Campfire Audio Polaris 2 Hybrid Dual Drivers IEM Earphones

These IEMs are known for being 'all about that bass'. My primary purpose to get them was to have something a bit more high-end hooked up to Fiio UTWS1 and use for running outside/training at the gym. For this purpose, they work very well; it's a good pairing by the way (with a caveat, more below), the earphones are rugged, which gives me confidence that they will endure the physical activity I will be putting them through. And the pumping sound signature is perfect when chasing that... pump. That's not the full story, though.As thumping as the bass is, I find it a little lazy. It is not a tight bass and depending on the track it may create a sort of continuous background hum as the sounds merge with less discernible ups and down in the low registers when compared to what you would get from some other earphones (this is in both wireless and wired set ups). I mentioned a caveat to using them with UTWS1 - Fiio themselves admitted that they produce floor noise; these earphones are very sensitive to it. Luckily, not an issue when the music starts playing but something to be aware of depending on what device you are plugging these into. Last thing about the bass: it's presence is always at the back of the track and I've thrown many at it. I get it, I think if it was more forward it would totally dominate the track, it does however create an effect of separation from the rest of the sound spectrum being played, which sometimes may make it feel a little out of place. Your brain has to work to 'merge' the sounds, which makes them a little more fatiguing than I expected (but not too much).What I was surprised with was the quality of the mids and highs. Highs are sparkly, occasionally piercing, made me almost wince maybe a few times (I am being very harsh). Female and male vocals present a more nuanced story: female vocals sounds from ok to good, occasionally very good but never very forward. Male vocals sound excellent; they have a sort of commanding presence that grabs your attention, the stage is theirs, so to speak. This I found to be very consistent and it was a surprise as overall the highs and mids are very good for IEMs I was expecting to wow me with bass. It's kinda the opposite (although wow is a strong word here).To summarise, I found that if you want to have a fun listening session and/or a good workout, throw all the thumpy dance music you can think of and let yourself loose. You will enjoy it. However, Polaris works really well with instrumental and acoustic music as if it was pushing out to the front the qualities which are naturally less present in that type of music, making it sound a little bit more exciting and less flat. Combine that with a male vocalist and you have a winner, maybe even a dedicated pair for all those MTV unplugged's you may have in your collection?Edit: A few weeks later my pair is still going strong. I've read my review and I stand by what I said to the letter but something has changed - I've started enjoying them more (call it a brain burn-in) and would now update the rating from 4 to 4.5 stars. I appreciate more the sound signature and the soundstage they offer but the key difference was finding a better fit -> tips. I found they work really well with Symbio silicone/foam hybrids but I guess Comply would have a similar effect (I found the selection of tips that come with these earphones to be universally sub-optimal). I've been using them with my go-to pair of JVC Spiral Dots, which normally never fail me and it's not a bad combo, but in this case a tighter seal and Symbio's smaller bore works better. Smaller bore normally makes the bass sound bigger, which arguably this pair doesn't need and to a degree, this is the case here. However, they have been built for bass so this brings both a greater control to the treble sibilance that occasionally cropped up on Spiral Dots and making the bass both a little bigger but tighter, more controlled, which was one of my main complaints. If you do go for other tips don't forget to pick a size one smaller than your usual (I am M and have to go with S-size tips on these). The vents are quite wide and bigger tips are simply uncomfortable.

It's a bit of an experience opening the package of Campfire Audio Earphones. From releasing the sticker, the whole outer shell opens like a flower, revealing the box inside. Opening this, there's a box containing extra tips, cleaning tool and a pin badge. The earbuds themselves are inside a nylon bag that sits inside a handmade leather pouch. Really feels special. There is however a strange smell emanating from the leather pouch. I'm hoping it will go...it's not chemical, it's bottom of your stomach depressing when you get a whiff. I can't explain it better than that. Yuck. Thankfully the headphones themselves don't smell.----Comfort wise they are perfect for my ears. Coming from Shure 535's that I've never been that enamoured with the fit, these are far more comfortable. Don't go by the sharp looking edges. These are lightweight and can be listened to for hours on end with no fatigue. There is also the cable that curves over the ears. Thankfully they have not gone down the memory cable road and have in fact just got lightweight plastic coating the last two inches where they meet the earbud connectors. Very comfortable and much quicker to fit than the Shures.----Sound is rich. These aren't as natural as the previously mentioned Shures. The Bass is far more prominent without being overpowering. However it can get overwhelming when listening to tracks that are particularly Bass Heavy. I listen to a lot of Classical and Jazz, Musicals, Rock and Older Pop. I cannot tell you how great these sound. Listening to Wynton Marsalis, the lyrical lines of the trumpet soar above the sharp snap of the drums. The Bass is excellent, punchy, forward and keeps right up in the action without getting in your face. The balance may not be ideal for lovers of a flatter sound, but to me this is ideal. It just warms up the sound enough to really bring a grin to your face. I've never experienced anything sonically as rewarding as these earphones. Wonderful, wide scaled sound stage and just begs you to keep listening. I've been trying out tracks that I've listened to for years and I am still finding sounds I'd never heard before. Probably getting carried away and imagining things, but they are so pleasing to use.----I suppose you have to weigh up your options with a purchase such as this. They are not the cheapest set around. There are also plenty of competition at this price and less. Campfire Audio isn't that well known here I suppose compared to Shure and Bose etc. But I urge you to read reviews and give them a go. They are amazing. Light, comfortable...and last of all...see that finish? They looking absolutely gorgeous. Your ears will thank you.

These IEMs are not for everyone, they are not a flat-response, and do have a heavy bass, but it can be tamed with an EQ. They really so benefit from lossless music and at least using an apple dongle. Much more detail than even my S300 when set with an EQ.I don't like the stock tips but I do like the supplied final tips (they are normally my favourite). Due to the weight of these IEMs though I have bought some spinfits, which support the weight better after a few hours.The finish on these is amazing, but is also my only downside. The finish on these is so delicate that them banging around in your pocket causes the finish to self-destruct over time, take care of them.The cable is awesome no complaints, I am never going to change it.I don't really understand all of the bags they give you that are all sewn up? But the leather one is very premium.TD;LR: be prepared for bass and weighty IEMs but quality second to none.