Packaging and Accessories

Based on my previous Campfire Audio IEM reviews, I knew going in this time that the packaging would be similar in size and design alike. The product box for the Campfire Audio Holocene is plastic-sealed, and we see a very colorful front with a render of the earphones in the middle of a fairly unique pattern using the so-called 'Epoch' color palette consisting of a variety of colors and geometrical shapes, including UFOs, because why not? It's as colorful as what we saw with the CFA Mammoth, so this set once again pairs up, as did the Honeydew and Satsuma before. There's contact information alongside some marketing features on the side, and a seal on the back over what we now find out is more of a gift-box-style wrapper in a matching brown which unfurls to reveal the actual product box.


The box is also in a similar brown color as the IEMs, with the Campfire Audio logo in shiny lettering and what looks to be a depiction of a starry night over a mountain and trees, perhaps to depict the Portland area native to the brand. More of the shining speckles are all over the box, which you need to see in person to better appreciate. That will hold your attention for just long enough to realize you need to now go ahead and open the box, which congratulates you on a job nicely done. Everything relevant to the user experience is packed inside two containers, thus making for highly space-efficient packaging. There is also some paperwork underneath, including a user manual going over the do's and don'ts of the Holocene as it pertains to the cable with MMCX connectors and fitting them in your ears. Rounding things off is a customer service card for you to jot down the serial number for any warranty-related issues, and both have the same design on the outer surface as the packaging wrapper.


The accessory box is made out of cardboard similar to the product box and has the same color and design scheme, just with a truncated logo. It opens up to reveal two drawstring fabric pouches, each of which has two compartments, a cleaning tool, as well as a note about one of the ear tip sets being from final audio, which we have separately seen elsewhere, and these are also included with the Campfire Audio Satsuma and Honeydew.


One of these pouches contains a set of soft-flange, wider-bore silicone ear tips in sizes S/M/L and memory foam ear tips in sizes S/L, so size M is presumably pre-installed on the IEMs, and the other pouch contains a set of the aforementioned smaller bore, stiffer flange final audio Type-E silicone ear tips as well as a metal lapel pin with the truncated Campfire Audio logo. Getting these things out of those tiny compartments is harder than it needs to be, and I don't even have large hands to begin with. There are going to be 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. The unboxing is thus not very practical, but there's no denying the ample supply of ear tips provided for users to try out.


I am a big fan of the case that came with the CFA Mammoth, and was curious to see how the company's 'Epoch' color palette and design will work out in practice. This is just as bold, brash, and, most importantly, fun as with the Mammoth case. It's not for everyone, and this time, the clear focus is UFO objects placed all around. I personally see it as a nice, colorful design for what is otherwise a utilitarian carry/storage case. But there's more going on here with Campfire Audio partnering with the SEAQUAL INITIAVE to have up-cycled marine plastic waste spun into yarn, which in turn makes up the outer layer on this zipper case. The yarn and sheets are thus going to turn into one-of-a-kind cases with different colors and patterns on every individual case. Functionally, the stitching is nicely done, and there is a good-sized zipper that goes around the top to open the case, which we also see has the logo on the front and soft lining all around the inner surface of the case.


Inside is one more of those drawstring bags, removing which we see a soft lining all around the inner surface area of the case. This bag holds the IEM buds and cable, which are connected out of the box, with the cable held on the outside by the same hook-and-loop connectors that keep the cable tidied up as well. The cable is connected to the IEM buds via MMCX connectors, which need to be carefully pulled out for our closer examination of the cable and IEM buds separately on the next page.