Sonic Signature
A dark pairing that provides the perfect sonic signature for the time of year when nights begin stretching out. The hybrid design of a single dynamic driver and balanced armature provide thick thumping bass, with just the right amount of high frequency to let you feel the chill in the air. Onyx scratches an itch you didn’t know you had. Listen to Harry Nilsson’s Gotta Get Up’ and make these dark days just a bit brighter.
Accessories
- Smoky Lite 3.5mm Cable w/ Beryllium MMCX connectors
- Vine-green compact carrying case
- Black 2-chamber mesh bag
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Anthony Moree (verified owner) –
This Onyx from the CA Mulitverse promotion – wow ! My first purchase from CA and sounds great. This was not expensive in the world of IEM’s but if this is any indication of the quality of their products then I will be forced to buy a more expensive IEM before too long. I am thrilled !
emilkarol (verified owner) –
I wanted a fun bass heavy IEM and these scratched that itch. Not end-game analytical but that’s not the point. They make everything from hip-hop, electronic, rock, and fusion that much more toe tapping fun while still giving a nice sense of detail.
Todd Richmond (verified owner) –
After my UM50Pros died (over a decade of use as both stage IEM as well as travel listening) I started looking for a replacement. As a bassist I appreciate low end but I actually don’t like overly thick presentations. I ended up with a set of Andromeda 2020 and they are crazy good. For critical listening, they are first call. But for a gig, not clear I want/need the same resolving power – rather a bit more bass and lower cost are reasonable goals.
Enter the Onyx. Much more bass than the Andromeda but not crazy bass head. Not as detailed and imaging isn’t up to the Andromeda but you want the gold standard you need to spend the gold. The Onyx sound profile is fun, takes eq well if you’re so inclined (the parametric on the RME ADI-2 is perfect). Plus not so worried about tossing them in a gig bag and knocking around with them. The hybrid architecture seems interesting, would love to see something in between the Onyx and Andromeda in both price and sound. But for the price, the Onyx is a great choice from a great small US company.
daniel.lodewyk (verified owner) –
It’s a great IEM. I’d buy it a second time, no regrets on this purchase. It’s great value.
It has the bass that I need. It isn’t super refined but nothing glaringly obvious.
It’s isolates okay, definitely can hear more around you with the port.
It is relatively sensitive and easy to drive.
It’s a warm and relaxing listen. Non-fatiguing. Has some sparkles when required but generally tends to lean warm.
It’s such a satisfying listen.
I love the plastic IEM shells. They are so light and comfortable. They look great. The more driver tech I can get at a lower price I am all for. I definitely hope CFA keeps the plastic shells and spends money on drivers.
I am listening to ‘DARKSIDE’s album “Psychic” and it’s so gooood. The Knife is a great option for these. Radiohead and other Modern Rock.
I love these IEMs and they make a great replacement for my CFA Comets.
Nick Pelayo (verified owner) –
After a few hours of listening and trying to adjust to the sound signature of the iem (dark with bloated bass), I have come to a solid conclusion that the Onyx suffers from very stiff competition at its 220 price point. Lets dive a little deeper and figure what happened here.
Unboxing:
The Onyx came perfectly packaged. It arrived in a small carboard outer box with the main package inside. you have two compartments. The iem storage case that houses the iems with a protective soft bag the holds each iem so they don’t scratch each other in transit. The case is nice and tight, just big enough for the iems, cable and the protective bag. The case isn’t very protective from crushing but will be more than enough to throw it in a bag for easy carry. Besides the case, comes a small box with two more soft protective cases. that is a plus because these are the best part of the onyx. I love these cases and use them for my customs. One of the best products CA has ever made. Inside these two extra baggies are some final audio tips, and the usual CA pin. always a nice touch but I tend to not use Final audio tips as to my ears they make the audio a little too bass heavy. I have a few extra pairs of generic silicon tips that fit my ear very well. i used these tips for the entire review. All in all a very nice package. rating: A
Build Quality:
The packaging was the best part of the Onyx. the second best part about is the build of the iem and the cable. Campfire cables are known to be solid. The new smoky cable is soft, non microphonic, and just very stylish and subtle. There are some kinks that build up but those can be handled and dealt with quickly. The build of the onxy is also quite nice, not nice for the price but for a 50-80 dollar iem the build would be standard. At 220 dollars they feel cheap, usable and most likely will hold up for awhile but still cheap. I have had my issues with Campfire Audio’s mmcx connectors in the past with my og dorado and the androSS but these so far feel solid. Rating: B
Sound Quality:
This is where the Onyx lost me. As reference, i would like to use two iems from my collection that I think will help readers see where I’m coming from. The first iem in reference is the (…). It is 50 dollars brand new and one heck of an iem for the price. The other is a new kid on the block, the (…), which also retails for 220 dollars. I prefer both the (…) and the (…) over the Onyx in pretty much every region except for comfort. The Onyx is quite more comfortable than the (…).
Ill start with something positive first, the bass quantity in there in spades for better and worse. Impact is nice with some punch a little weightier than the (…) and the (…). The decay, while on the slower side does lend itself well to the vibrations of the string instruments such as the cello, and more electric bass lines. The bass does swallow up a large portion of the sound though and that is where my complaints start to begin.
The bass is large and full, too full and because of this most of my music library does not sound right at all. Bass overwhelms keyboards, piano, most guitar and male vocals. Female vocals sound fine for the most part are lacking in refinement. That is the second issue of the Onyx, incredibly low resolution for its price tag and the Campfire name. Slightly busy tracks, for example AliceBand’s Maria starts off with female vocal’s and a piano and when other instruments come in, the entire song collapses on itself. Drums are muffled along with vocals while the bass just dominates everything in its path. The (…) handles this song with ease allowing the instruments to each have their place in the mix and the (…) performs the song beautifully. My head-fi review will go into more depth and comparisons so this review wont be too long, but the main take away from this review should be if you like instruments in your music, then do not get this iem. If you want bass and literally nothing else then there are cheaper and better options out there. Campfire has made some amazing iems in the past, this just not one of them.
Moldovan Vlad (verified owner) –
This is my first Campfire Audio purchase. I chose the Onyx by gut and also because of the limited budget, but I’m not disappointed at all. The package quality was perfect, and the IEM’s are amazing. I’ve always been inclined towards more of a balanced frequency response, and I was afraid that these IEM would be too bassy for me. It wasn’t the case, because after some burn in they become much more balanced, or maybe I’m getting used to the sound.
They fit perfect in my ears, and the type E eartips isolate perfectly. When I want a more open sound I use the normal silicone tips because they offer less isolation and obviously less bass.
The soundstage is amazing, although it is a dual hybrid system, it is the first time I hear more than left-right panning in an earphone. The frequency response posted here on the page it’s very accurate with the type E tips.
I can’t wait to use them on the stage. Thank you Campfire Audio for this amazing experience.
Max (verified owner) –
First Campfire Audio Purchase – WOW.
First off, what have I been waiting for? Why have I been messing around with mainstream brands?
First impressions: Amazing clairity. Treble through mid are crisp and defined. Bass on this model is just about perfect for me. I prefer a little bass heavy presentation.
I’ve been trying to actively find songs and generes that muddy the sound profile since i listen to most generes from classic rock to EDM to country and blues – no luck yet!
Isolation is good. Not noise canceling level – ambient leaks through on planes (especially smaller planes) but is not bad due to the speaker proximity to the eardrum. 9/10 everyday isolaton 7/10 for airplanes.
Accessories included are quality and complete!
I use mine hooked up to a FiiO BBttr5. LDAC codex to phone. Excellent.
Alan T. (verified owner) –
Firstly, I would like to thank the Campfire crew for the excellent service they provided. I live in the U.K. and bought direct from the Campfire Audio website in the U.S. I was expecting a couple of weeks wait as usual from foreign parts, but not a bit of it, delivered to my door in 3 days. Superb.
As for the IEMs, they come packaged in the usual Campfire style, a nice little box with a wrap-around containing their carry case, some tips (including Final Type Es), a cleaning gizmo, cable and ear pieces. The earpieces are a gorgeous deep black and a little smaller than normal Campfire shells. The fit is great and very comfortable for long listening sessions. In my opinion this set would make a great addition to the Mammoth and Dorado II as all 3 have a brilliant bass response, with the mids very clear and the top end tuned down slightly so the set is non fatiguing, something I find as having treble sensitive ears very nice. I wouldn’t say these are a bass heads dream like the Mammoth, but for the money they are pretty close…
My only grump is the cable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the normal CA stock cable that comes with all the range which is OK, but I just wish that alternative terminations were made available the same as other manufacturers. It does bug me a bit that I have to replace the cable to one with a 4.4mm plug so it can be used in my hi-fi equipment. I’m not saying that would suit everyone, but it would be nice to be offered the cable choice when ordering.
Other than that, for a reasonable price this is a great set. ‘Nuff said.
JB (verified owner) –
I love the sound profile. It’s really fun and addictive. Bass is plentiful and impactful, BA driver takes care of highs (I always fear treble tuning as even hints of sibilance are for me intolerable and unredeemable – it’s nicely handled here). If you are game for fun and not expecting reference quality, no scope for complaints on that front.
My only concern is build quality: on both of the iems there’s a lip where the two sides aren’t sitting flush.* This isn’t having any affect now (and it might never!), but spending dat $$$ you hope for something that won’t inspire the question ‘how long will this last?’ right out of the box. I’m an out-of-USA buyer and so I take what I get, but I would have felt more comfortable if they were, well, not lippy.
*I have other plastic-shelled iems from USA and Chifi so I think I have a fair/not unreasonable expectation on benchmark for construction.
Jeff Lee (verified owner) –
Thank you to the Campfire crew for their shipping updates, I had to fly at the last minute so being aware of where my delivery was located let me schedule accordingly.
Fantastic IEMs with a solid bass the clarity is amazing, I was worried that it might be too bassy, but this was the perfect balance. This is my first pair of campfire IEMs and I will be coming back for more in the future.
Narito –
Great IEM! These are my first IEM and I’m so happy about them. They are so light and comfortable, and noise isolating, that they have replaced my Beyerdynamic Amiron Home for the moment. The sound is amazing at all levels, especially the bass. It took me some time to find the right ear buds, to get used to this thing inside my ears, and then to find the right position in the ear. But once it is settled, pure fun! So much more convenient than bluetooth devices to switch from my DAP to Teams meatings and phone calls.
Jason Chan –
Onyx is my forth Campfire Audio IEM. This has very good details of everything, expansive soundstage, and solid and powerful bass response that suit my need perfertly. Onyx is a pair of great value earphones. Nicely Done??✌️?