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Livewires - California Dreamin' - Page 36

post #526 of 3895
1/29/08 at 2:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterDLai View Post
Can you give a quick (or long, if you so prefer ) comparison between your LiveWires and Shure SE530PTH?
Did you read my comparison of LW vs SE530? Did it help? I linked to it just above your post, when I typed out post #516. When I did that review back in September, I had a much smaller choice of sources and amps at the time. Here it is again...

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ear...ml#post3305469

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ear...ml#post3306334
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post #527 of 3895
1/29/08 at 3:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by webbie64 View Post
How could you ever have fallen out of love with them?



To the contrary, I find Livewires to be truly revealing of what they have delivered to them. They really do show you GIGO responsiveness. If you're not hearing much difference between amps or sources then I'd think your amps/sources aren't that different.

I can definitely hear very clear differences when I change amps (SR-71 vs either Hornet vs Tomahawk vs Mini3 vs etc, etc) when using highest quality source files - WAV/FLAC. When I switch to 320kbps mp3s they show me which amps are more (or less ) forgiving of the source files.



In keeping with my comments above that would be dependent to a greater degree by what they are fed.

For my best music, at highest quality through the SR-71 (which I'm listening to at the moment) I'd say:
Lows: rich; strong; smooth
Mids: engaging; palpable (vocals); real
Highs: crisp; clean; detailed



They are definitely NOT email people. They prefer phone contact and, yes, they are still a start-up company, meaning they generally have more work than staff to deal with it all. Communication can be s-l-o-w but they are good people who do try to catch up emails when they can.



FeedMeTrance's passionate keenness is enviable but this 'strength' is also his 'weakness', where it can be seen as impatience. We all know the money is safe, guys. They do deliver the product, sometimes after a slightly longer wait than anticipated. But they do deliver.

And I think we'd all prefer them, particularly during their business hours, to be focussing on getting the products out rather than spending that time in emails. It would just be good if they could get through more emails in their non-business hours. - which is what makes it even harder for FeedMeTrance on this side of the globe.

FeedMeTrance, I'm sure you've already done this but check your Junk Email folder - sometimes during my long wait I had emails that had bounced back land up there, with me just thinking I'd sent it but in fact John hadn't received it. The other strategy is to send a copy of the email via the Livewires website enquiry form - that sometimes got me a response within 2-3 days rather than the sometimes longer wait via the email system (sometimes my emails got to their server but were autofiled as spam by the server - blasted servers But the enquiry form messages always got through.).
Dude, There are characteristics of the sound of the Livewires that are almost the same with with any amp or source. I've been listening to a few amps lately. RudiStor RPX 100, Mister X Desktop pint and Alien Dac Combo, RSA Tomahawk, and The Portaphile. I have a lot of headphones to choose from to try out the gear so I may not be so attentive as you to notice all the differences
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post #528 of 3895
1/29/08 at 3:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
I have posted several times in the forums that they sound like a high end Grado. I now own more Grado's than I do Ultrasone
well fook me silly cos' this was exactly what i thought lastnight! i pickup a pair of very lightly used Grado SR225s (my very 1st Grados yayy!) over the weekend and just got to listening them yes'day. after 10mins or so, the 1st thought that came to me was...man if this Grado dont sound like the Livewires. through my rig, the Livewires are a hair less extended up top and is strangely, just as correspondingly a hair more extended down below than the SR225. expectedly soundstage is more 2D with the SR225 (though very airy & wide) with the Livewires having a more & better 3D depth perception - otherwise i thought its a wash.

Dang baaa if we dont have similiar ears!
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post #529 of 3895
1/29/08 at 4:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottiebabie View Post
"If you don't have OCD you aren't an audiophile. Who doesn't want to get better sound and obsess every day about it?" - Patrick82
Your signature line (or Patrick) is pretty accurate too.

My 10 year old son has a few OCD tendencies here and there, and he is becoming an audiophile and obsesses about my STAX headphones. I had to buy him some vintage STAX SR-5 and a transformer to shut him up. It didn't work, now he wants some SR-Lambdas.
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post #530 of 3895
1/29/08 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
To the Grado haters: Have you ever heard a well burned-in high end Grado? If not, then what are you worried about?
I NEVER said i was a Grado hater. Please don't put words in my mouth.


I was only a LITTLE concerned as i have never heard Grados but from what i have read on here i didn't think they would be all that my thing. I knew there were countless reviews, which is why i asked for the 3 word thing, i sometimes think a limit like that gives the best/clearest opinion.

Thanks for you're input.
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post #531 of 3895
1/29/08 at 5:15am
Man I got the sr60....I find because the mids are upfront, the other highs and lows can sometimes be recessed. Anyone else think this? Other times it sounds great. That doesn't mean I'm a Grado hater. It's just I wouldn't prefer that in my next iem purchase.

So I dunno. A lot of iems seem to get reviews saying they have Gradoish sound and now I don't know what to believe.
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post #532 of 3895
1/29/08 at 6:19am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by webbie64 View Post
How could you ever have fallen out of love with them?



To the contrary, I find Livewires to be truly revealing of what they have delivered to them. They really do show you GIGO responsiveness. If you're not hearing much difference between amps or sources then I'd think your amps/sources aren't that different.

I can definitely hear very clear differences when I change amps (SR-71 vs either Hornet vs Tomahawk vs Mini3 vs etc, etc) when using highest quality source files - WAV/FLAC. When I switch to 320kbps mp3s they show me which amps are more (or less ) forgiving of the source files.



In keeping with my comments above that would be dependent to a greater degree by what they are fed.

For my best music, at highest quality through the SR-71 (which I'm listening to at the moment) I'd say:
Lows: rich; strong; smooth
Mids: engaging; palpable (vocals); real
Highs: crisp; clean; detailed



They are definitely NOT email people. They prefer phone contact and, yes, they are still a start-up company, meaning they generally have more work than staff to deal with it all. Communication can be s-l-o-w but they are good people who do try to catch up emails when they can.



FeedMeTrance's passionate keenness is enviable but this 'strength' is also his 'weakness', where it can be seen as impatience. We all know the money is safe, guys. They do deliver the product, sometimes after a slightly longer wait than anticipated. But they do deliver.

And I think we'd all prefer them, particularly during their business hours, to be focussing on getting the products out rather than spending that time in emails. It would just be good if they could get through more emails in their non-business hours. - which is what makes it even harder for FeedMeTrance on this side of the globe.

FeedMeTrance, I'm sure you've already done this but check your Junk Email folder - sometimes during my long wait I had emails that had bounced back land up there, with me just thinking I'd sent it but in fact John hadn't received it. The other strategy is to send a copy of the email via the Livewires website enquiry form - that sometimes got me a response within 2-3 days rather than the sometimes longer wait via the email system (sometimes my emails got to their server but were autofiled as spam by the server - blasted servers But the enquiry form messages always got through.).
A Great post Webbie!
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post #533 of 3895
1/29/08 at 6:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SBD View Post
Man I got the sr60....I find because the mids are upfront, the other highs and lows can sometimes be recessed. Anyone else think this? Other times it sounds great. That doesn't mean I'm a Grado hater. It's just I wouldn't prefer that in my next iem purchase.

So I dunno. A lot of iems seem to get reviews saying they have Gradoish sound and now I don't know what to believe.
Yeah, but SR-60 don't fit with my "High-End Grado" criteria, which I outlined in my first review in September as not being SR60/80/125.

Curious, what other IEM have "Gradoish" sound? I am not sure I could say the Super.fi would qualify because of the midrange suckout, or Triple.fi 10 with boxy or enclosed sounding bass. ER6i don't have the bass presense like a Grado and are more grainy than a Grado. Denon C700 have their own sound, as do Shure. Trying to think, but nothing happens.
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post #534 of 3895
1/29/08 at 8:27am
I never said it was "high-end Grado". freQs and Yuins are also said to have gradoish sound. even westones. Also, there's a lot of people that think something sounds like grados and that's what they post so that's all I was saying...
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post #535 of 3895
1/29/08 at 10:40am

Classical Music

Unless I missed it, people here have commented about listening to all types of music through their livewires except Classical. My question is, how suitable are they for this genre?
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post #536 of 3895
1/29/08 at 4:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SBD View Post
I never said it was "high-end Grado". freQs and Yuins are also said to have gradoish sound. even westones. Also, there's a lot of people that think something sounds like grados and that's what they post so that's all I was saying...
I'm sorry for the confusion.

From the start I have compared them to "a high end grado". Then someone else recently said they were "grado'ish" without any qualifiers. Then it sounded like someone was afraid to get the LW because they don't like grados. Then it turns out that person hasn't heard high-end or low-end grados, but has heard descriptions that they didn't like. Then you posted stuff that shows the SR-60 aren't perfect. Then I reminded you that SR-60 aren't high end grados, and that the LW don't sound like SR-60 which are low-end.

Things kinda set off personal defenses. I didn't mean for things to head off on a tangent or impune someone's headphone preferences.

As for other gradoish earphones, I just couldn't recall a lot more. I have never heard Yuin, but someone once told me they were like an ear-bud version of Shure E4c. You mentioned Westone, which I forget I have listen to one of their models. I have always been told the UM2 sound more like SE530 which are un-gradoish to my ears. The Westone 3 are not out yet, but they were kinda like a SR-352i when I had 5 minutes to listen to them at my visit at Westone in September.

I think there are several flavors of Grado, from bold and brash and in your face, to detailed and refined. Not all Grados are the same, and even the bold and brash headphones smooth out a bit with burn-in, but none of them can be said to be laid back like an HD600/650. That is SE530 territory.

Lastly, for the other person asking, Livewires are very enjoyable with Classical too. They seem to be suited to all genre, from Rock, to Electronica, to Jazz, to Acoustic and Vocal, to Classical, etc..
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post #537 of 3895
1/29/08 at 8:53pm
Just called Livewires at their office they are going to ship out my phones this Thursday, so I should have them the next day. I e-mailed them last week but they never replied to my e-mail. I eventually had to call them to get some answers. They used to reply to my mail within hours of me sending it to them, wonder why they are falling behind?
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post #538 of 3895
1/29/08 at 9:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jboji View Post
Just called Livewires at their office they are going to ship out my phones this Thursday, so I should have them the next day. I e-mailed them last week but they never replied to my e-mail. I eventually had to call them to get some answers. They used to reply to my mail within hours of me sending it to them, wonder why they are falling behind?
I agree, I have sent countless emails since last week, the main one being a change of postal address email, hoping they get it!

Living overseas, it's a bit more difficult to call in, but I might have to purchase a calling card and make a quick call to see how they are going.

If anyone does call em, please find out why they aren't checking/replying emails
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post #539 of 3895
1/30/08 at 3:06am
another work day gone, and yet no reply

i dont know if i am more excited for an email from them or for the actual livewires!
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post #540 of 3895
1/30/08 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by FeedMeTrance View Post
another work day gone, and yet no reply

i dont know if i am more excited for an email from them or for the actual livewires!
Steady on man. They will arrive in time, as another poster has stated, sometimes it takes quite some extra time, thats all.
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