[i_djoel2000]

hi, sorry if i ask this in the wrong thread, but i wanna ask a question to the TS or anyone knows.
 
does the livewire trips really sound the same to westone es3x, and using the same drivers as well?
 
because i checked the trips and es3x specs, they have different impedance. plus, the price difference is just really huge *$379 vs $850!
 
thanks in advance!

 

[alphaphoenix]

I recently did a review on the trips and referenced what project86 had wrote a few years ago.  I can't speak for the es3x as I've never owned them, but the closet Westone universal being the um3x, which I have owned (many times), sounds very similar to trips, with the trips sounding more flat, which I like.  I can't speak for what drivers the livewires uses as the identification is covered with a sleeve, which could be intentional or not.  Either way, the trips are a good bargain for a true triple driver custom IEM and sounds really good for my non-professional application of listening to my lossless tunes on the go.  
 
Even if the trips uses the exact same drivers as the es3x, keep in mind that it may not be implemented the same in regards to materials used and crossover cables, and I believe the es3x do have the nice vinyl tip, which I read may purposely go in a little deeper in the ear canal.  On the trips, I like the flexible cable down feature instead of wrapping around the ears, which it can certainly still do, but the option is nice to have and it makes taking off and back on the IEM a little less troublesome.
 
I  assume you've already read through project86's trips reviews at:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/452022/livewires-trips-review-with-impressions-of-many-other-customs

 

[i_djoel2000]

Quote:

I recently did a review on the trips and referenced what project86 had wrote a few years ago.  I can't speak for the es3x as I've never owned them, but the closet Westone universal being the um3x, which I have owned (many times), sounds very similar to trips, with the trips sounding more flat, which I like.  I can't speak for what drivers the livewires uses as the identification is covered with a sleeve, which could be intentional or not.  Either way, the trips are a good bargain for a true triple driver custom IEM and sounds really good for my non-professional application of listening to my lossless tunes on the go.  
 
Even if the trips uses the exact same drivers as the es3x, keep in mind that it may not be implemented the same in regards to materials used and crossover cables, and I believe the es3x do have the nice vinyl tip, which I read may purposely go in a little deeper in the ear canal.  On the trips, I like the flexible cable down feature instead of wrapping around the ears, which it can certainly still do, but the option is nice to have and it makes taking off and back on the IEM a little less troublesome.
 
I  assume you've already read through project86's trips reviews at:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/452022/livewires-trips-review-with-impressions-of-many-other-customs

yes, i've read his review. that's why i said in my previous post the drivers are the same, and they sound the same. i got that reference from project86's review
 
but since he's the only one saying that, i want to ask second, or third opinion in here..
 

 

[dogears]

@joe, any chance of plugging your ears with the FAD FI-BA-SS and AKG K3003??? Would really love to hear your impressions on those against your customs. Here's hoping and crossing paws.

 

[average_joe]

 
Quote:

@joe, any chance of plugging your ears with the FAD FI-BA-SS and AKG K3003??? Would really love to hear your impressions on those against your customs. Here's hoping and crossing paws.

Yes, I would like to compare those two universals with my CIEMs as I keep being asked via PM for how those compare as not everyone wants a custom IEM, but is willing to spend that much.
 

 

[dogears]

Thanks much in advance Joe!

 

[i_djoel2000]

it seems like project86 has deleted his review regarding livewire trips vs es3x, jh13, etc.
 
he said "No longer relevant at the moment". i wonder what he meant, is it that his review is not valid anymore??

 

[ukflyboy]

Hi guys, 
After trying just about every conceivable tip for my UE TF10s and failing to get a comfortable fit I have decided to upgrade to a pair of customs so would appreciate some advice from the knowledgeable folk on here (espcially Joe!). 
I listen to probably 90% Rock/Hard Rock and about 10% dance/electronic but also play bass in a band that uses IEMs (though these days we probably only play half a dozen serious gigs a year) so will occasionally use them live as well. For this reason guess I would say I am a bit of a bass head i.e. I would certainly not settle for a CIEM that has less bass than what I currently get with the TF10s. 
As far as listening environments go, I am in the armed forces and love to travel so spend a lot of time travelling or listening in noisy environments so isolation is important to me. I mostly use iphone 4 with Equaliser and a DAC on my computer.
I have poured all over this site and this is what I have concluded thus far.
ACS T1. I have read a number of reviews which praise its bass and isolation so they sound a good bet. As a bonus their factory is 30 mins up the road so I would get my impressions and every thing done directly with them which can be no bad thing. Silicon sounds like it may have an edge over acrylic too. Only nagging doubts are that the sound may have changed with the newer model and what the sound is like with the T1 Live (I havent seen any reviews yet).
 
DRM EARZ aud-5x. Have some good reviews on this site which again praise the bass. Price also seems pretty good though being based in the UK it could take a long time to get them sorted especially if any refits are required.
 
Minerva triple driver. Being a UK company the price is great and isolation should be excellent as they, like the T1s, are Silicon. As a down side the bass doesn't seem much to write home about.

Unique Melody have some well priced products now they are available directly in the UK although their bass beast the Merlin seems to have poor isolation owing to the vent for the dynamic driver. The rest of their lineup doesnt seem to have great bass signatures.

Spiral Ears look AMAZING but they are far from cheap and I am not sure they would be great for my slightly smaller ears.

So does anyone have any thoughts or other recommendations? Am I going to be able to EQ in a suitable amount of bass from the T1s? Am I better off taking the punt with the AUD-5X and just hope that I get the fit right first time round? Or is there something else out there that I have missed? Please note that what seems cheap in the US is considerably more expensive in the UK when you take in to consideration impressions, postage and potentially 17.5% tax.
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[ukflyboy]

In saying all this I have just resurrected my old iRiver IHP140 and my lord the sound is like night and day compared to the iphone. Don't get me wrong, I knew the iphone was an average music player but when I downloaded the Equaliser App, boasted the bass frequencies and heard it distorting I assumed it was the TF10s. So, that is about the sound I am looking for only more comfortable without the pain and discomfort after 30 minutes.
Now, just need to find a source worthy of some quality customs. I dont think I can go back to iphone sound now!

 

[average_joe]

 
Quote:

Hi guys, 
After trying just about every conceivable tip for my UE TF10s and failing to get a comfortable fit I have decided to upgrade to a pair of customs so would appreciate some advice from the knowledgeable folk on here (espcially Joe!). 
I listen to probably 90% Rock/Hard Rock and about 10% dance/electronic but also play bass in a band that uses IEMs (though these days we probably only play half a dozen serious gigs a year) so will occasionally use them live as well. For this reason guess I would say I am a bit of a bass head i.e. I would certainly not settle for a CIEM that has less bass than what I currently get with the TF10s. 
As far as listening environments go, I am in the armed forces and love to travel so spend a lot of time travelling or listening in noisy environments so isolation is important to me. I mostly use iphone 4 with Equaliser and a DAC on my computer.
I have poured all over this site and this is what I have concluded thus far.
ACS T1. I have read a number of reviews which praise its bass and isolation so they sound a good bet. As a bonus their factory is 30 mins up the road so I would get my impressions and every thing done directly with them which can be no bad thing. Silicon sounds like it may have an edge over acrylic too. Only nagging doubts are that the sound may have changed with the newer model and what the sound is like with the T1 Live (I havent seen any reviews yet).
 
DRM EARZ aud-5x. Have some good reviews on this site which again praise the bass. Price also seems pretty good though being based in the UK it could take a long time to get them sorted especially if any refits are required.
 
Minerva triple driver. Being a UK company the price is great and isolation should be excellent as they, like the T1s, are Silicon. As a down side the bass doesn't seem much to write home about.

Unique Melody have some well priced products now they are available directly in the UK although their bass beast the Merlin seems to have poor isolation owing to the vent for the dynamic driver. The rest of their lineup doesnt seem to have great bass signatures.

Spiral Ears look AMAZING but they are far from cheap and I am not sure they would be great for my slightly smaller ears.

So does anyone have any thoughts or other recommendations? Am I going to be able to EQ in a suitable amount of bass from the T1s? Am I better off taking the punt with the AUD-5X and just hope that I get the fit right first time round? Or is there something else out there that I have missed? Please note that what seems cheap in the US is considerably more expensive in the UK when you take in to consideration impressions, postage and potentially 17.5% tax.
 
Thanks in advance.

The ACS T1 Live! is not bass light, but it is not bass heavy and has a very natural sound.  I think it would make an excellent on stage monitor, but if you want enhanced bass, there are other options. The Minerva is warm and thick, but the bass is not very prominent unless you have a lot of amplifier power, and even then the bass is only adequate.  
 
The JH16 is close to the TF10 sound signature, but with more of everything while the Thousand Sounds TS842 is another option with the closest sound signature to the TF10 I know of in a custom IEM.  The aud-5X has a bit of a mid-forward and fuller sound in comparison with the TF10, but the bass is quite good.
 
The 5-way can reproduce a lot of bass and is overall excellent if it will fit in your ears.  There is also the Earsonics EM4 which has a very fun sound, but is mid-forward in comparison with the TF10 (as is the 5-way), enhanced and capable bass, and doesn't lack anywhere.  However, the focus of the EM4 is the midrange.
 
I estimate my EM4 review will be done within the next 2 weeks and then the T1 Live review a month or so after that, but the others have full reviews (or an evaluation for the 5-way) you can link to in the first post as well as summaries if you missed them.  
 

 

[Br777]

someone was speaking about fit issues and the like earlier, and i figured average_Joe would be the best person to address this with.
 
Having owned 2 customs now, i am getting the feeling about something
 
it seems to me that the way Customs fit is not universal.  for example, my westones fit super precisely, I cannot make them break seal, or even move around in my ears, while the miracles would break seal easily when i moved my mouth and in general just fit looser, and in a different less precise overall way than my westones.   
 
I wonder if it would be unrealistic to think my miracles ever could have fit as precisely as my westones. 
 
I am bringing this up because some people want their customs to fit "perfect" as i described, and I am wondering if this is just unrealistic for some companies no matter how precise your molds are.
 
So Joe. what is your experience with this.  is it possible to get an absolutely perfect fit from any company, or to they vary in their precision?

 

[shotgunshane]

Quote:

someone was speaking about fit issues and the like earlier, and i figured average_Joe would be the best person to address this with.
 
Having owned 2 customs now, i am getting the feeling about something
 
it seems to me that the way Customs fit is not universal.  for example, my westones fit super precisely, I cannot make them break seal, or even move around in my ears, while the miracles would break seal easily when i moved my mouth and in general just fit looser, and in a different less precise overall way than my westones.   
 
I wonder if it would be unrealistic to think my miracles ever could have fit as precisely as my westones. 
 
I am bringing this up because some people want their customs to fit "perfect" as i described, and I am wondering if this is just unrealistic for some companies no matter how precise your molds are.
 
So Joe. what is your experience with this.  is it possible to get an absolutely perfect fit from any company, or to they vary in their precision?

I would think any company can make them fit like that.  My UM Merlin fit that way and I never lose seal no mater which way I turn my head of move my mouth.
 

 

[average_joe]

 
Quote:

someone was speaking about fit issues and the like earlier, and i figured average_Joe would be the best person to address this with.
 
Having owned 2 customs now, i am getting the feeling about something
 
it seems to me that the way Customs fit is not universal.  for example, my westones fit super precisely, I cannot make them break seal, or even move around in my ears, while the miracles would break seal easily when i moved my mouth and in general just fit looser, and in a different less precise overall way than my westones.   
 
I wonder if it would be unrealistic to think my miracles ever could have fit as precisely as my westones. 
 
I am bringing this up because some people want their customs to fit "perfect" as i described, and I am wondering if this is just unrealistic for some companies no matter how precise your molds are.
 
So Joe. what is your experience with this.  is it possible to get an absolutely perfect fit from any company, or to they vary in their precision?

Impressions are the ultimate key to a great fit and different audiologists aren't all the same.  My worst fitting custom, which was my first custom IEM, was due to poor impressions as I recall the audiologist not making them very deep.   Now that I know better I would have never sent in those impressions.  
 
With that said, each company has their own techniques and technicians that do things a bit differently, so following the recommended instructions is important.  A change in technicians can change the quality.
 
I have been getting very good fits with all my customs since I have been doing my own impressions per the manufacturers instructions.  If you are not getting a perfect fit, you should work with the manufacturer to get a perfect fit.

 

[ukflyboy]

Thanks Joe, though I must say I was hoping you would say the bass on the T1s was great just to make the desicion an easy one

I guess I also have the option of reshells too though it just seems like a bit of a copout. Thanks again and I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[speedingredline]

Hey Joe, Have any thoughts on a hearing instruments vacuum for CIEMs?