[pank2002]

Hey Head-fi,
I has been quite a long time since I last got around this forum. What a shame . Either way, I kind of need your comments on a issue. My girl friend is the lead singer of a semi professional, part time band. The other day she told me she would like to get some in ears, and whether we would be able to afford it (Christmas can be quite expensive when one is studying and have limited funds). I told her she could borrow my pair of UM2, and after having performed she was trilled. She thought they were great.
Either way, she decided to spend the money she earns in this band on gear. As I said, she is the lead singer, and I am guessing that the following is top priorities: accuracy, isolation, sound quality, comfort and durabilities. Even though the UM2s are great phones they are not exactly durable. They are, however, extremely comfortable when used with Comply tips. The UM2s are certainly an opportunity.

My initially thought would be to get the Westone 3, but on Westone’s website they do not list it under musicians earphones. It might have a more consumer orientated sound (whenever it gets around). Shure probably also has something good, but I really have no idea what model to look at—especially not with the new model- and naming scheme. Maybe the SE530? I have no idea what to expect from a Super.Fi earphone . . .
The Shure PTH seems like a great little gadget, but I am wondering if it will work in a stage environment.
One could get one of the Shure PSM too. That might be ideal, but unfortunately it seems as if the included phones are not the best. I do not know whether the Shure PSM holds a good value. I guess the primary concern is a couple of good IEMs at the moment.

The budget is limited so I guess it should be a universal-fit-earphone. USD 500 is certainly the absolute maximum. A lower price is better.

Thanks in advance,
Rasmus

 

[PeterDLai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pank2002 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The budget is limited so I guess it should be a universal-fit-earphone. USD 500 is certainly the absolute maximum. A lower price is better.

Hi, things have gotten interesting in the time you were gone, because now you can attain a pair of LiveWires for well below USD 500.

The LiveWires are the first truly affordable CUSTOM IEM, and they're dual-drivers (like your UM2) to boot. I can't vouch for the sound as I do not have a pair (considering them), but I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum with them that can chime in good words for them.

How much do they cost exactly? Well, you would get your impressions from your local audiologist for both ears, usually up to about $50 for both ears, and then you send them to EarPeace Technologies who will make your LiveWires for a very attractive price of $249.

I believe they are the perfect choice for your musician girlfriend. Though you may feel that the cable is fragile (it actually uses the same exact cable as your UM2), it seems like they are durable enough. One awesome thing here though is that the LiveWires' cable is detachable and replaceable due to its design using a coaxial connector.

Another plus that I can think of is the fact that you can get them in clear color, which'll inevitably make them more stealthy for an onstage musician.

For more information, here is their website.

There are of course plenty of other universal alternatives that I could think of, but it seems like the LiveWires should be on your shortlist.

Good luck with your search, and welcome back to Head-Fi!

 

[pank2002]

Hi, things have gotten interesting in the time you were gone, because now you can attain a pair of LiveWires for well below USD 500.
[\quote]
I never heard of them, but they do look interesting. I will have to do some look further into them. Custom mold should be the most comfortable, eh? I wonder whether they ship to Europe or if they have gotten an European distributor.

They are certainly affordable. I had absolutely no idea anything like that existed. I wonder whether it is a steal or if one gets what one pays for

Actually, when I referred to the UM2 as being fragile I meant the plastic cup surrounding the interior earphone. I have had to have the plastic shell replaced twice. I think the plastic grows weak. I am pretty careful with my stuff. One cannot say the same thing for my girl friend . . . On a side note: Westone and Variphone (Westone’s European Distributor) offeres and extremely good warranty and repair service. I have been most pleased! The cable of the UM2 is actually quite well made and robust.

Clear view is kind of cool. Had I had the choice when I got my UM2 I had gotten them in black, though.

I will certainly look into these LiveWires.

Quote:

... and welcome back to Head-Fi!

Jeas, thanks

And sorry about my wallet . . . Again.

Btw: Did all the smilies get sick? They all have gotten some sickening color. I hope they get better.

 

[PeterDLai]

Head-Fi actually just recovered from a major outage, and so there have been some changes here and there, including some missing/changed smilies.

 

[pank2002]

I was referring to the rather odd colors of the smilies. They used to be yellow or orange. A bit more ‘human’, one might say.

Either way, does anybody else have any suggestions regarding IEM for musicians? Any feedback is much appreciated.

 

[zomas65]

hi, I've received my westone um2 few days ago, and although I own uesf5pro, the fit and the isolation (very important for a musician) are light years better in the westone!
for the budget you've proposed (500 US$ maximum) you can have a good deal with the same seller of mine, jaben.net in singapore. They shipped mines with dhl express courier, and the earphones were delivered in an handful of days!

 

[essasin]

I can guarantee you that the Livewires are not cheap and are the real deal. The build quality is excellent, the customer service is great, and the sound is catered to musicians. It is neutral/natural, revealing, and very detailed.

 

[zomas65]

Quote:

Originally Posted by essasin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can guarantee you that the Livewires are not cheap and are the real deal. The build quality is excellent, the customer service is great, and the sound is catered to musicians. It is neutral/natural, revealing, and very detailed.

I agree: I would like to buy them, the prize is fantastic, and reading all the owners posts I think livewires are an optimal choice for a musician, but buy them from europe is a suicide: custom taxes and many other fees can bring the price from 250 $ to 350-400 $, I'm not kidding, believe me!

 

[pank2002]

Zoma, have you talked with the LiveWire guys? They might be able to do some not-so-accurate deceleration on the Custom’s slip. I will have to talk with them and see what they say. I have gotten bunch of stuff through Customs without paying duty (In the name of supporting the goals of the WTO). Otherwise one might be able to have shipped to somebody in the US, who could then ship it as a personal package. Also, I did not know the store you were were referring to. Have they god good prices? I though it would be a better deal to get it from the US due to the weak dollar.

Essasin, Thanks for your input. Do you own the LiveWires? I have never performed (not producing anything good, at least). What is the bass like in the LiveWires? And does it matter? Comfort? I suspect it to be quite high due to the custom ear mold.

Thanks,
Rasmus

 

[zomas65]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pank2002 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Zoma, have you talked with the LiveWire guys? They might be able to do some not-so-accurate deceleration on the Custom’s slip. I will have to talk with them and see what they say. I have gotten bunch of stuff through Customs without paying duty (In the name of supporting the goals of the WTO). Otherwise one might be able to have shipped to somebody in the US, who could then ship it as a personal package. Also, I did not know the store you were were referring to. Have they god good prices? I though it would be a better deal to get it from the US due to the weak dollar. Essasin, Thanks for your input. Do you own the LiveWires? I have never performed (not producing anything good, at least). What is the bass like in the LiveWires? And does it matter? Comfort? I suspect it to be quite high due to the custom ear mold. Thanks, Rasmus

hi pank, I haven't talked with livewires guys, but when I've purchased ue sf5pro from earphones solutions they were absolutely clear: the shipping is made through fedex, which is a safe, but an expensive way.
regarding jaben, well I was undecided, too but after some email, and many posts, on head-fi and other forums, I dared to buy from this web site and I was very satisfied. Try to visit "www.jaben.net", and try to write to wilson!
Livewires are very intriguing, both for their price and for th sound, but IMHO unless you have someone in the USA, you have to pay custom fees, especially if they use fedex for the delivery. However, let me know if you decide to buy livewires, I could be interested in the near future, and if someone from the old continent purchased them is kindly asked to give his/her experience about european custom!

 

[pank2002]

Hey Zoma,
When I bought something from earphone solutions I had it shipped via USPS. I alway use USPS Global Priority. It gets here within a week—often less—and I have never lost anything. Usually, it is not caught in customs, if it is marked “correctly”.

The strange thing is that Jaben does not publish prices on their site. But I will definitely check them out once I am ready to order.

I will talk to the LiveWires guys at some point in the near future, and I shall keep you updated. Should you be interested in knowing some tips in handling Customs and US packages you may send me a PM. I have also posted some tips in a shipping thread in the OT forum at some point.