Campfire Audio Clara Review – Polite yet Complex

Sound –

Testing Methodology: Measured using Arta via IEC 711 coupler to Startech external sound card. 7-9KHz peaks may be artifacts/emphasized due to my measurement setup which I found to be the case here. Measurements besides channel balance are volume-matched at 1KHz. Fit depth normalized to my best abilities to reduce coupler resonance. Still, due to these factors, my measurements may not accurately reflect the earphones or measurements taken by others. I gave the Clara 100 hours of burn-in prior to evaluation.

Tonality –

Campfire Audio, to my knowledge, have yet to offer a balanced, all-rounder from a hybrid driver platform. The usual formula is either heaps of bass, heaps of treble or both, which is fun and enjoyable but not suitable for all. Early impressions of the Clara appeared to contrast with listeners lauding a smoother, more restrained tuning from the collaborative effort. And indeed, these were my impressions, the Clara is warm and more coherent than past models, but still technical and well etched. It is not a reference monitor, and you should not expect one despite this. It is still a higher contrast, W to L-shaped IEM, albeit one of the more polite offerings when looking at Campfire Audio in specificity.  As opposed to the warmer mid-bassier tunings frequented by the brand, Clara opts for greater balance between sub and mid-bass, retaining moderate warmth and excellent texture for a more forgiving and balanced musical experience. \

The midrange similar to the BA-models in CFA’s lineup forgoing the usual 3kHz hump in favour of smaller dual 1.5 and 3kHz bumps. This provides a bit more parity between male and female vocals in addition to larger, more intimate vocals. Where things diverge most is within the treble, which is less emphasised and more smoothly articulated yet still airy with strong extension. It sports the typical CFA mid-treble peak and a general rise through the upper treble that adds heaps of air, sparkle and general sensation of headroom. Though it still won’t be for all, treble is more behaved than most from the brand, whilst still offering similar qualities.

Bass –

Campfire Audio make a fantastic dynamic driver, and the Clara is no different, offering an excellent blend of quality and tonality. Clara offers similarly top-notch extension and dynamics as previous models, albeit with less aggressive pressurisation, which makes it more forgiving on the ear. The tuning is still medium warm but offers a good blend between slam, rumble and mid-bass texture. Bass is overall heartily elevated but not nearly as overbearing as some of CFA’s previous models. It is slightly bassier to my ears than something like the Solaris and overall well-judged to deliver richness without upsetting versatility. In turn, note timbre is quite natural, energetic, but avoiding boxiness and bloat.

Something that always inspires on CFA hybrids and dynamics is the quality of the bass response. Even their downright bass head models still deliver impressive control and separation. Clara tones down the level of bass to a more balanced proportion, retains the control whilst still sporting the same dynamics and assertive attack. Bass has excellent structure and detail retrieval, especially in the sub-bass, which benefits from highly resolved slam and rumble. The mid-bass is well textured and decays naturally. Despite being relatively bass-forward, Clara offers excellent separation on complex passages due to a high level of bass control and note definition. While CFA have always offered such excellent technical chops, the Clara arguably offers the same atop the most desirable and well-balanced bass tuning in their lineup.

Mids –

Subjectively, the midrange occupies a slightly more laid-back positioning, which makes the Clara a W-shaped monitor or L-shaped monitor depending on the track. However, its vocal-forward style of tuning and excellent resolving power mean the midrange never gets overshadowed. Specifically, dual peaks bump up vocal presence, both male and female, whilst increasing definition. It isn’t a bright or high clarity midrange but a transparent and high-definition one. In turn, I find that rather than pushing small details to the fore, Clara instead focuses on increasing their perception through excellent note resolution and high separation. Accordingly, Clara manages to be very detailed in the midrange without being especially bright or forward. Vocals remain naturally voiced too, despite this, as the added definition is counterbalanced by a light warmth seeping in from the bass and as the top-end never dominates.

In this regard, Clara is a coloured and musical monitor, rather than a neutral and linear one, but still manages strong genre versatility overall. Vocals are enlarged and clearly rendered. Instruments get pushed back a touch, being richly voiced but sitting behind the vocals on most tracks. Another standout quality here is layering. The mid-treble peak means the background isn’t especially dark however, the midrange remains highly layered with each individual layer being defined and delineated. There isn’t a hyper contrast between the foreground and background, but stilla clear separation between them. The Clara has one of the most resolving midranges around its asking price, atop a typical CFA midrange tuning. It’s what the brand and Alessandro have done around it that bestows its more restrained and natural character.

Highs –

Campfire Audio have always delivered on excellent technical performance in the treble, with their latest models continuing to push that envelope. However, this is an impression that draws equally from marvellous technical ability alongside aggressive treble tuning that can create fatigue for some. Clara seeks to uphold the former whilst addressing the latter, and this tone is immediately set with the lower treble tuning. Immediately, this isn’t an IEM that screams bright and detailed. Instead, it is polite yet complex with a lower treble that sits behind the bass and midrange, granting a smoother, more relaxed character. Despite this, notes retain excellent clarity and bite with a predominant 7 kHz emphasis that finds a happy middle ground between etching the leading edge of notes and avoiding excessive note thinness and brittleness. Above, the upper treble sees broad emphasis, which enhances the perception of sparkle and micro detail. As such, treble is still present and well defined, but never sits at the forefront.

What is pivotal is the actual note presentation that is delivered with wicked clean transient response, permitting excellent definition and separation despite the smoother lower treble. There isn’t any glare or over-arching brightness, but excellent clarity and still plenty of bite. Notes are a little thinner than neutral but still offer sensible body and texture. Decay is natural too, with cymbals shimmering without excess or truncation. Detail retrieval is as impressive as you’d expect from any of CFA’s top dogs. The foreground has excellent separation and fine detail retrieval with that signature sparkle and micro detail pushed forward in abundance. The key here is moderation, as the technical chops and overall presentation are similar to the highly lauded Astrolith, just toned back a couple of steps, enhancing overall listenability. Those who prefer such aggression may find Clara overly smoothed over by comparison. However, make no mistake, the Clara is not devoid of detail; it is simply reserved in its presentation.

Soundstage –

The Clara has a larger soundstage that spreads broadly to the sides outside of the head and projects depth well, albeit to a lesser extent. The highlight here is imaging, which offers a very involving listen. Vocals are strongly centred, and layering is excellent. The Clara offers multiple defined and well-delineated layers. It also has excellent distance portrayal as there isn’t just a foreground and background, but granularity between. This enhances the three-dimensional quality of the stage. Separation is quite good also, aided by the more balanced tuning and larger dimensions of the overall soundstage. The mix never becomes congested or muddled; there is some ether surrounding each note, and small details are never overshadowed.

Driveability –

The Clara has a reasonable 94dB sensitivity and a 13.3 ohm impedance. Despite this, it is one of the most sensitive IEMs I have tested, similar to most of CFA’s hybrid and BA models. This means one needs to be mindful of source noise, as the Clara easily picks up hiss. Despite this, it also needs a bit of juice to hit its stride, so though the Clara hits high volume from essentially any source, it is quite a demanding IEM to drive overall.

Output Impedance Sensitivity

Despite the complex driver array, the Clara showcases sound stability to output impedance. The chief difference with 20 ohms of output impedance is a 3-5dB drop in treble presence, besides this the sound is stable. Given the already smoother nature of the treble, I would personally suggest a lower output impedance of 1 ohm or below to uphold a balanced listen. However, those especially sensitive to treble may consider a higher impedance source as a method of personal tuning.

Driving Power

The Clara thrives from a powerful source and scales very well with additional amplification. Comparison a portable dongle such as the DITA Navigator to my desktop stack revealed an immediate jump in bass control, treble presence and soundstage space. While they don’t lack from a portable source, a good amplifier is pivotal to extracting the best technical performance from the Clara.

Suggested Pair Ups

The Clara benefits from a low output impedance and strong driving power. A dedicated amplifier or more powerful portable source would be advised to achieve the best listening experience on the go. Given its smoother tuning, I subjectively prefer the Clara when paired with a neutral to bright source.

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