you are right now that I read back, it seemed to come out in a way I didn't intend it to. Even I got the impression they might not be that good, when in fact they are the best sound I have heard to date. My ratings were based on quantity, not quality. They are middle ground pretty much in ever area, not too much bass but not lacking at all with highs that are never fatiguing and never sibilant even with very harsh tracks known to be hissy. They have an average sound stage in width and height but above average in depth, what I love about them is the overall placement. They got it right for me, I prefer a very close sounding mid and vocal experience, I hate middle ground and distant sound. No set, and I mean this, not one set in full size headphones, portables, earbuds or anything Ive reviewed had sonic placement that can best the livewires. They are perfection to my ears, I cannot say the same for anyone else but for me, this is precisely what I want. This is what music should sound like to me, moderate bass that is soft and gentle, never boomy or bloated, close up mids intimate, relaxing, never fatiguing, highs that are never harsh and are not overly bright, easily driven, comfortable ( rotating molds and custom length is amazing to have ) all at a very reasonable price. So far, nothing has lured me in like these have and I swear I've reviewed and been through at least 2 dozen sets including all the orthos just this year alone. Sure they were more clear and dynamic, had loads more bass or had a massive sound stage, but I'll never go back, custom iems are the way to go for me. I can take them anywhere, nobody looks at me like i am insane or have a satellite dish on my head and I get excellent isolation.
They make my FA011 sound a little muffled and very distant. I dont mean to hype them but I fear they wont ever get the praise they deserve, they are $250 customs...they are well made, well suited and customized to you. I am super intrigued by customs and just never wanted to use them before. I have trouble with fit issues in regular iems and never gave a thought to customs, due to being so expensive. Never thought a custom can be this well suited to me, the sad thing is I dont want to upgrade. I feel very happy with them and I've hit my sweet spot. Right price, right kind of sound. Recently, as some might already know, I lost my faith in Hi Fi and find that mid fi is where all the action is at, the best all arounders, best bang for the buck. The Livewires are excellent all arounders, right from Jazz to classical, classical to rock, rock to big band, everything sounds very nice. Cant really go wrong, as my thread title states " best $250 I ever spent"
. I have always liked the intimacy of IEM's and have personally never been one to really appreciate sound stage to be honest. I already feel myself wanting to explore the customs option more seriously lol.
