Yep, and 50%-ish more expensive or so I heard.
But since there’s plenty of people using 2 grand IEMs to go to the gym I guess that’s going to be the new normal. It’s just a pity that not everyone on this planet has a US-style income 
drftr
1 Like
Katos arrived early! Let the games begin!
Initial impression good sound, fits a little wonky, trying some different tips…
4 Likes
Full report still to come on the Katos.
Meanwhile, the KZ AZ09 TWS adaptors arrived. Connected to my DQ6 no problem, connected to my phone no problem and… it has a loud noise floor clearly audible when anything is playing. It’s really too bad, because the DQ6 still sounds solid on them over the noise floor, but it’s so loud it’s distracting. It seems like the gain is set too high (the volume has to be kept really low on the phone otherwise I’ll blow out my ears) but there doesn’t seem to be any way to turn it down.
So I’m returning them. Disappointing.
Debating whether to try the twice as expensive AZ09 Pro to see if it also has that problem or just not bothering, since I already have the UTWS5s coming from AliExpress. (Amazon also has the UTWS3 with one-day delivery, but I’m not sure they’ll fit the DQ6. Might work well on the Katos though…)
1 Like
Have a look at
and
drftr
Except the IEMs don’t have a hiss, the TWS adaptors do. (IEMatch isn’t going to work with TWS adaptors.) Thanks though.
2 Likes
Had a quick look online but basically EVERYONE is complaining about hiss. Why did you think you would get away with it? Hope you can send it back? People have also been successful pairing it with other devices, notably Apple. FWIW…
drftr
1 Like
Rub it in why don’t you.
I paired it with my iPhone. Hiss all the way down. I already returned it to Amazon and ordered the UTWS3 instead.
?
Forums are to share experiences, both good and bad, with others that may be about to do the same thing. If it’s not valuable for you it might be for them.
drftr
If you like that neutral T2 sound, the Thieaudio Legacy 4 is a good step up but it’s at the top of your budget.
There is a used one now on head-fi classified (USA)
2 Likes
Thank you! Even though I rather spend slightly less, this is helpful and good to know 
I would disagree on that. I have the T2 and bought the L4 as an upgrade, not quite te same direction. I’ve found the L4 fatiguing and lower mids have less body. But maybe that’s just me.
Unfortunately I haven’t found an upgrade from the T2, but TBH I stopped trying. Perfectly content with them so no need for an upgrade.
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.
14 Likes
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
2 Likes