.

Sound of the reviewed Campfire Audio Fathom​

Reviewed Campfire Audio Fathom is said to provide a “detailed presentation with just the right touch of mid-band warmth that elevates vocal performance and offers a glowing musical experience.”. This is actually a very correct summary of how this IEM sounds.
I would describe tested CFA Fathom as a combination of warm-bright. It gives you a very nice weight to the music, especially in the midrange, and the treble is sparkly and highly detailed. Let’s get right into our usual style, and describe every aspect separately.

The bass is impressive, especially for an all-BA IEM. It has a good attack, it’s firm, well-controlled and it’s never lacking. I’d go as far as saying that this is probably the most impressive bass from a BA-only IEM that I’ve heard in a long time. I like my bass thick, and while it’s nothing compared to the GOATs like Fir Audio Krypton 5, this is a very nice combination of technicalities and pure pleasure in this department.
This kind of bass works with basically all music genres. Tech Noir by Gunship has a good bass presence, but it’s a fast and snappy bass response, and the Fathom delivers just that. Some classic rock records like the legendary The Wall by Pink Floyd are not built around the bass, but they surely need it to shine. Reviewed Campfire Audio Fathom offers a fast and firm bass response that has great detail retrieval, which just suits this kind of music perfectly as well.
This is definitely not your typical basshead IEM though. It’s still BA, so the bass is not huge and insanely impactful, but at the same time, it’s very satisfying, especially in this price range. This is a fantastic IEM if you’re really into kick drums, as these sound spectacular on the Fathom. Physical, fast, controlled, with just the round amount of body and presence. I didn’t expect this level of bass performance from a Balanced Armature only IEM. Nice.


The midrange is tilting towards warmth, it’s smooth and rather delicate. This gives you an intimate and emotional approach to vocals. It goes well with a fast and tactile bass and sparkly treble, creating a sort of balance that compliments the rest of the frequency response.
If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, you probably know that I’m an absolute SUCKER for this kind of midrange presentation. I like my midrange smooth, thick, and romantic. This is the reason why I loved the Solaris 2020 so much. Campfire Audio Fathom is not as beautiful in the midrange as the Solaris 2020, but it also has great qualities, just not to such an extent.
The overall midrange presentation is rather soft and warm, so keep that in mind if that’s not your preference. Take note though that this character doesn’t influence the technical aspects of the sound, as the midrange here is detailed and has a very good resolution as well. Don’t expect a slow and dull sound, as it’s definitely not it.

The treble is quite sparkly and detail-oriented. It is not the brighter side so expect a lot of air and information in your music while listening to the Fathom. For me personally, it goes a little bit too much on very rare occasions, but I’m highly sensitive to it, so you probably shouldn’t worry.
It actually goes well with the rest of the frequency response. It adds that touch of excitement that compliments a rather soft midrange perfectly. Because of that, the reviewed Campfire Audio Fathom certainly entertains a lot, and it’s definitely not a boring IEM.
When listening to the Crystalline by Midnight, the saxophone sounds incredibly forward and its timbre is absolutely spot-on. Well, this song is an absolute banger, no matter what are you listening to it on, but the Fathom really does a great job at making it even better.

The soundstage is wide and deep and it offers a good separation. The imaging is very accurate and the staging has that feeling of openness, which further elevates that focus on entertaining yet technical sound performance.
The size of the soundstage is not enormous, but I would definitely call it a natural size. It does the job with every music genre, but don’t expect something out of this world. The soundstage is very good – everything you should expect from an IEM from this price bracket.

Comparisons​

Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon


This comparison isn’t entirely fair, as the Solaris Stellar Horizon is way pricier, but let’s do it anyway. They definitely serve a different purpose, and both are targetted towards different types of audiophiles.
The Solaris is much more neutral, and open-sounding and it has a more impactful bass after all. It will appeal more to a universal approach type of people who value a neutral tone and an absolute focus on the technical aspects of the sound.
The Fathom on the other hand is more relaxed in the midrange and brighter on top, which makes it a more entertaining type of listen that is focused more on being unique than to always be as accurate as possible.
Because of all of this, the Solaris Stellar Horizon is also a better IEM when it comes to detail, resolution, and the overall speed of the sound. No wonder, since it costs more than 2 times more, but it’s not always the case obviously.
To sum it up as easily as possible – go for the Solaris Stellar Horizon if you’re after a neutral, highly detailed type of presentation, and obviously if you can afford it. If you’re more into a unique type of sound that focuses more on emotions, the Fathom is a wonderful alternative for a fraction of the price.

Campfire Audio Supermoon

This is somewhat of a similar story to the first comparison but to an even greater extent. The Supermoon is a hyper-detailed oriented IEM that has basically zero warmth to it. It’s all about that detail, fast transients, and unlimited resolution.
The biggest difference is that I’m sure the Supermoon will be too much for many people, while the Fathom is very easy to enjoy and like. I personally enjoy the Fathom a lot more, as it’s more of my type of sound, and it’s not as unforgiving as the Supermoon.
However, if you’re a detail-chaser and all you care about is a fast, neutral sound, the Supermoon is very hard to beat in its price category. If you tried it and it was too much for you, the Fathom might actually be the answer. It’s more forgiving, more universal, has that nice smoothness to the midrange, and a nice, impactful bass.
Pick your poison I suppose. They’re too different to call one superior here.

Campfire Audio Bonneville

Now we have two IEMs that are focused on sounding engaging. The Bonneville though is a rather dark and dynamic sounding IEM with fantastic bass response. On the other hand, the reviewed Campfire Audio Fathom is brighter, not as dynamic, and offers a more chill midrange performance.
The Bonneville is a more extreme-sounding IEM of the two, it’s not even a contest. It has that ability to take you dancing and forget about the world. The Fathom on the other hand is more like a soothing, warm blanket on a winter evening, with a little bit of spice to make things a little bit more exciting.
I really like the approach of Campfire Audio with their latest releases – each offers a significant set of strengths that just go incredibly well with different things.

Unique Melody MEXT

Those two are vastly different from each other, each having a completely different type of approach to the sound.
Before that, however, I would like to focus on the build quality first. While the MEXT is built well and very comfortable, the sheer quality of the Fathom is just way higher, no questions asked.
When it comes to sound, the MEXT is a very thick, bassy type of animal. The Fathom is way more natural and effortless sounding, also being significantly more universal when it comes to music and equipment pairing.
I would also give a technical edge to the Fathom, as it provides better detail retrieval and a more airy presentation, not being as condensed as the MEXT.
However, if you like your sound very powerful, thick, and loaded with bass, the MEXT might be the better choice for you, regardless of its compromises.

Campfire Audio Fathom – summary​

The Campfire Audio Fathom is a spiritual successor to the pre-ES Andromeda. It is now the most universal offering from the brand.
Considering its beautiful design and build quality, married with a sound that is engaging yet polished and easy to listen to, the Fathom has everything it takes to become the new bestseller from CFA.

The price surprised me in a very good way, as I do believe the Fathom is very reasonably priced, considering its level of performance and craftsmanship. It’s really hard not to recommend these. Good job Campfire Audio!


Big thanks to Campfire Audio for providing us with the Fathom for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion.