Campfire Audio Jupiter IEM Measurements and Review

Campfire Audio Jupiter IEM Measurements and Review

I'm reassembling my IEM measurement rig so take these graphs for what they are. I'm still tweaking compensations, but I am liking the results of this IEM measurement rig better than the first one. This is just a preview with one channel of measurements and I do still need to calibrate SPL. However results are still comparable. I will update this thread once I get everything squared away after the holidays.



From a subjective impression POV, I absolutely love the Jupiters. I now consider the Jupiters my reference over the UERM. I will be bringing them up to the Bay Area meet, and they will be passed around on the loaner list with the IEM guys given first priority (I know who you guys are.) I may have to borrow them for a week in January for work travel.

I will be succinct as usual. Subjectively this is how the Jupiter compares to the UERM:

1. Tonal signature is more laid back, a bit warmer, but not that elevated bassy shit that seemed to be favored by most commoners. I do prefer these with more neutral or aggressive sounding amps or players.
2. More sub/low bass extension than UERM. This is very welcome.
3. More clarity and a teeny bit more resolution.
4. None of that slightly tinny treble timbre of the UERM.
5. If anything, there is a midrange bump. Think about the @Hands Target curve and how it would be overlaid on top on the Jupiter FR plot.
6. More efficient. Less need for a separate power amp.

@shotgunshane's Impressions:
@OJneg 's Review:


MEASUREMENT NOTES:

1. The treble peaks at 9kHz (Jupiter) and 11kHz (UERM) are caused tube resonances and directly related to the distance between the microphone and the drivers. They should be ignored. We hear in the time domain, and I'm pretty sure our brains filter out the standing waves.
2. UERM has a bit more distortion in the upper mids / lower treble compared to the Jupiter. Does this and the UERM's frequency response account for its more tinny timbre?
3. The UERM is supposed to be modeled after the Yamaha NS10 monitor, which sounds bright. Legend has it that folks in the studios have argued about how many layers of toilet paper to put over the tweeters.
4. Both IEMs have quite a bit of the third harmonic. This indicates that they are probably BA drivers.

OTHER STUFF:

1. Box comes with a bunch of different kinds of tips. I like the Comply tips. Other people like different ones like multi-flanges. Multi-flange types are not included in the box though.
2. Nice case with zipper.
3. Includes balanced cables with mini TRRS plugs (works with AK players?)
4. I like the connectors. They do rotate freely. Some people like how they rotate, some people may not. Personally, I loved that they rotated once I figured out where to rotate them before putting them on my ears.
5. The connectors are attached with a solid push or pull with a snap. This is good. The fit feels solid. I have confidence that the earpieces won't fall off, like how they tend to do so with UERMs. I'm sure you guys know of that horrible feeling that you may have just lost one earpiece.

Campfire Audio Jupiter Frequency Response



Frequency Response Comparison
Green = Jupiter
Grey = UERM
Purple = Andromeda


Campfire Audio Jupiter Impedance

 

Was texting back and forth with Marv. His reference speaker rig is close to my desired FR (slightly off) and so I'm very interested in these. I'm going to convince CEE TEE we should do a review with his FitEars.

 

I actually like that they are universals and quite compact, i.e. not nearly close to ridiculous huge like Uhura's earpiece aka overpriced Jerry Harvey "TOTL" crap.


With my UERM, what I've found that over the years, my ears have changed a bit. There is spot that hurts after about two hours of use. I'll probably need to shave some parts of the acrylic off.

 

How are they via balanced with geek out v2?

 

That's kind of how I've felt; but just ignore the cables (I pretend ALO cables don't exist, so this makes my life easier). Every now and then, ALO comes out with a hit, like the Rx Mk3. The funny thing is that my prior perception that ALO gear was too pricey is no longer true. Many new entrants have increased the bar for stupid excessive pricing (particularly with portable gear) with the help of Jude's marketing and stupid HF'ers with rich parents who like to overpay for crap. Shit, ALO stuff seems like is a bargain now since they've kept their pricing at similar levels to years' past.

ALO / Campfire Audio is on to something with the Jupiter though. The BA driver they are using seems to sound quite a bit different from BAs I've heard in other IEMs.

Can't afford ALO balanced cable. Oh, wait; the TRRS pigtails I have should be compatible both ways?

 

I haven't received my 64 Audio U10 yet, so can't compare to that supposedly reference tuned universal. Target is first or second week of January for shipping.

For me the Jupiter isn't close enough to the UERM; I was hoping it would be a universal version with just a bit more deep bass. Jupiter sounds a little bit U shaped next to the UERM. Jupiter bass is pretty linear but sounds more elevated as a whole next to the UERM, which is more than I wanted. Jupiter treble is really good and the star of the show for me. Articulate and clean with tons of sparkle but never piercing or painful. Really nicely done. The mids are dryer than the UERM and a bit more laid back in direct comparison. The UERM mids are perhaps my favorite of all that I've heard. Build is fantastic. There really is no universal comparison, at least that I've seen. Build and aesthetics were half the reason I bought them begin with and they did not disappoint. At the end of the day, they are a very solid in-ear with in the ball park of reference tuning. I recommend trying Sennheiser dual flange tips with it.

 

Not compatible with regular trs jack.

The headphone should have come with 2.5mm trrs balanced cable too

 

Oh shit. It does. Comes with lot of stuff.

EDIT: It actually comes with a mini-TRRS which won't fit into the GOV2.

 

That's what I said, 2.5mm TRRS (not 3.5mm). Use a pigtail and make it 3.5mm. Then use the extra end and a 3.5mm female jack end pigtail to make a 3.5mm to 2.5mm converter.

 

Don't forget to change the wiring too. The 2.5 is wired for AK balanced, so your pigtail will need to go from that to Hifiman balanced