The Crystal Cable Piccolo cable for LiveWires IEMMy review in 2 words or less:
Fun!!! Engaging!!!
That's all you need to know about the cable, really. Read the rest to find out how I came to this conclusion.
BackgroundI'm a cable skeptic. Not because I don't believe in cables, but mostly because it is hard to separate hype from reality. A couple days ago, I was at Jaben telling Uncle Wilson how his Super-Maxxed-out Beyer DT770P had a sound signature that reminded me of my LiveWires. This is in no way an insult to the DT770P. I was referring to the LiveWires' combination of clear highs and crystalline detail and bass extension - all of which can be hard for fullsized headphones to accomplish.
Uncle Wilson then handed me a neat silver cable and asked me to try it on my LiveWires which I happened to have with me. As a cable skeptic, I was not familiar with the Crystal Cable Piccolo, and Uncle Wilson would not answer my question about it's specifications, build and price. "Just try it" he said.
First, I listened to a random song on my iPod->Ultimate Link LOD->iQube->Stock LiveWires. It was a jazz female vocal number I was familiar with, and the presentation was the typical LiveWire sound I was familiar with: detailed, analytical and a little dry. The double bass had extension but lacked deep impact (a LiveWires characteristic which resulted in me obtaining a UE-11 Pro several months ago.)
After a couple minutes, I switched to the Crystal Cable Piccolo - and I was blown away. Wow!!! I could not believe I was listening to the same LiveWires IEM. The same song had presence and weight. The LiveWires became fun and engaging.
Uncle Wilson then offered me a chance to audition the Crystal Cable Piccolo for a few days in return for writing a few lines about it on the Internets. Of course I jumped at the chance. After listening to various songs and an additional short 1-day burn in, I sat down with my portable gear for a detailed and uninterrupted listening session.
The Home Audition Methodology I UsedI thought I would pick 2 songs that would highlight the difference between the Piccolo and stock LW cables. The 2 recordings were picked because I felt they emphasize the stock LiveWires strength (detail) and weakness (bass presence and warmth).
"2 Cables, 1 IEM"I listened to the tracks several times with the stock LiveWires cable and the Crystal Cable Piccolo. I made listening notes as I went along. It is hard to do a rapid A/B listen as I have only one pair of LiveWires IEMs, and have to take them off and switch cables each time. In each case, I tried my best to normalize listening volumes between the two cables. I then organized the listening notes below.
The associated equipment used to compare the 2 cables:
Source 1: iPod Classic -> ALO Cryo Silver X -> iQube (low gain setting)
Source 2: iRiver iHP-120 (Rockbox) -> SysConcept custom optical cable -> iBasso D1 (OPA2111 w/ LM4562)
File Format: Apple Lossless ripped by iTunes
The stock LW cable is fully burned-in. I have no idea how may hours are on the CCP.
LW will refer to the LiveWires with stock cables, and CCP will refer to the LiveWires with the Crystal Cable Piccolo cable.
"The Warmth Test"
"What A Difference A Day Made"
Someone Like You
Susan Wong
YouTube video to give you some idea of the equipment used in recording the album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVFkFSpD8iI&eurl&fmt=18I ripped the Redbook layer of this Hybrid SACD to ALAC. I wanted to see how the LW would handle something warm. Susan Wong's voice on this album was recorded with a Neumann U67 microphone - a vintage tube microphone launched in 1960 that's still in demand. The engineer specifically wanted the vocals to be warm, which is a nice thing for the cold and analytical stock LiveWires.
I chose "What A Difference A Day Made" because besides conveying warmth, the IEM needs to be analytical. The opening second of the song reminds me of Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah - you can clearly hear Susan Wong taking a breath.
Vocals: LW: Breathy, not warm. In fact, I was surprised by the lack of the warmth that the Neumann microphone was selected for. In the whole mix of voice and instruments, the vocal section comes through the clearest which is probably intended by the recording. Susan Wong's voice is detailed without being harsh, I can clearly hear her taking breaths in between words. However, given that the whole package - microphone choice, CD marketing material and artwork - was designed to convey a warm, sultry mood, I was disappointed by the stock LW's inability to make me feel that warmth and laidback "curl up by the fireplace" mood.
CCP: Finally, the way Susan Wong was supposed to sound. Her voice was warm, relaxing, laid back, lusher and thicker. Not at the level of the great Brazilian Bossa vocalists, but this is not the result of the IEM. The CCP emphasized the vocals like the LW, but the CCP did portray the warmth that the engineer intended. The subtle details were there, with the breathy sounds and breathing even clearer than the stock LW.
Flute:
LW: Clear, but lacks that breathy sound - can't tell if it is due to the flautist's choice or issues with recording or reproduction. The vocals on the same track can sound kind of breathy so maybe it's the flautist or mixing and mastering. Will wait and see when I get to the Crystal Cable. Nobody plays the Jazz Flute like Ron Burgundy (sigh).
CCP: breathy sound in the flute more distinct - CCP better able to reproduce or emphasize it better.
Bass: LW: Hints at the presence of the acoustic bass, but can't really enjoy the performance of it or follow along effortlessly.
CCP: The acoustic bass is way more prominent. I can follow the bass line more easily. Compared with the LW, the piano sounds more organic and natural with each note having greater weight.
Soundstage:LW: Forward, reverb effect diminished compared to CCP. Feels slightly like a mixed multitrack recording rather than the recording of a single-session live performance. It feels as if each instrument was recorded separately and then mixed together in a computer.
CCP: Sounds less like a multitrack recording from separate sessions. The different instruments while distinct seemed more naturally integrated. Reverb is greatly improved because of the bass improvement, giving a greater sense of space and interaction of reflected waves with the surrounding space.
The CCP is less in your face aggressive. In comparison, the LW sounded like Susan was shouting in my face (not necessarily a bad thing as I wouldn't mind being that close to her.) With the CCP, it is as if she is singing sweetly right in front of me.
Transparency: no significant difference between LW & CCP. Neither sound veiled, yet I was left wanting more transparency. Time to upgrade the source/amp?
Overall - Advantage CCP: greater presence, weight and punch. Bass is enhanced making the overall presentation significantly more enjoyable. Midrange greatly improved - I can feel the warmth the engineer was trying to present. Not sterile like the LW.
"Bite and Bass"
"Kodo - Inside the Sun Remix"
Yoshida Brothers, Vol. 2
Yoshida Brothers
YouTube Audio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rizs-Expkw&fmt=18The Yoshida Brothers play the shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese instrument played with a plectrum/pick. This will play to the LiveWires' strength. There should be bite when the strings are plucked. Can the Piccolo improve on the LiveWires' strength?
Additionally, the Yoshida Brothers mix in drums and synthesizers and this track was chosen for it's huge and deep bass beats. Yet, the bass is tricky - few headphones and IEMs I've tried make your ears shake from the bass on this recording (SF5 EB, UE-11 and Atrio to name 3). Can the LW or Piccolo bring out this earth shaking bass without losing detail (like the SF5 EB)?
I thought this would be a good track to test attack, bite and bass. There's not a lot of subtle detail needed for this song mix to work. Just the sharp attack from the fast-paced strings, and the synthesizers to give the track a very "The Matrix" feel.
Bite:LW: Great bite, you can feel each string being struck. I can clearly separate the acoustic shamisen from the synthesizer. Shamisen sounds like a real instrument, synthesizer sounds like a synthesizer. However, the presentation is just not very involving. Despite the pace, it feels lifeless.
CCP: Shamisen had more bite and clarity, instruments had shimmer without sibilance. A lively performance.
Bass:LW: That great thunderous earthquake-like bass is missing. There is a hint that it might exist, but barely. There is bass extension but not thump.
CCP: Bass vastly improved. Thump, bump, boom, it's all there. Quite short of UE-11 Pro levels of bass, but the track no longer feels dry and anemic. Together with the improved clarity in the highs, the extra bass weight is greatly appreciated.
Soundstage: LW: Can clearly tell there are two separate stringed instruments playing, but this is not a good track to evaluate soundstage given the heavy reliance on synthetic electronic instruments for this track to work.
CCP: Instrument clarity was enhanced, and the space between the instruments was more distinct even though the soundstage was not much bigger. However, the huge bass presence gave the impression of a much more extensive soundscape. I could pick up additional bass reverb (artificial since it was added by the synthesizer), and the bongo sounds more rounded as opposed to the peaky and distant presentation with the LW.
Overall - Advantage CCP: While the track has a lot of energy, it just did not sound very engaging with the LW, and I did not feel like listening to it again and again. With the CCP, the song was involving, engaging and fun. Fight scenes from The Matrix came to mind, I was tapping my feet to the music. The rhythm was infectious.
SummaryThe Crystal Cable Piccolo improves the LiveWires in every way. Financial pain is a whole other issue outside the scope of this review. Cable construction and pictures were already covered on other Jaben posts.
Therefore, this summary is going to be a little unusual. I am going to highlight the pros of the Crystal Cable Piccolo over stock LW without listing any cons. How often does that happen in audio?
Key Improvements to the LW Sound with the Crystal Cable Piccolo cableHighs: You gain clarity without harshness or sibilance, instruments and vocals are more distinct, subtle detail and nuances are easier to pick out.
Mids: No longer sterile/dry/cold. Can add warmth if recorded without losing detail, spillover from upper bass lends weight and feel to the midrange. The stock LW was unable to present the warmth in the Susan Wong track that the recording engineer wanted us to feel. The CCP transformed the LiveWires so we can finally experience the warm vocal track. The breathy sound of the flute and voice is more distinct, the more organic sound of acoustic instruments in both tracks makes it all more engaging.
Bass: Wow. Not Atrio or UE-11 Wow, but wow nonetheless. Bass is now palpable rather than hinted at, the presence and texture is eye-popping for a longtime LiveWires user. All this is tightly integrated across the mids without losing clarity in the upper registers.
Soundstage: Because of the ease with which you'll notice things like reverb and the presence lent by the solid bass foundation, the acoustic space portrayed is more immersive.
Transparency: Despite the added detail and clarity, the CCP did not make the LiveWires sound much more transparent. I think this is because I've reached the limit with my setup. With a brief test on the Graham Slee Novo, there was more transparency than the sound with the iQube.
Most important: The music is way more engaging and enjoyable with the CCCP.
ConclusionI have listed the sonic gains from the Crystal Cable Piccolo cable above. The decision whether or not to upgrade is entirely personal. In audio, the goal is not always to get the most extreme example of a characteristic, but to get the sound signature you enjoy most.
If you are really into the stock LiveWires sound, the CCP will satisfy your need to supercharge your LiveWires. It will make the LW the most LiveWires sounding IEM you can get. All the same LW detail with warmth and a solid bass foundation.
However, if you are a basshead and hope the CCP will turn your LW into a bass monster, that's not going to happen. You will still be longing for the brain-shaking bass of a good subwoofer.
Again, price and cable construction comparison is not the purpose of this review. I do not know how the cable was made or how much it costs. I also do not know how much better or worse it will sound with burn-in, or how the Crystal Cable Piccolo compares with competing replacement cables or the LiveWires' own 50Ω cable.
If you already have a pair of LiveWires IEM, you must try this cable. I am constantly surprised at how well this entry level custom IEM scales with better components. However, my personal recommendation is not to get a pair of LiveWires just because of the cable. If you already have a pair of LiveWires, by all means consider the Crystal Cable Piccolo. If you're starting from scratch, try to find a custom IEM closer to your desired sonic signature - then maybe Uncle Wilson will have a special cable for that custom IEM.
Happy Listening!
P.S. I'll try to make it down to Jaben in a couple of days to return the cable so you guys can try it.
