Campfire Audio Chromatic Series

[Erkil]

Awesome. Did you hand to do much burn in?

I let all my IEM’s play for days at moderate volume when I get them. 100 hours or sometimes more. Use them when I have the time and just let them play when I don’t. I sometimes feel sound changes, but no way to prove it, or be certain if it is driver or brain burn in

 

[ggero]

Hey! Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask, but has anybody tried both the Cascara and the limited release Onyx from 2021? I would like to know if they are similar in terms of the dark/warm sound profile the Onyx has and if the Cascara could be considered an upgrade.

 

[cats4cans]

Hey! Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask, but has anybody tried both the Cascara and the limited release Onyx from 2021? I would like to know if they are similar in terms of the dark/warm sound profile the Onyx has and if the Cascara could be considered an upgrade.

I have both, but haven’t given them a direct comparison. Onyx was my introduction to IEMs and Campfire. It was my one and only for about a year. I don’t seem to reach for it as much anymore after a rash of acquisitions (Holocene, Ara, Black Star, and Cascara). I’ll make some time for a quick head to head soon, but I’m pretty sure Cascara is going to be the clear winner. And it’s such a pretty shade of blue, too.

 

[ggero]

I have both, but haven’t given them a direct comparison. Onyx was my introduction to IEMs and Campfire. It was my one and only for about a year. I don’t seem to reach for it as much anymore after a rash of acquisitions (Holocene, Ara, Black Star, and Cascara). I’ll make some time for a quick head to head soon, but I’m pretty sure Cascara is going to be the clear winner. And it’s such a pretty shade of blue, too.

That would be awesome if you could compare them, I'd greatly appreciate it. I tried the Onyx once and I've been trying to find something like it ever since. Thought about the Honeydrew many times but the plasticky feel doesn't convince me. I think the Cascara should be better too, but It's pretty expensive to get here in my country so I wanted to hear some opinions first. Thank you for the reply!

 

[cats4cans]

That would be awesome if you could compare them, I'd greatly appreciate it. I tried the Onyx once and I've been trying to find something like it ever since. Thought about the Honeydrew many times but the plasticky feel doesn't convince me. I think the Cascara should be better too, but It's pretty expensive to get here in my country so I wanted to hear some opinions first. Thank you for the reply!

I think the Honeydew, Satsuma, and Onyx had the same shell or at least shell type. Lightweight and it helps to hit that price point. I thought the Cascara would be a slam dunk, but I think that’s only because basscentric IEMs sound muddy after listening to all BA neutrals like Holocene or Ara. But once my ears acclimated a little the Onyx was the same great IEM that convinced me I should buy more. I think it may have a little more zing up top, but that could be BA expectation bias. The DD in the Cascara is definitely more refined. They both get low and with plenty of heft, but the Cascara seems more articulate. Comfort goes to the Cascara. It’s a lot bigger, but fits my ear almost perfectly.
It’s hard to do apples to apples because of the price and availability differences. Campfire Marketplace has some great deals, especially when they have special discount weekends. That’s where I bought my Cascara. They come up in the classifieds here sometimes too. And I just saw an ad for a used Onyx in the classifieds here. It’s going to be hard to go wrong with either, which probably doesn’t help you much. If I ever decide to sell my Onyx I’ll message you. I don’t see myself ever selling the Cascara though. They are more alike than I originally thought which might make the Onyx redundant someday. I feel like an addict sometimes because I’m starting to stash IEMs in different places.
Last nights’ listening chain was Qobuz>Wiim Pro>Soekris dac1421>Magni Unity and included this gem.

 

[ggero]

I think the Honeydew, Satsuma, and Onyx had the same shell or at least shell type. Lightweight and it helps to hit that price point. I thought the Cascara would be a slam dunk, but I think that’s only because basscentric IEMs sound muddy after listening to all BA neutrals like Holocene or Ara. But once my ears acclimated a little the Onyx was the same great IEM that convinced me I should buy more. I think it may have a little more zing up top, but that could be BA expectation bias. The DD in the Cascara is definitely more refined. They both get low and with plenty of heft, but the Cascara seems more articulate. Comfort goes to the Cascara. It’s a lot bigger, but fits my ear almost perfectly.
It’s hard to do apples to apples because of the price and availability differences. Campfire Marketplace has some great deals, especially when they have special discount weekends. That’s where I bought my Cascara. They come up in the classifieds here sometimes too. And I just saw an ad for a used Onyx in the classifieds here. It’s going to be hard to go wrong with either, which probably doesn’t help you much. If I ever decide to sell my Onyx I’ll message you. I don’t see myself ever selling the Cascara though. They are more alike than I originally thought which might make the Onyx redundant someday. I feel like an addict sometimes because I’m starting to stash IEMs in different places.
Last nights’ listening chain was Qobuz>Wiim Pro>Soekris dac1421>Magni Unity and included this gem.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do the comparison. I guess I'll try to get either one of them and just roll with it. I've looking at some classifieds here and there are some good prices on the Cascara, though shipping might be a problem and add up a lot to the cost. Right now I can get a brand new one for around $700 due to import taxes and shipping, so waiting for a sale could be a good idea lol. I didn't know they randomly drop some of these on the CA Marketplace, thought it was only for older releases, so I appreciate that info too. Will definitely keep an eye there.

Currently I'm rocking a FiiO JH3 which is alright (completely different though), but I don't enjoy it, so either one will be a great upgrade. I hope the Cascara goes on sale soon or at least gets a small discount to mitigate some of the additional taxes.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Timo Silakka]

Can anyone compare the sound of these (and most preferably Cascara) to Shure SE846?

SE846 are my all time favorite for strong but smooth vocals and mellow low fatigue response overall. I'm not a fan of ear piercing trebles. Good soundstage is important as well as natural and coherent timbre.

 

[kmhaynes]

Can anyone compare the sound of these (and most preferably Cascara) to Shure SE846?

SE846 are my all time favorite for strong but smooth vocals and mellow low fatigue response overall. I'm not a fan of ear piercing trebles. Good soundstage is important as well as natural and coherent timbre.

I had the Shure 435 (?) many years ago, and I know 846 had more bass, But I'm sure the Cascara would sound a bit bombastic vs the 846. Maybe someone will correct me!

 

[Timo Silakka]

I had the Shure 435 (?) many years ago, and I know 846 had more bass, But I'm sure the Cascara would sound a bit bombastic vs the 846. Maybe someone will correct me!

Excess bombastic can be tuned with EQ? I plan to use these with Shure TW2 adapters.

Bonneville could be an option too, but the price is 3x compared to Cascara. 500 USD / EUR level isn't too expensive for daily abuse.

As I posted earlier, the Cascara with the Shure TW2 have become my go to TWS set. On most dog walks. And on a lot of just general outings. With the ambient noise passthrough of the TW2 which is better than a lot of true TWS I have used, they are a sleek and solid package on the go anywhere. If I was a retailer, I would bundle the Shure TW2 with select MMCX IEM at various price points, and I'd choose the Cascara for the $500 price point. If you like music on the go, this is a really really good solution.

I got back from walking my dog for 40 minutes about an hour ago. I'm sitting here with the Cascara in my ears still exploring new music while I browse the web reading stuff.

I do feel the Cascara were a great bang for buck purchase at $499. They make me happier than my IE600 did that is for sure.

@PixelSquish, are you still happy with this combo, TW2+Cascara?