[Xinlisupreme]

New CFA Trifecta…3 x 10mm DD (!!!)

Info here



Looks pretty cool but I think I'm still arguably more excited at the prospect of a uni version of the Supermoon (ie., a Planar).

Almost 3400$?!? oh wooow

 

[xenithon]

They should have priced it at $3,333

 

[Rockwell75]

They should have priced it at $3,333

Yeah that would have been more thematically appropriate. I'm glad they're relasing an all DD model at that tier-- very curious to hear it. But I probably won't be buying one.

 

[DanielListening]

 

[kevin638880]

Yeah that would have been more thematically appropriate. I'm glad they're relasing an all DD model at that tier-- very curious to hear it. But I probably won't be buying one.

Famous last words

 

[gLer]

Almost 3400$?!? oh wooow

Wow, so much for Ken Ball saying the best IEM he can make tops out at ~$1700 (I'm paraphrasing here). I don't blame CFA for wanting to get in on the luxury pricing feast that's happening in the IEM market, but I didn't think I'd see CFA join that party, to be honest. They must have real faith in this design for it to be twice the price of anything that's come before. Time will tell..I expect world-first impressions from the usual suspects at the Cooler

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Wow, so much for Ken Ball saying the best IEM he can make tops out at ~$1700 (I'm paraphrasing here). I don't blame CFA for wanting to get in on the luxury pricing feast that's happening in the IEM market, but I didn't think I'd see CFA join that party, to be honest. They must have real faith in this design for it to be twice the price of anything that's come before. Time will tell..I expect world-first impressions from the usual suspects at the Cooler

Cost 2X Qdc DMAGIC 3D

 

[Tristy]

New CFA Trifecta…3 x 10mm DD (!!!)

Info here



Looks pretty cool but I think I'm still arguably more excited at the prospect of a uni version of the Supermoon (ie., a Planar).

Initial limited release of 333 units… not sure how I feel about that. Interesting design either way.

 

[KutuzovGambit]

This is my cover better than original vote!

 

[aaf evo]

I don’t think I have a particular favorite driver setup. I love tri-brids but I need it all done well. The DD bass in the Annihilator is dry and doesn’t have much texture so that’s a miss for me overall on a DD low perspective in a tribrid. It is not close to same tier as quality bass imho as the Jewel, kinetic bass, W9+, or IE900 DDs. So far the best mid ranges I have heard have all come from BA mids. As far as EST treble goes, I am impartial. I love the Jewel/Elysian highs for their lighter and more ethereal sound but I think my heart still belongs to open BA drivers for lower treble and EST for upper. To me it gives the best of both worlds as far as weight and speed goes. I love the XE6 treble for that reason as the EST driver just does the upper treble and doesn’t interfere with the overall treble timbre of the IEM, while you still get the weighted and speed of the open BA driver too for lower treble.

Also that new Campfire IEM looks interesting, hopefully it’s good and available in a CIEM but let’s see!

I also have no clue why I’ve bought this DX320, I don’t know when I’m getting it and the M2 mid range has stole my <3. M2 + Jewel is just stunning.

 

[DanielListening]

333x$3,400 = $1,132,200.00

LOL

 

[efftee]

The DD bass in the Annihilator is dry and doesn’t have much texture so that’s a miss for me overall on a DD low perspective in a tribrid. It is not close to same tier as quality bass imho as the Jewel, kinetic bass, W9+, or IE900 DDs.

If you are ever presented with a chance to get a Venom cable, do consider it. IMO, it is markedly better than the Martini on the Annihilator.

 

[Rockwell75]

Wow, so much for Ken Ball saying the best IEM he can make tops out at ~$1700 (I'm paraphrasing here). I don't blame CFA for wanting to get in on the luxury pricing feast that's happening in the IEM market, but I didn't think I'd see CFA join that party, to be honest. They must have real faith in this design for it to be twice the price of anything that's come before. Time will tell..I expect world-first impressions from the usual suspects at the Cooler

I don't think he said that exactly (I could be wrong though)...I do remember him saying the company had a commitment to reasonable pricing, which has always been fairly accurate imho. That said I don't think this new model-- which I think is the highest priced IEM of their new lineup-- is that egregiously priced really. If you factor in inflation, rising cost & scarcity of materials etc., a $2K IEM in 2018 isn't too far off a $3K IEM right now. Further, their most expensive IEM in 2018 was about 1/3 the cost of the most expensive IEMs on the market at that time...and that ratio will still be true when this IEM is released in the summer of 2022. So in a sense what they're doing now is really only a moderate jump from what they've been doing all along.

 

[aaf evo]

If you are ever presented with a chance to get a Venom cable, do consider it. IMO, it is markedly better than the Martini on the Annihilator.

I literally hate the Venom. It feels like someone made an IEM cable out of TPU

Or it reminds me of this..

 

[JS27]

. Further, their most expensive IEM in 2018 was about 1/3 the cost of the most expensive IEMs on the market at that time...and that ratio will still be true when this IEM is released in the summer of 2022. So in a sense what they're doing now is really only a moderate jump from what they've been doing all along.

Another person made similar comments to me on the new Campfire/pricing. I tend to think there's a mean vs. median flavored jam when it comes to pricing. Just by "in a vacuum" mean-based maths....sure, things like Tralalalala, Jewel, or whatever UM limited unique special-hyper edition of the next 24 hours pull pricing up into $5K and above territory in the last few years. But when you get above what....say $2,500....how many units of any given IEM is actually moving worldwide net? Dozens? Hundreds maybe for something like Tralalala? Those are by design low volume, sky-high margin, prestige-based products. I'm more a median kinda' guy (in judging pricing) in that respect, right or wrong.

From a consumer/"value" standpoint, if Campfire is blowing way past $2K on any release....for me it puts them in an ultra-premium category where price is more a status marker or positioning against other ultra-premiums vs. any consistent pricing path that has a larger audience in mind. I don't assign any "right or wrong" to that....I dig that Campfire tried the (relatively) lower priced game for things like Holocene, Mammoth, etc. and it didn't light the world on fire. The critics that orbit the $100-$1K world....which is most all the bigger names (again, there's not enough raw sales to warrant driving eyes to the over $2.5K stuff)...are especially unkind to Campfire's tuning approaches. I do wonder if Campfire will find success jumping to the other extreme....which in all honesty is chasing the rich kid-driven status market. Can an IEM company not start in that rarified air.....especially a Western/US-based IEM..and then break into that market? I dunno'.....like Spinal Tap they seem big in Japan at least.

I'll try one of the upcoming batch.....but personally will miss CA price-spread approach of $500-$2K......I could gobble up one or two every month an enjoy the line. Hitting at $3K a pop.....that's starting to be real money (for this non 'independently wealthy' gent at least)