That’s true, I will keep that in mind.
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Oh, alright that’s good news then.
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yeah idk about the graph lol to me my Mjolnir sounds like a slight V (possible unit differences)
planning on starting that today 
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Kato vs Timeless
Timeless is a bit wider and airier
Kato is more intimate
honestly was so hard pressed finding differences I was double checking which ones I was listening to lmao
and then I looked at graphs and understood… very very close tuning
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Look what arrived boys and girls
My sealed kato box with the preorder bonus cable on top next to my sealed kxxx which I still need to sell lmao (Asking for 135 usd shipped to conus/Canada if anyone is interested, I paid 152 + tax/duties/shipping when I saw it discounted off it’s old 190 price, my loss your gain).
Expected the box to be the same size as the kxxx box but it’s a mm thicker and a few mm wider, but maybe that’s just variance.
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Some early initial impressions.
The new tips are very comfy and make the kato sound very good. People weren’t kidding about them being too small, the large worked for me but I normally wear medium. Size wise they look big enough but they’re super soft and thin so it needs more size to get a good seal in your ear. Normally I prefer foam to silicone but going from the spring tips to foam killed the sub bass and clarity, but the seal/isolation was much better. The fit doesn’t feel super secure but I had no issues with it. It’s super light for a metal iem and felt very comfortable to me.
Let’s talk steel vs brass nozzle, I’m surprised there are people and reviewers who couldn’t tell the difference. It’s pretty apparent to me that there’s a noticable difference and it surprises me that it doesn’t really show on any of the graphs we have so far from crin/super/etc. Brass nozzle makes these sound a little warmer like the starfields. Basically same sound signature as the steel nozzle but slightly warmer sounding. I actually like the steel nozzles more, the brass makes things sound a little more muddy but don’t sound any less harsh or sibilant to me.
Well honestly there isn’t too much to say. These sound like a less muddy starfield with more sub bass focused bass shelf, a little more treble, much better clarity, technical ability and resolution. The sound stage seems a little bigger as well. The less apparent, the treble is way better controlled, it’s super crisp, and doesn’t have that weird over-shimmering on things like cymbal strikes. The verdict so far? Pretty much everything we expected, nothing more or less. This is the part of the review you should consider if you’re interested in the kato, the rest below are just my subjective feelings/thoughts.
Now for the subjective stuff, I actually still like the sound signature of my starfields a but more. I can’t have my katos turned up as high without hurting my ears. While the starfields sound more muddy they sound a little richer and less hollow to me, not that the katos were really hallow to begin with so this nitpick is really small, the difference is really here is that small. However the main two reasons I like the starfield tuning more is the more tame treble, and the slight mid bass hump. The sub bass on the kato is surprisingly kinda fatiguing for me, but I’m sure a lot of ppl would enjoy the dynamic sound. I would have liked a little more mid bass focus personally. The treble (and maybe upper mid range) is a little too harsh for me as well, I found myself turning down the volume a lot for this reason (and the sub bass). On the other hand, none of the frequencies bleed into each other or crowd each other out, this is a v shape down well with a slight vocal focus and will be great for anyone who likes that. I think most people will like this over the starfields but I personally don’t like the sound signature as much even though I do think the kato are a superior set.
Let’s do some iem comparisons now.
Vs mele
Similar sound signature so this is an easy comparison. I haven’t listened to the mele enough to go indepth but I believe the kato has a very similar sound signature and basically sound like a better version of the mele. The mele is a great value proposition though.
Vs dq6
Surprisingly similar when the dq6 is used with foams and filter/tape mod. The dq6 is very very good for the price once tapped with micro pore tape or oxygen/Hana filters and tip rolled. The kato is slightly more neutral, clear and balanced, the dq6 is more fun, dynamic but still has a lot of the same good qualities as the kato.
Vs dusk
They have a lot of similar strengths and weaknesses. The dusk specifically had a weird ba timbre or something that I didn’t like (couldn’t tell you what it actually was) which the kato doesnt have but the treble extends better on the dusk. I like male vocals on the kato more and female vocals on the dusk more. I like instruments on the kato more but electronic stuff more on the dusk. If the dusk didn’t have the weird timbre that I didn’t like dusk > Kato, but since it does I prefer the kato a bit more. A lot of the things I like the kato for, I like the dusk for as well, and a lot of the things I dislike the kato for, I dislike the dusk for as well. I don’t think you could go wrong with either set.
Vs fdx1
My favorite bright neutral iem but it does tend to sound a little thin and metallic/tinny even sometimes. With foam tips and the blue nozzle you can get it close to just neutral but doesn’t really solve the issues I mentioned much. Even though these sound brighter I would say the KATO is similar in harshness to the FDX1 in it’s least harshest configuration. The fdx1 has a really nice airiness and has more clarity than the kato but the kato still get close resolution and detail wise. In fact I would say the KATO has better controlled treble. The fdx1 doesn’t eq well, reducing the frequencies past 200 or 300 Hz to get more bass makes these sound terrible for some reason while the kato already has a very satisfying amount of bass without any issues with details or crowding out other frequencies. All while having better timbre and tonality. The kato is just a better all rounder and will probably suit more people. The fdx1 is more for people who like having the details boosted and easy to hear but people with sensitive hearing will probably not like this. I’m happy to say the KATO does not suffer from thinness.
Now for some really badly taken pictures.
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Pictures are not bad sir. 
Thanks for the write up.
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Superb write up and comparisons. Thanks!
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Which do you find to be a less harsh/fatiguing listen, or a more easy listen for longer listening periods or turning up louder?
Ps I will probably put the kato up for sale soon, 165 USD shipped to conus/Canada if anyone is interested. Only used for a day and you will probably get it faster from me than anywhere else ATM. I’ll throw in the bonus cable (2.5mm) for another 10 bucks as well. Both cables are still unused. Reason for selling is cause I’m putting my entire iem collection for sale, so I can keep trying other iems. I’m open to trades as well.
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since the timeless is a bit less in your face compared to the Kato I’d say it’s better for longer and louder sessions, however I was still able to listen to the Kato at EXCESSIVE volume for 40 minutes before I started getting any fatigue, on the other hand got fatigue on the timeless at around 40 minutes just from the weird fit so YMMV
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Man my hearing is way too sensitive or something cause I can’t turn the kato up too much without hurting my ears. Or any of my iems for that matter. The only ones I can turn up comfortably are the er2xr and starfields.
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what were you listening to? Stream [BERSERK] 2016 OST Dragon Slayer - Shiro Sagisu by BERSERK | Listen online for free on SoundCloud I spent a good amount of time on this lol
I listen to a lot of pop, hip hop, rap, RnB, indie rock, metal, etc. My library is very very wide and varied.
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Dan’s First impressions on the KATO.
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Shenzenaudio just confirmed that the Kato will not go on sale on 11.11 
does anyone know if other vendors will offer a discount?
Kato seems to be too hot of an item anyway. I don’t see any sales coming on Ali either.
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Moondrop isn’t having a sale so I doubt anyone else will (especially considering they are brand new and are still having stock issues lol)
I have the same issue as you.
After trying Moondrops/Etymotics/iBasso/Fiio and more, the first IEMs I truly enjoy are the Final E4000.
Very comfortable fit, excellent eartips, warm tuning with subdued treble with a little roll-off in the sub bass. This all adds up to very comfortable and enjoyable (extended) listening sessions.
I can’t even last 5 mins with my Arias.
shrug
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Kato sells for about 170usd in my country
great and ejoyable but only a B+? I think is bettert than Timeless!!!
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