We are back with another True wireless earbud review from the guys at Campfire Audio with the Orbit the brand’s first attempt in the TWS market. The Orbit by Campfire Audio currently costs £250. This puts the buds at that premium price point of the market.
First Impressions
If you have purchased any other Campfire Audio products you will know they like a bit of fanfare when it comes to the unboxing of the Orbit. First up you have a visually striking box that will draw you in with a high-quality image of the buds on the front of the box.
The packaging is fully recyclable so that will please most users when it comes to saving the planet. Then when you remove the sticker on the base of the box, the box opens up like a flower with an explosion of gold which looks like sunlight coming from the centre.
In the centre is a dark blue box with the company logo in the centre. Inside the box, you will find the charging case with the buds nicely inside the case.
When you remove the case the box opens up even further and this provides you with the following:
- 3 Pairs of Silicone Eartips
- 3 Pairs of Foam Eartips
- USBC charging Cable
- User Guide
- Campfire Audio Pin
The Orbit has gone for a fairly unique style the charging case will fit in the palm of your hand and has a matt finish which feels very nice in the hand. The charging case has a neutral two-tone colour style that makes it really stand out compared to other bud cases I had reviewed recently.
The shape of the case is also very interesting to the eye with smooth angled edges and case tapers which allow you to put the case in your pocket with ease.
When you open the lid boom you get that green that Campfire Audio is so known for the buds are positioned on either side of a small button that allows you to reset the buds and have 4x LEDs above the button to indicate the level of charge in the case. The buds are securely held in the case due to two magnetic pins holding them into place. You will notice this does result in the buds being a tad tricky to remove.
The buds once removed from the case use the same colour style as the case and you also will notice there is a stainless steel sound nozzle that adds to the sound and durability of the buds. Overall, the unboxing provides a premium feel and justifies the price point. Let’s take a closer look and see if they sound as good as they look.
Design/Comfort
The Campfire Audio Orbit does not have a stem like a pair of Apple Airpods they have their own unique feel in your ear. They rest squarely inside the bottom of the user’s ear. The stainless steel nozzle is wide and designed to rest on the outer opening of the ear canal.
If you are looking for more of a sealed ear sensation that gets a little closer to the ear canal the provided foam tips are a welcome inclusion plus the added bonus are you get a better level of passive isolation.
The overall feel is these buds come with a simple design that is both compact and lightweight meaning you will have no issues wearing these for long periods of time. You will also find the style of these buds is also well thought out with that blend of cream and light brown and the green details in the case these will stand out from the crowd for sure.
The Orbit is also IPX5 rated meaning your buds will be safe during a high temp exercise workout or even being caught in the rain.
Controls
The Orbit buds are controlled by touch controls and in testing, I found them responsive and easy to use. Here are the controls:
- Single tap either bud – Play/Pause or Call answer/reject
- A double tap of the left bud- Previous Track
- Double tap on the right bud- Next Track
- Triple tap on either bud- Voice Assistant
- Tap and hold the bud to adjust the volume
What you will notice is there is no music auto-pause which is surprising considering the cost and the fact it’s a fairly common feature that seems like an own goal by Campfire.
The Build/Under the Bonnet
The Campfire Audio Orbit uses 10mm full-range dynamic drivers with a liquid crystal polymer film diaphragm. The buds also come with AAC & AptX adaptive codecs for hi-res audio and are connected to your phone using the most current Bluetooth offering Bluetooth 5.2 which comes with the standard 10m range.
In terms of battery life, the Orbit comes with 8.5 hours on a single charge and the charging case tops that up to 30 hours. If you manage to get through that amount of battery life you are provided with a USB-C cable for fast charging functionality or you can also charge via a Qi-compatible wireless charging dock.
The Campfire Audio app
The Orbit comes with an app that once downloaded you have a number of functions such as an EQ adjuster which has 7 bands and allows for 12dB of subtraction and 3dB of boost.
The app also allows you to check battery levels and customise the touch controls you can also update firmware updates as and when they become available. I found the app easy to navigate and it was a benefit to be able to adjust the EQ.
Sound/Performance
Once you connect the orbit buds for the first time you may come across a slight issue only one bud will appear to work. The solution for this is to reset the buds by putting both back into the case and holding down the button on the charging case this will provide a reset and both buds should work normally afterwards.
Moving to that all-all-important sound Campfire audio continues the award-winning audio known for strong bass and engaging audio thanks to the 10mm drivers used in each earbud. We have been testing these for a few weeks now and one word sums up our experience – Stunning!
The bass slams low when needed, and the detail comes across with amazing clarity and is very crisp. The highs appear with very little effort and create a good level of depth. Moving on to the vocals listing to Adele you get a smooth and natural sound and the vocals will never get lost in the mix. In fact, they stay as the focus throughout the track which is very pleasing.
The soundstage comes with three-dimensional qualities in its imaging. Certain parts are more striking than others which you would normally expect from high-quality wired IEMs. An example with a track with an acoustic guitar within it you will feel that guitar transients at the top of your ears.
Considering how much we enjoyed the audio and still have more to say on this it felt right to provide you with even more detail on the overall sound. ( You are Welcome).
Highs
When listening to a range of music you might feel that the highs need a little more lift but that is personal taste. If you are accustomed to the reserved high-end frequency profiles on wireless buds you won’t have any issues. The hi-hats still provide crisp qualities and even present with a sense of height. They perform better with a female vocal over a male but if you open the Campfire App you can boost the EQ to get closer to your own preference.
Mids
I felt the low mids seemed a little too prominent if am honest. However, this provided a smooth warmth on the instruments. The downside is this impacts the vocals as deeper fundamentals shot to the top of the mix and masked their realistic upper-mid overtones. You will get the high mids to kick in to provide some lift but it did feel a bit late.
To summarise the mids leave the Orbit sounding a little soft with occasional moments of clear and impactful treble. Same again if you use the app you can make subtle changes to the mids to make it more to your preference.
Lows
The Campfire Orbit offers a powerful mid-bass and tracks with kick drums produce a surprising slam that you will feel. This added to the overall quality of the lows that are not only impactful but adds an additional spatial element as well.
Verdict
The Campfire Audio Orbit currently costs £250 and when you consider other brands on the market such as Sennheiser Momentum 3 I felt on audio alone the Orbit performs better, for example, you get that impressive mid-bass and the balance provided heavy lows, pronounced lows mids and a recessed treble. If audio is the most important factor then Campfire Audio Orbit is a fantastic option. Considering this is the first time Campfire is in the TWS market what an effort. This provides a lot of excitement for what is due to happen next.
However, if I had to find fault it was the lack of auto pause which considering the price point and this feature is fairly commonplace it’s strange this was missed but I would not call it a deal breaker. Apart from that getting the buds out of the case is a little tricky. The Orbit also does not provide you with ANC but if you get the right fit with the provided eartips these will create a good level of passive isolation.
The Orbit from Campfire Audio gets a massive thumbs up from us go check them out!
Product Rating
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Controls: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Build/Battery Life: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
The App: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Audio Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall ranking: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0 – 5-star rating
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