MOONDROP KATO (Blue) VS. EVERYTHING (Thieaudio Elixir, Yume Midnight, Timeless, S12)
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- Опубликовано: 20 июл 2024
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Products Mentioned
Kato Blue- bit.ly/3zfkFHa
Original Kato- bit.ly/2WbIgZK
Aria- bit.ly/3I6vaif
Blessing 2 Dusk- crinacle.com/dusk
Variations- bit.ly/30mue9E
Thieaudio Elixir
SeeAudio Yume Midnight- bit.ly/3zoBOhI
7Hz Timeless- bit.ly/3mEe0kI
Shuoers S12- bit.ly/3gFOmbw
or Z12- bit.ly/3BhsuhQ
7Hz Dioko- bit.ly/3Pl0nmf
Timestamp
0:00 Intro
0:55 Unboxing Kato Blue
3:28 VS. Thieaudio Elixir
4:50 VS. SeeAudio Yume Midnight
6:44 VS. 7Hz Timeless & Shuoers S12
8:27 Moondrop Update & Alternatives
9:05 VS. 7Hz Dioko
10:49 Summary - Should You Upgrade?
==MY FAVORITE IEM==
UNDER $50 - bit.ly/3Kxnc2T
UNDER $100 - bit.ly/3vy3H5U
$100 to $200- bit.ly/3gFOmbw
$200 to $300- bit.ly/3mEe0kI
$300 to $500- bit.ly/3tQqnw4 or crinacle.com/dusk
$500 to $750- bit.ly/30mue9E
BEST OF THE BEST
Vocals- Monarch MK2
Bass- Sony IER-Z1R
Details- bit.ly/2U8Elfe
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![Chk Chk Boom - Stray Kids ストレイキッズ 스트레이 키즈 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 240719](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/63QPwqCRGcw/mqdefault.jpg)
Enjoyable and informative review, thank you.
I'm enjoying my 7hz Timeless (which I went for over the s12 because of the latter being sightly brighter and my listening preferences).
It's interesting comparing the Timeless to the Edifier stax Spirit s3 planar headphones. It's hard to compare iems and headphones on some ways and I enjoy them both for different reasons and at times I reach for the s3 over the Timeless (and other times vice versa).
What a shame they don't come with a dark blue cable!
Kinera Ace might suits Kato well for dark blue model
Are the blue worth an xtra $50 over polished silver?
@@Dingdongwitchisdead I wonder so too. However, saw the original’s on Amazon for $130 and blue for $160. Both still discounts!
Which one is better Adul performer 5 vs Moondrop Kato blue?
@@dineshdas8392 aful 5 if u prefer more technicality
Dioko is a chic mid-range presentation. They are delightful. They have the best detail extraction, sound stage, imagination compared to other planars. I came across a model with the right filters so I don't have a flashy upper mid. For $90, these are planar sound killers. The first iems from Crinacle that I liked.
Same waifu lady. Different presentation. It's her classy beach episode.
Moondrop getting better with these
@@Gizaudio Сравниваю Като и Раптго по балансу с линк 2 бал...не знаю что себе оставить)) Като очень музыкальные слитные мелодичные и естественные и утонченные..спать можно под их звучание не напряжное...Раптго- баса больше чем в Като- он более собранный и глубокий..- напоминает о себе больше чем в Като.. верхов тоже больше они не звонкие как в арматуре не колкие..но чуть песочные какие то..как будто из кремния)))..сцена шире.
Do you know how many of your videos i have watched and just NOW noticed im not even subscribed LOL. I ABSOLUTLY love the coverage on the 7hz Dioko you seriously helped me out with my perchase and i receve them on monday. Im soooooo damn excited this will be my first time with ANY planar IEM's. Thank you for all your info you spread around...
My first Planars as well and I LOVE my Dioko. It sounds very different and I don't think you'll be disappointed. I heard some people say they wish it gave a little more oomph but Ill tell you right now: Use something that can give it power. iPhone via dongle is fine but I want to say it really shined when I went through my dedicated DAC/AMP. It really shines with some extra power imo.
I just got mine and I absolutely love them!!! Brass filter + Foam tips 😍
Also remove the steel hex it ll even be better
Timmy with the constant uploads 🔥
I ordered the blue one and it's coming Monday. I've watched the honest audiophile review over the KATO and loved his descriptions of the bass mids and treble, sounds like my dream audio experience. Call it coincidence but the fact the tuning just so happens to come very close to the IEF neutral 2020 target gets me excited, because I LOVE having forward sounding mids. As long as the tone and timbre of things is done in a natural way, which Dave claims is definitely the case with the Kato, then this kind of tight and strong midrange presence I what I adore for the variety of tunes on my playlist. Coming from the JQ 4U Pro, another IEM Honest Audiophile had praised for similar reasons as the Kato, I was not only left wanting but NEEDING more of the lower treble (specifically the reigion from 2.5Khz to 5Khz, where the 4U Pro takes some large dips in comparison to 2020 neutral target). I thought I could overlook or ignore this since the 4U Pro still sounded very life-like in the bass and mids (and with JVC Spiral dots eartips the muddiness is dumbed down and clarity bumped up) but no matter what eartips I tried that lower treble dipping would always be a let down for any of the bright sounding music I listen to (like metal or even my musically complex beats I've made in apps). So hopefully the Kato can be that IEM I don't have to EQ, or even if I do EQ them I'm still hoping it sounds spot on enough to not need to- just a nice option. With the 4U Pro I *have* to EQ them, but with the Kato I will *get* to ;) Anyways, I think the Dunu Titan S I have are the closest anything has ever come to music sounding the way I like- because it's so realistic. Sadly, those are not very comfortable or well isolated enough for me :/ hence the Kato- anyways, fingers crossed!
Update: I can go back and forth between the SeeAudio Yume (original) and the Kato given how well they trade blows but also how much I enjoy either sound. The Yume is more to my liking with how it's tuned; clear and lively across the frequencies with a sub-bass boost that goes beyond the Kato but doesn't sound immensely fatty or anything (but it does give songs a subtle greater sense of gravity and depth at times). The Yume is excellent for capturing the purity of vocals and instruments whether simultaneously or in separation, and the soundstage is about as linear as th Kato, though not as detailed in its imaging. This is where the Kato becomes a little more worthy of its price tag, given that it has a soundstage with noticeably better depth (sometimes) than the Yume and imaging and resolve that allows the finer details to trail off more noticeably and clearly (almost all the time). That said, the better tuned Yume allows for those finer background nuances to actually appear in a song, whereas the warmer sounding Kato will often overlook those finer bits and keep the lead portions alive. Niether are exactly profound with technicalities, but the Kato on it's own can still surprise me with it's depth and imaging, and when EQ'd to the Yume's more balanced signature, it's that much better. Now that I have the XL spring eartips on the Kato, the fit and stability contest between the two is a more fair one, but I still prefer the ergonomic style of the Yume and others like it. Using the BTR5's more advanced settings in the app (like the Clock Divider) I can persuade a tad more air and soundstage "vastness" to a more acceptable level, but even then I don't really need it because of how good the Yume sounds. You might say it has a greater sense of hearing because of it's sound profile, even if reverb tails and sizzling notes up top often get confused with the sounds placed at the forefront. Confused in a sense that it can't compete, not that things ever get cluttered together on the Yume; some details just disappear into the busyness of the track. The Kato isn't exactly immune to this, and being only a single DD versus a 1DD 2BA configuration, there have been plenty of times the soundstage differences between the two just don't matter, the Yume is simply more life-like in every other sense that isn't technical. That said, the Yume is more of a one-trick pony that would take a little extra work (like the BTR5 clock divider settings I mentioned) to appease those that have spent more money on arguably better products. Still, as a first IEM the original Yume would be a far better choice than the Moondrop Aria, and if you want better bass and technicalities, the Yume II is an option. Do some research, though, see if you're the kind that needs an ergonomic fit or maybe it doesn't matter for you...but for me it does which is why I did not choose the Yume II, and it's also why I had problems with the Kato being too small for my ears. Thanks to those XL spring tips, I can see myself using either IEM extensively but by far the Yume is my favorite. Not even just my favorite earphones but my favorite sound device ever, it does my music library THAT much justice. Take it from a Funk-Metal head, these iems make Living Colour sound awesome! I do recommend looking into the Honest Audiophile's review on the Yume, the Yume II, the Midnight, and really any stuff on his channel you might b curious about as he goes in depth with how iems actually sound. In terms of the original Yume, he basically described these as being content with boredom, and I have to say I'm not only content with boredom, but infatuated with it. Boredom more than likely referring to the Yume's limitations in technicalities, but with tone and timbre being as organic as it is on the Kato (with some subtle differences being that they're different products from different brands) I can't get enough. Jennifer Rush's "Power of Love" has never sounded so good, "Rubicon" by Journey is so powerful, and even Rage Against The Machine's cover of Microphone Fiend slaps on the Yume. At the end of the day the Kato might be a slightly more fun listen, but to me a more realistic sound is more "fun". 👌
Awesome review!! I love the color of the Kato blue. Would these be a big enough upgrade from the Moonlight Starfield?
Hey Timmy. That's a nice Kato! I agree with you, Blue looks much better! I have Kato and wish it has more treble extension & airiness. I am thinking to get Tanchjim Oxygen since I can get it for USD180. Do you think its wise to get the O2?
Just got into this hobby, and bought two IEMs to test out, the Moodrop Aria and TinHiFi T3 Plus. After only a few minutes, the Aria immediately stood out to me. Now I'm already looking into the $200 price range and the Kato sounds like a great upgrade. Thanks for this video.
Did the upgrade to kato meet your expectations?
I auditioned the KATO back in June. it was actually the first IEM I auditioned that day and I took almost half an hour to really soak the sound in and I ended up... not exactly liking the KATO the way that I wanted it to. I still couldn't really pinpoint what I ultimately didn't like about the KATO (probably the overall technical performance because the Tuning I actually like a fair bit) but I'm glad I got to audition it before pulling the trigger
Meanwhile, I ordered a Dioko almost exactly last week and only have my experience with a Timeless as a point of reference. Now, I legit can't put it down because I keep wanting to listen to them. Contrary to the overall shape, it fits GREAT on my ears. The Tuning and the details is what ultimately makes me keep wanting to listen to them because it's absolutely WONDERFUL, especially for the music genres I listen to on a daily basis.
So the things Timmy said during the comparison, I would say they're fairly accurate to my own personal experience.
Wonderful video as always, man. BTW, I dunno if i missed it, but will you be doing a full video on the Elixir by any chance?
@@Divinity_vA I have considered both of them but I went with the Olina instead.
The Olina I can also vouch for; super fun and arguably more forgiving for more genres than the Dioko is, particularly stuff like EDM and Hip-Hop
What do you listen to?
2:04 The postcard for collection only. I would not use it knowing that the recipient could throw it away
omg
the color...🤤
but sadly, i still have the matte grey😂
The matte is very nice too lol
Even blue beeing my favorite color I can´t take my eyes from the Kato Matte, making all facets show up.
(Plus less prone to scratches and I do have trust issues with MD painting process quality control)
That's true, matte should last longer
Nice comparison as always! Looking forward to the review of Elysian Diva!
Thanks man!
Random question, do the Kinera Norns still hold up to today's offerings? Recently found one brand new for around $300.
I've got KATOs and it turned out to have a defective driver in one ear (music plays quieter and higher frequencies are restrained). I tried to contact Moondrop, and they don't want to provide exchange or fix. Hell, they can't even speak English properly. Any recommendations what to do with this? So far the worst QC and customer service I've encountered.
Tuve los s12 me parecían muy buenos pero los vendí, porque a pesar de parecerme muy buenos en general, sentía que no tenían tanto detalle como buscaba. Ahora estoy esperando que me lleguen los Moondrop Variations.
se eu fosse você iria pra marcas mas alternativas como a Leisurely, fones muito superiores a Moondrop e afins.
cuanto tiempo los tuviste?
@@michaellopez112 1 mes aproximadamente
Where I stay karo r priced little on an expensive side, other options that I’m getting in the same price range is fiio fh15, Weston mach10, oriveti oh300 and final a5000. Should I consider any of those as well ?
Hey please let me know the ending tune. I've been searching for it.
Does one of the 2 cables provided in the box have an inline mic ?
The Dunu Titan S also has a new Silver version
whats the outro song i love it
Thanks for the relevant comparison!
Finally, I know that Dioko is better for my taste. Can you tell how Dioko stands against Yume Midnight? I'm interested mostly in detail retrieval and natural sound.
Dioko is actually better in details than the Midnight, I would say Midnight has better upper midrange though
@@Gizaudio and double the price... Thx for your answer and time!
moondrop kato paint chip edition?
if only they were matte instead of shiny T_T How do they fare against fingerprints?
Please review the 7HZ Salnotes Zero (20$ IEM).
ตามตั้งแต่น้ำหอมจนหูฟัง คุณภาพเน้นๆไม่เปลี่ยนเลยครับ
Thank you mak mak krub!! :D
The Dunu Titan S also has a new Silver versionm
Hi Timmy, should I sell my Blessing 2 and buy Dioko?
Matte blue would be masterpiece
God I had no idea how to interpret audio description with my limited listening experience across headphones or IEMs
Looks tempting even tho I already own the Dusk.
Am one of the few people who prefers the Starfield over the Dusk tho which might not make this a redundant purchase.
It's two entirely different tuning so I don't think it's redundant
How is the Kato and Blessing 2 Dusk differently tuned? Im looking at Crinicle's IEM graph comparison and Im seeing minor differences in tuning, if that, at best
Now I haven't tried either of these IEMs before, although I have the Kato arriving in the mail by Monday, but I would say their differences would probably lie in detail retrieval and/or definition. It might be noticeable in the slightly greater amount of emphasis between 5k and 6k, not to mention the "air" region. From the looks of it the Blessing 2 Dusk just so happen to have their overall midrange tuned within both the 2020 and 2023's target- and that may mean a more headphone-style approach to how lead instruments feel in their delivery. I'm honestly just theorizing here- but I would think the Dusk are simply cleaner and shinier as more expensive things tend to be. You've probably already found yourself an answer, but that's my assumption of things-- I have been told, however, that at least the regular Blessing 2 are a lot more detail-expressive than the Kato, so I wouldn't imagine the case being any different on the Dusk (especially since Crinacle's the one who touched it 😆)
I wanted a ksto but didnt have the budget and now they have a blue one?😭😭
I had the Kato and didn't impressed me much. I found the high mids a tad hash and metallic and the polygonal shell would bother my ear concha.
hi, im new here
does anybody know whats the song title for the outro?
its beautiful, i love it so much
ikr. I asked for the song in several videos of his but no reply so far
I already have a pair of FD7's Fiio but i'm dying to try some planars, so these 7hz attracted my attention, also i'm curious if i change the cable with the silver cable from FD7 what kind of sound signature i would get, i'm just worried that i wont use them so much cuz the FD7's might be better, since they are almost 200+ euros with shipping idk what should i do...
Changing the cable won't affect the sound signature.
@@dannygarden2292 FD7's cable is silver while the Timeless is copper ofc it would change 😃
@@timebandit1338 why?
I’ve got my kato a couple of days ago, so there is my impression about it. First of all kato is not a “wow factor” iem, there is just nothing to impress you from the first seconds of listening: scene is not unbelievably huge, details are not eye-opening, bass is not the tightest or the most layered, vocals are not the sparkliest or fullest, treble extension is probably not the perfect in class too. However, what kato do well is balance. All those aspects done by kato not shockingly good, but + or - here and there decently good enough. “Balanced” is also the word that describes katos sound signature well in my opinion. Overall it is a very mild v-shape with a bit of warmth, medium-elevated bass, slightly brighti-ish in the upper region and also slightly tamed treble in the upper region. Bass is never overwhelming, however certainly on the heavier side relatively to the neutrality in my opinion. Depending on the track it might be pretty tight or just normal. The extension of the bass goes down to about 30 hz, you won’t really hear 20 hz in songs, katos bass is more focused on the last octaves of midbass to the early subbass frequencies. Mids as I sad before may come up as a little bit bright in the upper region, but it heavily depends on the song you’re listening to. Vocals, and also images in scene of iem are a little bit on the small, probably thinner side, however feel natural enough, not as natural as like senh hd 600 for example, but it is not a fair comparison really. In treble peak at about 7,5 khz is present, and after that it tames to a certain degree. Air is present, just not obviously emphasized. Treble extension is good, reaches about 17,5-18 khz, frequencies past 18 khz really hard to hear anyway. Detail retrieval is not shocking, but not bad at all either, for example separation of drums in songs i’d say almost always very good. Kato is all-rounder and works well with a lot of, if not all genres of music, I personally was surprised about how well it works with different varieties of metal. In conclusion I’d say that can recommend kato to a lot of people for its generally almost inoffensive, but not boring at all tone, good balance in bass region between bassy and not bloated, and multi-genre capabilities. Accessories and package also good, so it may come up as a good gift.
so with eq which part should i +/- for a little bit of improvement?
Are your katos okay?
I'll still probably still hold to my silver version but that blue version looks very aesthetic
I had to get it lol.
@@Gizaudio at the back of my head, someone is also telling me that I had to get it too lol hahaha
After buying the Timeless, it's hard to find anything you find worthwhile in a similar price bracket. I recently got the Ikko OH10 and I'm struggling with them. I may need to buy some new narrower bore tips for them but I find the treble absolutely piercing and sharp and the detail is way less than the Timeless. I put the Timeless back in my ears with the Acoustune AET08 blue medium tips on after messing with the OH10 for awhile and I was like "ahhhh, that's better". Better in every way. Does anyone have advice on how to make my OH10's worthwhile? If not I may sell them.
OH10 has a DD bass which sound very different from a planar bass. Don’t you think so?
If u don't like em then sell em off. That's my advice. Better to move on to another iem or continue with yr timeless rather than trying to force yrself to enjoy the oh10. I auditioned the oh10 and yes its quite nice, it wasn't nice enough for me to consider purchasing. If you feel like getting something better, then do so.
Review the hbb kai bro
Give us your waifu tier list Timmy, you've brought it up now haha
Lol maaaaybe
Paint chip/scratchy kato?
I am currently in a massive dilemma between the Z12, Kato or Timeless, or SoftEars Volume..... I listen to a lot of metal, hip hop, dnb , playing a lot of competitive games as well. Not sure which one to choose
Many would say that the planars' bass is too slow for metal, but great for the hip hop and DnB. I have a Timeless on the way so I'll find out, but I expect I'll agree with the people pointing that out.
@@hartyewh1 howd it go?
I would have liked to see her with blue hair.
ahh truth
I think the blue Kato would be a better colab with Hatsune Miku than that "meh" Aria colab.
I have a Tin Hifi T3 Plus as my main IEM. Do u think it worth the upgrade?
For me yes as a owner of two, kato is just a big of an upgrade for me. In terms of details retrieval and sound staging. I hear a lot of things when I listening it compare to T3plus
@@sdm789 this is personal, for me fit is fine with the Spring Tips. Some may prefer other tips. Only issue is it's quite heavy.
Nice ..got the original KATO and the Midnight’s along with the S12’s….still trying to figure out where the Dioko goes …Aria..Dioko…Olina…KATO..OH10’s..Midnight’s…s12🤷🏻♂️
You're set lol
@@Gizaudio Looking for my end of the iem game ..without breaking the bank .
Took the Meze ADVAR out for a spin …and it was very nice 😊
I wonder if Raptgo Hook X is better than the Kato. Although, I think they are tunned a bit different but not by much.
У меня есть и то и то...
Сравниваю Като и Раптго по балансу с линк 2 бал...не знаю что себе оставить)) Като очень музыкальные слитные мелодичные и естественные и утонченные..спать можно под их звучание не напряжное...Раптго- баса больше чем в Като- он более собранный и глубокий..- напоминает о себе больше чем в Като.. верхов тоже больше они не звонкие как в арматуре не колкие..но чуть песочные какие то..как будто из кремния)))..сцена шире.
Months later, can't decide between the aria or the Kato as my first iem in decades
Can start with Kato if you have more budget, I personally started with Aria, have a great experience when using it with FIIO BTR5, considering to buy Kato for upgrade now XD
@@ivanleekangzheng8406 woow
As it turns out, I'm keeping Katos after auditioning them for 3 days! A big improvement in sound over the Arias, which I thought were already great haha I have my amazon return submitted for the Silver ones, and am patiently waiting for the Matte Steel ones to arrive from China....don't have to send them back to Amazon until end of August, so I'll enjoy them for the time being and return the silvers once the Matte Steels arrive hahaha xD
Nice!! The matte one absolutely great looking too!
@@Gizaudio Yep! I'm going to stop myself from going even further down the IEM rabbit hole, so I'll be keeping/using the Kato long-term, and the matte steel seems more durable lol That and the smoothness of the silver finish have a bit of trouble staying in my ear after an hour or two lol
I have the Aria and considering to upgrade to the Kato sooner or later 😂what would you say are the improvements you found in the sound?
@@miki890098 There's a good amount of extra detail that comes forward with the Katos, as well as a more open sound stage. It's as Timmy says, it's a similar sound signature to the Arias (so a fun, warmish sound) but upgraded in every way, just with a noticeably higher level of detail, and the bass is also noticeably tighter. Hope that helps!
สวยงะ
Pls make some vlog in japan audio store. Maybe do tour to few audio store
After I learn Japanese lol
@@Gizaudio 😂😂😂
@@Gizaudio Why?? Isn't tour just being yourself alone in a store while see the audio things? Maybe audition some iem and some thought on it. I'm confused
What does detail mean?
Small stuff
Why can't I find a comparison between the Kato's and the blessing 2s ?
Because there is no comparison, they're in very different price ranges. Blessing 2s are top of their price range, same with Katos. Really depends on what you're prepared to pay
@@Doobysco0 I bought the blessing 2s and I'm not very impressed comparing them to some absolute bottom of the barrel IEMs
@@Jakepf Even after adjusting eq? There's a number of other things that affect the audio quality, including input (quality of wire/jack etc), silicone or foam bud/size/depth, and so on. Maybe one of those factors is affecting the audio quality
@@Doobysco0 it just doesn't sound that amazing to me. The quality increase is so miniscule it's honestly not worth the price increases to me. I just recently returned some HD660s because they weren't mind blowing to me. Open back barely feels any more open imo. Ik Sennheiser is known for a close soundstage but still. I much prefer the clinical & clear sound of the bessing 2s. I still think they lack real bass, which the crinacle version supposedly fixes. Idk, I must not be that analytical with my sound like others.
@@Doobysco0 oh yeah, I couldn't get EQ to work with anything. The standard EQ program (forgot the name already lol) everyone uses doesn't want to work on my PC for some reason. Couldn't troubleshoot it either.
Pair it with tripowin altea 4.4mm
I bought timeless 7khz it's not good. The sound is not dynamic and sound dull compare to dynamic driver. It's not good and not worth the hype.maybe for 50$
ow yeah would you look at that genuine gorgeous
Dioko is huge and looks like earrings
is moondrop dawn a fine pair for KATO?
He doesn't review dacs. He mainly recommends fiio btr5, fiio m11 plus and shanling m3x as sources
I used the dawns on my Moondrop blessings 2 and they’re more than enough, you can even use it on mobile devices
Aight, thanks guys!
Kato vs Hifiman Sundara/Ananda for sound quality?
I have both Kato and Sundara but haven’t had time to use the Sundara ☠️
6:40 What's a "fun" IEM?
9:35 It's DIO-KO, not DADDY-YOKKO. XD😆😹
I'm a fan, but sorry Moondrop. Too little, too late.
Looks like the starfield coating, not good.
nah different
First
Nice!! :D
5fth. 😎
lol thanks
@@Gizaudio youre welcome bro
The kato isn't fun at all.
Do you have better recommendations? I want to by kato but I see many comments said reviewers were lying
Biased as hell huh lol
Do you have better recommendations? I want to by kato but I see many comments said reviewers were lying