Campfire Audio has been on a tear this year, dropping new IEMs left and right—including the Luna, Alien Brain, and Axion—while apparently deciding sleep is optional in Portland. Now they’ve jumped into the already overcrowded dongle DAC market with their first attempt, the Relay.
And let’s be honest, how many dongle DACs does the world actually need at this point? Still, Campfire isn’t exactly known for phoning it in, so when they drop something new—especially a $229 DAC/amp that promises both serious power and sound in a tiny chassis—it’s worth paying attention.
I first heard it at CanJam London, and it stuck with me enough that I had to get one in for a proper deep dive. The real question: is the Relay a worthwhile addition to Campfire’s lineup, or just another dongle fighting for scraps in an already crowded space?
Specifications & Technology
At the heart of the Campfire Audio Relay sits AKM’s Velvet Sound AK4493SEQ DAC chip, chosen for its balance of natural, organic tonality and technical precision. On the amplification side, the Relay uses a pair of low-noise, high-output drivers that independently power each output stage, ensuring clean delivery with plenty of headroom.
The Relay also offers six selectable digital filters, giving listeners some control over how the DAC shapes the sound. Campfire recommends filter 5, and while I cycled through all six, I honestly couldn’t pick out major differences in real-world listening. For consistency, my impressions are based on the Relay set to filter 5.
On the playback front, the Relay supports PCM up to 32-bit / 768kHz and DSD up to DSD256, so it’s more than capable of handling just about any high-resolution file you throw at it. Did I push it all the way to 768kHz in testing? No—but it’s reassuring to know the headroom is there.
Design & Build Quality
The Campfire Audio Relay keeps things true to the dongle DAC ethos—tiny, light, and pocket-friendly. Measuring just 57 x 23 x 10mm and weighing a mere 56 grams, it’s about as portable as it gets. Toss it in your pocket and you’ll forget it’s even there until your playlist demands attention.
Despite its featherweight feel, this isn’t cheap plastic. The Relay is built from CNC-machined aluminum with a glass front panel, complete with a little window that shows off the AKM chip inside—because who doesn’t like a bit of silicon voyeurism? The build feels solid, premium, and ready for daily abuse.
Controls are kept blissfully minimal: volume up/down on one side, play/pause on the other. That’s it. No labyrinth of buttons to memorize, which I appreciate. My only gripe is that the volume steps are broken into 60 increments, which makes switching between sensitive IEMs and power-hungry headphones feel like I’m spamming a game controller cheat code.
Connectivity is straightforward: 3.5mm single-ended, 4.4mm balanced, and a USB-C input for the included braided cable. It plays nice with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android—basically anything you can plug it into.
Campfire also throws in some extras: a magnetically closing nylon pouch, a microfiber cloth, and the obligatory user manual. It’s a complete little package that makes the Relay feel more premium than most dongles in its class.
Now, let’s talk about the part that actually matters: how it sounds.
Performance & Headphone Synergy
The Relay may look unassuming, but it’s no weakling. With 4 Vrms into 32 ohms—about 500mW of output power—this little slab of aluminum drives headphones most dongle DACs wouldn’t dare look at. Case in point: it handled the HiFiMAN HE1000 Unveiled without breaking a sweat, and still had enough headroom to wander dangerously into ear-splitting territory. For a 56-gram device, that’s ridiculous in the best way possible.
My first scribble from CanJam London was “plenty of power and authority.” After extended listening, I stand by that. The Relay doesn’t just play music; it throws punches. The bass is where that shows first—deep, textured, and unflinching. The 20Hz note in Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s “Why So Serious” came through cleanly, with zero effort and more rumble than you’d expect from something this small.
But the Relay isn’t just a bass brute. The midrange comes through full and natural, giving vocals real weight. Chris Martin’s voice on “Viva La Vida” sounded engaging and rounded. That said, push into the upper mids with treble-tilted headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT880 600Ω, and things can edge toward a bit much.
Tonally, the Relay isn’t warm in the classic AKM sense. Yes, the highs are crisp, extended, and detailed, but there’s a sharpness in the lower treble that may not sit well with everyone. After a long session with L’Impératrice’s “La Lune,” I noticed some fatigue creeping in. Not a dealbreaker, but definitely worth knowing if you’re treble-sensitive.
Where that extra treble energy pays off is in technical performance. Detail retrieval is excellent—this is one of those DAC/amps that makes you suddenly hear a guitarist’s fingers slide or a breath between vocal phrases you’d never noticed before.
Imaging is pinpoint accurate, making TOOL’s “Chocolate Chip Trip” a playground of percussive placement. The soundstage isn’t massive—no dongle DAC is tricking you into thinking you’re in a concert hall—but it’s well-defined and coherent.
In short: the Relay is compact, powerful, and hard-hitting. Just don’t expect it to coddle your ears if you’re treble-shy.
The Bottom Line
The Campfire Audio Relay is a seriously impressive first entry into the dongle DAC space. For $229 (£229), you’re getting robust codec support (PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD256), a CNC-machined aluminum and glass buildthat feels far more premium than its featherweight size suggests, and enough power output (500mW @ 32Ω) to comfortably drive everything from sensitive IEMs to full-sized planar headphones. Sonically, it leans hard-hitting and energetic, with deep, textured bass, clear mids, and treble detail that brings out micro-dynamics—though at the cost of a touch of sharpness that may fatigue treble-sensitive listeners.
It’s not the most relaxed-sounding DAC/amp, and it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but as a portable, powerful, and well-built dongle DAC, the Relay offers excellent value and puts Campfire firmly on the map in this corner of the audiophile world.
Pros:
- Ultra-compact and lightweight
- Sleek, modern build
- Ample power for most headphones
- Punchy, dynamic sound
Cons:
- Bold and energetic sound may not suit everyone