Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 14, 2013 11:07:13 GMT
A No. 2 is on the way for me to have a close look at and then it goes home again. Has anyone heard the Aurvana Live 2? It's nice to be forewarned and forearmed before writing anything daft!!
From what I've seen so far (Mostly kids I think) is that they are 'V shaped' in sound sig but do actually extend lower than the original and also quite some way up too. Apparently very flat from 20 to around 200, followed by a slight drop and then a tilt upwards into the treble.
Sounds ok and the 'V shape' is quite nice for lower level listening since it compensates for the extreme losses you get at lower volume. (Loudness contour)
Anyway, there is one on the way so I'll write up a little review when it comes in case anyone might want an idea for a closed headphone as a Christmas present. I think it retails around £100 so it's dearer than the original (which i do have)
The original is a very pleasant headphone but is most definitely not a flat headphone. However, I do like it for sheer entertainment quite a lot.
The Aurvana Live 2 is quoted at 10 to 30,000 which i take with a big pinch. Probably 20 - 15,000 is more like. One thing I like to see which is appearing quite a bit now with new headphones like the Senn over ears is the idea of changing the cable. You can use it with a mobile phone if you want and have a microphone attached, ot put a short cable on for portable use or even a really long one for TV. Whatever. I quite like the idea of being able to take cables off - plus the fact that they tend to pull out if you catch them on anything but if they are damaged like this, it's easy to put another one on.
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Dec 14, 2013 16:18:06 GMT
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 14, 2013 17:05:28 GMT
Thanks Frans. I saw that and thought perhaps it was wrong didn't mention it. Others have mentioned the raised bass but again not sure about the truthfulness.
One downer is the blasted lead. It's a 2.5 mm to 3.5 and has what some are saying, 'a cheap slider switch' in the way. i'd prefer an ordinary cable with nothing in line so if I kept them, I think I'd be looking for another lead. Looking around, there aren't that many leads to choose from.
Will soon hear it in any case. It does retail at £100 so there is some competition about in the form of the M50 and Dt 770 being close.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 15, 2013 11:13:12 GMT
One real negative about this headphone is the lead. It's detachable and all that but from what I've read, it's a non standard 2.5mm to a 3.5 which is a pain.
My preference would be a lead with no volume control or Mic in the way and they don't even supply a spare!
So I can't see the point of having it detachable tbh.
On the positive side, I think it's probably better built than the CAL original. One thing about the original is that it has shiny cups, so not long before marks show unless you're obsessive like me. The new one is a little bit more sensitive and perhaps tweaked to be a bit flatter. Apparently, the soundstage is also wider. Rounder and bigger cups so should also be a bit more comfortable on the ears. Pads are wider as well so it looks like it'll be an interesting listen because I do like the original CAL.
High output impedance from the amp gives a bass hump as well.
Reading a translation from another Russian site, the Live 2 does well in comparison to the M50 which is perhaps its biggest rival. They preferred the CAL2.
Live! 2 leave a good impression. Good ergonomics and functionality. Headphone sound not only to its class, but is capable of competing with headphones higher price category. A detachable cable is convenient for portable use, and home.
Bit of a 'nutty' translation (reminds me of Techyboy!!) at the conclusion part. looking forward to hearing it now. I'll compare it to a more recent M50 as well since it's around the same price I think.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 16, 2013 16:45:26 GMT
Well, I have the headphone and I must say that it is impressive in sound.
There sre two things I really don't like.
a) The red colour. It has a black triangular section for the driver enclosure and the pads fit onto a Christmas glittery red part which is just a bit over the top. You can get black, but it's so blasted shiny, which I don't like. It looks like a bauble from a Christmas tree!! b) The lead is a pain. It's perfect for an Ipod or phone, but it's one of those 3 connecter types which, when plugged into a standard stereo socket, they give a 'ghost' image. (Because they're not connected the same way) They really should have supplied a standard 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm lead to use without phones or Ipods.
I can't change the colour but I went and found a couple of leads to try. The Momentum lead works and they supply a straight lead as well as an Ipod one and also, I have a custom made posh lead for my K450's which is very nice and works. I think they have made a bit of a cock up with the lead situation and should supply a standard lead. I will write to them about that.
The sound is wonderful for the price. In fact, it sounds more expensive than it is. The bass is lifted for sure, but my goodness, it goes down low. It almost rattles your jaw. Treble is clean and extended; much like the original CAL. The bass is bigger though and it sounds like a very large speaker. On an amp, the bass is controlled but I think on anything that hasn't got a good grip, it could be flabby (like the Denons). On the O2 it's very good.
For a closed headphone, it sounds pretty open which was also a surprise to me. It is something to do with the quality of the treble. It goes up quite high, but doesn't get piercing and is beautifully balanced by this big, rounded bass. Good lower slam on drums as well. Very like a good speaker actually. I get that kind of lower bass thwack from big speakers and rarely from a headphone. If you get this kind of lower bass in a headphone, it can mangle everything above and swamp it out. this seems controlled. If you know the Denon D2000 sound, this is kind of familiar actually. It has a big hearted sound and I'm not sure I want to send them back now in spite of the red colour.
The biggest pain is the lead. I do like the sound quite a lot. IMO, better than the M50 which sounds like a closed headphone in comparison.
Another reviewer wrote:
Drivers: Foster Electric neodynium magnets with bio-cellulose diaphragm – looks the same as the one used already in good old CAL! and Denon AH-D1001. Hard to day if they changed anything here, but the sound evolved. I'm surprised that I say this , but these phones are the second closed cans that made my jaw drop so hard. The first one are AKG K550. I used to love open design phones mostly because the soundstage, but Live!2 beat a lot of open cans I know in this exercise. The soundstage here is huge. It’s three dimension with so much air it’s hard to believe these are closed design cans. It’s easy to locate the sources, and the overall stage is very stable.
The sound is very detailed, so detailed in fact that I had to revisit some of my music files as I spotted artifacts caused by compression or bad recording. I faced similar situation only once while listening to K550 a while back.
Considering the price (which I expect to go down pretty soon now) and the flexible purpose (home/outdoor) I would say CAL!2 are a serious competition for K550 now ... The bass is powerful and crazy fast with short and deep punch if needed. Mids are natural, the voice is crisp and clear. No artificial change in tones. Highs are bright and clear but not fatiguing. There is a lot of balance in the sound signature, however in all it’s a bit warm but still in a good way. Creative followed common sense, they were careful not to mess about that too much.
Conclusion
Overall: extremely comfortable, huge soundstage and just crazy amount of details. Very dynamic, clear and natural sound with warm signature. This makes them a fun headphones for every music lover. Superb value for money even considering the competition. For me it would be first and the only choice as a universal solution for home and outdoor. If I’d be looking for home-use closed cans for reasonable money I’d put in my shopping list next to AKG K550 and Sennheiser HD558. CAL!2 provide a huge amount of real time satisfaction and take a listening experience in higher than expected level.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 17, 2013 17:01:49 GMT
A closer listen today. Bass driven (similar to Senn CX3/4 series). Smooth extended treble and go loud with no discomfort whatsoever. Some won't like them because they're allergic to large amounts of bass and I think that this will be the biggest criticism of them. The bass is really quite big and very speaker like. (I'm talking 'big' speaker here as in floor standers) The compare closely with large speakers actually in terms of bass wallop. I know that many hi fi people don't like a raised bass so that will be the biggest off-putter imo. However, the bass is easily followed and doesn't totally wipe out the rest of the sound. It's a fast headphone. I have been listening to a few Transatlantic albums in order to try the bass out and I have been finding that it is really very easy to follow bass lines in a 'thick' mix so they are resolving quite nicely down there. It's just the quantity. I might plug the bass down with my HD681 mk 3 filter just to see what it's like with less. So bass lines are really easily followed. Treble is very smooth and more extended than you'd realise with that bass chugging away. Plenty of detail in cymbal splashes and doesn't turn at all unpleasant at very high volume. In fact, the headphone just gets louder and really 'blooms'. It's tempting to listen at very high volume since it feels like a very comfortable sound to me. When the volume goes up, the bass region really slams hard. The treble detail is good enough to hear detail in the recordings where different parts have been recorded on a different day in another room. I have been spotting weird room differences on the Transatlantic albums where some sounds have been recorded in what sounds like a small room while the other parts are more expansive. So the headphone is picking up acoustic information quite nicely. In fact, the sound is quite intimate with a dose of speaker timbre thrown in. To me, the CAL2 is very speaker like and the longer you listen, the less you are aware of a headphone playing music. Perhaps the mids are slightly down. However, raising them might make the headphone timbre turn a bit cuppy perhaps? Voices don't 'bloom' as much as I expected with this big bass. That's unusual. Normally, a bassy headphone is heavy in the lower region of mens' voices so you get a boom with their sound. These are pretty good in that respect. For those of you who think a cable changes sound, I am using a custom posh lead and I also tried the Senn HD598 posh lead. I can't hear differences but the sound of this headphone is better than its price suggests imo. This cable fits and is good quality as well: Cable for CAL2 and any headphone with 2.5mm connectionI think I prefer the CAL2 to the m50 actually. Bassy with a sparkle, but also a very warm sounding headphone. I do have a preference for warmer headphones though so maybe not suit everyone. At £100 (ish) these are a good headphone for someone who likes a bass led, warm but detailed sound. Rock music really does have authority on them and that bass really helps to gel the overall sound together rather than what I have heard on some headphones, where the bass seems detached in order to provide more 'clarity'. These sound like a speaker in a room and aren't analytical. Play music well though and I don't really want to give them back. Tonally, quite close to the T50 with altered pads. (ie - slightly raised bass) The T50 is slightly sharper in the treble with the filter switched in, so it's just a tad warmer than the T50 with filter. Interestingly, the filter switched in isn't too bad either - many other headphones go quite harsh sounding with the filter on, but the CAL2 isn't too bad with it!! It brightens up a tad!!! In comparison to the Momentum, it sounds heavy and not as extended (!) The Momentums are better tonally and less bass orientated. I think the bass amounts are going to be the biggest bugbear of this headphone.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 27, 2013 12:19:40 GMT
Not hi fi but a nice sounding and looking headphone. Pretty solid in comparison to CAL1. Big bass. Curtailed in the treble but a warm, solid sound that's great for mp3 since it won't accentuate nasties. I quite like it after a week of being with it although I am aware that it's not a neutral headphone. Interestingly, the bass really cleans up on the Ember at low output impedance. It's less flabby and punches really well. It's also good with the T40 active filter switched in!! The top comes to life with a warmer bass than the T40. The cable on the photos is not the Creative one; it's a custom cable. Soon to go home...... One answer to the bass could be as simple as a pad change to velour. Just by getting that down a bit would make them seem more open. I see on Headfi, some are putting felt inside the cups to reduce the bass but pads would be easier perhaps!! One really positive thing about these headphones is that they seem to give strong 'spacial' clues and I'm more aware of the distance from the microphone on many recordings. I am able to much more easily pick out parts that are further back with the forward sounds seeming much more prominent. I'm not good with 'headstage' if I'm honest, but these are giving strong 'depth' information in comparison to many other headphones. Moving on to some Studio 51's tomorrow.
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Post by MaN227 on Jan 3, 2014 10:50:56 GMT
interesting read Ian, and thx for the graph frans. looks good to my eye, but what do I know I'm half blind I like the slight dip at 3K'ish as that is where my damage is the most evident.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 3, 2014 12:14:27 GMT
They don't isolate as well as the AE's, Chaz but they go VERY deep. Not really a portable since it's quite big, but comfy to wear for long periods and more open sounding. I like these a lot too but some again, wouldn't like the raised bass. That can be controlled by opening up and inserting foam, but I like them as is!!
Best to change its lead though since it's not good with a normal stereo out from an amp. It has a 3 section plug, not two so it can be used to control an IPod, but it interferes and needs adapting for normal stereo out.
It's a good 'un though.
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Post by MaN227 on Jan 3, 2014 21:02:39 GMT
right on. actually not to concerned with portable use as much as home use (including the AE) portability is just a bonus. and as far as that goes are you basing that on the fact of how it would look to others or just isolation? as I don't give a rats ass what anyone thinks about how I look or dress and that would included headphones and as far as bass, I just say I LOVE the bass in the fran's modded 681. big bass is your friend think I recall seeing the cal2 at around 130, I still consider that in the same range with the ae51 and at m50. choices, choices, choices.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 3, 2014 22:05:19 GMT
I'd say sound wise,the CAL2 has a better sound and more potential. It goes much deeper and is more comfortable. Treble is smooth and sound is more 'spread' or 'diffuse'.
If the bass is too much, then padding in the cups helps. I prefer the CAL2 to M50. It sounds more alive and colourful.
I'm not keen on the red one though! The red is too Christmassy. My own feeling is that the M50 is a bit over-rated. It's ok. That's about it for me.
If you play something like Led Zep or Sabbath on the CAL2, they really light it up and yet with more delicate stuff, they are fine.
I had to send mine back but since re-borrowing from a mate who bought one, I think I'll be getting one myself.
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Post by MaN227 on Jan 4, 2014 0:54:24 GMT
I'd say sound wise,the CAL2 has a better sound and more potential. It goes much deeper and is more comfortable. Treble is smooth and sound is more 'spread' or 'diffuse'. sorry but this is in comparison to? ae51 or m50?
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Post by jhelms on Jan 4, 2014 1:36:13 GMT
Ian, you have me convinced to try a set. Appreciate the description and writeup. They sound up my alley for an affordable can!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 4, 2014 9:20:10 GMT
Sorry, Chaz ... better than AE51 imo in that they have a wider soundstage and deeper bass. My guess is that some may find the bass too much.
With regards to mobile, you could use it but you look a bit like a cyborg.
Hi Jeremy, it is a nice headphone as long as you're not allergic to bass that has a sub woofer feel to it. It has very strong 'deep' impact and isn't like the original CAL.
Negatives? Pads aren't velour. Bass is heavy. Treble isn't as clean or focused as some other headphones. Some might feel that it's laid back. Not a neutral sound. Horrible tacky red!
Positives? Good price for what you get. Big impact and engaging sound. Wide soundstage. Warm sound that doesn't fatigue over long periods. Ability to change leads. Can be used to control phone if you want to truly go mobile.
I may get one myself actually after hearing it a second time and comparing with AE51 which I also like a lot. That's more like a mobile headphone.
It's good on the Ember, Jeremy. The bass does focus up a bit I think. It's also good with the O2, but not so great with the Mont Blanc which s a touch too warm for it. Nice with a cool sounding IPod.
It does remind me of the 'fat' Denon sound actually.
I adjust quite rapidly to headphone sound and tbh, it's not long before I hear into music rather than hear the headphone. These really do engage you; even orchestral develops a rumble that lights up bigger works where you need bass drum and timp impact.
Mahler is so dramatic in this respect and that added weight seems to bring more of the 'tragedy' to the front because the impact is so large. Double basses in jazz music develop more thud. Bass drums also point out lower 'sub-rhythms' from the drummer more obviously. Rock just has big arena impact. Listening to Pink Floyd or Spock's Bears brings a solidity that you tend to hear live, but not generally on headphones. Funnily enough, you do on big speakers! I guess it's the 6db bass boost that Frans mentioned that you get on speakers but not headphones so much.
They are a bit speaker like in sound. Less analytical but really engaging.
When you first try them, they seem quite ordinary with bloat. Strange that over a week, they really grew on me as I started to hear things that they do well which kind of outweigh the negative feelings I had at the start.
It's not going to be a headphone that everyone likes though. (Then again, what is?)
Not certain of the price. I think it compares with the M50. Tyll doesn't like the bass and rates it slightly below the M50 as a result. I think it's very close since the CAL2 produces this impact that M50 doesn't and a big feeling of space.
Having so many headphones affords me the luxury of comparing them so instead of hearing them in isolation, I hear what they do differently to others. Then you realise that these do a good job in spite of their faults. (We do tend to ignore the faults of more established headphones quite a lot I think!! We accept them more)
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 11, 2014 19:10:09 GMT
An unboxing so you can see what it looks like. no indication of sound impressions yet though:
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