Campfire Audio Moon Rover Review – Interstellar

Pros –

Quality accessory set, Exceptional build quality and design, Nicely balanced yet detailed tuning, Spacious soundstage, Very source flexible

Cons –

Lacks dynamics relative to the best in class, Midrange could do with slightly more clarity

Verdict –

If you prefer a balanced image with an uptick of coherence set to an articulate and spacious treble, the Moon Rover delivers and looks damn good doing so.

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About Campfire Audio –

Campfire Audio is a boutique audio company from Portland, Oregon that started life as ALO Audio in 2015. Their team consists of audio engineers, designers, and craftspeople giving them a well-rounded skill mix. At the time, the chief focus was on AMPs and cables but this soon grew to include IEMs as well where the name Campfire Audio was born. Campfire Audio partners with local companies and have expended efforts to improve the sustainability of their products. With a focus on acoustics, materials, and meticulous attention to fine-tuning, the company aims to deliver artisan earphones catering to all tastes and preferences.

Introduction –

Planar magnetic IEMs have made a big splash in recent years, offering exceptional performance at a low cost. Premium options have been lauded for further drawing out the technical performance of this driver platform whilst refining the tonality for improved versatility. The Super Moon was Campfire’s foray into this technology and was lauded for its blend of balance and resolution. The Moon Rover is a limited-edition follow-up that brings back the classic geometric shell now in a stunning hand-flamed titanium alongside implementing a newer 12mm planar magnetic driver. It is limited to 888 units worldwide and promises a more balanced sound signature than before.

The Moon Rover is available for $1099 at the time of writing. You can read more about it and secure one for yourself at Campfire Audio!

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Chris very much for reaching out to organise a review of the new Moon Rover. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Unboxing, Design
• Page 2: Sound and Source Pairings
• Page 3: Comparisons & Verdict

Specifications –

• Drivers: Full-range, 12mm planar magnetic driver
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 20 kHz
• Impedance: 22.5 ohms
• Sensitivity: 94 dB

Behind the Design –

12mm Planar Magnetic Driver

Planar magnetic drivers offer many inherent advantages over the more conventionally seen dynamic drivers and BA drivers. They exert a more uniform motor force over the diaphragm resulting in reduced distortion and often boast a lighter diaphragm material in turn, resulting in superior detail and responsiveness.

The initial run of planar IEMs all used a derivative of the same 14mm driver. However, a few variants have since popped up, providing greater variation in terms of sound and performance. The Moon Rover is one of the only IEMs using a 12mm driver. CFA doesn’t mention whether this is an exclusive driver but do mention it was specially designed for agility and musical delivery.

Unique Metal Housings

Campfire Audio is renowned for their metal IEM shells and the Moon Rover is one of their most distinct yet. Rather than the solid body acrylic shell used on the Super Moon, the Rover uses titanium shells with black PVD-finished steel spouts and gold-plated screws. Each shell is flame-treated by hand by the CFA staff leaving a unique look for each unit.

Super Smoky Litz Cable

First seen on the Solaris, the super Litz cable has a thicker gauge than the regular Litz cables and a twisted braid. The smoky variant introduces a black jacket that matches the sporty aesthetic of the Moon Rover. Unlike CFA’s IEMs sporting the Time Stream cable, only a single 3.5mm cable is included meaning users wanting a balanced termination will have to resort to purchasing an additional cable.

Unboxing –

As always, Campfire Audio rewards with a sensational unboxing experience rife with colour and personality. Opening up the card box reveals a magnetic clamshell leather case containing the earphones. The shells are protected by a breezy bag jr which keeps each earpiece separated to prevent scratches. Pre-installed to the earphones is the Super Smoky Litz cable terminated with a single-ended 3.5mm connector. In a separate bag are the remaining accessories which includes 3 pairs of generic silicone tips and 3 pairs of memory foam tips. A Campfire Audio pin, microfiber cloth and cleaning tool are nice extras on top.

Design –

It’s nostalgic to see the return of the OG geometric CFA shell that oozes more of that raw industrial character than the more elegantly formed newer models. Immediately, parallels can be drawn to the Ara which shares the same base design and titanium construction. Here, however, the hand flame treatment results in a striking gradient that is unique to each unit. It’s a captivating effect with my review unit showcasing a reflective blue feeding smoothly into grey that gleams sunburst orange under light. The tolerances are also noticeably better than previous models with smaller panel gaps and tighter mating of each component. Complementing the gorgeous burnt finish are gold plated screws and black PVD spouts.

The Moon Rover also uses Beryllium MMCX connectors which have excellent consistency and better long-term wearing properties than those from other brands. The cable is similar to that on the Solaris 2020, an eight-wire silver-plated copper unit with a smokey black jacket. The cable is compliant and has no tackiness or memory to it which makes it a pleasure to handle. Though larger than the regular litz wire it is hardly unwieldy and subjectively nicer to handle than the new flat profile Timestream cables. It does have a little springiness due to the twisted braid but is overall easy to live with. It has comfortable pre-moulded ear guides and has an excellent in-hand feel.

Fit & Isolation –

If you’ve worn one of Campfire Audio’s older BA monitors, you’ll know what to expect here. Though initially, some found these shells sharp, through each iteration, the company has smoothed off the edges resulting in a generally more agreeable form factor. Alongside the new line of IEMs, I’d say that the Moon Rover belies its appearance in terms of comfort with no hotspots or sharp angles apparent to me during wear. They are reasonably compact and complement the shape of the outer ear well. Despite being relatively heavy, I didn’t find them too fatiguing on the ear over time.

Fit stability is also rock solid due to the shaping and over-ear fit. The nozzle aids this impression, being well angled to position the housings neutrally and achieve a deeper fit with a strong seal. Despite being fully sealed, wearing pressure isn’t excessive and driver flex isn’t apparent either. The dense shells combined with the excellent seal and closed nature results in excellent passive noise isolation that is among the best universals on the market. For those valuing isolation, the Moon Rover is an excellent choice before stepping into more lucrative custom-fit models.   

Next Page: Sound Breakdown