Do You BElieve?
KBear BElieve Personal Notes (Very Personal!)
Equipment
Topping a50s Amp
SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 DAC
Final Audio Type E Eartips (2020 Version)
Cable: Included 2pin Cable
Sources: Flac Files From my Personal Collection
Specs
9mm Pure Beryllium diaphragm dynamic driver (imported from Japan)
Cable: 4 strands of 6N single crystal copper Litz Interface: 2Pin 0.78mm Plug: 3.5mm Frequency response range: 20Hz-20KHz
Sensitivity: 98dB, Impedance: 17ohm
Notes
**The BElieve, like many emerging earphones, absolutely requires a CLEAN and CAPABLE amp to sound anywhere near its potential. It is also tip sensitive, from my own experience, and from what I’ve read cable sensitive as well. IMHO, unless this requirement is respected, your experience with the BElieve may be vastly different, in a negative way, from what I detail below.**
Build Quality & Fit
Build quality is very good. Fit and finish are top notch and the overall presentation is of a very high standard. @ sets of silicon tips, clear & black, as well 2 pairs of foam tips are included. The included cable is, in my experience, the best I’ve seen included with an IEM let alone many 3rd party offerings. Rounding out the accessories is a nice leather carrying case. Fitment is also very good making long listening sessions a non-issue.
:SOUND:
BASS
Bass is somewhat accented, mid-bass more than sub-bass, and does reach quite deep when present in the source material. The Believe is not a BassHeads IEM, but has more than sufficient bass output. Bass is generally very articulate, fast enough and revealing without impacting the mid-range. On Wayman Tisdale’s “Circumstance” the rich bassline could be easily followed & clearly contrasted with the kick drum. .“Angel” & “Protection” by Massive Attack both have Bass Heavy intros and on the BElieve it was both impactful yet very controlled. Caiiro’s great house track “Ekuseni” has a driving kick drum and bass line that anchors the whole track. The BElieve kept me bobbing my head with everything staying in its place, even at volume levels I have no right enjoying. Some have talked about the “Speed” of the BElieve. IMHO, too “Fast” and you lose some of the “Organic” nature of the music. Too slow and Bass in particular loses it’s cohesion. The BElieve walks this line very well. “Stella” by Gerald Simpson had a driving Bass line which is always well defined and always present in spite of this track having so many layers. Lots of earphones fall down on this track. The BElieve stands right up not letting the many layers overshadow each other.
Mids
Mids on the BElieve are very sweet. Not in an overly sugar coated way, as they are “Mature” and “Organic” with excellent weight and timbre . Anita Bakers “Love You To The Letter” has Anita’s vocals front and center without being in your face. I can’t stand shouty iem’s and the BElieve is anything but that. Rosie Long’s track “Birdsong” is a minimalist track where the midrange prowess of the BElieve really shines. Urban Knights’s track “Urban Paradise”, “Vanston Place 12am” by Ronny Jordan and Anita Bakers “Whatever It Takes” have an “Organic” (There is that word again) & believable presentation that really sets the BElieve apart from the other IEM’s in my collection. One of the outstanding things about the this earphone is it’s ability to let the listener easily identify the layers of the music yet bringing them together in a tight cohesive presentation. I purposely have tried to throw the busiest & heavily layered tracks I have at the BElieve , and it retains it’s composure.
Treble
The treble on the BElieve is special. Previously my old fav the HZSounds Heart-Mirror was tops in my book, but the BElieve has upset that apple cart. Treble on the BElieve is well extended but that’s only a small part of the equation. The ability of the BElieve to present an “Organic” (Yeah again) & “Mature” treble region is noteworthy. Listen to the brushed drum & cymbal work on Anita Bakers “Love You To The Letter” on both earphones and the BElieve just presents a more naturaly detailed reproduction. Leading and trailing edges of transients are also a win for the BElieve, with the trailing edge being more prominent on the Heart-Mirror. The HM not as balanced in this regard. The decay of cymbal strikes is also impressive on the BElieve. “Brazilian Rain” by Urban Knights & “Inside Stuff” by Wayman Tisdale sound incredibly clean and sharp while retaining the emotion and weightiness of the instruments. Upper-Mids and Treble are detailed and very satisfying as well. Treble is airy without sounding overdone and sibilance is NOT an issue.
Imaging & Soundstage
The BElieve is able to project a good sound field. Not the last word in imaging, but placement is very good. The BElieve’s lateral imaging it is bettered by the Lark but placement within the confines of its projected soundstage is more pleasing. Depth is also good and adds to the airiness on some tracks. Separation is excellent. Again, the ability of the BElieve to let the listener discern each layer is excellent. While not a “Detail Monster” as some would define it, the BElieve presents ample detail, and that ability to clearly separate the individual musical elements combined with great clarity is a potent mix.
Strengths & Weaknesses
The BElieve has many strengths but I believe the foundation is the ability to separate the layers of music while presenting the Whole so “Organically”. I’m a firm BEliever (Pun Intended) in that the implementation of tech is more important than the tech itself. The driver could be made of Beryllium or Chocolate, which means little to me if the implementation sucks. I’ve overused the words “Organic” and “Mature” and will add “Natural” and “Engaging” to my description of the BElieve as well. On some tracks though with many bass centered elements , the BElieve may not be as defined & separated as it usually is. This though is track and recording quality dependent.
Versus
-HZSounds Heart-Mirror- (Final Audio E [original] cable & NiceHCK 16core HPC Cable
Sound has less body and is thinner than the BElieve. HM has nice treble extension but in a number of recordings the trailing edge of treble notes can seem overemphasized and less balanced in comparison. Mids are also relatively recessed. The BElieve has markedly superior bass depth and presence. Where the Heart-Mirror shine is in absolute detail retrieval, but at the expense of some emotion and engagement vs the BElieve. The HM is “colder” without that “Natural Biotic” presentation offered by the BElieve. Both are “fast” and Dynamic , the HM doesn’t give much ground to the BElieve in this regard. That being said, the HM does not convey the level of layer separation & definition that is offered by the BElieve. There is more to speed than just attack & decay. I really love the Heart-Mirror, but the BElieve tops it in almost every category that I find musically important.
-Kbear Lark- (Final Audio E [original] & NiceHCK 16core HPC Cable
In terms of the fullness of sound, the Lark is no slouch. For it’s asking price it’s gets a firm recommendation and is easily driven by most devices. That being said, it really can’t stand up to it’s more expensive stable mate. The BElieve offers a distinctly more Mature and cohesive presentation. On “Angel” by Massive Attack, the bass with the Lark was almost too much and not as well controlled, while the Belive just got it right, allowing the incredible nuanced vocals of Horace Andy to shine through. Mids on the BElieve are clearer and more distinct really allowing the emotion of the music to add to the engagement factor. Treble is where the BElieve pulls very far away from the Lark. Treble definition, detail and texture is just on another planet compared to the Lark. It’s not to say that the Lark had poor treble, just that this shortcoming slaps you in the face if you compare it directly to the BElieve. Compared to the BElieve the treble often sounds Splashy & less defined on the Lark, not from a quantity perspective but one of quality.
Conclusion
The Kbear BElieve is presently the favorite earphone in my collection. While I may have overused the terms Organic, Natural and Mature in this text, I find these are the best words to describe this iem. It has a warm rich tone with good treble extension and clarity. On top of that the outstanding ability to separate the layers of the music. The best thing I can say for any audio component is that the BElieve has motivated me to listen to music again that was gathering dust in my collection. As long as it’s powered adequately and with some time spent tip rolling it will reward the listener with a great experience. I BElieve…lol
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