Today, Marcus reviews the Camerton Binom-ER, a high-end set of open-back headphones using a proprietary Binom-E 98mm isodynamic driver. It is priced at $4894.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. I thank Camerton for their support.
Click here to learn more about the various planar headphones previously reviewed on Headfonics.
This article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
Berlin-based Camerton is a relatively new brand to me, with just one set of headphones launched in 2021, called the Binom-ER. What makes Camerton stand out, at least in my eyes, is how it approached the headphone market.
Rather than release a headphone, then improve and release another, and another, they have stuck with the same headphone and the same name, gradually improving the design, options, and tuning based on the feedback received from owners and the audio community.
Hence, you will see a few variations on the market yet still with one name: Binom-ER. Even my review unit was sent back before I tested it late last year to get the latest “2024” tuning and some new pad options.
So, if you are looking for a baseline, this is technically the Binom-ER “2024” edition, and oh boy, they are fabulously comfortable to wear, well designed, and with a wonderfully smooth sound and excellent levels of detail.
At over four grand, it should excel but it’s mixing in with established competitors such as the Audeze LCD-5, the new ABYSS Diana DZ, and Dan Clark’s EXPANSE. Enough of a difference? I find out in my full review below.
Features
The Camerton Binom-ER is a set of open-back isodynamic (planar) driver headphones. Every aspect of this headphone, internal and external including the driver, was developed, designed, and built in Berlin Germany. Therefore, nothing about the Binom-ER should be considered off-the-shelf.
The proprietary isodynamic driver is 98mm in size and is implemented with a dual-sided symmetrical N54 neodymium magnet array. Fears of the dual-sided array bearing down on my head are allayed with an attractive 375g weight rating.
The diaphragm and voice coil are constructed a little differently from the usual sputtering techniques with an etched layering of PET and ultra-pure aluminum alloy and a special silicone compound between the layers for adhesion and dampening.
Further damping is included via the cup open grill design with each opening adopting a horn principle in its unique shape and finishing.
The driver should be considered an iterative design meaning since the launch in 2021, Camerton has been fine-tuning its capability and sound signature several times with this version the 2024 tuning edition.
Perhaps the most pertinent feature is its rating at 42Ω impedance up to 135 dB/Vrms for SPL making it a very efficient and easy-to-drive set of flagship planar headphones. This headphone will perform well with portable sources and does not always have to be chained to a full-blooded desktop setup.
Design
There is a certain understated but classy vibe to the design of the Binom-ER black version I have here. It doesn’t have the grandiose shape of the Empyrean from Meze Audio or the stark ‘hole in the middle’ talking point of the latest HIFIMAN headphones such as the Susvara Unveiled.
These are clean lines, with classic round cups, deep padding, and a discreet aesthetic that should find easy acceptance from its target audience.
With the Alcantara pads on I find the word ‘plush’ sticking the most in my mind since it’s matched with a similar finish around its single headband construction. Courtesy of the generous Alcantara finish the Binom-ER feels comfy in the hand and translates beautifully to when I wear it on my head.
The pads are detachable and I encourage you to take them off to see how small and lean the actual frame is without them. This is not a huge or heavily articulated headphone, something the 375g weight probably alludes to.
There is more to it than just downsizing though. The Binom-ER is constructed from a lightweight aluminum alloy and finished with a mix of PVD and titanium carbide (TiC).
PVD is an expensive coating material I have encountered before in reviewing but is usually applied to smaller-sized IEMs such as Campfire Audio’s Solaris Stellar Horizon for additional toughness.
Comfort
Though the tactile experience can vary with the pad, in its stock format using the accompanying Alcantara pads, the Binom-ER is supremely comfortable.
I accept that this is largely anecdotal feedback given everyone has a different head shape. However, over the myriad of headphones I have tested over the last decade only the likes of Dan Clark Audio, HIFIMAN, and Meze have consistently produced headphones I regard as comfortable as the Binom-ER.
I would put this down to the lush Alcantara finishing and lightweight as a primary factor but a less obvious one is an excellent pressure distribution despite using a classic single headband system.
There are one to two caveats with the relative comfort of the Binom that could affect your personal wearing experience. The primary one is the lack of articulation in the pivot blocks at the top of the cup.
I did not need much flexibility since the Alcantara pads contoured naturally to my head, however, you might find a lack of lateral or vertical cup movement a bit trickier.
The second factor is a slight hotspot on the scalp from the traditional headband system. It is marginal and those with hair probably will not notice it, those without might feel the pressure point a bit more.
I have no complaints about the headband adjustment capabilities of the Binom-ER. Again, from personal experience the smooth magnetic notch slider system worked perfectly, needing only 2-3 notches to get it right.
Ear Pads
The Binom-ER ear pads are detachable with Camerton offering no less than five different options that can be purchased from their various dealers with or without the headphones.
You can buy sets in different colors to match the 3 color finishes of the current Binom-ER edition; black, grey/silver, and my favorite, a silver and olive edition.
The pads come with various materials and levels of perforations. The stock should be a wide perforation Alcantara pad called the A-Classic but you can buy the same pad with top surface perforation only.
Both pads are thick and lush with generous amounts of memory foam and are finished in a very subtle wedge format. You can’t go wrong with these in terms of comfort but the inner opening is not HIFIMAN teardrop huge either.
The other three pads are synthetic leather-based or hybrid with one wholly synthetic leather and perforated throughout with a similar depth and shape to the A-Classic called the Classic.
The other two are hybrid with a slimmer profile version called ‘Mobile’ and a deeper mix of synthetic leather and a fluffy velvety top called ‘Basic’. Neither of these two are perforated.
I have four of them here but not the fluffy ‘Basic’ version and I will give my impressions of each on page 2 of this review. Suffice it to say, the Alcantara pads are the comfiest of the bunch and sweat the least but the Classic pads might offer the more balanced sound signature.
Stock Cable(s)
In a somewhat unusual step, Camerton has fitted the Binom-ER with USB-C connectors, though it’s an analog connection, not a digital conduit.
There are some pros and cons to this approach. On the pro side, the bulk of the connector is slimmed down tremendously. It has a very low profile and clean-looking set of USB-C sockets on the underside of the cups that do not stick out in contrast to bulkier mini-XLR sockets.
They are also channel agnostic meaning you do not have to follow the L/R markings on the cups. A design choice reinforced by the inclusion of a single-sided USB-C to 4.4mm mobile stock cable that you can plug into either side of the Binom-ER.
The con side is cable swapping. USB-C terminations are not as popular as 3.5mm, 4.4mm, or XLR alternatives. Some of the ones I found online had built-in USB-DACs which you should avoid as an inline amp/DAC would impair the performance of the Binom-ER. Lavricables do have beautiful ready-made options if you are interested.
The 4-core SPC stock cable looks like a more refined version of the transparent rubbery HIFIMAN cables. They have a similar look but are denser and not as cheap feeling in the hand. Cable microphonics is not an issue with this open-back headphone.
The 2.5m balanced XLR version is finished with Neutrik NC3MX plugs and a thin low-profile aluminum splitter. The 1.2m 4.4mm version has a similar finish though it is single-entry only so no splitter is attached. You can also buy it with a 6.35mm SE plug if required.
I find the handling ok, not too stiff, and more about functionality than appearance. The 4.4mm cable is generally my preferred choice as it can be used with portable and some newer high-end amps at the same time.
Packaging & Accessories
The Binom-ER branded black box packaging is nothing special visually but it is functional and compact with heavy foam protection for the cables and headphones inside.
The one standout is the little plate on the lid with your serial number and engraved signature from Oleh, the owner of Camerton which is a nice touch.
Since my sample came with lots of additional pads these were transported in a separate box. I suspect if you order additional pads the package will come in a larger courier box with roam to fit one or more sets of pads.
The Binom-ER also comes with a shaped carry case that looks essential for a high-end headphone such as this. Although an included accessory our review sample did not come with one so I cannot comment on it.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
