Campfire Audio Trifecta

The Trifecta is the flagship from Campfire Audio. The name Trifecta is derived from the arrangement of the drivers in the form of a triangle. No other manufacturer has taken this approach before and I can already say that this IEM sounds like no other. The patent-pending triangular housing accommodates three dynamic drivers with a 10 mm ADLC cone that cover the entire frequency range. This should provide a massive and exciting sound with a very wide stage. That's the advertising promise. Whether it is kept or not will be shown in my later sound description.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Thomas Halbgewachs from headphone.shop for sending me the Trifecta so quickly. I was even able to purchase one of the limited edition of 333 units worldwide. These are usually all sold out at other dealers. I was really very lucky. The Trifecta is currently being offered in various versions (colors) without limitation.

The Trifecta is a sonic masterpiece from Campfire Audio, the result of the company's many years of experience. So what are the technical features of this at first glance futuristically shaped IEM? First of all, of course, the use of three dynamic drivers. This allows the Trifecta to move a considerable amount of air and create a sound that delivers a lot of impact. More impact than I know from any other IEM. And no bone conduction driver or similar is used to increase the pressure even more. The Trifecta doesn't need that at all. The acoustic chamber in the form of a triangle was specially developed to combine the three drivers into a single system. All three drivers face each other and the air pressure of each individual driver is thus combined into a single very powerful pressure wave that produces the Trifecta's truly powerful sound. In addition, each driver is vented separately, creating a balanced air pressure at the front and rear of the driver. This results in a better overall performance of each driver by ensuring full range of motion, consistent speed and greater accuracy.



The Trifecta is supplied in a wooden box that looks classy for the price range and also has a nice gimmick. You can shape it into a presentation box with an enclosed golden hand and present the Trifecta hanging around this hand or have it aired after an extensive listening session. A great idea. I've never seen anything like it from any other manufacturer. The wooden box contains a set of foam and silicone eartips as well as a cleaning brush. The two additional cables are stored in a fabric bag.

A total of three cables with 3.5mm, 2.5mm and 4.4mm terminations are supplied. So you are equipped for every application. The cable is the Time Stream cable developed by Campfire, a very flat copper cable with a silver coating, which is very soft and flexible and does not cause microphonic effects. The cables are terminated on the IEM side with MMCX. I personally prefer 2-pin, as this type of connection has become established with the majority of other manufacturers and the cable cannot twist. I find this a bit annoying as I always have to turn it in the right direction. With 2 pins it would be fixed. Unfortunately, I was also unable to test the Trifecta with a different cable, as all my After Market cables are terminated with 2 pins. Too bad. The Trifecta itself is housed in a high-quality light blue leather case with magnetic closure. This is large enough to carry accessories such as an additional cable or eartips. A certificate with the serial number and instructions are also included. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall presentation. But for the price of €3699, you should be able to expect that.

The limited edition Trifecta is housed in a transparent cabinet that reveals the true splendor of the three drivers, which are soldered with high-purity copper and pure silver. The Trifecta is also very light overall and really very comfortable to wear. At first I wondered whether the shape would be comfortable to wear? This was answered very quickly when the first bars played. The comfort is really excellent.



As usual, I used my iBasso DX320 MAX Ti for the sound test. As the Trifecta is really very easy to drive, I hardly get above gain level 1. Compared to a Radon6 or Raven, I have to turn the volume down two positions on gain 1 to get the same level. So the Trifecta can really be driven by any DAP without any problems. However, since I have the feeling that the Trifecta still benefits from the source, I used my stationary chain consisting of a Volumio Server, Topping D90 III and Niimbus US4 for a further sound test. And indeed, the Trifecta, which is already a revelation as we'll see in a moment, performs with even more physicality and control. However, as it is really very easy to drive, the control range with the Niimbus US4 poses a problem. However, you can improve this with an IEMatch from iFi, which then acts as an attenuator. According to the manufacturer, without impairing the sound. I found the SpiralDots to be the most suitable in terms of sound and comfort. Some other silicone tips with more emphasis on the treble don't fit as well in my opinion.

The Trifecta sounds bombastic in the truest sense of the word, like no other IEM I know! It is not a strictly neutral IEM and does not follow any other curves like Harman or the like. I would describe it as tending towards V shape. It has some peaks in the high frequencies around 4Khz, 8Khz and 10Khz, i.e. a frequency diagram where you first think that might be too much of a good thing in the high frequencies. Fortunately, it's not at all, because with the boost in the bass and the lowering in the upper mids and in the presence range, the sound is as good as I would never have expected just from studying the frequency diagram. Everything sounds so harmonious and coherent that I think I'm listening to a 1DD IEM like the Fir Audio E12.

What makes the Trifecta so unique? It is the presence of the individual sound events, which are presented with such a brilliant physicality that every voice, every individual instrument has a body that you can feel. Where other IEMs such as a Raven or Radon6 stretch a presentation of the bass across the entire room (I would compare it to an integrated subwoofer), with the Trifecta I can concentrate on a drum kit with its physical presence in one second and in another second on the plucking of a guitar string, which has a different presence again. It's amazing! This is a presentation that, in my opinion, no other IEM I have heard has.

But it's not just the physicality that the Trifecta possesses. Another highlight is its analog and very natural sound, tonally comparable to a Hifiman Susvara. Voices and acoustic instruments are reproduced so realistically that they are almost tangible in the very large soundstage. This brings us to the next highlight of the Trifecta, namely its gigantic soundstage presentation in both width and depth. Only the Raven offers such an expansive stage. The Trifecta doesn't have the laser-sharp instrument separation of the Raven, but it's still so good that I can easily concentrate on every sound event and they have more than enough room to breathe. The stage takes place in front of your head, while a Multiverse Mentor, for example, reproduces the action in such a way that you are virtually right in the middle of it and can pick out individual elements holographically. This is so easy with the Multiverse Mentor, as it delivers the cleanest sound image of all my IEMs.

The Trifecta is not an IEM that only wants to show what is technically possible with a clean sound image, the highest resolution, the fastest bass and the best instrument separation. It places the greatest value on an analog, musical presentation that lets the listener float in a true sphere of sound. A direct comparison would lead you to believe that it is technically inferior to other IEMs. But it certainly isn't! When I offer such a brilliant bass range, at first it may seem slower than the bass of a Raven. But the Trifecta performs incredibly well with this moving air mass compared to other IEMs and even the fastest metal is no problem for it. At no time with the Trifecta and no recording did I have the feeling that the bass range was uncontrolled or anything like that. I can hear a faster bass compared to other IEMs, but is it more natural than with the Trifecta? It is different. However, I usually prefer the Trifecta for metal, as no other IEM gives me the physical representation that the IEM from Campfire Audio does. And that's without any BCD, Kinetic bass or other little helpers.

Is the resolution lower then? Because the separation is not quite as razor-sharp as with a Raven, the quietest sound events are not quite as easy to perceive, but they are still there and are not masked or anything like that. So technically, the Trifecta is a flagship IEM with no ifs or buts. And in terms of sound, it is a revelation for me. All in all, perhaps the best IEM in the world!? Chapeau Campfire Audio!

Overview:

Up for review today are the MUCH debated Campfire Audio Trifecta. Some people love these for their organic and almost retro sound. Some people hate them for their pronounced highs and slightly decreased bass compared to true basshead headphones. Spoiler alert: I really like these, but they do have some issues that I’ll talk about below as well. The real question is where will these come in amongst my ranking along with some of the best IEMs out there? Will they beat the current champs, the Noble Ronin, and the Multiverse Mentor? Let’s find out.

The Trifecta is one of the most unique IEMs on the market and the “333 Launch Edition” is limited to only 333 of them, all of which have sold out already. You can pick up the “Astral Plains” edition, which is…bluer and doesn’t have the gold-coated driver. I have no idea if it sounds different since Campfire won’t send me one to find out. It’s not a limited edition though, but still the same price. And has gold connections instead of the 333’s silver connections – I worry a bit about how the gold connectors will hold up – not my problem, both look good, but the 333 stands out more.

The Trifecta is named as such because of the 3 DDs situated throughout the shell in a triangle (Freemasons) pattern (Kidding, it’s not a conspiracy (it is)). There’s REALLY nothing else like this design on the market.



Accessories/Earpads/Eartips (10/10):

Fantastic. Everyone has probably seen the hand of the Freemasons already (again, kidding…right?), but what doesn’t get enough attention is the fact that there are three (!) Time Stream cables, three (!) carrying cases, a bunch of ear tips of different types, and an IEM carrying pouch. Pretty sick. The tips you can choose from are foam or silicone and they’re about as good of quality as you can get without going aftermarket. The soft case is the dark blue one and it holds the two cables you’re not using (3.5mm and 2.5mm for me). The soft leather case is a bifold and it’s designed to carry your Trifecta in their own little mesh carrying case along with your cables and possibly even a DAP of choice if it’s slim enough, all while preventing damage.

The box itself is all wood with a paper sleeve and there is even a tiny little folder that looks like a passport with…a trading card…and a birth certificate? (It’s a certificate of authenticity - mine are 116, but it looks like a birth certificate.) Again, they put some serious effort into the packaging here and it’s easily up there with the Ronin, Elysium, and Mezzo LE, and quite possibly #1 for packaging. And yes, the Trifecta packaging smells amazing – leather and wood haha. 10/10 points here (I’d give more if I could). As always, I'm using my Spinfit W1 tips since they're the best I've found (You can buy them here if you want a set: https://amzn.to/3WDrNIk.)



Cable (9/10):

I honestly don’t need 3 of the same Time Stream cables, each with a different connector. Campfire probably could have saved some cash and only included the 4.4mm with a 2.5mm adapter and they’d have been fine. No one that spends this much on an IEM is using a 3.5mm jack with the Trifecta and 2.5mm-only DAPs/amps are basically non-existent. Or do what Kinera, Thieaudio, and DUNU are doing and include an adapter set. But really, a 4.4mm would have been all you need. Still, they’re nice 4-wire cables with gold plating, polished metal accents, and silver-plated copper wires. Yes, this is a flat ribbon cable, something I didn’t realize until I got it - and something I've never seen before. It bothers my OCD because it almost never lays perfectly flat – and that hurts my brain. Still, the sound from it is really good and after playing with some cheaper cables that have MMXC connectors, I gave up and stuck with the stock cable as the best-sounding option I have.

The cheaper ones are the Kinera Magic Rope and Linsoul Tripowin Zonie – both very more flexible, and cut down on the sibilance from the Trifecta, but ruined what made it sound special also. You may be able to cable roll with these and find the perfect solution – I have no reason to get more MMCX cables since only two companies really use them. So yeah, the Time Stream cables aren’t that flexible and they bug me a little, but they sound good at least and you have to give Campfire props for including three – that’s unique, but maybe one less cable would have let them sell this for $3,330.00 instead of $3,375.00 (which makes no sense considering the 333 theme). Still, great sound, no microphonics worth complaining about, and decent flexibility – and three of them are included - 9/10 points.



Build Quality/Comfort (9/10):

I mean amazing. Seriously. The build quality of everything is insane. The only IEM I’ve ever seen with quality issues from Campfire is the old-school Andromeda. On those, the anno/paint would rub off leaving looking like someone put them through a washing machine – no matter how hard you tried to keep them nice looking. My Dorado and Vega both look fantastic still and they’re the 2020 versions. So, unsurprisingly, the Trifecta has fantastic build quality. People have said they look like a piece of jewelry, and while I don’t think they’re that fancy (or I probably wouldn’t wear them), they do look excellent. They’re made out of a really strong Nylon, which I can only see tiny micro-scratches on if you REALLY closely in the correct light – otherwise, they stay much nicer looking that Acrylic IEMs. But seriously, these are impeccably built and I’m not worried about them breaking, though they’re not quite as durable as the Ceramic IEMs they used to make.

OK, comfort. I’m sure some people complained about a $3k+ IEM being made out of Nylon, just like people complained about the $4k+ Jewel being made from Acrylic, just like people complained about the $6k+ Traillii being made from acrylic. But guess what? I’ve tried several of the recent TOTL IEMs made from acrylic and they are HEAVY. The Trifecta is the most comfortable flagship I’ve worn…possibly ever. It’s smaller and lighter than a LOT of the other TOTL IEMs like the Ronin, Mezzo LE, Mentor, Kublai Khan, Thunder, etc. My biggest complaint with the Ronin was the weight, and a little bit the size. I can wear the Trifecta for hours without comfort issues. They sit in my ears easily and don’t constantly fall out because they’re too heavy. Awesome comfort. 9/10 points for the build and the comfort – the only point I’m taking off here is for the visible seams on the shells – they detract from the feel of quality you get otherwise. I’m not sure why they’re there since it looks like the nylon was poured after everything was assembled – there are tiny bubbles throughout the shells implying such, but maybe that’s glue.



Sound:

Check out the wolfhawk.squig.link/ below. I’m comparing the Trifecta to the Ronin and Mentor from memory, so bear with me – I can’t afford to own all three at once since IEM companies haven’t felt like sending me $3k+ IEMs to keep yet (and likely never will). Looking at the Frequency Response Graph, obviously, the Trifecta has more sub and mid-bass. It also has more low-mids, with recessed Mentor-level of High-mids, and easily some of the most pronounced highs I’ve heard…ever. Also, the Trifecta has the most unique highs tuning I’ve ever seen with what I’d call a curtain effect with 3 almost identical peaks and valleys in the highs. Very odd, but pretty cool as well.



I am powering these from my HiBy RS8 with the A/B amp on medium gain at around ~30/100 volume – super efficient and easy to drive, most IEMs are at 40+. I’m using Tidal Hi-Fi with MQA enabled and a playlist specifically designed to test each aspect of a headphone.

Lows (16/20):

I’m starting off with the Mid-bass/Sub-bass test I’m using David Guetta’s “I’m Good (Blue).” The bass drums in the intro have a ton of impact but have some bass bloat – similar to the Aroma Audio Thunder. The sub-bass is epic – and I mean that. It feels like it’s going to blow your hair into 80’s cartoon spikes with smoke curling to the ceiling. It has that take-your-breath-away feeling and that’s great. The only downside here to the bass quantity is that the mids fall to the back a little too much. Still, that’s what the next song is for, so the only points here taken off are from the extra distortion on the mid-bass. 8/10 points – tons of quantity, missing a little quality.

Up next is Demon Hunter’s “I Am A Stone,” which I use to test whether the bass is too strong and overwhelms the mids as that is just as important as how strong/good the bass is. Yeah, unfortunately, the bass really overwhelms the mids here in a way I haven’t heard in a long time – partly because I haven’t been listening to super bassy IEMs. These are really close to super bassy IEMs, but they don’t quite reach the levels of Fat Freq or some of the bassier FiRs. 7/10 points here since the mids still have some excellent detail and all it takes is turning the DAP up a notch to bring the mids to the front again, with the bass bellowing away on the sides.

OK, this is not normally one of my test songs, but it came on while I was doing something else, and I have to say that this is probably the sickest I’ve ever heard the bass on Hollywood Undead’s “Hear Me Now.” Absolutely game-changing for me. This is not the only song I've had this happen on. I'm adding a bonus point here for making old songs new again! +1!

Mids (19/20):

Weaving The Fate’s “The Fall” is my test song for clean/dirty guitars and vocals with background instruments to see how clearly the vocals can be heard. The soundstage and imaging are the first things that I notice in the intro of this song – fantastic, I can actually hear the guitarist moving slightly across the stage. The clean guitars at the beginning are also gorgeous and you can easily hear the high hats in the background along with the drums. Even the distorted guitars sound excellent with plenty of detail and instrument separation! That’s impressive since it’s been a few reviews for me since an IEM did this song justice. The vocals are a little further away than on the Ronin and Mentor, but they’re still quite pronounced. And seriously, the cymbals are insane on the Trifecta – it’s such an analog sound, and as a drummer, I can really appreciate it. What I appreciate less is the sibilance on the lead singer’s “S” notes, which are pretty pronounced, but that test song comes later. Here, it’s a 6/6 for sounding epic.

Staind’s “Something to Remind You” has clean electric guitars and wonderful vocals – this song tests vocal quality and background noise. Oh man, There’s the soul I’m looking for from this song. That’s always the problem with reviewing lower-end IEMs, no matter how good they are for their price, they just can’t touch something like the Trifecta. There’s so much soul and so much body to this entire song. The vocals have grit and breadth in spades. The bass guitar is pronounced, but not too offensive. The guitar sounds just clean with each note hitting like a hammer. The fingers on the strings are VERY detailed, which can actually be a downside on the Trifecta because it’s pretty forward. So, if you’re looking for some excellent detail here, the Trifecta has that, but it’s a double-edged sword as well. And yes, there are times when the bass guitar overwhelms the vocals and the mid-guitars. Still, 6/7 points here for making this song sound amazing.

To test classical instruments in the mids, I’m using The Piano Guys' “Code Name Vivaldi.” I have high hopes (ha, one song early) for this song based on how much emotion the previous song had with the Trifecta. Wow, I am not disappointed. There is just something about the way the Trifecta manages to vibrate the lows and low-mids that give them so much soul. The intro bass just sounds fantastic. There is so much going on in this song with each instrument being clearly heard and presented in such a way that you can’t help but fall in love with the Trifecta. I’ve heard these described as very analog sounding, like old-school speakers, but to me, they are the modern interpretation of what emotion should sound like – absolutely sick. 7/7 points here – the Trifecta really hits on what I want from this song.

Highs (15/20):

To test sibilance on headphones I use Panic! At The Disco’s “High Hopes.” Again, the intro has a ton of emotion and sounds great, but the sibilance is so rough that I really can’t listen to this song. This is my greatest complaint about these IEMs right here. Sharp “S” sounds are brutal on the Trifecta for anyone sensitive to Sharpness and sibilance. It’s bad enough to make me skip to the next song. @Rockwell75 has said that EQ’ing 8k down a few Db can help with this. 1/7 points here, which is a massive shame because I know what this means for the next song.

Dream Theater’s “The Alien,” is the highs test song I use to see if the cymbals/high-hats/snare drum can be clearly heard and distinguished from the rest of the music (also good for instrument separation.) If there’s a ton of sibilance on “High Hopes” I know that it means this song will do extremely well. It does. You can hear the cymbals quite clearly and it’s definitely close to or better than the FiR VxV with regards to highs quality. The bass drums can be heard quite clearly as well and the mids are excellent with the guitar solo really sounding like it’s supposed to.

Michelle McLaughlin’s “Across The Burren” is another of my favorite highs/sharpness test songs as it can easily sound painful on some headphones. This song can honestly go one of two ways, either very sharp or no sharpness at all depending on the tuning. I’m really not getting any sharpness here at all. Each note is represented beautifully. The high notes sound different from what I’m used to on most hybrids with ESTs and the like, but it still comes across fantastically. I didn’t know what to expect here given the sibilance on “High Hopes,” but the Trifecta really impressed me here. 7/7 points.

Soundstage/Instrument Separation/Imaging (9/10):

I use MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” to test soundstage, instrument separation, and imaging. Geez, how to they do this with only 3 drivers? The soundstage is huge, the instrument separation is fantastic and the imaging is so cool. Is it Multiverse Mentor level across the board? No, but it’s really close and possibly a tad above the Ronin. 3 points for each category, but it doesn’t quite earn the Mentor’s extra “wow” point.

Comparisons:

Well, there’s really nothing that compares to the Trifecta directly since it’s about as unique as it gets. Most TOTL IEMs are a hybrid of some kind whereas the Trifecta is straight-up dynamic drivers only. Yes, it’s an absolutely unique design and it has the dynamic bass people love along with some excellent mids and highs that I admittedly was expecting since usually the mids are driven by BAs and the highs are EST or something along those lines. Obviously, the Trifecta has the most sub-bass and mid-bass, which is pretty impressive because I wouldn’t list the Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor or Noble Ronin as low on bass. Both the Ronin and the Mentor have cleaner bass though, with the Ronin’s as the cleanest, but the least quantity. So if you want that wub wub, you should go with the Trifecta, but it will overwhelm the mids on some songs. Less wub wub? Mentor, but it can still overwhelm the mids on some songs, and lastly the Ronin won’t overwhelm, but it won’t have quite as much bass quantity as the other two.

For the mids, I’ll still put the Ronin in 1st place, but the Trifecta is a close second with the Mentor falling into a close 3rd. The Ronin easily has the most forward mids with some excellent quality. The Trifecta manages to just sound so musical and with so much body and soul that it takes a close second place, despite the mids being a bit further back in the soundstage. I kept finding myself turning the RS8 up so I could bring the mids forward more, which made the bass louder, but I just kind of rolled with it because of how good it sounded. The Mentor is no slouch in the mids department, but it still takes a close 3rd place in mids.

The Trifecta takes #1 in highs with the Mentor as a relatively close 2nd place and the Ronin as a somewhat distant 3rd. Yes, there’s some pretty bad sibilance on the Trifecta, but if you can get past that, you’ll get the best highs presentation I’ve heard, certainly in the TOTL segment. The Mentor still does a good job here with still a bit of sharpness and sibilance, but a good highs presentation as well. The Ronin is the most balanced, but it has less highs presence than the others, so if you want more forward mids, less bass, and less highs presence, the Ronin is the IEM for you.

The Mentor is for the people that want impeccable balance with a touch more bass. It has the best soundstage/instrument separation/imaging on any IEM I’ve heard. The Trifecta is a close 2nd though. If you want some VERY impactful and strong bass, with excellent mids and some of the most pronounced highs available, the Trifecta is truly excellent.



Conclusion:

The Campfire Audio Trifecta is EASILY the MOST interesting IEMs I’ve ever listened to. I recommend everyone give it at least a week of listening if you can (also, I hear burn-in makes these sound better). The Trifecta has forward DD bass response, some high-quality, soulful mids, and top-tier highs. If you can get over the sibilance from the highs, and a little bass bloat, these are amazing IEMs at a price cheaper than most of the TOTL IEMs out there right now. Now I just need to get my hands on the new Solaris and Andromeda…

A note about me, my preferences and approach to this hobby:

I’ve been interested in audio for most of my nearly 50 year life. My earliest memories of this hobby were long days spent exploring my dad’s record collection through his 70s era 2-channel system. I became interested in portable audio as soon as it became a thing and beginning with a Sony Walkman in the 80s I have had a portable audio device of one kind or another pretty much continuously ever since. The appeal of carrying a little portable audio paradise around with me wherever I go has always been strong. I have spent the last few years trying build and contribute to portable audio communities in order to find fellowship with like-minded enthusiasts but also to improve access to TOTL IEMS for those of us for whom it is not always easy to try them out for ourselves.

My music taste is pretty varied with a strong emphasis on classic rock, blues, instrumental jazz, soul, pop, funk, rap, folk, minimal techno. The most important thing for me is emotional connection—I want to whisked away on a journey as soon as I press play and to be embraced and transfixed throughout it. As such I am more concerned with the overall gestalt of an IEM’s performance than breaking it down into its constituent parts. When reading reviews I am most interested in whether the reviewer in question connected emotionally with the gear in question, as this is what I am seeking myself. As such my own reviews tend to be highly personal in nature with an emphasis on emotional connection. This may offend or confound some people’s sensitivities…but it is what it is. I have a strong preference for DD driven IEMs and analogue sound in general. I have have yet to be able to tolerate an all BA IEM or BA hybrid in my collection for more than a couple months—I just need that DD body and timbre. Of my current top 10 IEMs only the almighty Bird lacks a DD in there somewhere.

The above is not to say I don’t put any stock in technical performance-- quite the opposite-- it’s just that for me technicalities are more of a means to an end. In terms of tuning preferences I have enjoyed all kinds—balanced, neutral, v-shaped, w-shaped, bass, mid or treble centric…it doesn’t seem to matter so long as that certain “je ne sais quoi” factor is there. I like to be inspired and as such I tend to be drawn to IEMs with artisan tunings by inspired creative visionary individuals like Lee Quan Min, Master Rao, Ken Ball, The Vision Ears crew, and others. Hopefully this little background will provide some context for what you are about to read (assuming you’re still reading after the above, lol).

When a young lad dared to dream in 1979:



Preamble

Following is my personal review of the Trifecta, a triple dynamic driver IEM from Campfire Audio. Among other things the Trifecta is Campfire’s first foray into what could be dubbed the summit fi space, ie., that lofty tier of IEMs priced at about $3K US and up that, in theory at least, constitute the best one can get. Given that this is a first for Campfire it is not surprising that many will place (and have placed) an exceptionally critical eye on the Trifecta with an aim to determine if it deserves to stand with the hobby’s elite. This of course raises all sorts of interesting questions—not the least of which concerns exactly who gets to be the holy arbiter of what constitutes “summit fi sound”. I purchased the Trifecta with my own money with a very modest loyalty discount from Bloom Audio.

I have taken quite a winding path towards my attainment of the Trifecta. I have been a CFA fanboy since my recent entry into this hobby in 2019 where the OG Solaris was my first true love with IEMs. Subsequently a not-insignificant number of my favorite IEMs have been CFA releases. Campfire is a company that has always marched to the beat of its own drum, eschewing both popular trends and historic norms in their quest to explore varied and unique sonic territories. This approach has brought them a good degree of astonished admiration but has also made them something of a black sheep in the high end portable audio world, which as rule these days tends to be more fixated on top end clarity, exotic tech and highly technical sound signatures. To be honest I'd sort of lost sight of Campfire by the beginning of 2022 as pretty much all of 2021 whooshed by without much in terms of noteworthy releases from them. By about spring of 2022 I'd started to wonder to myself if maybe CFA's heyday was over. It turns out nothing could have been further from the truth. First we saw the arrival of the Supermoon in April—an IEM that in my estimation has currently set the bar for performance with planar IEMs and even at $1500 represents a tremendous value proposition.

The Supermoon intrigued me right away because after owning the 7HZ Timeless at the tail end of 2021 I'd been craving a more robust planar IEM experience. The Supermoon delivered that in spades and, while not perfect, it kept me enraptured for a good part of this year with its summit fi resolution, tremendous bass response and perfect coherence. Then came the announcement of the Trifecta out of the blue (literally and figuratively) in May along with teasers for 3 other IEMs that have yet to materialise in form. The Trifecta itself looked like nothing else I'd ever seen and was clearly the most opulent and ambitious product Campfire had ever aspired to. Unfortunately, as is often the case, while there were some promising initial impressions there were also numerous so-so impressions from CanJam London…enough that I thought maybe Campfire had a bit of a misfire on their hands. All of this combined with the fact that my honeymoon with the Supermoon was in full swing, the rumoured price, and unlikelihood of a demo basically kept the Trifecta out of my mind for months. And then an opportunity arose…

I had thought at first that I would probably never get to hear the Trifecta because a demo seemed unlikely and there was no way I was going to drop that kind of money blind despite the fact that Supermoon had brought the brand back to the forefront of my hobby mind. Fortunately for me, along with a few others in our Watercooler community, CanJam SoCal happened and I decided to make my way to the sunshine state last September for two epic days of demoing gear and hobby related fellowship. Trifecta was still far from my mind at that point and I went to SoCal not expecting to demo it because CFA dropped out of the show at the last minute. It was then with a combination of surprise, delight and trepidation that came over me when, immediately entering the show floor on Saturday morning, the first thing that grabbed my attention at the Bloom table was the Trifecta in a disembodied hand reaching from the clouds and beckoning me to listen. I went in with zero expectations and the Trifecta was the first thing I demoed at the show. Suffice to say it blew my mind at first listen and effectively stole the show for me. The Trifecta, in fact, put such a spell on me that I spent much of the 3 following months scheming to get my hands on one once they eventually released. I had many pleasant distractions along the way-- most notably in the form of falling in love with Lee Quan Min's tuning chops in IEMs like the Annihilator and Gaea. Still, Trifecta called and with the help of some encouragement and discussion from Watercoolers like @jwilliamhurst and @RTodd and the excellent service from @Andrew DiMarcangelo from Bloom I placed an order and received my set on December 21, the Winter Solstice, a time of year signifying re-birth into a new era and the return of the light of the sun. I geek out pretty seriously at crap like this so I won’t deny that I smiled to myself at this little bit of cosmic symmetry.


Packaging and Accessories

I usually don’t bring this up in my reviews as one can find out about the packaging and accessories of an IEM pretty readily elsewhere. I will make an exception here because the presentation of the Trifecta from and aesthetic and practical perspective is elegant, classy and eminently satisfying. At the same time subdued, not giving in to the excesses that accompany so many TOTL IEMs and staying true to CFA’s sustainable and conscious aesthetic, and yet simultaneously satisfying, varied and befitting of its price.

The box is not huge but it’s notably larger than the standard CFA package (which has now been scaled in the opposite direction for the orbit):

Trifecta comes with a very tasteful and high quality collection of accessories:

The presentation of the IEMs is quite unique, as though being gifted down from the sonic heavens:



Sound Impressions (general)

So, how would I describe the sound of the Trifecta? Try as I might I’ve yet to find the sound of this remarkable IEM better encapsulated as a “TLDR” than this description given by user @JS27 in his first impressions post:

"[Trifecta] sounds like the best possible audio endpoint you could dream in 1993. It tells its story with very analog - dynamic driver - organic pre-2010 R2R hallmarks. It will sound wooly and bleedy to those that worship at the alter of Our Lady of Balanced Armature….It does not reverberate from the silent, inky void where Planars ferry their magnetic souls. It is a wonderous, enveloping, swirling, resolving cloud of 2022-level special effects on top of the simple, warm, organic heart of the DD sound. This is a dream from Hi-Fi future as dared to be imagined by 1979."

My own initial experiences with the Trifecta are best captured by the following snippets lifted out of my CanJam SoCal report:

"Trifecta impressed me immediately with its massive sound, impeccable coherence, solid resolution and beautiful dynamic & analogue timbre. This is a sound that completely embraces you with warmth and depth and takes you for a ride… I went back to the table 4 times over the two days and gave the Trifecta a good once over and continued to find it utterly compelling with the only false note being treble that is a touch aggressive (but nicely extended and never metallic) at times…. The three DDs in the Trifecta, positioned as they are, act as so many matches whose intensity increases exponentially when they are brought together give the illusion that one is listening to a full-size single DD headphone. Single DD and single driver enthusiasts should give the Trifecta a serious look. Approach it with an open mind, you may be very pleasantly surprised."

So was it love at first listen (again) when I attained my own personal unit? Surprisingly, not quite. At first blush the bass was a touch overwhelming (but very high quality) and the mids & highs, while never seeming veiled, seemed a little incoherent and distinct from the bass. Fortunately this didn't last and the sound has been getting better and better for me with each successive listening session. I attiribute the aformentioned experience to brain burn in, but YMMV.


At the most basic level the Campfire Trifecta is an unapologetically fun, dynamic IEM with a beautifully top to bottom analogue and full-bodied sound-- it is an incarnation of pure listening pleasure. This is not an IEM after analytic perfection, no one aiming for perfect neutrality, strict adherence to some preconceived sense of "what the artist intended", a purely reference sound and the concomitant studio-like clarity should be aiming for this IEM. The Trifecta uses a finessed pickaxe and powerful bass response to mine into the soul your music and move you to joy—this is what it is all about to me.

Campfire obviously put a lot of thought and care into the refinement of the sound of the Trifecta. Campfire's IEMs historically have always been more about personality than sheer technical excellence—and I think that’s still the case here, to an extent. With Trifecta's asking price CFA had to produce an IEM that would deliver more than just the raw technical prowess of the Supermoon-- they had to cross into the territory of exquisite refinement also-- relative, of course, to the warm-ish full bodied and analogue sound they were going for and the character & capacity of the DDs themselves. In my humble and experienced opinion they delivered have delivered in spades. Staging on this IEM is massive, spherical, cavernous, distinctive layered, precisely imaged and impeccably coherent. Details and layers are constantly bubbling up as though from some vibrant sigularity of analogue bass driven goodness.

Simultaneously, the tonal balance is superb for an IEM that has such a bombastic character. I would say the signature is a shallow U with a light emphasis on the bass & treble with the mids recessed every so slightly but uniformly from bottom to top. This is a bass driven IEM but it's not a bass cannon by any stretch or even an IEM where the bass dominates to the point that it crowds out or interferes with the rest of the FR. Male & female vocals and instruments are all positioned similarly and the the midrange itself in general is very pleasantly refined to my ears. One great example of this is in Concrete Blonde's Bloodletting. The chorus of this song can often come off harsh, a little too forward, shouty or metallic sounding due to the recording itself (I have the remastered version). Trifecta renders it beautifully an abundance of energy but also belying a good deal of refined precision-- never harsh or unpleasant. The relative placement of the midrange is something that I imagine can be tweaked to preference with sources, cables and tips.

In terms of raw resolution Trifecta trails behind Supermoon (hard to compete with planar speed and precision) but Trifecta actually keeps up surprisingly well. Single driver coherence and the concomtent unity of sound that manifests is endlessly captivating to me. With hybrid IEMs I'm often thinking of which driver is doing bass, which is doing mids, and so on-- but with a single driver (or in this case a dash of sacred geometry allowing 3 of the same drivers to manifest as one) I find it easier to focus on the music given that its grounded in a unity of timbre, texture, speed, origin, positioning, and so on. As with all things the Trifecta won't be for everyone but anyone who: is fixated on DDs or DD sound, who loves bodied analogue timbre, single driver coherence, bass driven yet refined and balanced sound...the Trifecta is very much worth some of your time. YMMV, and all that.


With the Trifecta I tihnk it's best to walk in with as few preconceptions as possible and just let the sound speak for itself, ideally over a few focused demos. I think you'll be surprised at the quality of the highs on the Trifecta For me the treble was the weakest link on the Solaris SE-- treble on the Trifecta is much better though I can't speak for sure on which IEM wins on pure resolution as it's been a while since I heard a Solaris of any type. What I do know is that Trifecta for me completely overcomes what are typically the biggest setbacks of single DD setups, namely poor timbre in the highs, weak extension on one or both ends, and technical chops in general. There is definitely some "greater than the sum of the parts" magic emerging from the driver configuration and setup of the Trifecta. This is Campfire Audio's magnum opus.

Sound Impressions (specific)

Bass

Just as Jedi’s strength flows from the force so does the power and potency of Trifecta’s signature flow from its bass response. Try as I might I have yet to find anyone capture the bass-centred nature of Trifecta’s signature as well as @bigbeans in his impressions post with the following perceptive description:

“[Trifecta’s] sound grows in dynamics from bottom to top, the bass lines shape the soundstage. This is different to other IEMs, where bass notes would be independent of soundstage and dynamics. .. For instance, when a bass string is plucked, you can feel the stage and power grow upward but also outward.”

This is precisely it—the whole soundscape of the Trifecta feels as though it is emanating out from a pulsating gravitational centre of bass driven dynamism. It is unlike anything else I have heard in IEM form. This fact, coupled with Campfire’s drivers themselves—which were clearly designed with the ideals of classic DDs in mind, that is to say they’re not souped up or dipped in beryllium to make them speedy…no, here the goal is a warm, reverb-y, more hair-on-the-beast type classic analogue DD driven sound. This is not the fastest bass out there—and it doesn’t try to be. But it’s some of the most satisfying bass I’ve ever heard.

Trifecta is quite a contrast coming from IEMs like the Elysian Gaea, or Annihilator, IEMs that are super well articulated, finessed and well defined up top...with the bass response playing a decidedly background role. The Trifecta is an inverse of this-- it is a masterpiece of bass-- a cornucopia of thundering, bodied power that emerges radiantly from single centre of space within the soundscape. I have never heard such well articulated, well defined larger than life layering in a bass response before-- it's positively breathtaking and endlessly captivating. A month or so ago I was reveling in the joys of a highly finessed treble-centric tuning with the Annihilator and here I am again, having completely switched gears in favour of the analogue textures and warmth of a bass centric tuning. I have come to believe that the variety of tuning you're dealing with is far less important than how well executed it is. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

Some highlights from specific song selections:

Orion by Metallica - the sound is powerful, full bodied and well articulated top to bottom. Master of Puppets is a record that has a lot of low end body and growl but that can come off dry at times—not here. It is fully alive and highly technical. The sound has a distinct sense of 3-d tangibility here—I can always clearly pick out Cliff Burton’s bassline, which isn’t always the case.

I Don’t Know by Lisa Hannigan - is a sweet little folk tune. Trifecta has wonderful string timbre and the bass of the Trifecta gives this track an nice layer of bodied emotional warmth that I feels is in harmony with the composition—a joy to listen to.

My October Symphony by The Pet Shop Boys – This track is from the Behavior album which was recorded on some vintage analogue synthesizers that the group had use of for a time—it has the most distinct sound of any of their albums. This song has been on just about every one of my playlists since the 90s and the Trifecta captures it’s deep analogue textures, subtle warmth and nuance of emotion better than anything else I have heard.

Get Lucky by Daft Punk – That bassline…so juicy you want to sink your teeth into it. Pure gold right here my friends.

Dances With Wolves Soundtrack by John Barry – People don’t often think of classical or large orchestral type music in the same breath as DDs as the slower drivers aren’t as adept at reproducing really complex passages and nuances in the highs. What they are good at is moving air—and the epic sweep and visceral feeling you get from the air moved by a large orchestra in person has to be felt to be understood. Trifecta nails this and if it’s something you’re after make note.



Midrange
The midrange on Trifecta, playing second fiddle to the bass, is pushed back a touch from the bass and treble—this slight recession may be a deal breaker for some or at least relegate the Trifecta from the top of the pile. Instrumental timbre across the board, is superb. . A particular highlight for me are horn, piano and string timbre (Dukes Mixture by Donald Byrd for an example). This is especially noticeable coming from the Supermoon, which is a highly technical IEM but whose timbre, while decent enough, is more on the digital side of the spectrum. One point to note is that Trifecta not a vocal centric IEM. Vocals are decent enough, though sometimes they sound a touch recessed (Morissey's The Loop) or have a touch too much energy (Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival) and in a few circumstances can aggravate sibilance (Coldplay's The Scientist). For the most part though vocals range from fine to great however if you're someone who needs seductive breathy romantic vocals a la VE or Oriolus then this might not be the best IEM for you. This is not something I’m personally too bothered about but possibly my one grip with this IEM is that a little VE magic in the vocals would have been oh-so-sweet.

Again, vocals are decent but they do lack some of the forwardness and seduction I get with IEMs like the EXT. Gaea actually works pretty well for me here sometimes. You might say “so a $1500 IEM outdoes a $3K IEM with vocals, how is that ok?” and to such a one I would say “well my $1500 Supermoon has a bass response that that mops the floor with the bass from IEMs like the UM Mentor, which is 3x the cost. This is why I caution against in getting caught up splitting hairs with specifics and why for me the whole presentation needs to be taken into account en masse when weighing one IEM against the another. There are some technical specifics in which the Sennheiser out does at roughly half the cost of the Trifecta—but as a total package the Trifecta is leagues beyond to my ears.

Highs

Along with the mids the highs on Trifecta are secondary to the bass. I was not expecting Elysian level articulation and sweetness, or Elysium like resolution in the highs as you're not going to get that from a 10mm DD in an IEM tuned from the bass on out..but I find he highs on Trifecta to be quite good for the most part and serviceable at worst. I have heard some say that Trifecta struggles with cymbals, and this is not an area I'm particularly fixated on, but they sounded fantastic to me on Brubeck's "3 to get ready" where the cymbals ring with a nice decay and beautiful timbre. The same is true with A Boy Named Charlie Brown by The Vince Guaraldi Trio-- you can hear the cymbals continuously throughout the whole track and the sound is always sweet, delicate and with a nice decay. Incidentally this track is a great example of what a joy Trifecta can be to listen to. Using Supermoon as a reference point in something like Caravan from the Whiplash soundtrack, Trifecta loses it a little but during the catharsis of cymbal strikes at the end but it does pretty well for the most part. The highs are straddling on aggressive times but I don't see this as a fault-- it's a tuning choice that aids in staging and brings energy to the signature. That said this will be an area where cable/tip/source synergy will be of massive importance for some as the wrong synergy has the potential to be fatigue inducing. I tried my Eletech Victoria on Trifecta because I love the aesthetics but unfortunately this cable adds a bit too much energy to the top end on Trifecta and I would say the synergy is not the best so for now I'm sticking with the stock cable.

Here is a thought I had having just owned the Annihilator for a few weeks. Ani has summit fi treble, decent enough mids, serviceable bass...and it gets held up as the end all be all by many prominent influencers. Trifecta's tuning comes from the opposite direction-- summit fi bass, good mids, serviceable treble. Trifecta's treble is no worse than Ani's bass…in fact I would personally say it is better. The two IEMs cost about the same yet one is seen as bae and the other a pariah by the same group of people. It comes down to tuning ideals and preferences....there's more than one way to skin a cat. FWIW Annihilator and Trifecta are presently my two favorite IEMs.




Technicals

If there's one thing single DD IEMs are not known for it is robust technical chops-- were this not so I'm guessing we never would have bothered looking beyond DDs for IEM drivers. I will say that while Trifecta is not a technical resolution or imaging monster like the Aroma Jewel or UM Mentor it does bring a sufficiently heavy dose of its own technical secret sauce to the table that even if you're not already wow'd by the spectacularly fun & engaging sound or the sheer uniqueness and stunning execution of this whole package the technical goodness this IEM does have should more than justify its asking price on the market. In fact I am going to make the bold statement that relative to other IEMs at the summit the Trifecta actually shoots above its price simply because there's nothing else on the market that even attempts to do what it does in anywhere close to as technical a fashion. Campfire Audio can hit or miss, but when they hit it's really something and the Trifecta is, as has been noted, the most unapologetically pure Campfire expression ever.

The staging of the Trifecta is massive and spherically holographic with the sound seemingly emanating from centre of bass driven goodness. This is quite possibly the most massive stage I've ever heard in an IEM. While the Campfire Trifecta is not the most highly resolving set ever the resolution is pretty spectacular once you settle into the sound and let your brain adjust to it. The whole signature basks in the glow of a bodied analogue warmth that lends the sound an intoxicating appeal and emotional pull. While the Trifecta is no Mentor here I also found the layering and imaging of the Trifecta to be deceptively great. Check out Fleetwood Mac's Tusk for an example of this brilliant layering-- there is a tangible sense of layering, air and depth to the staging here that is quite spectacular.

So, while the Trifecta is not set I would rec to someone for whom resolution and sheer technical chops was the top priority-- I wouldn't personally describe it as lacking. I've spent much of the last few months with more resolving sets like Supermoon and Annihilator and I've spent a good deal time of a/b'ing Supermoon and Trifecta for exactly this. While Supermoon is clearly the winner in this regard Trifecta has actually held its own pretty well and whenever I'm listening to it I'm too immersed in its own charms to care too much about the last bit of detail it's not picking up. YMMV and all that.

Select Comparisons

Campfire Supermoon


Trifecta is a bigger, bolder, richer, more bass driven, unapologetically fun sound. Supermoon (due to it being a planar) is more purely resolving, still has elements of fun but is more of a referency sound on the whole. Supermoon has some timbre/glare issues in the upper mids (which people seem bothered by to a greater or lesser degree) that Trifecta does not have and if I had to guess on account of this primarily I am tempted to say that Trifecta has a more widely appealing sound. What Trifecta does do really well in particular is give you an indulgently bass heavy sound with lots of midrange clarity. It's not a resolution and detail machine, but as already mentioned it's by no means low resolution or anything. While super bombastic I am tempted to say that Trifecta's sound and tuning is more refined.

Unique Melody Mentor


Unfortunately I don’t have a Mentor on hand right now and have never a/b’d these two IEMs directly but since this is a comparison many will be interested in I’ll try my best from memory and hopefully update this section later once I have a Mentor in my possession again.

Following are snippets from my notes and impressions of Mentor:

“The whole sound just envelops you and the layering and imaging of all the instruments is wonderful. This is a sound in the vein of VE8 & Phonix and kicked up to the next level technically. In fact I would say that tuning wise Mentor is something of a hybrid of the VE8 and Phonix by Vision ears-- so imagine this with some BCD on top and you're some way there. People who haven't experienced BCD tech should really try to-- the effect is tangible and when done really well as it is here it is thoroughly mind blowing. The sound seems to emanate spherically from the centre of your point of focus within out beyond your head in all directions….

The UM Mentor has a massive, immersive, enveloping and engaging sound-- which means that when it works it's really phenomenal, and when it doesn't you really notice it. It's been hit or miss for me with some tracks over the last day and a bit…

[Mentor’s] Sound is very clear and coherent, mids are well delineated, nicely textured and clear. Bass is serviceable but not close to a good DD to me yet...this is quite noticeable to me coming from EXT. I would also say at this point that it's more a compliment to Traillii than a one up. Mentor seems to me like it's trying to mimic a good full size DD headphone, whereas Trailliil to me in terms of overall gestalt is closer in spirit to a planar.

[On Mentor] all the instruments are as large as life and jump out at you from their own real and distinct positioning within a life-size 3-d space. You can hear the finger picks on a stand-up bass and place the picking of the fingers at the "top end" and the acoustic body of bass on the "bottom" if that makes sense. Just wonderful. Another real standout here is the piano. I'm not a real piano guy this sounds really nice-- the impact of the keys and resonant tone/decay/ringing is just perfect.”

Mentor and Trifecta to me represent epitomes if different sonic ideals. Mentor blows Trifecta out of the water technically, but Trifecta has more soul. With Mentor I’m more aware of nuance, precision and scope of imaging…with Trifecta I’m more aware of the groove. I find personally with IEMs like Mentor they wow me off the bad but eventually I need more than technical excellence to sustain my interest. This is why the Traillii is so enduring and why it’s still my choice for an IEM without a DD in it. At the end of the day In my opinion IEMs should be judged on their own terms by virtue of their own strengths and how well they accomplish what they set out to do. Trifecta is not trying to be a Mentor, a Jewel, or a Traillii...so I will not criticize it for not living up to the standards, ideals and voicings of those IEMs.

Fir Frontier Series



I don’t have any of the Frontier series on hand to compare which is too bad as the IEM which most begs for a comparison with Trifecta is arguably the Xe6.

The most general and accurate thing I can say at this juncture is that the Frontier Series are hybrids and manifest all the strengths and characteristics found in hybrids and in using multiple types of drivers for what they each bring to the table.

The Trifecta is a triple but in essence single DD IEM. Dynamic drivers do not have the speed and articulation up top to compete with BAs, e-stats, planars etc. so it is a given at the outset that the Trifecta will not have the same summit fi resolution and detail retrieval as IEMs like, say, Xe6, Mentor or Supermoon. But I will not fault Triecta for that as it's hardly fair to criticize something for not being able to do that which it is not equipped to do. I will say however that the Trifecta's resolution and top to bottom extension is the best I've ever heard from a purely DD IEM. That is something. In terms of their unique character and manifestation of such I regard both Trifecta and Xe6 as earning their respective places at the summit.

Vision Ears EXT



This is an interesting comparison, again done from memory. The “DD half” of EXT shares a lot of characteristics with Trifecta, only with EXT the tuning is around the mids, as per VE house sound. The top portion of EXT is done by e-stats which brings some character but also sacrifices some of that pure DD goodness. While I would love some VE romance in the mids on Trifecta, as a total package wins the day for me. I would love to see a triple DD tuned like EXT, with upper treble only being done with an e-stat a la Xe6 and with some Mentor BCD thrown in…pretty please?

Wrapup and Closing Thoughts

In closing this review I thought it would be worth talking a little about sonic ideals and what one should reasonably expect from a $3K IEM. I came across a very insightful post on another forum which posited that on average different types of tuning profiles are more preferred in different parts of the world. American manufacturers tend to tune around a solid foundation of bass (think Campfire or Audeze), European manufacturers around a natural and present midrange (think Vision Ears, Lime Ears) and Asian companies tend to be more fixated on top end clarity and air (think Elysian or Hifiman). I'm not claiming that this distinction is absolute as there are of course people with a full range of preferences in all countries in the world....but I do think there is a core of truth in there somewhere. More to the point though-- I don’t think any single approach to tuning is more “right” than the others. This year I have been on a rather adventurous IEM journey and have at various times owned and loved the Vision Ears EXT, Elysian Annihilator and the Campfire Audio Trifecta. Each of these IEMs in my estimation is an epitome of the different types of tuning just mentioned: Annihilator (treble), EXT (mids) and Trifecta (bass). It just so happens that I love all of these IEMs basically equally despite their differences—each of them has something it sets out to do and pulls it off at an exceptional level. That, ultimately, is what matters to me. At the end of day it’s not the conception that matters so much as its execution.

Perhaps related though not entirely similar to this is another contrasting set of sonic ideals. Once in a fascinating Darko interview Ken Ball talked about the differences between DD and BA drivers and their relative strengths and weaknesses—BAs being quicker, more resolving but thinner sounding, with DD sound having “more meat on the bone” but not being as purely technical. He went on to say that you have “BA people” and “DD people” which he likened to “cat people” and “dog people”. Since my earliest days in this hobby it has been evident to me that there is indeed such a divide in this hobby in terms of preferences that seem to place people in general on one of two sides—one side preferring clarity, precision and technicality with the other preferring a wetter, warmer, more full bodied and analogue approach. While of course most of us can appreciate the strengths of both, and have preferences that fall somewhere in the middle, in general I think it’s fair to say that when push comes to shove most people will lean more towards one side than the other. I have been trying for years to pin down the exact nature of this divide—technicality vs. timbre, analytic vs. musical—but those terms just apply labels they don’t seem to explain the essence of the distinction.

Sometime after the aforementioned Darko interview with Ken Ball I came across another interview (this time with Caleb Roseneau, incidentally, also from Campfire) who summed up the differences between BA and DD drivers in a way that I feel captures the essence of this distinction—and also what is really at the bottom of what appears to be a fundamental difference in what different groups of people expect from and are after in their pursuit of great sound. Roseneau said that BA drivers are better at “describing sound” and DDs are better at “making you feel it”. Putting the specifics of driver type aside for the time being I think this description cuts right to the heart of two distinct sets of ideals in this hobby. One set looks at an IEM, above all else, to provide an accurate and complete description of the sonic tapestry. To achieve this the focus is more on raw technical skill, resolution, detail, imaging etc. The other set of ideals is more concerned with evoking a or an emotional connection. Here there is more emphasis on wetness, warmth, body and analogue timbre to the sound.

On the spectrum between “describing sound” and “making you feel it” most IEMs these days fall somewhere close to the middle. On the extreme end of the “describing sound” side you have IEMs like the 64 Audio u12t, u18t and, I would wager, the in-the-process-of-being-released Subtonic Storm. Further to the centre to the centre but still on the technical side you have IEMs like Jewel and Mentor. Perhaps Traillii would be close to the middle if not dead centre. On the other more musical side of the spectrum you have IEMs like the EXT, Fir Frontier Series, EE Odyssey, and so on. In the Campfire Trifecta we have perhaps for the first time an IEM at the summit fi level that finds itself at the extreme end of “musical”. It’s worth establishing this distinction in this way because I feel it provides one with the vantage point one needs in order to judge and appreciate the Trifecta on its own terms.

It is interesting the array and power of emotions that exists in this hobby. Our favorite gear is like family to us and we often feel compelled from the heart to rush in and defend it. Personally I am exceedingly grateful CFA exists. Ken Ball is really living the audio dream-- imagine starting your own company to tune and produce IEMs after your own heart, passion and ideals and those of other like-minded people. I tip my hat to him for that and also for the fact that we apparently have very similar tastes and sonic ideals. CFA have brought a lot of inspiration and joy into this hobby for me. If it isn’t plainly obvious by now I am absolutely in love with the Trifecta and currently regard it as possibly the most satisfying purchase I have ever made in this hobby. On the whole the sound is like getting into a hot tub that is just the right temp after a long day…so nice. The bass approach can be overwhelming off the cuff but once you let its sound take hold of you everything expands before you in sonic wonderment and it's hard (for me) to point to anything substantial missing or lacking.

To close: What I love about Trifecta more than anyting else is that it is a love letter to DD bass and analogue sound. It just lets the DDs be DDs on their own terms and doesn't tweak them to make them come off as BAs. As others have said it's an old-school style of voicing that doesn't get much if any love these days...but those for whom it strikes a chord will have something pretty special on their hands. Nicely Done, Campfire. And thank-you for being you.




Edit: Epilogue, Comparison with Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor

I had the pleasure of hosting a Mentor unit for my tours so I thought it was a good opportunity to do a comparison. The results are some thoughts I've gathered over the course of a few hours of listening spread over the last week or so. All listneing done through the Shanling M6U.
Campfire Trifecta vs. Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor – Clash of Two Titans



Some thoughts on EQ

As is the case with many of us in this hobby who have been at it a long time the more I engage with IEMs, sources etc. in a systematic way my sense of my own preferences becomes both broader and more fine-tuned. Many of us like to tweak sound in various ways before it reaches our ears. This is done through sources, tubes, cables, tips, EQ and probably other things I’m forgetting. It also seems to me to be true that, more often than not, most of us are fixated on one or more area of the FR to a greater extent than the rest. In my early days in this I was fixated mostly on bass. It is thus not surprising that early on I became fixated on Campfire Audio, a company whose house sound is quite often defined by a robust and dominant bass response. Later on through exposure to companies like VE & Oriolus I came to understand the charm and importance of a clear, present and seductive midrange—often with either male or female vocals taking centre stage. It’s interesting that while I wouldn’t say my library is particularly fixated on vocals I have found that IEMs tuned around vocals tend to have everything else fall into place in a way that is generally very appealing and engaging to me. This doesn’t diminish my fixation on bass in any way…as at the end of the day it’s probably the area of the FR I’m most picky about when it comes to a “main” IEM. I supposed in that way I fall neatly into the stereotype that as a “westerner” I require a foundation of deep and satisfying bass to be happy. In any case I tend to place a higher premium on bass & mids than treble. This isn’t to say highs aren’t important to me-- I have deeply appreciated a very well executed treble in IEMs like the IER Z1R, Elysium, Ragnar, Annihilator and Gaea—it’s just that I think at most an IEM can master one, maybe two areas of the FR with the third taking more of a supporting role.

In my review of the Trifecta I noted that its primary cons for me were that at times vocals were a bit recessed or lacking some of the emotion and seduction I’d come to crave thanks to my exposure to VE & Oriolus tuning. So why is it my favorite IEM in light of the above? Because the bass is just that good. People talk all the time about technicalities with a focus on midrange resolution or upper air, refinement and sparkle. What you don’t hear mentioned as much is technicalities in the bass and in this Trifecta reigns supreme on the current market in my estimation. I have never heard bass so layered, with so much air, so well textured and with nuance and detail emanating in waves out of a centre of 3-d space. What’s even more remarkable is that this is an IEM that is an unapologetic homage to classic DD sound. No neutering of the DDs to speed them up, coat them in beryllium or make them sound closer to BAs—here the dynamic drivers are unleashed on their own terms and the result, for those of us drawn to such a sound, is glorious.

Still, with the Trifecta in its native tuning I was contemplating rounding out my collection with a more purely mids-focused IEM. While playing around with the EQ I made some adjustments in the bass & mids to preserve the grandeur and impact of the bass but to shift the FR a little towards the mids bringing vocals forward a bit and taming the mid-bass just a wee bit. The result has been a game changer for me and has turned the Trifecta from a fundamentally bass centric IEM to a more balanced presentation that is both a mids and a bass powerhouse. This is the first IEM that has fully satisfied me with its midrange and bass presentation simultaneously. Essentially with a little EQ I have taken the Trifecta and added a good dose of EXT like magic. Thus I have an IEM that effectively masters three of my main fixations— 1) a foundation of epic, technical yet natural bass, 2) open, clear and seductive mids, and 3) all mixed up with an extremely technical, massive full bodied analogue sound. The Trifecta for me takes a single classic DD sound and elevates it to the highest level.

When it came to the Multiverse Mentor my issue with the FR was almost an inverse of that with the Trifecta. With Mentor sometimes for me there is a touch too much upper mids and not enough mid-bass or bass in general. Thus I have also applied some EQ here to good effect to turn the IEM into something more satisfying in the bass and less fatiguing up top. Unfortunately though this improvement, while notable, overcome my main gripe with the IEM—its limp and in my opinion quite average BA bass response. In the case of Trifecta I applied some tweaks that unleashed something already inherent in their very capable drivers. With Mentor I was hamstrung by the limitations of the drivers themselves. It’s not their fault per se—this is purely a matter of my personal taste and preferences.

The point of my writing the above, beyond wanting to flesh out some thoughts, is that when I compare Trifecta and Mentor I will be comparing them after having EQ’d them in the way I described. I believe that when assessing an IEM I should do so under the circumstances where it sounds its best to me. (FWIW I EQ most of my IEMs.)

Mentor vs. Trifecta: General Thoughts

The reason I have titled this writing “clash of two titans” is because I think what we have here are respective epitomes of two different sonic ideals. Mentor, with its BCD augmentation, takes an all BA sound and elevates it to a very high level. Trifecta conversly takes a classic DD sound and elevates that to a very high level. Interestingly, Trifecta achieves a result similar to what I have heard with BCD only instead relying on 3 highly capable dynamic drivers in each earpiece inspire by some sacred geometry and all fixated on a single point.

Comparative strengths and weaknesses:

Mentor

+ More precise imaging
+ More resolving up top than Trifecta
+ A little more resolving in the mids than Trifecta
+ Instrumental and vocal timbre very good
+ From the perspective of highs and high mids renders complex passages more deftly than Trifecta

- Stage is wide and tall but not as deep or holographic as Trifecta
- Bass response is wide but lacks resolution and the solidity and foundational depth/impact of a DD
- Instrumental and vocal timbre is good—especially pianos—but cannot compete with the full-bodied analogue naturalness that Trifecta’s DDs can produce
- sound is very matter of fact and technical and lacks soul and substance—like a movie with epic production values but very little in terms of story.

Trifecta

+ Massive spherical 3-d stage with excellent layering and holographic presentation
+ Summit fi bass response
+ Class leading instrumental and vocal timbre
+ For a lover of bass driven, natural analogue sound without equal on the current market
+ Quite resolving for a warm, bodied dynamic signature

- Imaging not as precise as Mentor
- Not as resolving as a pure BA set like Mentor
- treble detail lags behind Mentor—mostly noticeable in complex passasages

Similarities

Trifecta and Mentor are similar in some respects, most notably in that they are both warm leaning IEMs and both notable for their massive staging.

Key Differences

The most profound difference between the IEMs in my book stems from what I said earlier about one being an epitome of BA driven sound and the other an epitome of DD driven sound. I have often referred to a comment made by Caleb Roseneau of Campfire in which is says that BAs are better at describing sound and BAs are better at making you feel it. This to me captures the essence of Trifecta vs. Mentor in a nutshell. Mentor- with its clarity, resolution and precise imaging-- is providing a fundamentally descriptive sort of sound. Trifecta, on the other hand, just envelops you with its full bodied, impactful layers of sound.

Techicalities

When I first received the Trifecta I hadn’t heard Mentor for some time. My lingering thought of it was of an IEM that wowed one with its technical impact but was wanting in terms of emotional connection. The line I used in my Trifecta review that I feel sums up the two IEMs quite succinctly is listening to each “with Mentor I’m more fixated on the precision in the imaging and with Trifecta I’m more fixated on the groove” or the soul of the music. Having spent the past week with both IEMs I still feel that this is the best way to really capture the differences between the two IEMs, beyond that Mentor is natively more of a mids and treble IEM and Trifecta is more of a bass centric IEM with great mids.

One thing that jumped out at me over and over again while a/b’ing the two IEMs is how well Trifecta held its own against Mentor in terms of its technical chops. Yes Trifecta does not have quite the level of imaging s that Mentor has but it has a deeper, more layered stage and ultimately is more natural and “correct” sounding to me on the whole due to its more analogue driven timbre. To my ears everything just sounds so right and poignant on Trifecta. Furthermore, while it is true that there is more resolution and detail up top with Mentor, the same could be said for the bottom end on Trifecta. Further, yes it is the case that there is a greater degree of native transparency in the mids on Mentor, the extra body and thickness you get on Trifecta gives it a more natural and seductive timbre and overall sound. There is obviously a heavy degree of bias here as I am someone with a strong preference for mids & bass DD sound generally. Conversely someone more interested in mids and highs or with a fixation on imaging will just by default prefer the tonality and presentation of the Mentor. In terms of value I think both IEMs offer a lot to people drawn to their respective strengths but in terms of technical capacity—a measure commonly associated with value or worth of an IEM—I must say I had a very hard time understanding how the Mentor could justify costing $1200 more than the Trifecta. At the end of the day both IEMs succeed very well at what they set out to do and whichever one prefers will be a function of their own tastes and ideals.

Some songs used in my comparisons:

Carmannah - Long Way Home
Dire Straits - Setting Me Up
Moonraker Soundtrack – Flight into Space
St. Germain – Land Of…
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
Metallica - Orion