Someone must be playing a trick on me. Somehow, my Believe must have been switched out without me noticing (joking), b/c it now sounds very different (NOT joking)! I liked the Believe since I first listened to them, but there were 2 things that bothered me about it, and it seemed the hype was starting to get just a bit too much. I find the mid bass a little too much, with too much resonance. Over time, it seems to be improving a little, and just minimal EQ works wonders for it. The second, and more significant issue wasn’t so much a fault, but was rather something I hoped it would have more of. The soundstage has always been really wide, but it lacked depth, layering, instrument separation, and precise instrument placement. The imaging was a bit lacking, at least compared to other great IEMs such as the NM2+, let alone something like the MEST. I only recently decided to try the stock tips, the wide bore red colored tips. I actually just used the ones that came attached, medium size I think, even though I usually use the largest size. I just inserted them deep. Wow! I always knew tips can make a big difference, but not this much.
Now the imaging is amazing! Depth and layering is very good, and imaging actually can form a 270 degree circle around me on some tracks. I can pick out each discrete instrument, or at least grouping easily. Live concerts really sound incredibly live, with people sometimes coughing behind me (hopefully pre-COVID). Every minute detail is audible, and sometimes they really catch me by surprise. To sum up, I lost a lot of sleep last night b/c I couldn‘t stop listening to music with the Believe. It was like being in a concert. I think it is approaching MEST levels of imaging!
Sorry if this sounds like hyperbole, but I’m just giving my honest opinions about an IEM that I liked, but almost wrote off.
Ear tips I previously tried included: Final E tips, Sedna Earfit Light Short tips, Sedna Earfit Regular tips, ePro horn tips, ADV Eartune U elliptical tips, SpinFit CP145 tips, Foam tips.
