More than half of employers in Singapore do not plan to increase headcount and intend to freeze or moderate wages in 2027 despite a slight improvement in their business outlook for the year, according to a survey by the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

The survey was conducted between Jun and Aug 2026. It gathered responses from over 300 companies employing close to 160,000 workers across 20 industries, representing a diverse mix of small, medium-sized and large enterprises.

The proportion of employers expecting uncertain business prospects in 2027 fell to 63% from 72% in 2026, and slightly more companies expect to perform well in 2026 (65%) than in 2025 (63%).

This year’s survey also found that a slightly higher number of companies anticipate performing well in 2026 (65%), compared with 2025’s 63%.

“Nonetheless, the business outlook remains highly uneven,” SNEF added.

While some outward-oriented sectors benefit from stronger external and technology-driven demand, many domestically oriented sectors such as Retail Trade and Food and Beverage Services are grappling with weaker consumer demand and rising operating costs. 

“This divergence underscores the increasingly K-shaped nature of Singapore’s economy, where sectors employing a larger share of lower-wage workers and relying more heavily on local demand face greater business and manpower cost pressures, despite improvements in the overall economy,” said SNEF.

“Small and medium-sized employers were more likely to report uncertain business prospects and poorer business performance, and were also more likely to implement wage moderation or wage freezes in 2027.”

Companies are proceeding with caution

SNEF highlighted the “measured approach” taken by companies to hiring and wages.

More than half (54%) of employers surveyed said that they do not plan to increase their headcount next year, down from 58% in the 2025 survey.

Nonetheless, 40% of companies plan to hire in 2027, up from the 33% that had a similar agenda for 2026. The percentage of respondents in this year’s survey planning to reduce headcount (6%) was also lower than last year’s (8%).

As for wages, 51% of employers surveyed said that they plan to carry out wage moderation or wage freezes in 2027, up from 48% in 2026.

The remaining 49% are planning to implement wage increases, down by 2% from the year before.

“This indicates continued caution in the wage outlook among employers, particularly among small and medium-sized employers,” noted SNEF.

For companies that employ lower-wage workers, the majority (86%) remain committed to giving built-in wage increases in 2027, down from nearly all (96%) in 2026.

The remaining 14% of respondents this year are planning a wage freeze for lower-wage workers, while none intend to cut wages for this group in 2027.

Rising manpower cost remains the biggest obstacle

Rising manpower cost remains the top manpower challenge for businesses in Singapore, with 83% in 2026 flagging this concern, compared to 79% in 2025.

More companies (30%), also reported worries over the rising cost of upskilling and reskilling their workforce as they prepare for evolving business and technology, up from 23% the year before.

However, labour-market tightness has eased from a year ago, SNEF added.

Over the 12 months to May 2027, fewer companies reported difficulties attracting and retaining professionals, managers, executives and technicians (41%, down from 47%), as well as a shortage of local high-skilled talent (35%, down from 42%).

Attracting suitable talent remains the top human resource priority for 59% of employers, lower than 61% in the previous period.

Employers are also prioritising the exploration, adoption and enhancement of artificial intelligence (48%), as well as upskilling and reskilling their workforce (46%).

SNEF Council vice-president Kuah Boon Wee said: “The survey findings suggest that while labour-market pressures have eased somewhat, most employers continue to face significant cost pressures and uncertainties in business outlook.”

Still, he noted it was “encouraging” that employers continue investing in workforce capabilities, job redesign and AI adoption to boost productivity and competitiveness, adding that it was also “heartening” that most remain committed to supporting lower-wage workers.

“To ensure that this is sustainable in the long term, we need to continue helping employers, especially SMEs, access practical support to transform their operations and workforce for greater productivity uplift.”

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singapore’s current affairs here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

DEVOPS

Fully backward-compatible upgrade promises zero-friction speedup for monorepo wranglers.

The popular JavaScript package manager pnpm, already known for its speedy downloads, has further cut installation times by up to 90 percent thanks to a complete rewrite in Rust.

Yet the freshly released version 12 of pnpm should not cause consternation while upgrading, its maintainer says.

“Upgrading should not feel like a migration. The commands, flags, settings, and lockfile format of pnpm 11 all carry over, and the documentation covers both versions,” wrote Zoltan Kochan, the current lead maintainer of pnpm.

In the project’s own benchmarks, pnpm 12 installed a sample uncached package in 5.19 seconds, compared to the 8.22 seconds pnpm 11 required and the 47.7 seconds npm itself required.

The project team also built a registry server in Rust, called pnpr, which improves performance even further. In the above test, the installation took only 3.37 seconds with pnpr on the backend.

A new Rust core binary, on which work started in April, eliminates a lot of the overhead that comes from routing filesystem work through Node.js. This new version is 65.9 percent Rust and 33.5 percent TypeScript, according to the GitHub stats. 

“Package installation is dominated by fetching metadata and tarballs, unpacking files, resolving dependency graphs, and linking packages into node_modules, making it a natural target for native code and parallelism,” wrote Sarah Gooding, vice president of communications for security provider Socket, in a blog post. 

Gooding also noted that the project benchmarked pnpm against Bun and Yarn, but the results were removed due to testing SNAFUs. Nonetheless, she noted the software cut install times by up to 90 percent in some cases.

A faster npm

Developer Rico Sta. Cruz originally created pnpm in 2016 as a faster alternative to npm (Node Package Manager), JavaScript’s de facto package manager, which devs used to find and download libraries and tools. GitHub acquired the open source npm software and repository in 2020.

Npm garnered a reputation for being both sluggish and hungry for disk space, thanks to its generous practice of downloading all needed dependencies onto users’ machines, regardless of whether they were duplicates. 

Pnpm’s secret sauce is content-addressable storage. If you need a single library for 100 different applications, pnpm downloads it only once, and downloads another copy only if the developer specifies a different version.

Like npm, pnpm still draws from the official npm repository, but arguably works better than npm for many. Many devs also like that the lockfile describing the package’s dependency tree was more readable thanks to its use of YAML.

The 2025 State of JavaScript survey showed that pnpm was by far the most popular package manager for JavaScript monorepos, a party that also included Nx, Lerna, Yalc, Turborepo and even npm’s built-in Workspaces. About 38 percent (3,840) of 10,251 surveyed developers used the package manager.

Rust for JavaScript

Rewriting applications in Rust seems to be a favorite activity these days, as the language is known for speedy performance unhampered by garbage collection. 

In the Web app ecosystem alone, the Bun framework just got an AI-fueled Rust makeover, Tailwind CSS version 4 got a new Rust engine called Oxide, and the Vite framework now speeds along thanks to a Rust-built JavaScript bundler called Rolldown. 

“It is a bit of [an] indictment on Node for having poor dx” (developer experience), wrote Darcy Clarke, CEO of JavaScript package management platform provider vlt, in an X message, about the Rust rewrite of pnpm. 

“It was faster to rewrite pnpm in rust than to migrate to esm” (ECMAScript modules), replied pnpm’s Kochan, agreeing with Clarke’s sentiment. 

The software’s GitHub page still points at the last major release, pnpm 11.25, so existing users will have to update to the v12 branch specifically (“pnpm self-update next-12” will get you there). ®

The Asahi Linux project now officially supports Macs with an M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max chip, bringing the operating system to more Apple Silicon desktops.

In late August, a blog post for the Asahi Linux project, which intends to bring Linux to Apple Silicon and run natively on Apple’s ARM chips, said M3 support was on the way. While it said that it was a matter of weeks, it seems to have arrived in a much quicker timeframe.

A blog post on September 6 declares support for Macs using an M3-series SoC. This now extends support beyond the previous M1 and M2 generations of Apple Silicon.

It’s not full support for M3, however. It’s warned that M3 Ultra is not yet supported by the operating system, leaving out some Mac Studio users from the Linux party.

Almost complete

Almost everything supported in the M1 and M2 releases now “just works” on M3, the developers claim. That includes webcam support, the internal microphones, USB up to the USB 3 10Gb/s limit, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and hardware-accelerated video decoding support.

When it comes to major exceptions, the short list includes full DCP support and the GPU. That said, updates to those are expected to arrive within the next few months.

Sleep is also not functional in the release, due to limitations with the firmware-provided framebuffer. This should be addressed once full DCP support is enabled.

DCP support will also help with video. Currently, the HDMI port on equipped MacBooks is disabled until that support arrives.

While M3 support is now here, the project still has more work to undertake. Development is ongoing to support M4 and M5 chips.

Earlier this summer, Travis Kalanick’s Atoms announced a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. But even after raising that mega round, the Uber founder remained a bit cagey about what he was actually aiming to do.

Now a story in the Financial Times offers more details about Atoms’ goals. The startup is reportedly preparing for a hiring spree, as well as acquisitions, that could make it a major player in the autonomous vehicle industry.

In fact, the FT said Atoms has talked to Uber about how the ride-hailing company could use the startup’s robotaxi technology. (Uber has already partnered with a long list of autonomous vehicle companies.) The report also noted that Uber has invested $100 million in Atoms — a figure previously confirmed by TechCrunch.

While sources emphasized that robotaxis don’t represent the entirety of Atoms’ plans, this direction seems consistent with Kalanick’s description of the round as “unfinished business.”

It also fits with Atoms’ acquisition of Pronto, an autonomous mining startup led by Uber’s former self-driving chief Anthony Levandowski. (Levandowski was convicted of stealing trade secrets and sentenced to 18 months in prison, but was then pardoned by President Donald Trump.)

Apple appears to be bracing for a double-Apple Watch debut at its Sept. 9 event, with rumors pointing to a new Ultra 4 launching alongside the flagship Series 12. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing both watches with faster chips along with new health and fitness features.

The original Ultra arrived in 2022 with a more rugged titanium build, sapphire crystal display and features aimed at outdoor adventurers and athletes. Since then, it’s added support for recreational scuba diving and emergency satellite connectivity, but it hasn’t followed the predictable yearly release cycle of the flagship Series. There was a two-year gap between the Ultra 2 and last year’s Ultra 3.

A major processor upgrade this year could make a back-to-back refresh easier to justify. All three Apple Watches released last year still run on the S10 chip, and it’s unlikely Apple would leave its most expensive watch behind with an aging processor while upgrading the flagship model. Gurman reports Apple is preparing a faster S11 or possibly an S12 to match the flagship’s naming for both the Series 12 and Ultra 4.

But a bump in processing power could also come with a bump in price. The Ultra 3 already starts at $799, twice the Series 11’s starting price, and while there’s no solid price rumor yet for its successor, Apple has raised prices across parts of its hardware lineup this year. Google and Samsung have also raised prices on their flagship smartwatches in 2026, and I wouldn’t count on Apple holding the line at $799.

More processing power for the new Siri AI

One place that extra processing power could come in handy is WatchOS 27, which brings the new Siri AI to the Apple Watch. I’ve already been testing Siri AI in beta on the Ultra 3, and it’s miles ahead of traditional Siri. It can answer more complex and contextual questions, reference information in Apple’s native apps and generally avoid the frustrating “Here’s what I found on the web” response that made traditional Siri feel especially frustrating on the wrist.

I’ve been impressed by what it can do, but I’ve also noticed some lag. Part of that could be because the software is still in beta, but a faster processor could help speed up those interactions.

Battery gains welcome

Battery life is another area where a more efficient processor could help. The Ultra 3 is already Apple’s longest-lasting watch, giving me about two days of consistent day-and-night use in my real-world testing. That’s still well behind traditional sports-watch brands like Garmin and Coros, which can measure battery life in weeks rather than days, with some models even going beyond the 30-day threshold with solar power. 

Apple is unlikely to close that gap in a single generation, but any gain will help. Battery life remains one of the biggest pain points for Apple Watch owners and people considering making the jump. Even without a larger battery, efficiency gains from a new processor could help the Ultra stretch its runtime even further.

No design changes expected for the Ultra 4

Gurman has said no major design changes are expected for this year’s Apple Watch lineup, beyond the materials and accessories, which would leave the Ultra 4 with the same general look as last year’s model. The Series 12 is expected to bring back the ceramic cases, but it’s less likely that Apple will swap ceramic for titanium on the Ultra. 

New health features 

Some of the Ultra 4’s new tricks won’t require new hardware at all. WatchOS 27 brings expanded one-handed gesture controls, workout updates and new perimenopause insights to the Apple Watch. Workout Buddy, Apple’s hype-person in your ear, will also work in Spanish and without an iPhone nearby.

The new watches may also bring expanded blood pressure features. Apple’s current hypertension notifications can flag patterns associated with high blood pressure, but they stop short of giving you an on-the-spot blood pressure reading. According to Gurman, Apple has tested blood pressure measurement internally but encountered accuracy problems, so there’s no guarantee the feature will be ready this year.

Wild card: TouchID on an Apple Watch

Another potential new addition (albeit using old technology) is Touch ID. MacWorld recently spotted internal Apple code suggesting the company has experimented with biometric authentication on the Apple Watch for either 2026 or 2027. It’s unclear whether Apple would put a fingerprint sensor beneath the display, in the Digital Crown or somewhere else entirely, but the Ultra could be a logical model to debut the new functionality, given its larger case and additional physical Action button.

Of course, all of this remains speculation until Apple makes it official. Check back for our coverage of Apple’s Sept. 9 event for all the details on the new Apple Watch(es).

Vanessa Hand Orellana

Principal Writer

Vanessa is a lead writer at CNET, reviewing and writing about the latest smartwatches and fitness trackers. She joined the brand first as an on-camera reporter for CNET’s Spanish-language site, then moved on to the English side to host and produce some of CNET’s videos and YouTube series. When she’s not testing out the latest health tech, you can catch her on a hike or trail run with her family.

See full bio

Threat actors have adopted the ASCII smuggling technique in phishing campaigns, using invisible Unicode characters to evade email security filters.

ASCII smuggling has been used in AI prompt injection attacks to conceal malicious instructions from users by encoding them with Unicode characters from the Tags block (U+E0000–U+E007F).

Microsoft threat researchers discovered a large-scale phishing campaign using this technique, which peaked at up to 2.37 million daily messages in late February. Although the volume has dropped gradually in May, the operation is still active.

“The high-volume phase persisted for roughly three months after February 9 and dropped sharply after May 15, 2026,” explains Microsoft.

“These dates bound the observed use of the specific technique in our telemetry, not the broader campaign, which started earlier without it and continued without it.”

In this campaign, the attacker inserts an invisible Unicode character inside finance-related lure words to split them.

In doing so, a keyword like ‘funding’ becomes something like ‘fun[invisible character]ding’ and evades email filters that rely on word lists to detect suspicious or malicious messages.

Microsoft says the method has been used in millions of finance-themed phishing messages and works as intended, although Defender still caught over 99% of the messages based on other signals (sender, IP, domain, reputation checks).

On February 9, Microsoft identified a cluster of 148 finance-themed sender domains powering this campaign, accounting for about 96% of all messages its new Defender for Office 365 hunting logic flagged for Unicode-tag signatures.

The domains used words such as “funding,” “capital,” “loan,” “advance,” and “credit,” and the messages promoted business funding, loans, and credit services.

The messages were delivered through infrastructure associated with the legitimate ActiveCampaign email-marketing platform.

After receiving Microsoft’s report of service abuse, ActiveCampaign said its moderation systems detect invisible Unicode characters the same way they detect unobfuscated text and treat heavy use as suspicious.

Microsoft recommends that defenders strip or normalize Unicode tag characters and other invisible code points before applying keyword, regex, or signature-based detection, and treat unexpected tag-block characters as a strong anomaly.

Applying the same normalization before passing email content to AI assistants should mitigate the risk of prompt-injection attacks.

Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply.

The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments.

Get the report

TCL’s OLED+ 32X3A monitor sits at the head of three new efforts built around dual-mode 4K/240Hz and Full HD/480Hz refresh switching.

TCL is showing the range at IFA 2026 inside its Inspiration Habitat, alongside the 32X3A’s new 27-inch sibling, the 27C2A gaming display and the performance-led 27P2A Pro gaming monitor for competitive play.

“Modern screens need to move effortlessly between work and play, and users shouldn’t have to choose between eye comfort, rapid speed, sleek design or immersive audio,” said Stefan Streit, chief marketing officer at TCL Europe.

The flagship

The flagship 32X3A pairs a self-lit OLED+ panel with TCL’s Matrix-Pure Pixel arrangement, which reduces colour fringing that can appear around small text and fine edges. A low-reflection treatment keeps the picture visible in brighter rooms.

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Users can switch between 4K at up to 240Hz for detailed work and entertainment or Full HD at up to 480Hz when faster motion takes priority, with a 0.03ms GtG response time keeping rapid action immediate.

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Sound processing tuned with Bang & Olufsen powers the monitor’s integrated front-firing speakers, while a 6.4mm-thin panel and four-sided frameless Stargate design earned it a 2026 iF Design Award and a Red Dot Design Award. The range now also spans a new 27-inch model, the 27X3B.

QD-Mini LED and gaming-focused monitors

The 27-inch 27C2A brings QD-Mini LED technology with 1,196 precise dimming zones and up to 1200 nits of peak brightness, a combination that delivers the bright, vivid contrast QLED panels are known for across games, films and everyday content.

Gamers can choose 4K UHD at up to 160Hz for cinematic detail or switch to Full HD at up to 320Hz for competitive speed, while TCL’s Motion Clarity Technology combines backlight and response-time adjustments to keep fast movement sharp and easy to follow.

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The 27P2A Pro takes a similar approach for competitive players, with a QHD display, refresh rates up to 320Hz, a 1ms GtG response time and 180 individually controlled dimming zones through its Mini LED backlight for more precise highlights (the brightest parts of the image) and shadows.

Comfort features such as hardware low blue light, DC dimming and flicker-free control support longer gaming sessions, and a height- and rotation-adjustable stand now sits alongside a new 25-inch model, the 25P2A Pro, aimed at reducing neck and eye strain.

Availability, pricing and retail partners will vary by market, with no confirmed exact release dates for yet.

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Campfire Audio (aka CFA) is a boutique hi-fi brand based in Portland, Oregon. The company specializes in building in-ear monitors, most notably the renowned Campfire Audio Andromeda. The CFA IEM lineup is wide and varied, offering high-performance staples like the Supermoon, all the way to pricey exotics like the Chimera.

Today, we’re taking a look at Campfire Audio’s dynamic-driver flagship IEM, the Trifecta: an enduring model first released in 2022. Initially offered at an eye-watering price of $3,375, its price has recently dropped to $2,699. But a roughly $600 price drop, while significant, doesn’t free the Trifecta from the understandably high expectations placed on it as an ultra-luxury product.

Does this venerable IEM have what it takes to compete in the cutthroat 2026 IEM market? Well, let’s get into it.

About My Preferences: This review is a subjective assessment and is therefore influenced by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during the review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases were completely erased. So, for you, my readers, keep the following in mind:

• My ideal sound signature includes competent sub-bass, textured mid-bass, a slightly warm midrange, and extended treble.
• I have mild treble sensitivity.

Testing equipment and standards can be found here.

Related Reviews:

Key Specs:

• Drivers: 3 x 10mm full-range ADLC dynamic drivers
• Driver Configuration: All three drivers reproduce the full frequency range; no crossover network
• Acoustic Design: Triangular additive acoustic chamber with individually vented drivers
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 20 kHz
• Sensitivity: 94 dB SPL @ 1 kHz (16.9 mVrms)
• Impedance: 6.3 ohms @ 1 kHz
• THD: Less than 1%
• Connectors: Custom-matrix MMCX
• Included Cables: 3 x Time Stream Metal cables
• Cable Terminations: 3.5mm single-ended, 2.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced
• Hardware: Stainless steel

Build

You’ve probably never seen an IEM that looks like the Trifecta before, and that’s because it has a truly unique structure. Embedded within its hand-dyed shells are three mutually opposing dynamic drivers, each independently vented. While not technically isobaric, the Trifecta’s drivers operate cooperatively to move massive quantities of air without distortion.

The Trifecta features firm, high-quality MMCX connectors and precisely cut metal nozzles. The entire IEM feels sturdy and genuinely flagship-grade. There are plenty of IEMs that cost more than the Trifecta yet feel considerably worse in the hand, and that’s not surprising. Campfire Audio’s commitment to luxury construction and sound engineering is real, backed by an excellent two-year warranty and extended-support repair policy.

The Trifecta includes three Timestream Metal cables, each with a different termination: 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm. These are among Campfire Audio’s staple premium cables, and they’re excellent. They feature a two-wire flat braid and are soft, lightweight, and visually striking.

The MMCX housings, termination housings, and Y-splitters are all constructed from silver-finished metal with impeccable fit and finish. You’ll be hard-pressed to find stock cables from another brand that are this ergonomically sound.

Comfort

Comfort is a metric that relies heavily on factors influenced by your individual ear anatomy. Mileage will vary.

For as large as the Trifecta looks, it is actually quite comfortable. Its shells are reasonably light, and the included Time stream cables pair nicely with it. I was able to complete long, multi-hour listening sessions with the Trifecta without discomfort or irritation.

For me, the Trifecta is more comfortable than several other popular Campfire Audio IEMs, including the Alien Brain, Astrolith, and Andromeda 10.

Accessories

Inside the box, you’ll get:

• 3x Time stream Metal cables (2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm)
• 1x leather “Dimensional” folding wallet
• 1x RipStop cable bag
• 1x Breezy Bag Micro IEM bag
• 3x pairs of “Marshmallow” foam eartips
• 3x pairs of standard silicone eartips
• 1x IEM cleaning tool
• 1x microfiber cleaning cloth

I’ve been on Campfire Audio’s case about standardizing the accessory packages for its IEMs, as they’ve become a bit fragmented. Unlike many modern hi-fi brands, Campfire Audio actually keeps its models on sale for more than a year, so updates to staple accessories like cases and eartips that appear with newer models don’t always make their way back to older products like the Trifecta.

Two notable omissions from the Trifecta’s accessory package are a proper carrying case and Campfire Audio’s excellent “High and Clear” liquid silicone eartips. I actually stole a set of those from one of my other CFA IEMs to use with the Trifecta, with great results.

Aside from those two omissions, the Trifecta’s accessory package is fairly well-rounded. You get some nice foam eartips, high-quality standard silicone eartips, and a beautiful leather folding wallet. The wallet is fine for static storage but isn’t suited to protecting the IEMs from crushing forces. A semi-hard carrying case, or even a proper clamshell like the Pelican 1010, would be my choice for storing the Trifecta while traveling or commuting.

Listening

The Trifecta’s sound signature is Harman-inspired, offering a hybrid between L-shaped and V-shaped tuning with a focus on mid-bass. Its lower midrange is warm and full, contrasting nicely with its moderately lifted upper mids. There’s a small shelf of emphasis blending the upper mids and treble, followed by a few small peaks in the upper treble before a roll-off in the 12 kHz region. The Trifecta may as well have a single driver inside, as its sound is so incredibly cohesive that you’d never guess there are multiple drivers at play.

Overperformant DD Treble

The Trifecta’s treble is moderately bright, rendering high-pitched elements with clarity and distinction but not sharpness. The Trifecta’s upper treble, while not airy in the way that EST-based TOTL IEMs are, still captures a nice sense of space when the track demands it. As much as it would be cool, I can’t say that the Trifecta matches the incredible treble performance of other similarly priced IEMs, even within the Campfire Audio lineup. Models like the Andromeda 10 and Astrolith render micro-details with more nuance and increased clarity during busy passages. Even the less expensive Alien Brain undercuts the Trifecta in terms of transparency and subtlety in the upper register.

The strength of the Trifecta’s treble, however, is its natural and organic presentation. Hi-hats and cymbals are placed toward the rear of rock and alternative tracks, rendered with plenty of precise decay. You’ll need to listen for them, however, as the Trifecta does not do much to draw your attention to them. Listening to “Bulletproof Heart” by My Chemical Romance demonstrates this behavior, as the Trifecta has absolutely no problem capturing the clashing, crashing slams of metallic percussion, but it does so at its own pace.

The Lazyboy of Midranges

The Trifecta’s midrange is warm and welcoming, striking a nice balance between weight and articulation. Vocals are set toward the middle of the mix but don’t sound particularly recessed. Vocal and instrumental separation is excellent, with the Trifecta rendering lyrics with a level of clarity not often heard on dynamic-driver IEMs. Harmonic fullness is on another level with the Trifecta’s midrange, and there’s no track I’ve played that did not sound rich and complete.

The Trifecta layers complex instrumentation nicely but lacks a bit of the separation you can get from modern hybrid setups. Layered instruments are distinct but feel a little close together, a behavior likely linked to the Trifecta’s more relaxed upper register. Hectic tracks like “Born Too Late” by Middle Class Rut demonstrate both sides of the Trifecta’s midrange: incredibly lush and lifelike tonality, plus a denser and decidedly intimate staging habit.

You Better Love Bass

For as much praise as the Trifecta gets for its bass, you’d think it was an absolute bass cannon. While it definitely possesses a strong emphasis on bass, it is actually fairly controlled, distinctly avoiding the bloated presentation common to other mega-bassy IEMs. The Trifecta’s lower register is concentrated around a punchy, weighty mid-bass and capped by a well-extended, very tight sub-bass. Few IEMs carry down below the 50 Hz region as well as the Trifecta, and its incredible bass capabilities allow it to generate a level of visceral immersion that rivals even the best-implemented bone-conduction drivers.

The Trifecta’s bass is prominent but balances its tonal expression very well. It sits right between being truly juicy and tonally neutral, occupying a line between control and fun that feels explicitly unique. There are many IEMs that might sound “faster” in the lower register than the Trifecta, but none communicate the amount of texture and tactility that the Trifecta does. It truly operates on another axis of experience, and it’s one that needs to be felt to be fully understood.

Drum slams in tracks like “Better Strangers” by Royal Blood are communicated with a sense of spatial realism and convincing body. Electronic tracks are a slam dunk, as the Trifecta is more than willing to fill out rumble-heavy passages with texture and precision. Frank Ocean’s “Ivy (Noobody Remix)” is a great showcase of the Trifecta’s capabilities, generating substantial body across both the mid- and sub-bass.

Comparisons

Comparisons are selected solely based on what I think is interesting. If you’d like me to add more, feel free to make a request in the comments below.

Volk x Astell&Kern Stella

The Stella is a much pricier IEM than the Trifecta, costing nearly twice as much at $3,900. It uses high-end luxury materials akin to those found in an expensive watch, as opposed to the Trifecta’s lighter, hand-dyed resin shells. The Stella also has a larger, more complex driver configuration featuring four EST drivers per side, along with a thick, luxurious cable. The Trifecta’s Timestream Metal cables, while more ergonomic, are admittedly less premium-feeling.

Sonically, the Stella has a brighter, more forward upper treble and a similar level of emphasis in the lower treble. Its midrange is cooler, with a more prominent upper midrange and a less linear lower midrange. The Stella’s mid-bass sits further back than the Trifecta’s, but its sub-bass actually has a little more emphasis, giving it a more “casual” sense of depth with certain styles of electronic music.

The Trifecta has much more texture and intensity overall, rendering bass notes with greater precision and realism. The Stella’s midrange is cleaner and feels better composed on very busy tracks, but it lacks some of the organic timbre expressed by the Trifecta. The Stella’s upper register is also more detailed and lacks some of the subtle grain present in the Trifecta, although it can occasionally exhibit sibilance.

Between the two IEMs, I’m going with the Trifecta. There are certainly technical improvements to be found in the Stella’s midrange and treble, but the Trifecta’s impressive bass response and more organic overall presentation make for a much easier listening experience. Once you consider the Trifecta’s substantially lower price, it’s pretty clear which way I’m leaning.

Meze Astru

The Meze Astru is an all-titanium IEM with a single dynamic driver per side. It runs $900, costing roughly one-third as much as the Trifecta. It comes with a nice, premium cable that feels weightier in the hand. The Trifecta comes with multiple cables, but your preference between ergonomics and premium hand-feel will ultimately determine which approach you prefer.

Sonically, the Astru is much closer to a “normal” sound signature than the Trifecta. It has a gentle V-shaped tuning with a lifted upper register, a mildly warm midrange, and a forward bass region. The Astru’s bass is more concentrated toward the sub-bass than the mid-bass, unlike the Trifecta. The Trifecta’s insistence on broad, commanding mid-bass and lower mids makes it tonally weightier, and this can make it sound denser on busy tracks.

The Astru is a class act when it comes to dynamic-driver performance, and it appears to capture a greater degree of detail retrieval in the upper register than the Trifecta. That said, the Trifecta absolutely dominates the Astru when it comes to rendering the spirit of excitement. The Trifecta’s ability to so precisely emulate the intensity and tactility of live music is something the Astru, as competent as it is, simply cannot do.

The Astru is cheaper, more ergonomic, and features a more mainstream tuning than the Trifecta. It would not surprise me if there’s a sizable crowd that therefore prefers the Astru. But lovers of bass, and those who truly crave an exotic listening experience, will almost certainly still prefer the Trifecta. As good as IEMs like the Astru are, there’s a level of charisma that simple competence cannot recreate.

Campfire Audio Grand Luna

The Grand Luna is another experimental IEM from Campfire Audio, featuring one full-size planar driver and one balanced-armature driver per side. It has metal nozzles, resin shells, and a metal faceplate and costs $1,399, about $1,300 less than the Trifecta.

The Grand Luna is a much less dramatic IEM, featuring a more linear, warmer presentation. It has a more forward upper treble that pulls out detail more easily than the Trifecta, but it also has a comparatively relaxed lower treble and upper midrange. The Trifecta’s vocal range is more forward and therefore more intelligible during busy passages, but it lacks some of the smoothness presented by the Grand Luna.

The Grand Luna’s lower register is slightly warmer than the Trifecta’s but is far less weighty. You might enjoy this more relaxed presentation, but the Trifecta’s intensity makes for a far more engaging listening experience for me. The lifelike and visceral reverberation of the drum beats in “Sleep” by My Chemical Romance exemplifies the root of my preference for the Trifecta. It is the more organic and dynamic IEM, and the Trifecta’s uniquely inspiring bass response is consistently more entertaining for me.

If you’re looking to stay within the $1,500 range, the Grand Luna might be the better choice, but only if you’re looking for a linear, warm IEM. If you want something with greater energy or prefer traditional V-shaped tuning, the Grand Luna’s laid-back nature likely won’t work for you either.

The Bottom Line

IEMs are often described as “exotic” simply because they use uncommon drivers or unusual crossover arrangements, but many of those designs employ novel techniques to achieve fairly conventional tuning goals. The Trifecta is different. From its three full-range dynamic drivers and distinctive physical design to its unconventional acoustics, it genuinely wants to be exotic.

The tradeoff is broad appeal. The Trifecta’s visceral bass response, lifelike imaging, and rich tonal character can deliver a profound listening experience if bass, texture, and musicality sit high on your list of priorities. At the same time, there are plenty of similarly priced IEMs that offer greater technical refinement, stronger upper-treble extension, and cleaner separation, including models within Campfire Audio’s own lineup.

But that isn’t really what the Trifecta is about. It’s about drama. It’s about charisma. It’s about bass.

The Trifecta doesn’t apologize for what it is, and it doesn’t need to. If you want a neutral, analytical reference tool, look elsewhere. If you want an IEM that makes music feel physical, exciting, and unapologetically alive, the Trifecta remains one of the most distinctive high-end IEMs you can buy.

Pros:

• Uniquely tactile and visceral bass response
• Bold, expansive sound signature
• Wide and deep soundstage
• Excellent sub-bass extension and control
• Rich, natural vocal timbre
• Cohesive presentation despite its three-driver design
• Excellent Time stream Metal stock cables
• Distinctive design and premium build quality

Cons:

• No proper carrying case
• Does not include Campfire Audio’s “High and Clear” eartips
• Limited upper-treble extension compared with some high-end rivals
• Vocals can lose definition during especially busy passages
• Some similarly priced IEMs offer greater technical refinement and detail retrieval
• Highly distinctive tuning will not appeal to listeners seeking a neutral or analytical presentation

Our Ratings:

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound Quality

★★★★★★★★★★ Build Quality

★★★★★★★★★★ Comfort

★★★★★★★★★★ Value

Where to buy:

Related Reading:

While Tim Cook is no longer the CEO of Apple, he isn’t going anywhere soon. Just don’t expect him to take part in the September iPhone event video.

The CEO transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus is continuing to roll on. However, while Cook isn’t leaving Apple, his change in role to the chairman of the board of directors means that he isn’t going to be the usual public-facing executive this time around.

Writing in Sunday’s “Power On” newsletter, Mark Gurman insists that Tim Cook will not be in the Apple Event video at all. He will, however, still be at Apple Park, attending the screening.

The change is obviously due to needing Ternus to be the face of the company and the folding iPhone era. Cook appearing in the video will undermine that change entirely, weakening the new CEO’s position barely a week in the role.

It also helps that Tim Cook has already said goodbye in various forms. He did so during his last earnings call, in a memo to staff, and also publicly during the WWDC keynote.

Cook reappearing in the upcoming event would extend what is already a long goodbye even more.

Behind the scenes changes

While the transition will mean a change to the primary host of Apple events, it has also meant more changes out of public view. Cook has to make way for Ternus to work.

That has included Cook moving out of his office in Section 7 of Apple Park, and is instead getting a new office. Ternus will take over the CEO office, moving into the executive suite for the first time and out of his usual location near the hardware engineering teams.

The transition process has also involved Cook and Ternus praising each other in public gatherings and in internal comms. But at the same time, Cook has indicated he will still be at work within the company.

This includes telling employees in his last CEO memo that he looks forward to seeing them in Apple campuses around the world. He’s also going to be paid handsomely, with a base salary of $2 million as well as a potential $45 million in restricted stock units in 2027.

By comparison, non-executive chairman Art Levinson who Cook now replaces, was paid less than $560,000 last year. That figure includes the salary, stock, and other compensation.

With a pay packet that size, it’s expected that Cook will be hard at work in his new position.