80 buckeronis
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As promised, the 4 IEM showdown.
Contenders: MoonDrop Blessing2, Fiio FD5, JVC HA-FDX1, MoonDrop Kato.
Note that this is going to be cursory and super subjective, I’m not going to drill down into each part of the FR and talk about it for example or talk at all about the packaging, only the highlights.
Blessing2:
To recap from my earlier posts: When I got the B2 I thought they were my endgame IEM. My problem with the Mangird Teas which they replaced was that the Teas didn’t have enough punch and impact. The B2 were better, but after a while of using them I found they were still lacking, especially on the Qudelix I use for walking around listening. On the much more powerful RebelAmp they still shine, and especially with certain songs like “Cables” by Bill Laurance the B2 have just a magical sparkle on the treble that nothing else I’ve heard touches. They also have detail and clarity to spare. I tried giving them extra power with a balanced cable, and that helped, but I think it doesn’t help enough and the BA timbre still doesn’t really compare to the DD sound.
For fit, the Mangird Tea are the best I’ve ever used and B2 is a close second, they just pop right in my ears.
FD5:
So I gave up on the FD5 at one point because I got so annoyed by the way the vocals were off in the distance and the treble was right up against your face. Some days later I tried them again and found the problem bothered me less (but was still there). These are super energetic, just get-up-and-dance earphones, with a muscular sound, but the energetic treble can get fatiguing. After long listening it becomes like one of those dance contests where they see who can stay on the dance floor the longest. Super detailed and textured sound, shockingly good. Also the bass awesomely clean and well-defined bass, the best bass reproduction of the four.
The fit is pretty decent.
HA-FDX1:
These are almost the polar opposite of the FD5. Where the FD5 is energetic, these are super mellow and chill, especially with the most filtered nozzles which I preferred of the three. (Like some have reported, my nozzles are switched from the original listing, the green nozzles have the most filter material, while the blue nozzles have less.) The sound here is rich and warm and full. It doesn’t have anything like the clarity, separation, or detail of the other IEMs here, but it has what I want to call a ‘soulfullness’ that none of them have. It’s an addictive sound, and particularly with the right music it’s really compelling. These are relaxing, earphones that invite you to put on some Pink Floyd and unwind after a long day. It seems like with so many IEMs chasing greater and greater detail it’s almost refreshing to have something that goes in a different direction and gives you a unique sound. These remind me of the HD 6XX (though not as detailed) in the best way. And they’re not fatiguing at all, easy to wear all day.
The biggest problem with them is the fit, which is super fidly and isn’t helped by the ‘feature’ where you can turn the nozzle to wear them with the cables hanging down or over your ears. (They’re too heavy to wear hanging down, it just sucks.) So you have to figure out the right direction to put it to fit best in your ears and then remember that for when the nozzles inevitably get turned around. Eventually I settled on fat Comply tips for these, but they only help so much. This design is pretty bad and I’m glad that it’s not something other manufacturers have tried to immitate.
Still, I liked the sound so much I thought these were for sure going to win this competition before the Katos arrived.
Kato:
The katos are not as full and soulful as the FDX1. They’re not as energetic and detailed as the FD5. They’re not a sparkly and detailed like the B2. And they don’t fit as well as the B2.
But what I realized the more I listened to them is that they’re the best of all worlds. They’re not as detailed as the FD5 and the B2, but they’re in the same ballpark. And they’re not fatiguing like the FD5 and don’t have the weird placement issues. But they’re more energetic than the FDX1. It’s like they take some of the best of the different headphones and combine them.
I even surprised myself by preferring the steel nozzles on the Katos to the brass nozzles. I thought I would like the mellowness of the brass nozzles the way I like the FDX1, but the steel nozzles are so clean and clear and crisp, I didn’t want to give them up.
The more I listen the more I appreciate how good these sound. There was even a moment when I was walking around outside listening to the song “Sunrise” by the Grateful Dead and I had to stop and sit down because I was so overwhelmed I had to just listen until the song ended.
I do wish they had more extended tips like the Teas; the fit is still not the best, but marvellous compared to the FDX1. After trying out a bunch of different tips, I think my trusty Final Es maximize both comfort and sound quality.
Winner: Kato
And this is especially surprising since of these four IEMs, the Katos are the cheapest! Goes to show how price and preference don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand in this game.
I think I might finally be done for IEMs. I’ll probably keep the FDX1 too for when I want that mellow sound, and maybe the B2 as well for if I ever crave the sparkles, but that might get sold off eventually too. The FD5 is definitely getting sold off, I think the Kato just spanks it in every way except pure detail.
Next up: The UTWS3 is coming today, I’m going to try them out with the Katos and report back.
The Katos sound great on the Qudelix and less good (but still pretty good) on the Apple Dongle. The UTWS3 has more power than the dongle but a lot less than the Qudelix, so we’ll see how that translates to sound. I also still have the UTWS5 coming one day from AliExpress, but that’s the MMCX version so I might have to get a 2-pin adaptor to try them with the Kato. But it also means I can try them with the FDX1 (which sounds good on the Qudliex but not very good on the Apple Dongle).
Edit: Forgot to mention two other problems with the FDX1: it seems to block out surrounding noise less well than the other IEMs, and the stock cable (actually seemingly any cable) delivers a lot of microphonics. For both of these reasons they were less good for walking around outside with.
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Oh very interesting, thanks! I have their gd3a but just settle on the Heart mirror and if that doesnt work out then will definitely looking into the st1.
Its one of those polarizing sets right? On my first listen I shelved them because of the lack of bass. But started using them over the pandemic from home and they work decent for everything: movies, gaming, calls, most music(???).
I have the GD3B and will be finally finishing up a review on it over Thanksgiving break (so that I can get to the review of the Aladdin at last! GD3B was bought with a reviewer’s discount and I still plan to prioritize and honor that, better late than never).
Sad to say there’s not much good about it my opinion, I’m surprised the GD3A seems to have such a different reception if the only change is a couple of tuning choices? Could make all the difference of course.
can anybody explain me the moondrop variations cable? is it balanced?
what the fuck is a balanced cable? (delivers power singularly to each earpiece ik but DETAILS i want DETAILS)
the difference between a single-ended and balanced is it power deliver ok but why
in the over-ear world there’s headphones that doesn’t accept balanced cables, why is that? doest it applies to IEMS too?
and what is a modular cable??? i need to know please!
ok i got it, now the other 2 questions
the variations cable is it balanced? modular? what is modular?
I believe it’s modular which means it has an interchangeable plug system ie 2.5mm 3.5mm and 4.4mm
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I own the Fiio FH3 and love them. Big fan.
What would be a next level IEM that would complement, not replace, them?
The Moondrop Kato and 7hz Timeless caught my eye. They appear to be different in some ways too, though I’m sure there are likely several others to consider in the $200 range.
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Although they’re the same brand the FiiO FD3 and FD5 use completely different technology (resulting in a very different sound) and may be worth adding to your shortlist to witness there’s multiple roads to Rome indeed.
drftr
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I got the FH3 as well and like them a lot.
Both the Kato and Timeless I‘d consider quite an upgrade over the FH3. Both clobber the FH3 when it comes to coherency and offer more detail. The Timeless had similar Bass quantity to my ears when I tried them. The Kato on the other hand does not have the same quantity, but the quality of the Bass is just stellar. Both have great imaging capabilities. As for stage, I‘d consider the Kato all around more “three-dimensional“ than the Timeless, but Insertion depth and chosen tips make a big difference with the Timeless, the most out of any IEM I ever had the pleasure to listen to.
I‘d argue that you cannot go wrong with either 
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I have experience with moondrop from their earlier iems such as kanas pro and these days it was one of best sounding at their price dynamic iems and these had really big bass, woofer type, but at the same not the fastest and not the cleanest. So i imagined kato has similar quantity which is not small. But quality should be upgrade in bass and in every way. Anyway it is still dynamic so wanting something different planar timeless seem like a good alternative. But when i try to answer for myself which is better no one really knows which. 
So looks like having both coul be an answer…
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UTWS3: A horror story
First something good: I got Xelastec eartips and no eartips before have fit so well, these are the best, solved all my fit issues with the Kato completely.
On to the main show: So the UTWS3 two-pin TWS adapter came in and right away I had a problem. The left adapter wouldn’t stay on the left Kato bud, it would just slide right off. The UTWS3 has a kind of round endpoint above the two pins, and the Kato pin holes are in a rectangular recess, and I think it didn’t get down far enough. The DQ6 fit alright, so I used it with them for a while and then I had a plan: I ordered an MMCX UTWS3 and an MMCX to two-pin adapter. And when they came my plan worked! The Katos fit in the charger with the adapters and worked fine. There were some occasional connectivity issues and the right UTWS3 would sometimes drop audio for a moment, but it wasn’t so bad. After the first day I started experimentally switching out with different earphones, the FD5 (good), the Blessing2 (bad, needs more power), the FDX1 (pretty good, but still a lot of micronoises–the UTWS doesn’t fit snugly around the ears and so bounce a little bit and the design of the FDX1 just transmits those micronoises right along making these difficult to use for walking around). Except as I’m switching them back and forth and listening, the right UTWS3 stops working.
I should have quit while I was ahead. Instead I sent the UTWS3 back to Amazon for a replacement. The replacement arrived and once again I put the Katos on them and this time I’m not noticing any issues with an earpiece going out. This is great.
Once again I want to try out different earbuds with them. I use the FDX1 for a while, trying them out and confirming the issues. I switch back to the Kato. Then I go to put the FD5s on them.
And the left earpiece stops working.
Crap. I fiddle with it. It seems to come back for a second and then go again. I take the FD5s off and put the Katos back on. No sound on the left earpiece. I try to put the FD5s back on their own cable and the left unit will not go back on no matter how hard I push it.
It takes me a while to realize with horror what’s happened: it seems that a pin in the middle of the UTWS MMCX connector has broken off in the center of the FD5 unit. Now not only is the UTWS broken, but the FD5 left unit is unsuable as well, meaning I not only can’t use it, I can’t resell it. I’ve tried to get the bit out with a pin, but I’m not having any luck, it seems to be broken down in there.
In short, the QC on these units is nightmarish. If you get one, put earbuds on them and never ever take them off I guess. Or don’t get one.
I still have the UTWS5 coming from AliExpress. I think I might only use them with a MMCX-to-2 pin adapter so that if the MMCX connector breaks, it can only break the adapter.
This is really a shame because I really liked these things while I was using them, they were so convenient! I just wish they were higher quality. I’d pay more for a set of over-ear bluetooth adapters that were just well made and I could rely on not to break.
Anyway, any advice would be appreciated if anyone’s encountered something like this before.
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From following different FiiO threads on Head-Fi I know the 3 or so FiiO employees that are active there are very fast with possible solutions. Wouldn’t hurt to see how far you can get with them.
It’s problems like these that made me ask them when they will actually start working on top quality TWS instead of all these mechanical tricks that work until they don’t. They surprised me saying they actually ARE working on it. Make it a modular system and we’re good for years.
drftr
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Thank you. Sincerely. You and the others really helped me with this succinct assessment. 
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I am using utws5 for some time with my fd5 and fh3 and no problems at all. Was constantly disconnecting iems from utws body and no problems. So i hope you will not have problems with utws newer version. Perhaps they fixed quality as my unit seems very good made. It takes btr5 place for me as sound quality is really good and very similar. Only using with aptx yet so adaptive cennection should be even better. Perhaps best sound possible with true wireless possibility with these utws5 and good iem. Utws3 i heard really had quality problems.
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The UTWS5 arrived much earlier than I expected. I have the Katos with the MMCX-to-0.78 connecter on them now and they appear to work well, but I’m terrified of trying any of my other IEMs on them.
I’ve reached out to Fiio on Head-Fi (someone online said they don’t respond to emails) and we’ll see if they respond. If not I’ll probably shame them with my story on a Head-Fi thread and Amazon review.
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In which case I will add to the Head-Fi thread that I won’t buy the UTWS5 because of this, while including all those FiiO people. Bad products is one thing but bad products with bad service is unacceptable.
drftr
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Surprise listen (of the year?) for me: The TFZ Tequila1. I’ve seen it on Penon’s site before and always dismissed it as probably being “a bass heavy IEM from an already bass-centric manufacturer, with atomic symbols on the chassis for crying out loud. Sure to be a bass swamp without finesse”.
I got a bundle lately with this being one of the IEMs included (in a better design than the radioactive symbol style shell, I think) and decided to give them a go.
Here’s what’s funny. I’d take these over the FD5 any day. These are actually what I thought the FD5 would sound like, before being generally disappointed, especially at the price and touting so many proprietary technologies.
On the imaging front? Nothing special. But the elevated bass doesn’t tangle with anything, it’s an incredible smooth and relaxing slightly warmed up listen that’s continually inoffensive while engaging. Plenty of detail. I expected mids to be scooped but actually one of the places it can sound most euphoric is female vocals like Skott’s Mermaid from Chapter I…
Stage is the usual, but the “usual” is pretty good with IEMs these days. There are times it sounds pretty open. Overall it’s a much less claustrophobic feel/fit that a large universal IEM, but then again isolation is well above average in my opinion.
Actual bassheads would hope for a more visceral slam.
Coherency and timbre are both very very good, it’s a single DD after all.
Hadn’t expected to see the interesting openish grills on the back, clear under certain lighting.
Expected it to be MMCX but actually there’s a very elegant obtrusion that has 2 pin connectors in it.
I think I prefer the DQ6 which costs even less by quite a bit (which is saying something), but not by a wild margin, and it probably comes down to taste. I’ll have to switch back later tonight to remind myself of the differences. On the way home tonight I was bowled over by the timbre of the DQ6 (I’m not actually that great at identifying timbre usually, between good and great) when listening to a Max Richter song. Even I knew something was “righter” than usual about the sound of the violin. It was considerably more emotional to listen to. So I’m a big DQ6 fan.
This is a great all rounder IEM though, out of the blue! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it discussed or recommended. Build quality is solid too.
Maybe hard to rec when I’m mentioning a $22 set that could be its equal or better depending on taste. But this is doing just about nothing wrong and so much right, so unpretentiously, I had to spare 8 minutes or however long I’ve taken jotting this down to give it some credit, give it some recognition and a pat on the head. So far from the Smiths (which can risk sounding thin), Tom Waits (who can risk being too abrasive for vocals), to some German metal, some funk, some Beatles, some female vocalist centered tracks… it’s playing them well.
EDIT: Hot dang, Skott’s acoustic version of Glitter and Gloss through these… well now! I’ll have to A/B with the DQ6s soon.
EDIT2: Popped the DQ6s in, more sub-bass which I’m always a huge fan of. Mids sounded more compressed to begin with, with perhaps less note weight, but the longer they’re in the fuller they sound (mental burn-in). I’d probably end up favoring the DQ6 for larger stage, and perfect sub-bass levels.
I’m not saying anyone needs to revisit these. But they’re not new, I feel like I should have heard about these kicking butt in 2018. Like I said, I’d rather listen to them than the FiiO FD5. They’re no longer competitive at MSRP, but they would have been a couple years back and I wanted to give them a shout out.
I’m glad I like the DQ6 tuning so much, as I may have to downgrade to them from what I consider to be my ideal IEMs to recoup some funds for life/non-audio priorities. And I think I could be quite happy if they provided the music portions of my day.
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OMG look what the MMCX-to-2 pin adaptor did to my Katos!
How the hell do I get this pin out of the earphone? I’ve tried tweezers and a needle, but I haven’t had any luck.
First the UTWS3 broke in my FD5, now this. I think this time it was because the earphone regularly would slip off the adapter and I’d have to put it back in, or because I’d have to readjust it in my ear. But I never had any problems remotely like this with normal cables. I really liked the portability and convenience of the UTWS3 and the UTWS5, but I think I’m going to go back to my Qudelix, because this isn’t worth it, I’m literally destroying earphones.
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