[rawrster]

That's my preferred way to listen to music as well. It also helps when you are not home long enough to justify a headphone rig.
 
I'm not sure about remolding these actually although since you had fit issues it would have been something to consider if you liked them. They are quite comfortable for me so it is unfortunate. Remolding them would cost around 160 or so (80 for remold, 50 for impressions, 30 for cable) not including shipping on top of the cost of the phones at around $160 so the question would have been are they worth around $300 to you. You also lose resale value to around 80 bucks or so.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

^Those are some good points. I guess if I really loved them and not just liked them, I probably would have. Did you get some TF10's remolded? Can't remember.
 
Edit: I just saw your post in the Fisher thread. The remolded livewires look nice!

 

[rawrster]

I did have the TF10 also at one point and was originally planning to get them remolded by UM and some drivers added in but I did not like the TF10 and sold it. The only thing I wish I still had was that metal case they came with. That would be perfect with my customs and take up much less space. I use a pelican 1010 case but it's huge compared to it. I'm pretty happy with the Livewire Trips since I got them Tuesday. They have barely been out of my ears and when I went to use my RE-Zero they sounded horrible compared to it lol. If I can save up enough the UM Mage, Miracle or Westone ES5 is next on my list
 
I don't think I would have paid $300 for them even though I do like them a lot and like them more than some more expensive models. It doesn't make sense to me since I'm getting close to some of the cheaper customs if I save a bit more.
 

 

[slaters70]

So the Livewire Trips remolded scored with you? Great. I am thinking along the same lines, maybe a pair of JH5s or 3X10s, something in the sane pricing levels, for customs. If I could get the DBAs reshelled and get the exact same sound, I might do it, but I had some TF10s reshelled and they didn't fit/seal well, and I gave up and sold them. It was partially my fault (used an older pair of custom tips from Futuresonics instead of fresh impressions). I guess for another $150-$200, though, may not be worth it for the DBAs since the triple flanges are pretty darn comfy. But it's tempting. Maybe I can take the risk with my backup pair. Will wait and see.
 
So the Livewires are so good they blow away the RE-Zeros, huh? I like the Zeros ok, but too treable- mid-forward and not enough bass for me. I can't put my finger on it, but I might even prefer the Ety MC5s over the RE-Zeros, not sure.
 
Anyway, sounds like those customs are the eventual way to go, but I won't be spending $1,000+ on a pair. I may even wait and see what FA delivers on the universal triple front.

 

[rawrster]

@dfrost: The recent discussion here reminds me about something. You can look into the RE-Zero if you don't mind using the hard or soft adapter. It has a similar signature to the DBA02 but they aren't quite as good. They are close but not quite there.
 
I've been able to go from top tier universal to the RE-Zero easily without it sounding horrible. IMO the Zero isn't quite at the level of top universals but is just a bit behind. It's like one of those highly sought after minor league prospects that isn't quite ready for the big leagues for a couple years. I did go from the Trips to the Zero and it was a bit too much difference. I guess I'm pretty sold on customs. They definitely are the way to go if it only gets better from here. I won't be spending $1000 or more right now but eventually if I save up enough  maybe. The ES5 are tempting and by the time I'll have enough lots of reviews and impressions should be out on them. JH5 did tempt me as well but I think at that price I could save up for the UM Mage. Their signature sounds like it is for me.

 

[slaters70]

Hmm, ES5 huh? That does look tempting. If my year keeps going the way it has, I might just save up for them. Did I say I would not spend $1,000 for customs? I was not really thrilled with my Westone experience (owned UM1. W2, W3 and UM3X, but one thing or another led me to sell them all). Well, that purchase is miles away. I don't have anything valuable I am willing to sell, so I just have to be patient. Or get lucky at the poker table.
 
Yes, the Zeros are a notch below the top tier IEMs I have owned, and I include the DBAs in that mix (I guess I am using top-tier to mean best sound regardless of price). As I said, just a little too much mid/treble energy for me.
 
Guess this isn't helping the OP much. Strictly speaking of backups, I'd get a pair of ADDIEMs from ebay, from a reputable seller (I have names if you need them).

 

[LFF]

I'm in the same situation. I would like some back-ups but I feel my UE-10's can be the back-up's.

 
However, although I have a few dozen IEM's, I am still contemplating ordering another set of DBA-02's. Either they will be there for safety reasons or for custom molding sometime in the future. I have yet to decide.

 

[ethan961]

Rip 'N Burn, did you actually find your W2s to have a bigger soundstage? My findings were rather the opposite. Unless you weren't getting good enough of a fit for the optimal sound to come out, I don't see why our findings would be different. I know that if they don't fit well they don't sound as good, my friend told me that when he tried them out. That's all I can think of, for me the DBA are airier and spacier than any other IEM I've tried. I don't want to flat out refute your claims, so does anyone else have an opinion on the matter? Maybe we'll find out something.
 

 

[slaters70]

I can't remember soundstage much, but I can say the DBA soundstage is very wide, airy, and not congested "in the head" in any way. I do know I shed the W2s for the CK10s, which to me are similar to the DBAs but the DBAs are just more comfy for me and a little more dynamic across all frequencies.

 

[ethan961]

Yeah, that's what I find too. The W2 was definitely closer in for me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing unless you listen to music that really uses soundstage, such as classical. Think Grado + rock music and how the soundstage with them goes over. I could care less about soundstage since I mostly listen to rock/metal, but congestion is certainly noticeable.

 

[slaters70]

Now that you mention it, I do remember the W2s being a little congested with complex music, or is it the power of suggestion? No, I remember thinking that they sounded a bit confused when complex music or passages commenced.

 

[rawrster]

Quote:

I'm in the same situation. I would like some back-ups but I feel my UE-10's can be the back-up's.

 
However, although I have a few dozen IEM's, I am still contemplating ordering another set of DBA-02's. Either they will be there for safety reasons or for custom molding sometime in the future. I have yet to decide.

 
That is the exact reason why I am not getting any backups. If something happened to them I would get them under warranty first but I do have 4 other good phones that I could use while I wait for the warranty.
 

 

[Rip N' Burn]

I was doing a side by side comparison with my Sony dap before deciding which one to keep. I found that the W2 did have a wider soundstage. It reminded me of the soundstage that the TF10 produced. The DBA-02 wasn't as wide. Still good, but not as wide. I had a good fit with both of them. The only difference was that the housing of the DBA-02 irritated my ears after a little while. The DBA-02 has better 3D imaging. I think Fisher should have built the DBA-02 more like the Eterna.
 
edit: I just remembered that I had to shove the DBA-02's further into my ear to get a good seal. I didn't have to do that with the W2. The soundstage probably has something to do with the distance of the driver from the ear drum. That could explain things...

 

[tacomn]

rip n burn did you try different tips like the triple flang? it seems like everyone hates the stock tips pretty much

 

[ethan961]

Quote:

rip n burn did you try different tips like the triple flang? it seems like everyone hates the stock tips pretty much

Not everyone does, some do like them (myself as one). Some also do not.