In this feature, we review the Campfire Audio Supermoon, which is the company’s first-ever single 14mm planar magnetic driver in-ear monitor. It is priced at $1099.00.
Disclaimer: This sample unit was sent to us in exchange for our honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. We thank the team at Campfire Audio for their support.
Click here to read more about Campfire Audio products we previously covered on Headfonics.
Note, that this article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
The Campfire Audio Supermoon has superb low-end weight and body in the performance, with a lack of bloat, and the clear vocal presence making this a stand-out offering from the company.
Whilst I recognize the fun, energy, and technical excellence of the higher-end models, I am more enamored by the balance and flexibility of the Supermoon tuning.
The Campfire Audio Supermoon IEM has been out on the market as far back as early-to-mid 2022. Initially, it was touted as part of their growing 3D printed custom format then shortly after the universal alternative was released.
However, it is only recently that CA found a natural position for the Supermoon in its newly launched Chromatic Series which also includes the previously reviewed Bonneville as its flagship monitor.
Priced at $1099 it is what you would consider the penultimate offering within the new series behind the Bonneville.
It is also the only planar magnetic driver in the company’s current line-up, with a distinct and audibly different-sounding performance from the rest of their dynamic and BA driver IEMs.
To learn more about how well the Supermoon sample we have here performs and see all of our hands-on testing conclusions, keep reading our full review below.
Tech Highlights
The Campfire Audio Supermoon in-ear monitor comes in both custom and universal format single and uses a single custom 14mm full-range planar magnetic driver encased in a 3D-printed solid body and equivalent resin housing.
This is a driver that is going to ‘hit differently’ to their dynamic, hybrid, and BA driver monitor stable-mates with a large flat diaphragm to produce that classic planar texture and low-end response. Hence the introductory “distinct and audibly different-sounding performance” description.
The Supermoon is rated at 15.5Ω @ 1 kHz impedance with an in-house benchmarked SPL of 54 mVrms to achieve 94 dB @ 1 kHz making it the second-most mVrms demanding IEM the company has manufactured to date.
The title of least efficient thus far is the entry-level single BA Satsuma which had a rating of 46.4Ω and 67 mVrms to hit 94dB SPL @ 1kHz.
Design
The Supermoon adopts the core theme of the Chromatic Series with its use of a 3D-printed resin heavily influenced by the company’s customization process and finished with a retro-themed color scheme.
It is also drenched in some beautiful orange and capped off with that familiar chrome plating motif on top and a similarly finished wide stainless-steel spout to give it an attractive and high-contrast mix.
I say ‘beautiful orange’ because it’s also our company color scheme though in the case of the Supermoon, it’s more of a faded pastel orange than our typically richer version.
The chrome-finished outer is a slightly more angular shape compared to the curvy Bonneville version but it still houses CA’s rounded beryllium/copper MMCX connectors as well as a relatively large slim vent about halfway up for the driver to breathe.
The similarly styled wide nozzle spout is the same engineering seen from the Solaris and Trifecta with its 7 smaller and 1 central larger outer opening.
Like the Bonneville, the Supermoon has a bigger form factor than the classic aluminum or titanium-based shells CA normally works with but the upshot is that its more aggressive contouring should provide for a superior fitting experience.
Comfort & Isolation
Save for some additional weight, you could be forgiven for thinking there is very little difference in the general shape and size of the Supermoon compared to the Bonneville.
I would have said that it was an almost exact duplicate for its form factor until I stuck it in my ear. The Supermoon immediately felt a little bit more secure with superior isolation than the Bonneville with both fitted with matching stock medium single flange silicone tips.
Those new resin shells, influenced heavily by the custom side of CA’s output, do their job nicely, and honestly, they feel more comfortable than the more rigid fitting experience of the older, angular aluminum shell models.
Of course, fitting is relatively anecdotal with everyone having unique ear shapes but it does lead me to believe that CA has made some minor tweaks to the underside of the Supermoon which works well for my ears.
A good fit and improved isolation are always welcome, especially if like me, you prefer silicone over foam tips for general everyday use. However, it is still not at the same level as a BA-only driver equivalent. That venting port will leak a little more than non-vented equivalents.
Tips
The Supermoon comes with the same ear-tip lineup as the Bonneville. That means 2 types, silicone, and foam, in small medium, and large sizing.
Because the Supermoon stainless-steel nozzle is the same wide spout previously used on the Trifecta and Bonneville I again veered towards the single flange silicone tips that come as stock with the Supermoon packaging.
It is ironic because I have been bashing these super soft ear-tips for years on the older models as providing almost no seal and leaking too much for a quality bass performance but with the new wider nozzles and molded fits they work wonderfully well.
The foam tips do isolate a bit more but the pressure inside the ear always gets to me a bit. Also, with the wide nozzle design the silicone tips not only feel more comfortable but they perform at a higher level for sound quality, particularly for higher frequency resolution.
Stock Cable
Deluxe or Essential?
The Supermoon comes with two cable selection options depending on which package you go for, the Essential or the Deluxe Edition. The version we have here is the Deluxe Edition this time.
With the Essential edition, you get one cable only and you can decide what termination you want, be it balanced 4.4mm/2.5mm or 3.5mm single-ended. With the Deluxe Edition, you get 3 cables, each with a unique termination rather than having to pick one.
The Supermoon stock cable itself is the same Time Series cable we have seen rolled out with CA’s more recent high-end offerings.
The only difference is on the cosmetic side with softer material, (i.e. not aluminum) connectors and splitters color-themed in either an orange or black depending on your preference. As with my Bonneville preference, I would advise going with the orange theme as it just fits in with the generally bright and breezy Supermoon color scheme.
Geometry
The Supermoon Time Series cables are constructed using an 8-core SPC of around 26AWG with some element of Litz to prevent them from oxidizing given the jacket is a translucent soft PVC material.
The 46″/117cm long designs are unusual for their “Stax-like” flat geometry rather than a typical rounded wire build. It does make for a wider cable but the pros are that the cable is very memory and tangle-free making them a pleasure to work with in everyday use.
The memory coating on the cable MMCX connectors is super soft and low-profile. These are very comfortable around the ear creating zero hot spots through prolonged use with the softer rubbery barrel material reducing some weight over the Trifecta and Solaris Stellar Horizon versions.
Packaging & Accessories
The Supermoon packaging is similar to the Bonneville box but only in that spiffing orange theme drawn from the shell designs rather than purple.
The flat rectangular box finishing has that nice retro print but with different wording to the Bonneville including the type of person they are aimed at and the driver’s make-up.
The inside is not overcomplicated by any stretch of the imagination. It does what it needs to do and holds everything inside neatly and tidily.
What did surprise me though is that the same-sized box for the Bonneville Essential was easily able to hold the additional accessories and the larger case for the Supermoon Deluxe version.
The setup for accessories is a bit different depending on the version you choose. You do get an orange “breezy Bag” with the Essential Edition. but not the cool leather case and the additional Time Series cables in a nylon bag from the Deluxe version.
I dig the leather case though it’s not hugely protective. This is the same type of case that came with the Solaris Stellar Horizon and Trifecta so I do recommend using the little spongy mesh pouch for the drivers when out and about for additional protection.
Click on page 2 below for our sound impressions and recommended pairings.
