Campfire Audio has been a major force in the audiophile space for more than ten years, delivering classics like Andromeda, Solaris, and Trifecta, each having a unique design and vision. Their latest isn’t a totally new design in the IEM space, but it is new for Campfire: Chimera, an ultra-flagship quadbrid. Priced at $7500, Chimera is the most expensive IEM that Campfire Audio has produced, meaning that being a great IEM isn’t enough, it needs to match the extreme level of quality and performance that the price point demands.
Build and Design
One of the most unique parts of Chimera’s design is the faceplate, which is made from Damascus Carbon Fiber Brass with a process that creates a unique design on each unit, and the end result is a shell that demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship while also remaining very lightweight. While the shell isn’t the largest I’ve seen, the size is definitely well above average, and even exceeds a number of other high-driver quadbrids currently on the market. I’d definitely caution those with smaller ears that frequently experience fit issues to try this one out before you buy it, and even if you don’t typically have fit issues, you may need to work through a number of eartips before you find the right combination of sound and comfort.
For the rest of the package, you get the ALO Audio Valance-6 cable, a leather case, assorted eartips, and some additional case candy, like a cleaning cloth and Campfire Audio pin. The cable is very nice, and offers the sort of premium feel and materials that you’ll find in $1000+ cables from other manufacturers. Honestly, I was expecting more from the package, but to be fair, the complete package matches or exceeds what many other manufacturers offer for their flagship players; it’s just not as elaborate as some of Campfire Audio’s past IEM releases, like the original Trifecta Astral Plane and Solaris Stellar Horizon releases.
Internally, Chimera is a 9-driver quadbrid, with 1 dynamic driver, 1 bone conduction, 3 balanced armatures, and 4 electrostats. The dynamic driver is notable for being a fairly unique “True Glass” driver, and the entire array is routed through Campfire Audio’s internal acoustic design, which manages air pressure as well as damping inside of the shell. The interior acoustic design is something that Campfire Audio has always spent a lot of time on, and I’m guessing that the size and shape of the shell – and being bigger than some similarly configured IEMs – is ultimately in service of the sound.
Sound
There seem to be two types of flagship IEMs: IEMs that aim to do one specific thing at a level you’ve never heard before – even if they have to sacrifice balance and accuracy somewhere in the process – and IEMs that try to achieve the technically best possible version of a balanced, accessible sound. Chimera is largely the latter, but within that balance delivers a midrange that is among the best I’ve heard in an IEM.
Chimera’s bass has extension and strong impact and physicality. While there’s plenty of weight and rumble to the bass, there’s also excellent texture and presentation of details in low-end instruments. The bass is also prominent without overshadowing the midrange or impacting the timbre.
The midrange is really the star of the show here. Chimera presents excellent detail, layering, and an incredibly lifelike vocal delivery. The timbre is exceedingly natural and the entirety of the presentation is natural and cohesive. The layering and vocal presentation is quite possibly the best I’ve ever heard, rivaling past top-tier IEMs like the Oriolus Traillii.
Chimera’s treble is rich and airy, offering good balance and extension. You can hear the precise attack of notes in great clarity and detail, and the upper treble offers air with a sense of spaciousness, but never feels harsh or fatiguing.
The soundstage and imaging are a major highlight of Chimera, that’s capable of delivering a huge three-dimensional space or keeping things more intimate depending on the recording. The imaging offers weighty, holographic presentation that captures subtle nuances in the placement of instruments, and voices. The vocal imaging in particular is exceptional, delivering intimate, emotional vocal performances that put the singer in the room with you.
On a classic jazz track, like John Coltran’s “Trane’s Slo Blues,” Chimera starts by providing a balanced natural presentation of the band, and adds in finer details in the dynamics and imaging for an exquisite experience. At the start, the ride cymbal rings out with a slight echo that helps define the feeling of physical space around the band. The upright bass has both thickness and good articulation, layering nicely with the kick for a smooth groove. When the saxophone comes in, it’s rich and clear, cutting through the mix, with a delivery that lets you place it on the stage, right in front of you.
Progressive metal is a genre that – when produced at a high level – provides an excellent testbed for audiophile gear. “Silenty Walking Along” by Leprous is a great example of composition and production, with layers of synth, distorted guitars and bass, drums, and vocals played with intensity and precision. Chimera delivers depth and texture, with natural timbre and delivery in the instruments, along with highly impressive vocal presentation. Chimera captures the dynamic shifts from near whispered to highly emphatic.
There’s a simplicity to the production of Ingrid Michaelson’s Girls and Boys album, with the band sounding like the indie rock albums of that time, while the vocals are overdubbed and layered to a sometimes extreme level. Chimera nails the fundamentals of the band, with a balance between cohesive blending and easy separation of each element, but the vocals are the real star. Ingrid’s main vocal sounds personal and emotional, and the overdubs offer harmony and counterpoint. Chimera presents the whole picture in a way that will have you pressing repeat to pick out voices you’d never noticed before and to just appreciate the layering and dynamics in each piece of the incredible vocal performance.
Comparison: FATfreq Grand Maestro Anniversary Founder’s Edition
The closer you get to the $10,000 price range, the more rare and exotic IEMs become. At $7500, there are very few IEMs that reach for the same heights as Chimera, but there are a few, like the limited edition $8599 FATfreq Grand Maestro Anniversary Founder’s Edition. In the end though, Grand Maestro and Chimera have very different visions of what an ultra-flagship model should look like.
The first piece of this is the package. GMA Founder’s Edition goes all out, with a jewelry box, a number of accessories, and a cable that approaches python thickness. Chimera sticks with a package that’s similar to more typical flagship IEMs in the $4000 range, but it still provides a similar level of function to GMA Founder’s Edition’s package. Chimera’s cable is excellently crafted, but doesn’t have the same visual and tactile wow-factor of the Effect Audio included with FATfreq’s package.
Looking at the IEMs themselves, GMA Founder’s Edition has a premium design with a gold faceplate, but it doesn’t feel as unique as Chimera – both in design and feel. Both are quite large, and may cause some fit issues, and the difference there is going to be more a matter of preference and specific ear construction and size. In terms of the overall quality of the build, I’d give a small edge to Campfire for the overall precision in the fit and finish of the IEMs.
In terms of sound, GMA Founder’s Edition offers a wide range of tunings through modules and switches, but for the most part, you get a v-shaped tuning with a focus on highly impressive bass along with an expansive soundstage. Chimera opts for a single tuning instead: one which I find to be better balanced and more impressive all-around technical performance. I think at the core of the difference is that GMA Founder’s Edition provides a more impressive feature list and a more immediately impressive package and feature set, but Chimera delivers a more definitive ultra-flagship experience.
The Bottom Line
If you’re seriously considering buying a $7500 IEM, it’s not about bang-for-your-buck or even necessarily having the most features. It’s about that unique, aspirational sound that only something at this level can deliver. Chimera delivers exactly that – flagship tuning and execution combined with pinnacle level imaging and vocal delivery. Chimera might not be literally 3x as good as Campfire’s other excellent offerings, like Andromeda 10 and Clara, but it does provide a sonic experience unlike anything else out there.
