TL;DR  at end 


I have been in the hobby for a long, long time. As with most things in the world, you see things come and go. You see things change and, sometimes, for the worse.
 
I have attended countless audiophile meets and conventions. I have listened to countless products that would eventually be released and even some that remain, to this day, unreleased.  In that long time spam you eventually find that most things that are being released are really just mediocre and will rarely supersede something that came before.
 
Sure, there are exceptions but those exceptions tend to be rare. They become so rare that eventually you stop going to meets and conventions for listening purposes and focus on the meeting old friends and catching up on what’s new with them.
 
Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon something that caught my interest. More surprisingly, it wasn’t an amp, it wasn’t a DAC, it wasn’t anything that was a technological breakthrough. It was a plain ol’ IEM. More impressing to me…it was a universal IEM.
 
My current reference IEM’s remain the Noble Audio 4C and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor. Both are exception at providing a very accurate representation of what is actually on a recording and what your system actually sounds like. The only downside to both (or upside depending on your point of view) is that you can’t share them with friends and loved ones.  Another downside is that both are custom made out of fragile acrylic.
 
Imagine my surprise when I ran into an IEM that can fit quite comfortably next to the Noble 4C and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor. Moreover, it’s got solid construction and it’s a universal design. It’s fittingly named after the king of the gods…THE JUPITER!
 
THE CAMPFIRE AUDIO JUPITER



 
Build Quality
 
The Jupiter looks rather unassuming. It looks functional and is well built. I found the construction quality to be excellent and robust. Just in case you’re OCD about taking care of them, they do come in a nice leather pouch with protective lining.
 
Comfort
 
I found it to be extremely comfy! It’s definitely not as comfy as a custom, but, considering it’s a universal, the comfort level is superb. Various stock tips are provided but I found the most comfortable to be some orange/black medium tips that came with some now forgotten IEM’s for yesteryears.



 
Sound Quality
 
By far the most important quality in an IEM or any sound device for that matter. As far as sound quality goes, I feel the Jupiter can definitely hold its own against the Noble 4C and UERM. It’s definitely reference quality and I found the extension and resolution to be a tad better on the Jupiter than on either of the other two.  However, this really will depend on the tips you use and on proper insertion as I found the sound to greatly vary from tip to tip and even a slight change in position WILL change the sound. This is obviously where the customs will always win.
I listened to my usual run of the mill reference tracks and some new ones. I won’t bother listing the new ones as they are commercially unavailable.
 
The Jupiter amazed me at its speed, clarity, and extension. The dynamic drive of The Jupiter really had me in awe. I have never heard a more dynamic presentation of music from any other IEM I have EVER heard. If there is one thing that impressed me about The Jupiter, it was definitely its dynamic resolution an d dynamic impact. Seriously – if your music is very dynamic – watch out.
 
I found the overall tuning of the Jupiter to be very natural and neutral. However, this greatly depends on the tips you use and on your IEM placement. When properly dialed in, The Jupiter presents music in a very natural way that is both musical and pleasing.  I don’t think I would personally hesitate to use The Jupiter as a reference in ear monitor for recording, mastering, mixing, or restoration work.
 
Conclusion
 
I spent more time with The Jupiter in the past few weeks than I have with any other IEM in the past few months. I’m usually a speaker/full size headphone kind of guy so I was very pleasantly surprised to have The Jupiter take up that much ear time.
 
The honest truth is that I was sad to see them go onto the next reviewer and have been missing The Jupiter ever since. 
 
If you’re looking for an exceptional universal IEM then keep The Jupiter on your “must check out” list.
 
Personally, I would highly recommend it. It’s probably the best universal IEM I have heard in the past few years. 
 
TL;DR
Amazing dynamics and natural sound. Comfy. Highly recommended. Definitely NOT SHIT!