Sound General
The Black Star impresses with its warm and balanced sound signature, characterized by a thick and dark tuning with pronounced bass response and treble definition. The mid-range is skillfully executed, delivering a full and technical performance that is smooth, organic, and harmonically rich.
In my experience, the Black Star is a well-balanced and coherent IEM with a warm and thick presentation. Its ability to control frequencies ensures a cohesive and enjoyable listening experience without any harshness. Nothing becomes irritating, as everything is under control.
If you’re looking for a forgiving, soft, and dark IEM with a full approach in the mid-range, the Black Star would be an appealing choice.
Sound Classics
Bass
One notable aspect of the Campfire Audio Black Star is its bass performance, which is predominantly driven by the mid-bass, with the sub-bass exhibiting a more subtle presence. This caught my attention, as the dynamic driver behaves more akin to a balanced armature in this regard.
While the Black Star delivers the richness typically associated with dynamic (DD) drivers, it’s intriguing to note the subdued sub-bass presence. The DD drivers are renowned for providing good texture as dynamic so the DD characteristic is there. Nevertheless, the resulting sound maintains a pleasing balance in the bass, more like a hybrid bass presentation between BA and DD drivers.
The mid-bass character of the Black Star is the limiting factor when it comes to male vocals and thick instruments. The dominating approach in the mid-bass results in a congested sound in that particular area, sacrificing clarity and transparency. The rest of the bass is very good however, and although the subdued nature of the sub-bass is surprising, it is good for a more realistic tuning.
Mid-Range
The mid-range of the Black Star offers a cohesive and full delivery, with good tonality and fluidity that lets you enjoy the music. It also presents itself in a way that allows instruments, vocals, or details to be defined with good clarity. Also, the tonality is very natural and the timbre of the instruments is very satisfying. That is to me the best trait of the Black Star, especially the instruments sound musical and smooth.
While the Black Star shares common traits with the Bonneville in its mid-range performance, such as the subtle effect in the lower mid-range attributed to the dark and textured upper bass, this adds a nuanced hint of softness and depth to an otherwise clear presentation.
Though this detail may be discernible to seasoned audiophiles, it does little to detract from the overall enjoyment of the listening experience. However, the upper mid-range is well-defined and does not have this trait.
Nonetheless, it’s important to remark that this nuance doesn’t overshadow Black Star’s overall smooth midrange performance that much. In essence, the midrange presents itself in a way that allows each instrument, vocal nuance, or detail to be enjoyed with great timbre. The Black Star’s mids have great musicality, with a rich timbre which is a bit thick but that makes it quite enjoyable.
Treble
The performance of the treble is a success. The delivery here is clean, smooth, and forgiving, providing good clarity and impressive articulation with micro-detail delivery. The sound is transparent and airy, offering good resolution. The highs possess a smooth nature that is very comfortable, with emphasis on crispness rather than pure sparkle. The level of articulation is the most impressive part, despite the smooth and forgiving approach.
There’s a great balance in the treble of the Black Star, where it sits right in the comfortable zone. It somewhat manages to sound detailed and accentuated without being harsh or causing tiredness. The level of articulation, extension, and detail pickup creates an enjoyable sense of space and air in this section. Overall, high frequencies offer smooth sound which goes in line with the rest of the presentation, which is smooth, enjoyable, and musical, but not lacking detail or resolution.
Page 1: About, Packaging, Design & Build, Fit
Page 3: Technical Performance, Comparisons, Conclusion
