The Gear
Built in Mount Juliet, Tenn., LiveWires personal monitors feature dual-balanced armatures (tweeter/woofer), a published frequency response range of 20 Hz to 18 kHz and a sensitivity of ~126 dB/mw at 1 kHz. Depending on the accuracy of the impressions, the isolation range is between 25 and 28 dB with distortion less than 0.3%. They also feature a gold-plated swivel connection on each ear bud and a 1/8th connector for the belt pack. This is all packaged into a sturdy carrying case with a cleaning tool included.
The Gig
As I have mentioned in previous reviews, my night gig is at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, where we have entertainment five nights a week. This is an outside venue with a wide variety of acts ranging from rock to R&B to country and disco. The only real drag with the gig (other than that my PA is very tired and needs a serious re-cone job) is that I have to mix FOH and monitors from the side of the stage. With that said, you can imagine how much I rely on my headphones for reference. Once I received my custom-molded LiveWires, I was very excited to listen to them. I plugged them into my iPod and just listened to all different types of music. I even watched a few movies, too.
The one thing I have to mention that just keeps dancing in my head is the comfort factor. Whether I am just not used to them or what, I had a hard time leaving them in for long periods of time without my ears aching. I’m sure if I had the mold guy right here with me, he could adjust them and all would be golden. I would recommend getting the silicone molds for the extra cost, though — it will be worth it in the long run. Anyhow, after a few days of listening to them with many different sources, I decided to just use them for my next sound check at Fremont.
Things went well and I heard things that I haven’t heard before with my headphones. That was very cool. Vocals were right in my head, and I could really dial up tones of the instruments as well. I fixed some of the things in my effect’s programs I didn’t like that I couldn’t hear before with just headphones.
During the show, I A-B ‘d the LiveWires with my headphones and they were very close. The overall tone of the LiveWires was good — they are clear and bright. I did, however, feel like I could use some more warmth and low-end in them. (I am a low-end whore, so when they can fit a 15” sub in each ear bud, I’ll be a happy man.) At first, I was a little concerned about the swivel connector on the buds themselves, but I moved them around and not once did I hear any kind of scratching or noise from doing this, so the connection appears solid. My overall impression is you pay for what you get. The LiveWires list for around $250.00 plus the cost of the molds. If you’re looking for some custom-fit personal monitors and don’t want to spend a lot of money, then LiveWires are the way to go.
What it is: Personal monitor earpieces
Who it’s for: Those who want a custom-molded earpiece at a universal-fit price.
Pros: Price — sound comparable to decent headphones.
Cons: Comfort with standard hard surface, could use more low end.
How much? About $250 plus the cost of impressions.
Web site: www.livewiresforyou.com
