[tomscy2000]

Today, I managed the privilege of listening to some demos of CIEMs from a company on the eastern coast of Italy, largely unknown to the head-fi community, called Livezoner41.
 
I first heard about this company from the Japanese, who are incredibly adept at finding new and unique CIEM companies. At first I chuckled at the name --- it looked like someone took their internet screen name and decided to use it as their company name. Their monitors, from a brief look-see, also hinted at being incredibly bassy, which gave me pause.
 
However, even though I'm completely unfamiliar with the music scene in Italy, Livezoner does have an extensive client list, which at least proves that they're very serviceable as stage monitors.
 
After having heard these demos, I'm definitely convinced that this company is worthy of head-fiers' attention, however.
 

---

 
Short impressions (2013/09) of select models that appealed to me (sorry, didn't have a camera handy, have to use the website's photos; I'm also missing impressions of the Gaia, Yule, and LZ1):
 

LZ2 "Street Life Gold"

I have no idea why it's dubbed "Street Life Gold", but the LZ2 is similar to the CanalWorks CW-L12 in using just the Sonion 1723 AcuPass driver assembly (same one used in the TDK BA200, as well as the Cosmic Ears BA2 and the Minerva Performer Pro), and the two certainly sound similar enough.
 
Sound is mostly neutral, perhaps a slight lower midrange recession. However, I felt that the LZ2 had a slightly warmer tone than the CW-L12, with a slightly coarser upper treble, while the CW-L12 was more fine-grained across the board. One significant difference is that the LZ2 employs a stepped horn design while the CW-L12 does not; I am not sure of the damper and tube length differences, but there will be differences.

 

LZ4

From a design standpoint, the LZ4 takes on a similar stance to Cosmic Ears' BA4R/F. Both use the 1723 AcuPass as a base, but uses a 33AJ007i/9 driver to flesh out the midrange and lows.
 
I have a feeling that the LZ4 takes on more of the flavor of the BA4F rather than the BA4R, but certainly there should be differences as I've not heard any Cosmic products before. In tonality, it harks resemblance to the Westone ES5, while being somewhat different in spatial presentation.
 
The sound is definitely improved over the LZ2, with a more filled in lower-midrange, lending more body to vocals, while not losing upper-midrange vocal harmonics, and smoother treble that ultimately feels refined and pleasant.
 
The LZ4, to me, represents a good value as a stage monitor that's suitable for personal listening as well --- warm fulll-bodied vocals, reasonable bass, and nicely-extended highs, with few deficiencies anywhere.

LZ4 (2nd Listening Impression)

After spending more (critical) time with the LZ4, I continue to be impressed by these monitors.
 
Let's be frank, however, these are not neutral --- these are stage monitors first and foremost that happen to have a great, cohesive sound. The bass response is present, and while not out of balance with the rest of the spectrum, it is never an afterthought. Midrange is intimate and buttery, yet remains detailed. Highs are in step with the midrange and stays smooth throughout, never harsh yet never blunted.
 
Bass
Short of TOTL flagship demos that I've heard (FitEar MH335DW, Heir 8.A, JH16 FreqPhase), these have some of the most impressive bass responses that I've encountered. The sub-bass extends low and doesn't die off at all, thanks to three vented drivers (two on the 33AJ007i/9 and one on the 17A012/9 of the 1723 AcuPass). In typical applications of the 1723 AcuPass driver, I found that the bass, while clean-sounding, was a bit texture-less and "one note", but the LZ4 didn't have those problems (the LZ2 does to a certain extent), probably because of the other dual driver, which is a very capable woofer in its own right.
 
Before suddenly becoming aghast that the LZ4 has three bass drivers, remember that both the BA4R and the BA4F do as well (they share the same exact drivers, except with different acoustic tubing, damping, and crossover configurations). This is where the AcuPass comes in -- the acoustic low-pass design cuts the bass response really low, and is able to very successfully prevent the bass from intruding into the lower mids. Therefore, the 33AJ007i/9 is probably used as a "flesh out" driver, tuned to be very flat across the entire audio frequency range, giving extra texture and midrange fullness to the response. The result is a full-sounding monitor that doesn't allow the bass to encroach on the midrange at all.
 
However, keep in mind that the bass is definitely north of neutral even for most people's expectations --- it is at least +6.5 dB above a diffuse-field flat bass shelf at 125 Hz, and at least +8 dB above at 60 Hz or so. I might be being conservative with these estimates, too. Even so, it is well controlled, and I would not deem it "bloat" in anyones' books (except perhaps EtyHeads). It's generous with the bass, but is diligent about keeping it under control. Most of the bass boost is in the sub-bass region, and it sounds great.
 
Midrange
Let's talk about detail. If my current reference for midrange detail were not the UERM, I'd think the LZ4 were very detailed. However, it's not quite at flagship levels of detail articulation. The UERM is a considerable step above in terms of midrange detail retrieval (not talking about the treble). If you're after that ultra-detailed, transparent sound, the LZ4 won't give that to you. Rather, it's more about intimacy, focusing more on vocal fundamentals rather than vocal harmonics (but it's not at all missing those either, to the contrary, they're very present; the focus is on fundamentals more, however).
 
There are no frequency notches with the LZ4. Rather, the midrange response is gently downsloping and doesn't play favorites to any one part. Well, maybe it does a little to the lower midrange, where it is noticeably more intimate and filled in than the UERM. It doesn't overdo it, however, and stays very acceptably transparent throughout. For stage monitoring, the LZ4 is excellent. For general listening, the LZ4 is excellent, for resolution-peeping, artifact detection, try something else (e.g. UERM, JH13FP, NT6).
 
Treble
I'm a big fan of the treble presentation. It is what makes the the midrange so enjoyable. It takes a step back compared to the rest of the spectrum, but nothing is ever missing. There's actually a small bump from 5.8-6.2 kHz, helping clarity along, and the rest of the response is quite smooth, recessing ever so slightly around 9-11 kHz, and recovering very well --- extension goes past 16k.
 
Response aside, the general presentation is what complements the midrange. It's not tuned to have "forward" highs, like the JH13 FP, or "open" highs like the UERM, but rather radiates gently outward, giving it a gentle presentation, while never missing out on anything.
 
Soundstage
As with any stage-oriented monitor, the soundstage is not especially open and wide, though it's not overly intimate either. It strikes a good balance in that regard. Preference for or against this type of presentation is up to the individual. Some may enjoy it, while others may crave the wide open, broad, and big presentation of other monitors around, such as the UE18 (personally, I actually think the LZ4 is the superior earphone, demo to demo).
 
Sensitivity
Why is this something noteworthy? Well, because the LZ4 is really sensitive. It's 122 dB @1kHz (and 30 ohms), and plays really darn loud. I play it half volume (computer scale, 3 vs. 6) compared to the UERM, to match loudness. It picks up the quick periodic ground looping noise (usually inaudible) on my DAC. Basically, with the LZ4, if you use an amplifier with anything other than 1x gain, you'll have useless usable volume range. However, apparently high sensitivity is preferable for stage monitors because of the heavy EQ-ing use. Keep in mind that the LZ4 was designed for the stage first, and the living room second.
 
Uncanny Similarity to the Cosmic Ears BA4F?
I've been thinking about this similarity ever since I saw that both were using the same drivers. They actually share the same impedance rating (at 1 kHz) and sensitivity rating as well (so the overly sensitive label applies to the BA4R/F too). No, I'm not saying they were developed by the same person, because there are differences on the acoustic tuning side of things (which makes more of a difference to the sound, honestly), but this is definitely a case of parallel, convergent development. At  €170 less than the LZ4, the Cosmic BA4F probably looks really tempting for a lot of people. Unfortunately, I cannot confirm whether or not the two models sound similar, as I've never heard the BA4F, but my money's on them being at least somewhat similar. But there will be differences. Cosmic Ears does not use a horn design; Livezoner41 does. This is actually fairly significant, as an acoustic horn will boost treble frequencies, especially in the highest registers. Again, I don't know for sure whether the two sound similar or not. Different tube lengths and diameters can actually significantly alter the mid-high and treble response. Add in the horn variable, and the two can definitely sound quite different. The only thing I can say is that I really quite like the sound of the LZ4.
 
Short Conclusions
I think there's a lot to like about the LZ4. It's a very complete sounding monitor, and does not lack in any region. The bass response is tuned above what I prefer, but it's not overdone. I can't quite call it a "bassy" monitor, as the focus is more on the low bass response rather than anything else. The only question is sheer value. Livezoner41 seems like a great company, but it's currently a relatively unknown quantity outside of Italy (and a few Japanese users). I have faith in their acoustic design, as the stepped horn design is consistently applied across just about all of their products (indicating ample experience applying it to an earphone system), and there's a lot to like not only about the LZ4, but several of their other products as well.

Livezoner41's comments on the LZ4's intended audience:

The LZ4 are chosen by different kinds of people: vocalists, guitar players, but also drummers and bass players. Musicians are not the same -- some drummers want very heavy bass and some a very flat frequency response, so there is no standard.
 
The drivers inside the LZ4 have both vents open; it's not worth it to close the vents of a driver that was made that way. LZ4 is a bit "strong" as you say, because on stage you need to reproduce very low frequencies, especially for drummers and bass players, but in general for everyone who is performing "Live". Usually on stage, you have lot of sound coming from wedges and from the main PA system, so it is not like listening at home or with a portable player --- you have a lot of low frequencies and so you need to reproduce well the range from 20 to 100 Hz very well, with good dynamics and in a fast way. The LZ4 can be tuned for audiophile listeners; that is not that difficult at all. I think it is just a matter of no more than -2 dB for the low range.

 ​

​

The LZ4 uses the new (and very good) Sonion 1723, paired with another dual driver 33AJ007i/9.​

 

LZ8

The LZ8 was their old four-driver model before the AcuPass-equipped LZ4 came out.
 
The tonal balance of the LZ8 and LZ4 is remarkably similar, except that the LZ8 feels coarser (read: spikier) across the treble frequencies. The low-end also has a little more heft. Overall, IMHO, the LZ4 is the better model.

 

LZ12

This is the one I liked best. Yes, it is the flagship (€920), so normally people would expect it to sound the best, but I don't always prefer flagships. Often, I like a lower-end model for the value it presents, and something like the LZ4 is a good value (€500) --- well, relatively speaking. They did indeed deliver the best with this model, though.
 
The sound felt very complete and present across the board --- airy upper highs, smooth lower treble, present, filled-in vocals with no blunting of upper harmonics, and present bass that extends low with impact (but not overly strong).
 
In a way, it sounded like the LZ4 but with greater separation and sense of space --- definitely one of the finest presentations I've come across in IEMs. When it comes to flagships, I often ask the question, "Is it worthy of being the flag bearer of a brand?" --- the answer, to me, for the LZ12 is yes.
 
It's not too bright, and not too dark. Just right. Goldilocks would definitely like it.

 

​

 

​

 

​

Notice the horn design (big diameter) of the treble bore; these guys know what they're doing.​

Pictures culled from the BARKS review of the LZ12.​

 

---

 
Some Other Notes:

1. While this has no bearing on the actual fit of the CIEMs themselves, one thing that I should add is that the Livezoner41 demos are the best-fitting universal demos I've ever worn --- they could probably go ahead with making CIEM-derived universals if they want!
2. They use a thick rubber O-ring on the stem to help ensure a good seal. It's a little tight, but it means I get a great seal every time and I can fit it in the canal deeply.
3. Nearly all of the demos that I used/saw used a horn design for the mid/treble bores, and sometimes a reverse horn design for the bass bore. While using stepped horns in acoustic design to amplify/restrict certain frequencies is not a new concept (it is used extensively in hearing aids), it is interesting that they're used so extensively throughout their designs, indicating a concerted design philosophy.
4. Regarding build quality --- not the best, but certainly not the worst. No real 'bubbles', imperfections, or anything like that, but it lacks the sheer polish that I've seen on the very best monitors. Perhaps it's that these were demos, and not the real deal.

 
If anyone else has had experience with Livezoner41 monitors, please share your thoughts! I'd be very curious to hear others chime in.
 

---

UPDATE: 2013/11

 
I e-mailed Livezoner41 with some pointed questions to learn more about the company, and a man named Oliver Marino replied with a thorough description of the company's history and their philosophy on sound tuning. From my e-mails with him, Oliver seems to be a total class act, with a great first-hand understanding of both music and IEM sound tuning, as well as a great willingness to learn from others --- all attributes that I highly respect and admire.
 
Here are some interesting snippets (lightly edited for context and clarity); I highlighted certain parts I thought were particularly revealing:
 

On himself and the origin of the company...

My primary job is of a sound engineer working in the live music scene, so for 25 years I have been in the pro-audio market, mixing as monitor engineer for Italian and foreign artists alike.
 
I was one of the first sound engineers here in Italy using the first IEMs back in the 1994, when this market was so young and green. So, I had the opportunity to buy myself the first two-way CIEM, [but] at that time there were very few companies making CIEMs; one was Ultimate Ears that was making the UE7, a very expensive CIEM [at the time].
 
Then, Shure came out with the E1, which became a very popular [universal]-fit IEM. I had the opportunity of mixing with these very “simple” IEMs, [and while] were far from sounding very good, [they allowed] ​​me to gain a lot of experience in understanding how an IEM should sound for stage use.
 
In 2005, I met an audiologist who was also a musician, and [together] we decided to start making some CIEMs just for fun, experimenting with different solutions. What was started out as a game, however, became very popular in the Italian music scene, because the only [other] products that were available here were from Ultimate Ears, and were very expensive (because of an Italian distributor).
 
Thus, I had to learn all the acoustic science [that has to do with] IEMs on my own, because as you may know, there obviously aren’t any books or publications [specifically] about it. As a sound engineer I know the science of sound, but all the acoustic phenomena associated with the making of IEMs are quite different. [Luckily,] I also know electronics very well, so designing IEMs is [personally] very pleasant and stimulating.

 

On his philosophy for sound tuning, testing, and design...

As you may know, there isn’t a “standard” way of measuring IEMs, because even with an ANSI ear simulator or IEC-60711, all the different companies use different methods (often you can see on the web different curves for the same product), so there is no way to tell what is the best curve for a good sound. I have a personal point of view obviously, and drawing from my experience in the professional world and from my studies on the acoustics of IEMs, [I believe] I know how a good IEM should sound.  
You can listen [for] this [experience] in my LZ12 and LZ4 --- they are our latest products and the ones that I prefer [as well].
 
There are so many ways to make IEMs, and you cannot say, "this is good" [or] "this is wrong" --- the only thing that matters is the result. If it sounds good, [then] it's OK. And apart from personal tastes, a loudspeaker or an IEM that sounds good will sound good for most people.
 
For good sound, a sound system needs to have low distortion, good phase relationship between the different drivers, and good phase linearity from the sound that comes in and the sound that comes out. Some companies use proprietary drivers and they can get very good results because they have the drivers they need, but with “off the shell” or standard drivers from Knowles or Sonion, it is a lot more complicated and often you need to make some “special” or “personal” trick to get a very good result. It is just a matter of knowing [the details] very well.
 
I do not think that the more drivers you put in, the better the sound --- this is often just marketing or [as many may call, the] “drivers war”. [Honestly,] I think that a good three-way system is adequate enough to sound very good.
 
As you [mentioned], we always use stepped-bore horns, as well as some other acoustic solutions, because our products are made from a good-sounding point of view. As [for my] personal tastes, I like a warm sound, with warm and fast bass, good mid and delicate high, not annoying and sparkly. I do not like a “fake” sound, the sound needs to be realistic.

 
In all my communication with various members of the audio industry, I find that very few (unless I personally consider them a friend), are this forthcoming with answers. Oliver seems like an absolute gentleman, and I'm even more fascinated by this company because of it.
 
I'm likely going to go take another, deeper look at these monitors once again, and will report on the findings from a second audition of the demos.
 

---

Website: http://www.livezoner41.com/

Product Page: http://www.livezoner41.com/prodotti/

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Livezoner41

Head-Fi Account (looks like they never bothered to use it): http://www.head-fi.org/u/165866/livezoner41

 

List of Reviews:

1. LZ4 (English): http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000002858
2. LZ4 (Japanese): http://www.barks.jp/gakki/news/?id=1000093010
3. LZ12 (Japanese): http://www.barks.jp/gakki/news/?id=1000094438

 
If you read the BARKS reviews, you'll find that the reviews are exceedingly positive (even by shoddy Google Translate standards) --- I definitely had my doubts when I read the reviews, believing they were too positive. But after hearing the demos myself, I can definitely understand why the BARKS editor (Karasumaru) would think that way. Livezoner41 definitely has a very coherent and enjoyable house sound.
 

---

Disclaimer: I have no association with Livezoner in any way; I just happen to be good friends with their new Asia-Pacific distributor, which is how I got to hear the demos.

 

[TwinQY]

Nice find You mentioned it in the Canalworks thread I believe, so the name rung a bell.
 
The LZ12 boggles my brain with the drivers. Unfortunately we don't use Italian very much in the Great White North so I can't make heads or tails of the description on their site.
 
They have another model named Gaia listed on there though? 

 
 
The BA4 is 2/3s the price of the LZ4 - curious about impressions on both. European H-Fers better get to work on getting them both and cranking out impressions
 
This, and the Vision/Rhines - seems to be a lot of nice CIEM companies brought to light lately. We must've been looking in the wrong places.

 

[tomscy2000]

The LZ12 boggles my brain with the drivers. Unfortunately we don't use Italian very much in the Great White North so I can't make heads or tails of the description on their site.

 
I totally forgot to mention that the BARKS.jp editor did English language reviews of the LZ4 and LZ12 --- he loves both, apparently!
To borrow words from the great Hikki, the descriptions definitely feel very easy breezy Japanesey! It felt like reading a Haiku.
 
LZ4 (English): http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000002858
LZ4 (Japanese): http://www.barks.jp/gakki/news/?id=1000093010
LZ12 (Japanese, but I think there's an English version somewhere that I can't find): http://www.barks.jp/gakki/news/?id=1000094438
 

  They have another model named Gaia listed on there though? 

 
Yeah, and the Yule (?), didn't get to hear those. I also heard the LZ1, but I forgot to put up impressions. It was nice for a single driver.
 

  The BA4 is 2/3s the price of the LZ4 - curious about impressions on both. European H-Fers better get to work on getting them both and cranking out impressions

 
If the BA4 sounds anything like the LZ4, Cosmic has a winner in its hands.
 

  This, and the Vision/Rhines - seems to be a lot of nice CIEM companies brought to light lately. We must've been looking in the wrong places.

 
I haven't heard VE/Rhines myself, but from what I heard about their monitors from others that have heard them, they're definitely downsloping in response, and not neutral.

 

[TwinQY]

 
I totally forgot to mention that the BARKS.jp editor did English language reviews of the LZ4 and LZ12 --- he loves both, apparently!
To borrow words from the great Hikki, the descriptions definitely feel very easy breezy Japanesey! It felt like reading a Haiku.
 
LZ4 (English): http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000002858
LZ4 (Japanese): http://www.barks.jp/gakki/news/?id=1000093010
LZ12 (Japanese, but I think there's an English version somewhere that I can't find): http://www.barks.jp/gakki/news/?id=1000094438

That was very embarassing for a Hikki fan.
 
I just spent almost half an hour trying to find the LZ12 English review - it's not on their site, I wafted through manually, and the Livezoner tag shows only the LZ4 review. Google shows nothing as well. I can sort of read the Japanese version, but that's probably not helpful for everyone else.
 
The build looks fine though - quite good in fact, next to the UE/CW in the pictures. Or perhaps they went above and beyond for the reviewer.
 

I haven't heard VE/Rhines myself, but from what I heard about their monitors from others that have heard them, they're definitely downsloping in response, and not neutral.

If the world was flat what a world that'd be. We'd be falling off the edges.
 
That being said I do like linearity so they aren't probably for me as well. The build looks stupendous.

 

[Mimouille]

I haven't heard VE/Rhines myself, but from what I heard about their monitors from others that have heard them, they're definitely downsloping in response, and not neutral.

Well we will be able to be more accurate and precise on describing VE models after the tour but downsloping is not how I hear them.

Anyways these ciems seem interesting...in which countries does the distributor have demos?

 

[tomscy2000]

  Well we will be able to be more accurate and precise on describing VE models after the tour but downsloping is not how I hear them.

Anyways these ciems seem interesting...in which countries does the distributor have demos?

 
Well, I dunno; that's just from people who listened to the old demos when they were still 'Compact Monitors' --- I haven't read any impressions from you yet.
 
I don't know which countries have official distribution; JM-Plus here literally just signed with them a few weeks ago as distributor for all of the Asia-Pacific; they haven't even announced it publicly yet; the only reason I was able to hear the demos was to give them feedback about which ones have what type of signature, what type of people might like which model, which ones represent the best value, has the best technical ability, etc.
 
I do love the shape of their demos, though. Truly a great fit. Even though I haven't really listened critically to any of them (hence the super short impressions), I can definitely say that they've impressed me across the board. It's quite a strong lineup, IMHO. Out of the ones I heard (which is excluding the Yule and Gaia, which are supposedly old models that may possibly be discontinued), only the LZ8 feels like the "weak link", but I don't feel it's bad at all; it's just that the newer LZ4 is simply better. As I mentioned, the LZ4 and the Cosmic BA4 share the same drivers, but likely do not sound the same --- nearly all of Livezoner's CIEMs utilize a stepped horn design for the mids/highs, which is a superior method of acoustic tuning to straight tubes, IMHO. They also sometimes use a reverse horn design for the lows, which helps restrict the bass drivers from producing upper frequencies, enhancing the crossover with acoustic attenuation.

 

[AnakChan]

Hi Tom,

Are they actually Italian-made too or just designed in Italy & manufactured somewhere else?

Cheers.

 

[tomscy2000]

  Are they actually Italian-made too or just designed in Italy & manufactured somewhere else?

 
They're made in Italy (honestly, I can't be sure whether that's a good or bad thing --- look at Lamborghini before Audi took over, or Alfa for that matter...) --- Jack, the guy in charge of CIEMs at JM-Plus, showed me pictures they took of the guy's lab. I actually had guessed that they were outsourced as well, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was told the guy had his own lab. Apparently, it was started up by two people, and they were both 41 years of age at the time, and 'Livezoner' has some sort of special meaning to them, hence the name. They have their own measurement equipment as well (it's stated on their website as IEC60711, so that's good, a proper ear simulator), and apparently, the guy saw Jack's CW-L05QD, took a look-see, measured it, and told him that he really admired CW's work on that thing and that it was highly impressive...

 

[TwinQY]

Anyone get their hands on one of these yet?

 

[tomscy2000]

UPDATE: Significantly updated the first post for a more organized look, as well as recent contents from e-mails with Oliver Marino, one of the guys behind Livezoner41.

 

[ljokerl]

Wow, didn't see this thread previously. I have an LZ12 and it's an awesome-sounding earphone, though I'll need to send it back for a remold before I write up a proper review. Fit is a little wonky in my left ear. 
 
My initial impressions were that it's balanced like a slightly bassier UM Miracle, which is a good thing in my book as the Miracle remains one of my favorite CIEMs. Those bass drivers are huge but it's really not a bass-heavy IEM - impact is around the JH13 level. The mids are a little less prominent compared to the JH13 but the treble has excellent energy and reach for what seems to be a very slightly v-shaped sound overall. 
 
Pricy, but impressive nonetheless. 

 

[tomscy2000]

Nice, an initial endorsement from ljokerl --- I had been surprised that so few had chimed in on Livezoner; with such a long history (in CIEM terms), surely there had to be someone who knew about them! Good thing it's a well-trusted source! I haven't heard the Miracle myself (only demos of the JH13 pre/post-FP, and the Rooth LS6, which are somewhat related), but your description makes a lot of sense in my book.

 

[tomscy2000]

UPDATE: 2nd Listening Impressions of the LZ4 demos...

 

[tomscy2000]

Just noticed on Livezoner's Facebook page that they're doing a 25% off promo until Christmas... sorely tempted, but alas, wallet is empty.
I won't be making any purchases for several months... but at least this is better than most Black Friday sales. This sale makes the LZ4 just a tiny bit more than the BA4F; if that's the case, I'd probably go with Livezoner because of the horn design. Tempting, tempting.

 

[tomscy2000]

Just discovered there's now a universal version of the LZ4? http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000110676