Onward and upward they say. So it is with ALO audio. While their mainstay brand continues to broaden its products with both [flagship and minimalist devices] the big news coming out of the OC show was a new line of earphones under a new name called Campfire Audio.
Campfire audio will launch with a 3 tiered line of universal fit IEMs priced to match the current market. The opening model will set you back $499 and is called the Orion. This audio IPO features a single BA driver doing the heavy lifting in an aluminum enclosure. The middle tier gent is called Lyra and sports a ceramic enclosure with a single dynamic beryllium 8.5mm driver for $749.
The flagship of the lineup is the aluminum-housed Jupiter ($1,299). Sonic duties are managed by 4 BA drivers per ear. A quick A/B of the flagship put up a solid impression in terms of dimensionality and high end extension, and even the Orion seemed on track with a fairly balanced response. Both are good qualities to have considering these are often arenas where IEMs can struggle. Expect the Lrya to become available at the end of June and the Jupiter and Orion to ship roughly a month after.
All the new IEMs will include ALO’s silver-plated Tinsel wire, terminated on the earphone end with the somewhat unconventional MMCX connection. The pin on the new cable has been slightly augmented to ALO’s specifications to improve overall performance and offer superior “clicky-ness”. I do feel that the more standard “2 prong approach” of many IEMs could stand for a little refining, so ALO’s attention to this niche-within-a-niche is most welcome.
There was also a circumaural aluminum and leather creation hiding at the end of the ALO table which was still very much a work in progress. The guys from Portland had little to reveal in terms of pricing and timing, so don’t be surprised if the final product varies a bit from what you see here (or heard at the show).