Campfire Audio Orbit review: A good first TWS effort with room for improvement

Campfire Audio is a relatively new brand to me, and when I reviewed the company’s Mammoth IEMs, I fell in love. The Mammoth IEMs are wired, producing a warm soundstage perfect for listening to music. So when the company reached out and asked me to look at the Campfire Audio Orbit, the company’s first TWS headphones, I had to give them a go.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

TWS headphones have improved across the board, and thanks to new Bluetooth technology and improved codecs, audiophile companies like Campfire Audio are dipping their toes into the segment. This first effort by the company is good, but Orbit may not appeal to everyone, and they could do a few things better. Let’s get into the full review of the Campfire Audio Orbit.

The Quick Take

Campfire Audio makes some fabulous wired headphones and IEMs that are among the industry’s best. So when they announced the Campfire Audio Orbit, I was very excited as this was their first effort in the TWS world.

The Campfire Audio Orbit TWS headphones do not fail to disappoint in clarity and soundstage while adding a thick layer of bottom end to the overall result.

If you’ve read my headphone reviews, you know I don’t like heavy bass too much. I like the bass frequencies to be bumped up slightly, but not so much that it colors the rest of the frequencies. The Orbit TWS headphones fall on the bass-heavy side, too much for my liking. But that doesn’t mean they suck; they don’t.

Even with their heavier bass leanings, the other frequencies are still present, so it’s not like Campfire Audio completely smashed everything else. So the quick take is this; if you’re a bass fan but still want to hear the other instruments and vocals, these are an excellent diamond in the rough. I have not found many headphones that can manage to produce extra bass yet maintain the integrity of the rest of the music. Some quirks with the design and app may or may not annoy you.

Specifications

The Campfire Audio Orbit TWS headphones have the following features and specifications:

• 5Hz–20 kHz Frequency Response
• Bluetooth 5.2 with Bluetooth LE Support
• Supported Codecs: SBC, AAC, AptX®
• USB-C Wired Charging and Qi Compatible Wireless Charging Case
• IPX5 Water Resistance Rating
• Stainless Steel Spout
• Golden Logo – Plated
• Matte Finish Dual Tone ABS Body and Case
• 10mm Dynamic Drivers
• Liquid Chrystal Polymer (LCP) Diaphragm
• Battery Life: 8.5 hours on earbuds, 30 hours in case

What’s In The Box

• Campfire Audio Orbit headphones
• Orbit ABS Case
• Marshmallow Tips (s/m/l)
• Orbit Silicone Earphone Tips(s/m/l)
• Campfire Audio Lapel Pin
• USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable
• User Manual

Design

The Campfire Audio Orbit makes its debut with a familiar aesthetic. These earbuds have a very similar design to their wired brothers, and I like the look. IEMs used for music production and live shows sometimes follow a specific design, and Campfire Audio has given the nod to that design in the Orbit.

The housing is angular, and their color is a two-tone beige, which I think looks fantastic. Many TWS earbuds stick to white or black, with some exceptions, so it’s nice to see something different from Campfire Audio. They are made of plastic and are very lightweight. There are a variety of tips included, the ones pre-installed on the earbuds worked great for me, but there are options.

The build quality is very nice, though they are so lightweight one may think they are of lesser quality. Besides the unique angular design, the rest of the build is typical of other earbuds on the market. The fit and finish are excellent.

The Campfire Audio Orbit case continues the angular cut aesthetic giving it an appealing look. The exterior has a similar tan color, while the interior is bright green, which I think looks great. The case can be stood up on its bottom, and it has USB-C and wireless charging.

One area of this case I found disappointing was removing the earbuds from it. These little buggers were hard to get my meat sticks around and pop out. If anything, I guess the magnets holding them in are strong. But removing them from the case took some effort and frustrated me. I think if the hinge were redesigned, allowing the lid to open further back, that would help in being able to grab them. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it is worth pointing it out.

Overall, the earbuds’ design are great, and the case is also nice looking, but getting the earbuds out proved to be frustrating at times.

Ease of Use

I’m not going to lie; the Campfire Audio Orbit threw a few challenges at me. I’ve been reviewing TWS headphones since they debuted, and those early companies that made TWS headphones had a lot of challenges to overcome. Things have gotten extremely better since the early days, and most TWS headphones work amazingly well and are seamless.

The Orbits work well and are easy to use once you pass the pairing process.

When you first open your Campfire Audio Orbit headphones, there are a few things to do before pairing. Here’s the rundown:

• Open lid.
• Remove Orbit from the case.
• Remove the clear cellophane sticker on each bud, covering the charging points.
• Replace Orbit in case.
• Close lid.
• Open lid.
• Push the pairing button for 5 seconds.
• When the green lights illuminate on both sides, you are paired.

That is a whole lot of steps compared to many other TWS headphones in this same price range. The first few times, I encountered a problem with one earbud not connecting with the other. Early TWS headphones had this problem, and it was strange to experience it here. I eventually got the Orbits to connect to each other and to connect to my iPhone.

This is an area I think Campfire Audio needs to improve on. Other TWS headphones I’ve reviewed make it very simple by going directly into pairing mode when opening the case. I understand the company’s reasoning for covering the charging points, but it adds too many layers to the process. It wouldn’t be a dealbreaker, but it needs improving.

The touch controls are familiar and straightforward, though I don’t like touch controls on earbuds all that much. Most people are OK with touch controls, so I am probably in the minority here.

Overall, once you pair the Campfire Audio Orbit TWS headphones, they are simple to use. The initial setup could use some polishing.

App

The Campfire Audio Orbit app is straightforward and easy to use. It’s your hub for firmware updates and the in-app EQ. Once you have the Orbit paired to your phone, the app will locate them and connect to them.

The EQ is, let’s say unique. It consists of blocks with numbers, which I assume are presets. But there are no sliders with frequency ranges to tune the EQ, that would have made the app more useful to me.

Overall, the app is fine. It’s easy to use and the EQ is helpful to a certain extent but it could have been designed better.

Sound

The sound that the Campfire Audio Orbit TWS headphones produce was a bit of a surprise to me. Where the Mammoth wired IEMs were tuned to a mostly neutral soundstage with a slight bump in bass. The Orbit are much heavier on the bass end.

This is not my ideal soundstage, I prefer less bass but I will say this. At least the Orbit didn’t complete smash every other frequency. Campfire Audio gives you far more bass here without sacrificing the rest of the music. I think bass lovers will enjoy these headphones and they may even come away with an appreciation for the other frequencies.

Overall, the sound of the Campfire Audio Orbit TWS headphones is tuned for a certain listener and that listener is not me. I do think those who love bass will adore these headphones and I recommend them to anyone that likes the low end to resonate.

Reception/Call Quality

Call quality of the Campfire Audio Orbit TWS headphones is excellent, not much more to report on that front. Bluetooth reception is good, though I did encounter one bud disconnecting from the other every now and then. This was a behavior I encountered on very early TWS headphones in the past so it was surprising to see that here.

Battery Life

Battery Life is 8.5 hours on the earbuds and 30 hours with the case. This is pretty standard for TWS headphones and I was able to get around those numbers.

It is important to note, as always, battery life is subjective and very dependent on how the user is using the product. Volume and distance from source matter, so you may get more or less what I got.

Price/Value

Priced at $249, the Orbit aren’t exactly cheap. They are playing in the same ballpark as other high-end headphones. There are some quirks here that would steer me away from purchasing these headphones, but, those quirks are probably not an issue for many others. If you can deal with some of the quirks and you like big bass, these will hold value to you.

Wrap Up

Campfire Audio makes excellent headphones. This first effort at TWS headphones is a good one, but there are some minor issues that would prevent me from grabbing these myself. The biggest issue is the bass-heavy soundstage. This is why I think they will appeal to others, maybe not me so much, but others will love these. The pairing process is a bit finicky but it’s not a dealbreaker. The bottomline is that Campfire Audio tunes their headphones very well, these are a bit too far to the bass side for me but bass lovers rejoice!

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