Campfire hasn’t been around for a very long time. But in their relatively short existence, they’ve managed to create some killer headphone technology. Finally, they’ve released their much anticipated over-ear headphones, the Campfire Cascade.  But do they live up to their hype, and are they worth the big bucks? Let’s find out.

IN the BOX

Campfire Cascade Headphones

Campfire Audio Litz Cable with Cloth Jacket

Silver Plated Copper Conductors with Circular Push-Pull Connectors

Campfire Audio Zipper Headphone Case

FIT

The earpads are plush and soft. They’re rectangular, and fit well over my narrow ears. As far as wider ears go, I would be interested in seeing how the fit turns out. The ear cups, made from aluminum, feel extremely sturdy. The earphones themselves are kind of heavy, but once they’re on my head, I don’t feel the weight. The Cascades feel snug, and my ears feltl isolated from the outside environment. The headband is covered with padded leather, and I had no problem with overall comfort.

DESIGN and FEATURES

The Campfire Cascade is made from steel and aluminum.  A very durable build. Again, pretty weighty, but I like the heftiness. Campfire isn’t joking around. The accompanying Litz cable is key. It has a silver plated copper enamel and four conductors covered with a medical grade PVC jacket. But it just feels like really soft, rope that bunches in your hand. The cable has a 3.55mm plug and copper MMCX connectors. According to other listeners, this cable makes all the difference in the world in terms of sound, compared to listening with a regular cable.

SOUND

The sound on the Campfire Cascade is smooth but not overly polished. It has great transparency, allowing you to hear those tiny nuances in the music. Honestly, everything sounds good on these. Hearing classical music, the strings were velvety and round, and choirs sounded like heaven. Acoustic guitars really pop, and hearing the strum, it becomes clear that these cans have real authenticity. The same can be said for electric guitars. The brass is breathy, and listening to Buena Vista Social Club, I could really hear the impressive timbre of the drums and percussion.

Lows

The bass is very majestic and has a little punch. I wouldn’t call the lows that dry, though they still have a pleasing clarity. It has a perfect balance between feeding your bass addiction without overemphasizing it and drowning out all the other frequencies.

Mids

The low mids are full and rich as well. The higher mids aren’t very emphasized, but that in no way takes away from from the overall sound quality. It still feels well balanced.

Highs

The highs are especially well defined without sounding to bright or sizzly.  It’s a hard balance to achieve, but Campfire pulled it off with a lot of grace. My colleague described the vocals as having a very airy quality, and that’s the perfect way to relate it.  There’s an easy silkiness, smooth as butter.

Soundstage:

The soundstage isn’t extremely wide, but the imaging is very accurate. There’s a lot of detail in these headphones, and the precise placement makes it very enjoyable.

At about 800 bucks, you might say that they are a little on the pricey side, and a couple of people I talked to said they wouldn’t dish out this kind of money for them. But I disagree (easy for me to say because I can’t afford them). If you generally like Campfire’s sound signature(s), you’ll love these headphones.

SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Response: 5Hz-33 kHz

Sensitivity: 100 dB

Impedance: 30 Ohms

13.5 oz (without cable)

 You can order a pair of Campfire Cascade today at Audio46.