Two Pairs Of In Ear Monitors From Campfire Audio

Meet Campfire Audio’s Satsuma And Honeydew

TechPowerUp is testing two monitors from Campfire Audio, which are a little different than most as they are in ear monitors instead of over the ear.   Campfire Audio is a fairly recent player, they recently branched off from Audio Line Out, itself only around since 2009.  The Honeydew and Satsuma in ear monitors might look the same on the outside, apart from the colouring, but there is another big difference you can’t see, only hear.

Inside the Honeydew you will find full-range 10 mm liquid crystalline polymer diaphragm dynamic drivers, while in the Satsuma it is a full-range ported balanced armature driver which provides the audio.   One simple way to know which makes more sense for you is the impedance, you will need to be able to manage 46.4 Ω @ 1 kHz for the Satsuma while the Honeydew is happy with 17.44 Ω @ 1 kHz.

The ABS shells are also an interesting addition, Campfire Audio used ABS because they 3D print the bodies, which helps ensure the audio out of the right ear matches the left.  It is harder to do this than you might assume, especially with moulded plastics and headphones made of more than one material.

If you are into bass and low mids, with little regard to the higher end then the Honeydew will do you, otherwise Satsuma will satisfy your love of the high end, at the cost of bass performance.  One last note, while one end of the cable uses the familiar RCA jack, the earbud end actually connects with MMCX so be careful if you are removing them.