Cascade
A headphone by Campfire Audio
The Campfire Audio Cascade is a culmination of a 3-year engineering effort to bring our signature sound to a headphone.
The result is a portable, closed-back headphone that sounds and performs like it’s open. Even better; it has the unique sound you expect from a Campfire Audio headphone.
Frequency Response
Listening: Techno, IDM, EDM, Industrial, Hip-hop, Pop, Funk, RnB, Psych Rock, Alternative, Metal, Neo-Soul, Drum n’ Bass, Synthwave, Experimental, Prog Rock
Production: Drums, Bass, Beat Production
42mm Beryllium PVD Driver
Cascade delivers exceptional musicality and openness. It has a soundstage that expands well beyond the listening space. It possesses sonic traits not found in typical closed-back headphone designs.
Specially crafted custom drivers are at the heart of Cascade. Powerful and impactful sound with excellent speed and micro-detail retrieval. Superior highs extend over precise and controlled bass notes.
42mm Beryllium PVD Driver
Cascade delivers exceptional musicality and openness. It has a soundstage that expands well beyond the listening space. It possesses sonic traits not found in typical ‘closed-back’ headphone designs.
Specially crafted custom drivers are at the heart of Cascade. Powerful and impactful sound with excellent speed and micro detail retrieval. Superior highs extend over precise and controlled bass notes.
Premium Materials
Durable Build
Creating a portable audiophile headphone requires using materials that are up for the job.
Lightweight forged and machined aluminum cups paired with stainless steel components. This provides added strength in the places where you need it most.
Premium sheepskin ear pads are not only comfortable, but they provide excellent isolation. Listen to your favorite track on the bus without disturbing your fellow passengers. Escape office boredom without complaints.
Premium Materials
Durable Build
Creating a portable audiophile headphone requires using materials that are up for the job.
Light weight forged and machined aluminum cups paired with stainless steel components. This provides added strength in the places where you need it most.
Premium sheepskin ear pads are not only comfortable, but they provide excellent isolation. Listen to your favorite track on the bus without disturbing your fellow passengers. Escape office boredom without complaints.
Your HiFi Companion
Designed with portable use in mind, Cascade is a durable headphone for use at home and on the go. The more you listen, the more you’ll find you’ll want to keep it with you, where ever that might be.
Cascade has excellent high-frequency extension; cymbals sparkle and expand on a wide soundstage. Mids are clear and uncolored.
The bass response is special; rich in texture and well defined. All qualities you won’t find in a typical closed-back design.
Premium Select Materials
We wanted to be sure our first headphone was as good as the earphones we make. Close attention to each component is critical to achieving this goal.
The headband, joints, and pivot are all made of stainless steel. This makes the traditionally weakest parts of a headphone the strongest. The cups and hanger arms are aluminum; cast and then machined to reduce weight.
Our headphone pads are soft sheepskin, attached via magnets, and replaceable. Each element’s design is there to improve your ownership experience.
Detachable Cable
Cables are where we started so we know the importance of a quality connection.
Each Cascade comes standard with our acclaimed Litz cable. It has the same conductor design and materials as the Litz cables we include with each of our earphones.
Here we’ve added a special cloth jacket to the cable. It minimizes microphonics and adds a level of durability to the cable for headphone use.
Designed for Portable
Cascade is the headphone that we wanted while traveling. It folds up to a compact size and features an isolated closed-back design.
It sounds excellent with your portable device, and it scales with ease in your home set-up.
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Nathan L. –
For three months, I had been searching for a set of portable mid/hi end cans to travel with. Nothing sparked my interest until I found the Cascade, and I had to have it! The sound is lush and warm while maintaining great detail, and astonishing sound stage for its size. Its build quality, and cables are superb and it competes very well with my other cans. It plays well with tubes, Daps, and my solid state combo. Waiting for my balanced cable still though. I would have liked to see an extra set of ear pads for the price is my only complaint. :) Glad to support a committed US based company.
yongshunteo –
I have to admit that I was so impatient and I had a try once I opened it. It gave me a shock because the presentation is merely messy. After 200 hours burn, everything get better. The soundstage is opened up and the separation is there. Campfire Audio always have very good separation, soundstage and details. I am using Campfire Audio Nova now and I love it. However, Cascade sounds a bit different from the traditional Campfire Audio’s sound signature.
Lows
The lows is strong as compared to Campfire Audio balanced armature driver lineup. I think the bass is closer to Campfire Audio Vega, boomy and engaging. This will definitely suit those who like the bass of Vega. I am not a bass head so this is a No-No for me. The upper lows is slightly too strong to the extend it bleeds to the mids. I appreciate mids a lot and hence this deducts some points as well.
Mids
As usual, the mids are smooth and forward. I love mandopop and mid to me is the most essential part. Campfire Audio has never disappoint me in this that’s why it is always the best for me. Male vocal are solid and powerful while the female vocal are extended but not to the extend of causing fatigue for long listening. The only cons is as mentioned, the upper lows have slightly bleed towards the mids.
Highs
The highs are well extended. I like the highs because it is not too sharp or roll off. This solve the problem that I am facing with my Nova now because the high is rolled off by a huge extend.
Soundstage and Imaging
I do not think I need to comment much on this portion because Campfire Audio always ace the soundstage and audio imaging. It will not disappoint you.
Eric M. –
I was in the market for a pair of headphones for a while now. I spent a lot of time reading reviews and comparisons and was no closer to a decision. When Cascade was released, it just made sense that I go with what I know. My Jupiter’s are a purchase that I would absolutely make again.
The Cascades are like Jupiter times ten. I could have gone bigger and more expensive elsewhere, but the Cascades just fit. They have the kind of warm, inviting, and fun sound that I want. The build quality is extremely solid. Even the packaging just makes sense. Everything about them is a fit. I love when people do work they can take pride in and Cascade is something Campfire Audio can be proud of.
Yves –
They’re *everything* I was looking for in a pair of headphones for years.
They sound fantastic (soundstage, bass, mids and treble), they’re comfortable, they’re travel friendly and they don’t leak.
Get them!
jwilkinson (verified owner) –
Wanted headphones for travel, and as I love the Vega IEMs the Cascades were the obvious choice. My only worry was head fit, but they are just big enough for my very large head, and comfortable. So far they have only 24 hours on them so I expect continuing improvement, but already are wonderful from my Sony DAP, warm and engaging. Btw the unusual lack of microphonics from the supplied cable makes it perfect for travel use.
Tetsu Noguchi (verified owner) –
I like to chase equipment in the never ending search for whatever will sound perfect to my ears. In that sense, I guess you could say I’m an audiophile, but with weak listening ability, most people who consider themselves audiophiles would not include me in their camp. Still, I enjoy trying out gear and will likely continue to chase the holy grail for me, which is nothing more than the sound profile I want.
In that vein, I have a fair bit of gear, including HD800, T1, Utopia, m50x, m70x, pm-3, meze 99c, tr80/250, kse1200, lots of etys, nighthawk carbon, nightowl carbon, etc.
Most recently, I picked up the cascade and long story short, they’re great.
Music preferences are mostly jazz and classical, though there’s a lot of crossover stuff like Bond and Lindsey Stirling I enjoy, blues, classic rock, country, folk, and sometimes, rap/house. But mostly jazz and classical.
My favorite sound profiles are ones that focus on acoustical sound. Though, among electronic sounds, some instruments, like electric guitars, are important sounds to me.
Favorite instrument sounds are most string instruments, piano, acoustica (vs. synth) percussion sounds, and female vocals.
For the cascade, I enjoy hooking it up to the Hiby R6, Hugo 2 (H2), and MojoPoly (MP). I also have the ifi iCan Pro, and the RME ADI-2 DAC, but don’t use those with the Cascade much.
PHYSICAL:
I love the compactness of the cascade. because the headphones fold both inwards and twist flat, it’s very easy to find ways to fit the headphones in various packs and bags I have. My preference for the case would have been flat as most of my bags and packs work best when the headphones are flat. But the cascade is so compact that the case for being folded inwards is very usable. The case is great.
When wearing them, the headband is really wide, so it does look a little weird, but otherwise fine. The unique lines of the headphones and the audio jacks on either speaker look very cool. They’re comfortable to me when worn for long periods. The cups being really small is also very nice. They’re actually not really small, but the rectangular shape makes them look small. The inside of the cups are small enough that the back of my ears touch the ear pad inside wall. Not an issue for me, and I definitely prefer the compactness of these headphones to larger ones.
In fact, the compactness of these headphones is kind of important. When I’m planning on heading out for a little bit, I instinctively reach for the cascade first right now. Why? It’s the balance between travel convenience, ease of use (KSE1200 is a little more of a pain in some ways since they’re inner ear and require the amp), and closeness to the sound profile I want. I’ll admit that the KSE1200 is my favorite sound profile on the road, but the battery requirement, and the somewhat inconvenient use makes me reach for it less often, especially for day travel or jaunts around town.
SOUND:
There really isn’t much I can say that hasn’t already been said a bunch by others.
The sound across the entire frequency range seems to be moved a notch to the left (towards lower frequencies). Just a notch, at least compared to my other favorites, like the Utopia, HD800, m50x, and m70x. To me, the sound profile is closer to the Meze 99c. Also, sounds that are supposed to be in the bass part of the frequency range seem somewhat boosted. Normally, I’m not a fan of this sound profile except for certain types of music.
But the cascade does something the Meze 99c cannot.
It’s fast.
Really fast.
It’s hard to describe what I mean by that. It’s really about how sounds sound to me. Things like snare drums, cymbal hit, guitar twangs, things that should naturally have a really quick snap to them, are some examples I can give. A lot of other headphones can’t convey that snap very well. Doesn’t mean they sound bad. I enjoy the Meze 99c, but it doesn’t have that snap, so I don’t listen to them for acoustical music very often, unless they happen to be the only headphones I have on me. The cascade, on the other hand, provides a really snap, energy, impact to acoustical instruments. It’s not just that the cascade has a heavier bass sound, it’s also this quickness that makes the cascade rather special.
Rock on Campfire Audio. You’ve made an excellent pair of headphones that will remain firmly locked in my headphones rotation, and will be used and enjoyed, hopefully for years to come.
Jon –
Superb closed headphones. Build seems indestructible, using only the highest quality materials. The sound quality suites my taste just right… great bass, not overly bright but still detailed in all frequencies, and can be listened at volumes beyond my comfort level with zero distortion. They sound good out of my phone, really good out of my Sony DAP, and great through my iFi Micro. I don’t have any comfort issues, even after several hours of use, although some folks have reported hot spots on the head. I don’t have hair and have had issues with other headphones in the past, but not with these. They’re an electronic music lover’s dream come true!
SFosterMurray (verified owner) –
These headphones are a must for all serious listeners.
twoloszyn01 (verified owner) –
I’ve been looking for a headphone sized between my larger Denon/Fostex and compact Koss. It needed to be closed back and have a bassy, fun, and detailed sound. These headphones have exceeded my expectations and are a joy to listen to. I haven’t heard bass with this much impact that doesn’t bleed into the mids and highs like it sounds like it should. The soundstage is quite large considering the cup size and rivals my Denon AH-D7000 and TR-X00 Ebony. I primarily listen to electronic music and I think I’ve just found exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you for making this headphone or as you would say, nicely done.
krellbourne –
Everything I was looking for in a headphone. I love being able to tailor my sound with the filters and not relying on software equalizers to get the sound I was after.
hotaru (verified owner) –
These headphones rock, they got the muscle(BASS) to massage your ears or kick at the same time, its like subwoofer in your head-ears!
I listen to music in an old CD player with a built in Bass Boost button that when engaged does not muddy the sound regardless of headphons! its perfectly done.
I don’t have to EQ anything else as the CD player does all the work as the way it was implemented.
So I use this CD player to directly use the HP jack to connect the Cascade or any headphone or even the HP Amp of my choice without having to spend my time finding a “DAC” to connect to my amp and then HPs.
Now this bass boost implemented in the CD player will tell my hears about the headphones Bass response and the headphone’s capabilities…
Weather it be my Denon D700, Sony XB1000, Sony Z7, Sony Z1R, or the Audio Technica AD2000, yes they have bass! and can handle the volume plus the Bass Boost of which I am talking about EDM sounds heavenly… to my trusty old Coby CV-200 headphones from 2002 where it all began XB sound claimed.
I’ve been looking for a pair of headphones that have a All of the aforementioned HP but I never seem to find one, The Cascade checked all the boxes for me!
Excellent product!
glenn kresge (verified owner) –
I am a fan of Campfire products; this is the first headphones I have purchased from them as they only make the Cascades. I like their in ear sound so much I decided to try their cans. I like them a lot as well as all their products! They are very well-made, and easy to change out ear pads with their magnetic attachments. The audio cord is nice too! However, I would prefer a choice of black in color. I would recommend them. It would be nice for them to offer a choice of ear-pads. Again, I like their sound, and you have the ability to tune these yourself. It would take a huge dissertation to report on just their sound-which is great for me.
ipduffy (verified owner) –
Yeah, this is what I’ve been looking for. I love music, but I like it when the music stirs me emotionally. These bring out that emotion in the music. I don’t like clinical (boring) headphones. These are detailed and rich but they really make the music fun to listen to. I have only had them for a few hours, and I hear they get better as they break in, so I can’t wait. I got these to take in to the office and listen at my desk and their size is perfect for that. So far I’m thrilled – couldn’t be happier!
Steve Walker –
After searching for many years for headphones that can truly represent a full range sound, my search is over! The Cascades sound huge but still very well controlled. Bass is deep, full and tight. Vocals sound intimate and close. Highs are just right, not too dark, not too sharp. My god what a sound!
Well done Campfire Audio, I can’t wait to see what you do next with over ear headphones if this is your first attempt!
Matthew Kim (verified owner) –
Looking for the best headphones? Looking for a super reliable company that got your back when things go wrong? Look no further in my opinion these are the best headphones for bass. I am a basshead and these are “THE HEADPHONES” I will buy only these headphones I will purchase another pair later because I love these so much. Well I listen to Edm/Hip Hop and very little pop jazz I can’t complain. You will not be disappointed with these headphones. Not to mention the Campfire Audio team is superb. Their customer service is amazing. If you have any type of problems give them an email they will help you asap. The quality of the headphones and the service from this company is amazing and I am just in love with it all. Thank you so much Campfire Audio team.
Zhibo Wang (verified owner) –
I’m a long time audiophile fan and I’ve owned around three different products within the 800 – 1200 USD price range for high-end performance headphones. I had no doubts that Campfire Audio’s sound profile for it’s products are top notch. However, I did have questions about the comfort and reliability of these headphones due to CA’s lack of experience with full size headphones and primarily catering to the IEM market. I was completely proven wrong and blown away by these headphones. Not only are they comfortable, but they are lightweight and durable at the same time. The XL pads make them even better for comfort if anyone is worried about the size of the pads. Sound-wise, they are fantastic. I’ve never had headphones that had as much clarity and clean bass as these headphones. They are like nothing I’ve ever owned in the past (and that’s a good thing).
Ilya Zhavoronkov (verified owner) –
These headphones will only sound when 7 circles of hell are passed. First off you need to burn in them for at least 150 hours. Throw stock cable to trash and buy pure silver cable. Buy XL Leather pads. Then you have to remove white filters. And only if you have a decent DAC/AMP you will hear how Cascade really sounds.
Max –
This is so FUN to listen to music in these headphones. It’s the most important thing, isn’t it?)
Rik Thoms (verified owner) –
Just bought these Campfire Audio Cascades headphones because I love the Andromeda IEM by Campfire Audio. I have 5 other headphones with the Sendy Avia and HiFi man Sundara as my favorite ones over my Fostex t60rp and Sennheiser HD 58x. After listening to the Cascades They are a more fuller listen and the low end sounds so great. soundstage is beautiful and the mids and highs makes my music just sound so sweet. I listen to mostly early 70’s rock, Prog,Kraut Rock and late 60’s pysch and my fasorite 65 to 69 top 100 hits from the time period. The Sendy Avia’s was the best headphones i heard untill the Cascades. I strongly recommend these as a must have headphone at a great price as well. I bought the cloth pads with them and make these phones even better, the sound is improved with these pads. I use the Balanced cable from Campfire Audio with these.
Dom Giambattista (verified owner) –
Truly Great Headphones
I was in the market for something to pair with my new Sony ZX-507 DAP that would work well with the kind of music I listen to, which is mostly electronic, classic rock, and some orchestral/classical tunes. These cans really seem to sound great with anything I put through them, from Pink Floyd to Dodge and Fuski to John Williams. As others have said, they have quite the low-end presence (which is what I wanted) but this can be tuned with the included filters.
Speaking of included accessories, the case it comes with is a scaled-up version of their leather, wool interior IEM cases, which is both awesome and adorable. The included goat leather ear cups are excellent, and give a very intense, closed-off listening experience. I’ve heard that the mesh ear cups can give a more open feel, but I haven’t bought them yet (from what I hear, they used to come with them, but they’re available in the accessories section for purchase at a modest price). The inclusion of a bonus cable is a very good deal, as those SXC-8 cables are super nice, and it gives you the option of picking a different cable termination for swapping on the go. All this really adds to the portability of the unit. They’re easy to fold up, easy to protect with the case, very solidly built, and easy to tune on the go with the filters or a change of cables. For use with a portable DAP, it’s a perfect match.
I would also note that as a bass player, these work really well with a headphone amp for practice. I use a Phil Jones Bass Bighead Pro HA-2 (which works as a nice portable DAC as well), and I find that the bass-biased presentation of these headphones (which again, can be tuned with the filters!) is an excellent match for that purpose. Honestly, you can drive these with pretty much anything, amp or not, and not have issues, which helps with portability as well.
All together, I’m extremely satisfied with these cans, and they’ve instantly become my go-to set for any serious, non-wireless listening. Highly recommended if you want something easy to use, easy to carry, and easy to listen to, and definitely for bass lovers (and players!)
vkhomyak (verified owner) –
Amazing Headphones
Fabián Bautista (verified owner) –
I love music, jazz, reggae, blues, rock, electronic, classical. Two things are important in my hearing experience, details in mids / highs and a strong presence of bass. So, here I am delighted with Cascade, what a sound! Impressive amount of detail, precision on instruments timbre and good soundstage, not huge, but ok. Soundstage and details are similar to Unique Melody Mest MKII IEM, but at half of the price!
Image on this set it’s also remarkable, you can identify the position of every single instrument. But it’s far away from an analytical experience, don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of detail and technical capabilities on Cascade; the key factor that separate this headphone from others is that melty, strong and beautiful bass.
Since first hearing, you can feel a bass focused sound, not basshead style, I could name it an audiophile bass signature.
But you need to be patience, let them burn and you will get a gem of musical experience.
After 72 hours of burn in process, I almost cried wondering what’s happened because Cascade sounded without control on bass and lacking detail and precision. Again, be patience…
150 hours, wow! Cascade expanded not only on detail and soundstage, they get bass under control, with a good slam but fast and natural. 200 hours, details became more vivid!
400 hours, now I have over my ears the best sound experience!
I’m using 4.4 silver balanced cable, connected to Shanling M8 DAP. For me, it’s a great pairing. M8 has a leaning bass signature with a lot of detail and impressive soundstage. It’s not an over bass match, to muy taste, Cascade and M8 play beautiful together.
Finally, if you prefer analytical sound signature or maybe your main genre is classical music, I’ll not recommend Cascade. But if you like taste to your music, an unforgettable bass presence without loosing details on the rest of the freq range, Cascade are a must!
Thanks Campfire Audio, you rock!
Mario West (verified owner) –
Coming from the Andromeda’s 2020 and a first iteration of headphones, I am profoundly impressed by clarity, imaging, soundstage, and quality that this headphone imposes. I was expecting something sub=par to AirPods Max and Bowers Wilkins Px7, but, I will say that the overall sound and design of this headphone is well-beyond most others. They are bass, mid, and treble. Probably more V shaped than W shaped but you can feel the music with these in. They are addicting and hard to take off once you are playing your favorite songs. Congratulations on a great headphone, definitely looking forward to future products from this company!
Jonathan Piques –
I had been on the hunt for a new pair of closed-back headphones for a while now, and these are fantastic. Definitely a V-shaped tuning, as others have mentioned, but I want to be clear that there is plenty of clarity in the mid-range as well. The tunable earcups with the various inserts was also interesting to play with, and I noticed a difference between the options. And despite being closed-backed, they’ve got more soundstage than I thought. Overall, they’re exactly what I was looking for and I am totally thrilled with them: outstanding sound quality, easy to drive, and compact. And fantastic build quality.
Weston –
I have unhealthy number of headphones and I think these headphones changed my life.
Paul –
Wow…Simply WOW!!!!!…The Cascades are nothing shy of AMAZING!!! You may not think this at first because I can say from recent experience that BURN IN TIME IS CRITICAL!! I’d say 75 – 80+ hours and then give them a listen. It ALL makes sense!! I don’t think these are “Basehead Cans” because there is detail, clarity, and soundstage! All things considered…the bass hits perfect, with depth, rumble and tightness. I could go on & on & on… but simply audition a properly “burned in” set…and feel the true beauty of these AMAZING headphones. Great Job CA…!!!