Campfire Audio has garnered endless acclaim from audiophiles for its IEM-style wired buds, but the dedicated headphone specialist is finally moving into a world of wire-free audio with the new true wireless Orbit.
Both a luxury lifestyle brand and a maker of high-end headphones, Orbit maintains the Portland-based company’s habit of outdoor design. The two-colored buds have a slightly unconventional geometric shape that the company claims provides comfort as well as adding solidity and weight.
The cabinets house 10mm dynamic drivers with a Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) diaphragm, which Campfire says provides “dynamic listening” with plenty of low-end power, while their LCP diaphragms provide clarity, space and energy for “immersive and rhythmic listening”.
The Orbit is Bluetooth 5.2 compliant and can handle wireless streams up to 24-bit/48kHz with AAC and aptX Adaptive codec support.
There’s a fairly standard claimed battery life of 8.5 hours from a single charge, while the charging case offers another 30 hours of playback via USB-C or Qi wireless charging.
You won’t find any physical buttons on the buds, instead all playback and volume is managed by touch controls on the cases. Inside the box you’ll find a selection of foam and silicone earbuds in different sizes for a perfect fit, as well as a USB-C to USB-C charging cable and a nice Campfire Audio badge.
There’s no noise reduction, but there are dedicated Android and iOS apps that let you adjust the seven-band equalizer, create and recall presets, and perform firmware updates.
The Campfire Sound Orbit is now available directly from the Campfire website (opens in a new tab) for $249 / £249 (around AU$450).
Analysis: Wireless buds from Campfire are long overdue – but where is the ANC?
Ever since we were blown away by Campfire Audio’s deluxe wired Trifecta in-ear monitors earlier this year (now officially available on i.a. $3,375 / £3,399 (opens in a new tab)), we hoped that one day the brand would enter the world of truly wireless Bluetooth models.
That day has finally arrived with the launch of the Orbit – and at a surprisingly affordable mid-range price.
That suggested retail price looks a bit less impressive when you note that active noise cancellation is evident due to its lack of Campfire, ahem, Orbit sound. It’s a feature we’ve come to expect at this price point, especially when it’s a key selling point for such Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds – our current pick for the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market.
Campfire Audio’s reputation for performance is ahead, however, and we can’t wait to see how the Orbit shapes up sonically with those on our list of the best earbuds of 2022.