Ultrasone and Sennheiser toe the smart line: leather cases, clean lines, respectable mass-market designs. FitEar cater to geeks looking for long-toothed products with great resale value. Jerry Harvey Audio push the boundaries of technology. Noble Audio are masters of extravagant design and itsy bitsy tooling.

Subject: Campfire Audio Jupiter's naked leather case

Then there is Campfire Audio: baby-new, but staid, laid back, and plaid-clad. Their designs are industrial, gritty, and homey.

With morals loose (and participles) dangling, I raved about Jupiter in a Headfonia review. Lyra’s beautiful body and warm sound impressed (Lyra review @Headfonia). On a number of fronts, Campfire Audio's traditional manufacturing is avant-garde and ethical-ish. To the first: Campfire Audio's preservation of the industrial process in their designs: meted out in machined angles, fastened with bolts, milled metal bare to see, is timeless. As to ethical-ishness: by reducing packaging and waste, Campfire Audio products consume less fuel getting places, are more friendly to recycling, and take up less storeroom. That two of their cases are made of animal skin - that may move things back a step, but on the whole, Ken and team’s designs may be ahead of the curve.

Barely enough room for the carrying case - the way it should be

Originally, pre-production units of Jupiter and Orion hit my office. Each model came swaddled in the same orange case. Today, that case accompanies Lyra only. Orion’s pouch has gone cloth. And Jupiter’s new, naked leather, is the total sum of everything Campfire. At least, that’s my take.

The pre-production case, healthy and ruddy

It picks up everything from sweat, to skin oil, lotion, dirty air, clean air, and scuffs like it picks up quizzical stares. It can’t be an earphone case, can it? There's not enough nylon in it. Or dork.

After a few months's use, it ages. I just hope you’re not a smoker- although, Marlboro jackets have look all their own. Anyway, naked leather ages according to its owner’s lifestyle. Fine scars and rub marks mark mine like they do a nice pair of leather shoes. If I were careful with it like I’m not with my Campers, it would probably preen itself like Caleb’s. Nevertheless, mine is now a custom job - and my lazy attitude toward maintenance is its tailor.

After months of mauling, here's how my case aged

At last year’s autumn Fujiya Avic show, Caleb grinned over a Jupiter carrying case that’s accompanied Campfire Audio around the world. Its smooth, oiled, and beautifully, softly mottled skin was how I wanted my case to go.

Today, I’m happy with the scrappy thing it’s become. With a glance it says “I take no shit from no one". I think that Jupiter owners will enjoy both how Jupiter, and its fuzzy pouch age.

*NOTE: I shoot Noble Audio’s advertising campaigns.