Introducing: Campfire Audio Satsuma and Honeydew

While we have focused a good bit on wireless headphones – in-ear, on-ear, over-ear – there are folks who really prefer a good wired pair. Today, we’re going to have a quick look at two of the more affordable in-ear monitors from Campfire Audio, the Satsuma and Honeydew.

So, first things first – what’s the difference between earbuds and in-ear monitors? Well, the definition varies a good bit (this article covers the topic well), with the main distinction being that IEMs are going into the ear canal, whereas earbuds just rest on the outer ear. This puts the audio closer to your ear drums (which also means you need to be more careful with volume to avoid damage), and helps seal out external noise (provided you’ve got eartips that provide a good fit).

While I’ve used a number of in-ear earbuds (say, like these from Anker, Amazfit, and Audio Technica), but these options from Campfire Audio have a much different profile to the buds. This is primarily due to the acoustic chamber they’ve built in there to provide the sound; as an added bonus, the shape should help them hold steady once inserted into your ears.

On the surface, both the Satsuma and Honeydew look very much the same, aside from the colors used on the shells. Internally, though, things are a bit different. As you can see in the specs below, there’s a difference in the drivers used, which gets into some of the other output differences they’ve got, as well as the sound profile differences shown in the graphic above.

This also helps to explain the difference in pricing as well – the Campfire Audio Satsuma comes in at $149, while the Campfire Audio Honeydew commands $249. How do these actually sound? Well, we’ve not had any Campfire Audio in just yet for review, but we are working to rectify that – so be on the lookout for a review in the near future. campfireaudio.com