KBEAR Believe : The Beautiful Beast

KBEAR Believe is a flagship IEM by Shenzhen Lingyin Technology Co. It comes with exciting new features like Pure Beryllium Diaphragm and long-stroke diaphragm composite molding.

The build quality is top notch, and by the looks and feel it appeals as much expensive and premium product. The classy design, faceplate adorned with 3D pattern with KB logo in silver and nozal made of golden color metal makes these a real eye catcher.

The overall design is sleek and has a gorgeous appeal to it. It is accompanied by a rectangular brown leather box which is sturdy and does a good job keeping the IEMS safe and stylish. Along with the IEMs we also get a nicely braided 4 strand copper wire that ends with a 3.5mm jack with metal housing and has a 2-pin connector. Metal housing for both Jack Connector and Y-splitter have the same 3D pattern design as that of faceplate.

Disclaimer:

I have received KBEAR Believe as part of review circle from Hifigo in exchange of honest reviews. All impressions of sound are subjective to my own listening and my sources and is based on my experience with IEMs of similar hardware configurations and price range.

Sources (Needs Amplification):

KBEAR believe scales well with a good desktop grade amplifier so for this review the unit has been paired to Fiio Q5 (AK4490) paired with Schiit Vali2(GoldLion E88CC) Amplifier as well as my other desktop stack with PhiDeca DAC(R2R) paired to Anode Acoustics Solid State Amplifier. I prefer using it with tube as of the sibilance factor it. I have tried these directly on SE100 and immediately felt that they do need proper amplification.

Pros:

1. Above average resolution
2. Warm yet balanced presentation
3. Good Soundstage and Imaging
4. Very good build quality and stock cable

Cons:

1. Bit sibilant, also treble feels artificial at times
2. Shells are bit heavy and takes time to get used to

Highs:

Highs have a good sparkle in them and are quite energetic. The upper range has good extension to it. The micro detailing is also good for the price range. There is a good amount of air the treble region. Only downside I have observed is that even with proper amplification there is a hint of sibilance in it which can be irritating at time.

 
I had such experience while listening to “Taylor Swift - Love Story (Taylor's Version)” – It sounded great with lush sound and all micro details, the cymbals had much air and the violins sounded so great but on the other hand at time the vocals had hint of sibilance.

Mids:

The presentation of mid spectrum is bit recessed and towards more of relaxing side. Overall sound has a nice body giving the whole spectrum a lust experience. The upper mid-range is energetic and has nice details and intimacy to it. Female vocals do sound a bit sibilant at times. The lower mid-range on the other hand has warm presentation making male vocals sound fantastic. All the instruments sounded just fantastic over it and has nice details to it.

During my listening I have enjoyed “Céline Dion’s My Heart Will Go On (from the 2007 DVD "Live In Las Vegas)” a lot, The vocals , flutes, drums, electric guitars just sounded fabulous; the violins sounded exceptional and the overall presentation was full of details be it instruments or the chorus in the song.

Similar experience was there while listening to “Julio Iglesias - When I Need You”, with just perfect male vocals and a deep bass rumble in the background.

Lows: 

The Bass presentation is very good in believe thanks to the DD, the sub-bass extends deep, the mid bass has nice texture and thickness. Its not at all overpowering and is very controlled. Its not at all bass oriented but yes in terms of quality of bass it’s kind of no brainier at this price range.

I enjoyed listening to my favourite bass-oriented track - “Tokyo Drift” by KVSH, the bass was tight and precise and with nice body to it perfect for listening to EDM music. The bass gave very nice complemented to elevated treble and overall presentation was very enjoyable.

Soundstage:

The Soundstage is very good; it has a very nice width to it but unlike other chifi these days this has nice depth to it. The overall height I would say is average.

Tested tracks like “Hello” by Neelix , “Dream Catcher” by Bassnectar, and has nice depth and above average height to it. The overall presentation was very engaging. It’s not holographic but well rounded.

Detailing/Imaging:

The detailing and imaging are also very good as per price point of view. The separation is very nice and instrument placement is very very good. It brings out the technicalities very nicely along with very nice and engaging dynamics. 

It was a nice experience I must say while listening to Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Romeo And Juliet – the separation was very good, all instruments like guitars, piano, cymbals, drums were well placed with and whole presentation was very much detailed.

Final Verdict:

I must say Believe is a great IEM, and if one is into EDM, Jazz or vocal based music it’s no brainer at this price range. Its very engaging and sounds just perfect specially the violins. The tonality is very good and has a warm and U-shaped presentation, and if you have a nice tube-based desktop setup then no need to go for any other IEM I must say. Also, the build and looks are just fabulous, and it feels far more premium then it is. But yes, with a brighter source there would be sibilance that once has to be careful if one is treble sensitive, and yes, they do need proper amplification.