These new ultra-audiophile wired earbuds offer nine drivers, are made from carbon fiber, and are all literally unique but they cost 30x the price of AirPods Pro 3

Date:
Mon, 18 May 2026 09:58:28 +0000

Description:
The Campfire Audio Chimera have the specs list of your dreams, but the price tag of your nightmares.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Campfire Audio unveils new Chimera in-ear monitors (IEMs) Nine-driver tech includes bone conduction woofer and electrotatic tweeters Premium design that makes each unit unique Everyone's talking about ditching Bluetooth in headphones these days. Well if you're looking for the best wired earbuds around, then Campfire Audio has a very interesting proposition for you, but it'll cost you.

It'll cost you a lot . The new Campfire Audio Chimera cost $7,500 / 6,999 (about AU$14,000). That's 30 times the $249 / 219 / AU$429 price of the AirPods Pro 3 , which I use as a reference since they're the most popular model of buds on the planet. Suffice it to say, they're not for the average consumer it's likely to be professionals and the most hardcore of head-fi enthusiasts who'll pick them up. Latest Videos From You may like Meze's new Astru IEMs would be one way to make your brand-new MacBook Neo sing The best wired earbuds, from cheap USB-C buds to audiophile monitors 'An odd choice': Cleer has put audiophile-grade perks in open earbuds, and I'm confused

But boy, what you get for that money is hard to argue with. These IEMs look fantastic, made of carbon-fibre and brass, adorned in a magnesium shell. According to Campfire Audio, every single unit made will look slightly different, with the production method resulting in subtle differences.

You can see how good they look in images; apparently they're designed to
catch the light, so will appear even better in person. (Image credit:
Campfire Audio) The cable included with the IEMs uses four copper conductors, and two 50/50 copper and silver ones. And you get a lot more in the box:
loads of eartips (including silicone and foam options), a cleaning tool and cloth, and a carry bag.

But the real draw to the Chimera is the audio. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Driver? I barely know 'er The Campfire Audio Chimera has not one, not two, not okay, it has nine drivers. And there are some real surprises in that list.

You're getting a 10mm dynamic driver for low-end, dual-diaphragm balanced armature driver for midrange, two balanced armatures for clarity, four electrostatic "super-tweeters" for high-frequency sound, and a bone
conduction driver too.

This latter sounds like one of the most interesting selling points of the Chimera: it'll let you feel, not just hear, low-end sounds, to add a little extra physicality to sub-bass. What to read next 'Hard-pressed to find a more affordable pair of IEMs' Astell & Kern's cheaper sub-brand just released budget 5-driver wired earbuds Activo Scoop review: cheap IEMs that don't
skimp on quality Soundpeats' new earbuds boast a battery life that walks all over AirPods 4 and the 13mm drivers are also big news

That's a bold choice, but it could pay off big time. We've previously knocked the brand's IEMs for their bass, like the Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon, and maybe Campfire Audio has fixed that problem in style.

For those who don't care about bigger bass, the draw lies in the use of four electrostatic drivers per bud it's not a tech that gets out much, so we love to see it.

To keep the show on the road, Campfire Audio has given the Chimera a pressure valve to keep the airflow correct, and a tuning damper to make sure sound quality is as good as it could be. Given the specs list, these could sound like some of the best IEMs out there (and you'd hope so, for that price). The best music players for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best hi-res music players 1. Best overall: Activo P1 2. Best budget hi-res player: Fiio JM21 3. Best step-up hi-res player: Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/these-new-ultra-audiophile-wir ed-earbuds-offer-nine-drivers-are-made-from-carbon-fiber-and-are-all-literally -unique-but-they-cost-30x-the-price-of-airpods-pro-3


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