Technical Performance & Synergy
The Bonneville delivers a commendable soundstage, offering both width and depth that stand out within its price range. It’s fascinating how despite its warm and full sound, the Bonneville manages to create an expansive and airy sonic environment—an impressive achievement indeed.
In terms of resolution, the Bonneville maintains its impressive performance. While it may not match the level of $3,000 IEMs, within its price bracket, its transparency and imaging prowess are nothing short of excellent. The ability to unveil details and place instruments precisely within the soundstage adds a layer of richness and depth to the listening that exceeds expectations for its price point.
One of the most impressive feats of the Bonneville lies in its ability to provide a sense of “naturalness” within its sound. Its capacity to emulate the natural timbres and tonality of instruments and vocals creates a lifelike sound with good realism. There’s great warmth and richness to the sound that never feels artificial, allowing the music to flow with a sense of ease and smoothness.
Regarding source matching, I recommend picking neutral and flat-sounding gear to appreciate Bonneville fully. Also make sure that you have capable ones, that can extract the necessary amount of performance. One example is the A&K SE300, and although it’s a musical source, it blends well with the Bonneville, creating a very smooth and enjoyable sound. I also liked the results with HIBY R6 Pro II and FIIO R7.
Comparisons
The Sennheiser IE 900 is a reliable IEM in the upper level of the audiophile domain, and I know people who prefer it for its small footprint, very clean sound and great transparency. It’s indeed a great IEM with the European touch compared to the Campfire offering.
The Bonneville looks much more assertive, especially in a purple colour scheme. They both have good package content though. In terms of build, they’re also both very impressive with a robust feel and premium design. IE 900’s fit never worked for me though, so I would prefer the Bonneville in that regard with its custom-like fit.
In sound, the IE 900 has better resolution, transparency and clarity. However, it simply doesn’t give you the immersion and liveliness of the Bonneville. The Bonneville is so captivating that makes the IE 900 sound too flat and bright at times, so it all depends on what you like or prefer. The bass in the Bonneville is much more impactful, its mids are more creamy and liquid, and the treble is smoother. The IE 900’s technical performance is better for me, especially in terms of overall transparency, but I like Bonneville’s timbre better. Also, bear in mind that the IE 900 needs a good cable to elevate even further.
Another nice IEM that we recently laid our eyes on, the DIVA 2023 is very successful in its price range. The Bonneville has the better build quality though, and it feels heftier with a premium feel. It also fits better, again thanks to the semi-custom shape. Both have good packaging but the Elysian has a more premium box and carrying case.
In sound, the DIVA feels thinner in comparison, although it’s not a thin-sounding IEM per se. The DIVA’s bass isn’t that distinctive, full or special when directly compared to the Bonneville, but it’s very impressive in the mid-range which is its striking feature. The mid-range clarity and transparency are fantastic in the DIVA, and it has a great timbre as well. The Bonneville presents its mids full and thick, whilst the DIVA maintains a certain distance.
DIVA has lush mids, smoother highs, and a more laid-back presentation while maintaining good detail retrieval. Bonneville has thicker mids with a darker nature and extended treble which to me is a bit more articulated. It’s not easy to pick one but the Elysian to me is hard to pass in its price range, whilst the Bonneville is a very satisfying IEM for the ones looking for a very enjoyable and captivating, thick-sounding IEM.
Another Elysian offering, although being a collaborative IEM with Effect Audio, Gaea is a special IEM for its very spacious and open sound. It’s much thinner sounding in comparison, but thanks to that it creates a vast staging that feels like fresh air.
Against the Gaea, the Bonneville appears to be darker and thicker, with much more bass impact and rumble. The Gaea is definitive in the sub-bass region but it lacks the mid-bass part. However, it offers more clarity and air in the mid-range and treble. So you should decide between a full, thick and warm sound of the Bonneville which is engaging and lively, against the vast and spacious sound of the Gaea which may appear boring and too laid back.
Conclusion
Campfire Audio Bonneville is the star of the new Chromatic Series, and for good reason. The new model combines fantastic bass response with excellent control, creamy musical mids with nice timbre, and extended, articulated treble which is never fatiguing. The overall technical performance is also noteworthy, with a well-executed staging performance in particular.
Whether you’re looking for a musical IEM with technical performance or pure joy in the bass department, the Bonneville never disappoints and always gives you the enjoyment factor. It also puts on a performance that is very capable in technicalities.
Pros:
- Creative packaging
- Robust build
- Great fit
- Excellent bass texture and control
- Mid-range timbre
- Treble transparency
- Cohesiveness
Cons:
- Lower mid-range is a bit veiled
- Mid-bass is too prominent sometimes
Page 1: About, Packaging, Design & Build, Fit
Page 2: Sound Quality
