Livewires - California Dreamin' - Page 50

Im the the kid that was offered complimentary livewires a few months ago in a thread.

John knows i will enjoy them, and they are my dream earphones, which he had read. So he offered me a pair, as at the time i was 14 (now 15) and he was intrieuged by my interest in high end audio.

So, been busy in school, but its half term next week, and hopefully i should be getting my ear impressions made!!

I have been thinking about getting an amp (see the reasons in my sig) however most of my tracks (4000 odd) were converted years ago by my dad, to 96k mp3, as we could har no difference between that and 320. I need to do some tests with fresh flac files, rather than converted from 96k, but most of my music is 96k, whilst the rest was going to be converted soon.

With my er6i's they sounded better than my CX300's, but not quite bassy enough, but the source files didnt seem to be a problem, however i never tried a fresh flac file, so i am wondering, to my ears (very untrained, just listen to so much music i like to alter its sound with earphones) will they sound ok? (eg. as good as my ER6i's however a different sound sig? Hopefully slightly better.)

I was going to get an amp, as all of my sources are of reasonable quality. My pc's sound output is analouge 3.5mm (analouge right?) or digital (round glass cable) output.

Also my laptops output is good enough, and so is my zen vision m, so i dont think i need a dac, just an amp, however with my source files (96-~200k) will an amp make a sonical difference? Or just improve volume, which i dont need, as i want my hearing!!

With that much music i cant buy it ALL again in flac, or convert it, cos it wont make it any better, once its gone its gone right? And i cant redownload it all in flac, cos i wont be able to get it all again, and my music is all tagged.

So basically will an amp make a sonical difference with my files through my Toshiba Satellite Pro A100's lineout, my ZVM lineout, or my Pc's soundcards digi (round connector, glass cable, whats it called? Toslink?) or analouge out?

A Headsix is what im after (Thanks for the help HPA), as i cant afford a predator, and the D1 is ok, but i dont need a dac i dont think??

I could get a iBasso T1 for $50 CAD (~£25,) but when i get my Livewires should i borrow an amp if someone will trust me (Hard at 15, but i have 501 posts!!) and if it is worth buying one, shall i sell my ER6i's (~£25) and my CX300's (~£10) and trade my £12 HMV gift card to someone helpful, and another on which i dont know the value of (~£5 i guess) and add £10 i have "laying around"?

Or shall i pounce on the T1 now, but shipping will be large (from Canada)?

What do you think of the synergy of this combo, remember my source files are not fantastic...

Thanks in advance, and please could someone answer all of my bold and underlined questions above, preferably HeadphoneAddict, you have more experaince with amps!

Matt

OK i think im set on the headsix, but i would like to try/borrow one first when the LW's arrive, just to see if with my cruddy source files it will make a sonical difference. Still need answers / suggestions to the above please!

Impressions sent 02.07.08
Impressions arrived 02.09.08
LiveWires Arrive 02.28.08 ?? Long wait

FeedMeTrance: I dropped LiveWires an email regarding piercing highs. They said you shouldn't experience piercing highs unless the problem is external to the LiveWires.

Art @ EarPeace said you should get in touch so they can help work out the problem.

Sorry FMT, have not. Do not have the mini to phono adapter.

My source files are 96-~200k
mp3's. No lossless here

Do you think the headsix would still improve their sonics, as i personally with speakers, (havnt tried a fresh flac file with no conversions on best earphones, er6i's) i cannot hear a difference in sounds and detail between 96k and 196k.

Although this is unamped, before i got into HF!

Apparently the HS is great with livewires, as you, headphoneaddict, said but i believe you rip cd's or download flacs, and mine are mostly 96k, but i havnt converted the other few hundred tracks yet. But once the bitrate is decreased its gone

I cant download it all in flac!

Although with the livewires amped, my ears may be able to pick out the finest details, in which case flac would be better, as the detail is still there to be heard.

I will have to do some tests unamped when they arrive, just to see, and out of interest.

I will borrow an amp after that just to see if there is a sonical difference with the crap tracks unamped then amped. If there is i will get a headsix.

I have no choice but to use the "crap" tracks, amped or not, although they may sound alright unamped to my ears, and even better amped, im not sure if they will improve amped as the fine details will not be there to be heard with the awesome setup!!

Im not sure how they will be amped, and lossless, to my untrained ears, it will be an interesting test, but wont change anything, as i cant get it all in lossless again, and dont have the space for it!

Still open to views, advice and suggestions HeadphoneAddict, when you come online!! Both these huge rambling posts were at you, as i value your advice most!

Matt

EDIT:
My music is enjoyable the way it is, and i think an amp even with such low bitrates would improve it.

Although if the lossless test, unamped and using a borrowed amp, i carry out is a noticable difference lossless, amped, against lossy amped, i could just get my current favourite music in lossless say once a month; just get my top artist in lossless. Just to hear it and get immense joy, and the rest is just enjoyable i guess.

If lossy is a noticable difference amped, i will get an amp of my own, as i get awesome lossless amped, on my favouite tracks, just an album monthly or so, and better lossy sound amped too!

(gotta get my impressions for my livewires made and sent off first, then find somone who will let me borrow their amp!!)

Whats your advice, suggestion, view etc HPA?

I have contacted the LiveWires team, hopefully they can shed some light, this is the best way I can describe the Highs I am hearing:

Piercing Excrutiating Highs. A high ringing when vocals and guitar come together, or even just vocals. As if the sound is hitting the ceiling and forming together in one constant high pitched noisy note.

Wow. I have never, ever experienced anything that comes even close to that description with my livewires. Maybe you got a lemon. That sounds extreme.

Listening to 'All or Nothing At All' - Diana Krall

And the highs in her voice hurt my ears - she has a beautiful voice. But I am deducing that the iPods headphone out is better (in terms of less high pain) than the Tomahawk.

I am still getting ear pains with them, and still got poor isolation, sigh. I hope the LW team can find out whats wrong!

It sounds like you may not have the IEM's on correctly. There is a learning curve putting these things in your ears.

I have been practising Poppa, and even did the Sensaphonics Seal Test which after doing the test, my results had concluded that I do have a proper seal. I personally feel they do not go in deep enough.

Look in the mirror, and if you see more than the faceplates they are not in all the way. I have red/blue with black faceplates. It was easy to tell when I saw a different color then black in my ears.

More likely, this is Livewires sound signature: you might have to adapt to it.

Here are pictures of them inserted:





That is how they sit in my ear/s

John has replied my email and gave me several suggestions including sandpapering them, 50 Ohm adapter and wool. So we shall see how it goes.