Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › Multi-Custom In-Ear Monitor Review, Resource, Mfg List & Discussion (26 reviews: UM PP6 added 3/12/13)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Multi-Custom In-Ear Monitor Review, Resource, Mfg List & Discussion (26 reviews: UM PP6 added... - Page 80

post #1186 of 2900
2/24/12 at 12:34pm

Well, in regards to something like the FA 011, the Livewires are better in every way except sound stage size and bass quantity, overall clarity and intimacy is much better, more lively, more enveloping.  Consider the livewires being the only custom iem brand that will give you a fully rotating 360 degree mold and cable that allows you to wrap it over your ear, or sling it downward like you wear earbuds, which is what I prefer.  I love it to death, they trimmed the cable to my desired length for free and they had magnificent customer service.  I posted a desolate review on them, nobody replied or read it.

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/582824/livewire-custom-dual-driver-iem-review-best-250-ive-ever-spent

Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #1187 of 2900
2/24/12 at 12:45pm

I actually just read it a few minutes before your response haha. Your ratings seemed kinda bad in the initial post, I did read the update later down and obviously you like them a lot now. My main concern with the Livewire series is the sound sig, I've read many people describe it as laid back, and I'm not really a huge fan of laid back sound (learned that through HD650's) & the general consensus that it is somewhat bass light, and I love my bass I have to admit.  It seems like the dominating contender for mid level  customs is the JH5, but then again that is $150 more that the Livewire Duals. Once again I'm getting ahead of myself already, I may end up loving the HE400's and keep them :P. 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.

 

P.S thanks for the tip on the earplugsolutions.com kit, I would be more comfortable spending only $15 and doing it myself anyways, so if I do ever get customs I will probably go that route!

 

Edit: Also I'm sure this topic has been hammered many times, but how practical are custom IEM's for at home listening as far as comfort is concerned. I mean obviously they are more comfortable than universal IEM's but how do they match again the likes of the mid level comfort kings in full-sized like HD650's or Beyers? The main discomforting thing to me about universal IEM's was the suctioning, and I have come across a few IEM's that didn't suction but their sound kinda sucked haha, but I hear that the suctioning is non-existent in customs? How practical is it to sit in the comfort of your own home with customs in your ears for hours at a time?


Edited by Aaron1006 - 2/24/12 at 1:05pm
Reply
post #1188 of 2900
2/24/12 at 1:01pm

I rated it a 4 out of 5 overall...that was bad?  lol...well the livewires are laid back, a semi colored set that is very fun and relaxing at the same time to my ears,  they are not bass light, they have some deepness and rumble but its on the lighter end of bass moderate.  A bass lovers iem this is not..

Reply
post #1189 of 2900
2/24/12 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by swbf2cheater View Post

I rated it a 4 out of 5 overall...that was bad?  lol...well the livewires are laid back, a semi colored set that is very fun and relaxing at the same time to my ears,  they are not bass light, they have some deepness and rumble but its on the lighter end of bass moderate.  A bass lovers iem this is not..



Well the value part was good, but bass, highs, and soundstage are all 3's. Personally I've always thought of 3's as kinda "meh" :P.

Reply
post #1190 of 2900
2/24/12 at 1:42pm

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" 


Edited by swbf2cheater - 2/24/12 at 1:51pm
Reply
post #1191 of 2900
2/24/12 at 2:59pm

Ohh, I didn't realize it was based on quantity. Thanks for clearing all that up. They do sound really interesting to me and I will definitely consider them as an option. Thanks for your insight on them, you've got me really thinking about them now haha. Not to mention the price is only $250. Just out of curiosity, what was the turn around time for you once they received your impressions?

Reply
post #1192 of 2900
2/24/12 at 3:14pm

Mine arrived just shy of 2 weeks. 

Reply
post #1193 of 2900
2/24/12 at 7:42pm

joe, can you compare the iphone 4s with i fuzen, iphone 4s without amp, iphone 3G source matching with LS8?

Reply
post #1194 of 2900
2/24/12 at 9:35pm
Thread Starter 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by swbf2cheater View Post

No word on your livewires yet, joe?  I've hit the wall with headphones a few days ago after purchasing the Fischer Audio FA011.  I have owned every single major headphone under 2k and I prefer the Livewires over all of them, that includes the hifiman he500/6 and lcd2/3.  I think the livewire dual hit a sweet spot with me, it is by far the most intimate experience Ive had in audio, then again its the only custom ive owned so i cant say as I am sure there are much better iems out there.  But, for $250, fully customized and with a rotating cup so I can wear them slung downward, ugh, awesome.  Still a great buy IMO after the last few months with them.  I went back to mid fi and will never go back to hifi again until something super cheap comes out that is life changing, none of the expensive sets are worth it, too big, too distant sounding, uncomfortable, requires too much power to use, ect ect.  My livewires outlasted all of them, I am totally fine with it being the only headphone I own.


Not sure when, but I will get the trips some day in the near future.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron1006 View Post

Edit: Also I'm sure this topic has been hammered many times, but how practical are custom IEM's for at home listening as far as comfort is concerned. I mean obviously they are more comfortable than universal IEM's but how do they match again the likes of the mid level comfort kings in full-sized like HD650's or Beyers? The main discomforting thing to me about universal IEM's was the suctioning, and I have come across a few IEM's that didn't suction but their sound kinda sucked haha, but I hear that the suctioning is non-existent in customs? How practical is it to sit in the comfort of your own home with customs in your ears for hours at a time?


I use custom IEMs at home and have had cans including the Tesla T1 and LCD-2.  Custom IEMs are much easier on my ears as full sized cans can make my head hot or become uncomfortable due to my reading glasses.  Plus, custom IEMs, at least the higher end ones, can respond to higher quality desktop sources and amps quite well.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by swbf2cheater View Post

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" 


Wow, that is some great praise!

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mini0510 View Post

joe, can you compare the iphone 4s with i fuzen, iphone 4s without amp, iphone 3G source matching with LS8?


Yes, when I have the time.

Reply
post #1195 of 2900
2/24/12 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mini0510 View Post

joe, can you compare the iphone 4s with i fuzen, iphone 4s without amp, iphone 3G source matching with LS8?


iPhone 3G is slightly more detailed and natural sounding in the treble region than the 4S but the mids, especially vocals are cleaner and clearer in the 4S, however the differences are really pretty small.  The HPO of the 4S is much smaller and has more forward mids vs. the more spacious, airy, and brighter i.Fuzen.  The overall presentation of the i.Fuzen sounds cleaner with better instrument separation, imaging, and focus along with a good deal more brightness.  Bass is more controlled with a little more depth from the i.Fuzen, but not by too much.

 

Reply
post #1196 of 2900
2/25/12 at 1:58am

i just got my ACS T1L, and sadly it doesn't come with the Pelican case or any protective case of any kind....

and somehow i find its peaking at about 5~6KHz straight out of the box, it sounded sharper than mine 535mod's highs(which shall be almost the same as LS8)

is this just something to do with mine?

(p.s. i have got that little micro-fone which sits on the face-plate removed.... dont know if that affects the crossover...)


Edited by remielsum - 2/25/12 at 4:10am
Reply
post #1197 of 2900
2/25/12 at 4:01am

some images of me unboxing mine t1l

a05c8c280941c4f93d1727da562fb27c.jpg

7da60f5f3f564f9d573352f11647b306.jpg

38e80b404f1860c16fdf5cc2a7a83a82.jpg

097d1adbcc4df7c6fe7101e0a3133ff6.jpg

47825969fd8e5c1316eeb33e080df15e.jpg

4acc38123c007e125749d098e2fc6997.jpg

thats about it

 

Reply
post #1198 of 2900
2/25/12 at 4:17am

They look real comfy

Reply
post #1199 of 2900
2/25/12 at 4:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Staal View Post

They look real comfy



?oh? who are you talking to?

 

anyway...a few more of the ciem itself

665e4e8d43d89d90306f0e6bc7d6965e.jpg

0ee21131b0ee3827ff970c9daddd11e0.jpg

0fb7895a5439663bbfa89ac7f89bacdb.jpg

55be403f20407e5337559c4747e62a6a.jpg

 

Reply
post #1200 of 2900
2/25/12 at 5:04am

You! redface.gif

 

That silicone looks much more comfortable than the hard acrylic I'm used to.

 

- Are they glow in the dark or something?

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › Multi-Custom In-Ear Monitor Review, Resource, Mfg List & Discussion (26 reviews: UM PP6 added 3/12/13)