Packaging and Accessories

The product box for the Astell&Kern x Campfire Audio PATHFINDER is average in size and uses two-piece packaging with an external sleeve adorned with information on all sides. Indeed, the front is dedicated to making sure you know this is a product borne out of a collaboration between the two brands and also has a render of the IEMs along with the product name itself. On the back we see the various audio technologies that have gone into the PATHFINDER and I appreciate the blown-up diagram that calls out the various individual components in detail. Product specifications are on the side in addition to a useful list of contents so you can be sure there is everything inside the actual box that can be slid out easily from the top or bottom as seen above.


The inner box is made of plain cardboard in black and has the Astell&Kern branding on it. It opens up from the side akin to a book wherein we see a pocket on the inner side of the lid that contains relevant paperwork in the form of a warranty card and an instruction book that goes over the setup and use of the IEMs with the various cables and ear tips. The IEMs themselves are placed snugly inside a thick foam piece with machined cutouts and we see a cable comes pre-installed which is tucked away neatly behind a cardboard cover.


Astell&Kern goes for a multi-layered approach here with other accessories found underneath in the form of a case as well as two separate open cardboard containers that have more cables inside! We have seen IEMs in the past that ship with two cables in the packaging, with the HiBy Lasya being a recent such product, but this is the first time I have experienced a set of IEMs that ships with a whopping three sets of cables!


The carry/storage case that comes with the PATHFINDER is certainly similar to those that Campfire Audio includes with its own IEMs. This is a zipper case made of real leather and does look and feel quite the part. Both brand logos are embossed on the case and we see the same featured on both sides of the zipper tag too. Opening the case reveals two drawstring fabric pouches in an analogous manner to other Campfire Audio IEMs, and we see the case itself has a soft lining on the inside for added protection.


The PATHFINDER is generous with ear tips offering not only three pairs of generic soft-flange silicone tips in sizes S/M/L but another three pairs of Campfire Audio "Marshmallow" foam tips in the same three sizes. Then come the smaller bore, stiffer flange final audio Type-E silicone ear tips in five sizes (XS/S/M/L/XL) as well as a cleaning tool. These come in separate plastic zip-lock bags to where I would have rather seen Astell&Kern go with a more eco-friendly approach. I am also not the biggest fan of those fabric bags in the first place since they have a tendency to shed fabric shavings all over your desk, or wherever else you unbox, and any static electricity in the area will multiply by a few orders of magnitude once these are in your hands.


Before we get to a closer examination of the IEMs and the cables separately, I had to first separate the IEMs from the pre-installed cable. A quick look here reveals the use of Campfire Audio's excellent custom beryllium/copper MMCX connectors rather than the usual softer and potentially less durable brass. Carefully dislodge the connectors by holding one of the IEM shells in one hand and applying outward pressure on the cable connector with the other without wiggling things sideways or up/down. Repeat this with the other side and you are good to go!