Moondrop KATO IEM Earphones (Matte Steel) $228.79 Delivered @ ShenzhenAudio via Amazon AU

160

Affiliate

Go to Deal

Cashback

whyisave on 22/12/2024 - 15:13 amazon.com.au (998 clicks)
Last edited 22/12/2024 - 15:20 by 1 other user

This post contains affiliate links. OzBargain might earn commissions when you click through and make purchases. Please see this page for more information.

Released back in 2021, the MOONDROP KATO, said to be the successor of the KXXS and has been mentioned countless of times, only second to the Aria, to be one of the best sounding single DD config IEMs for this price-point.

I'm quite sure, the KATO comes with the Spring tips too.

So, quick thinking should get you these IEMs, just in time for Christmas 2024 :-)

---

Moondrop KATO Earphone DLC Composite Diaphragm Advanced Ultra Linear Technology Dynamic in-Ear Earplug (Matte Steel)

About

► The excellent frequency response curve enables KATO to have a rare ability to highly restore the sound heard by the master when making recordings. KATO is able to more truly show the original timbre and position of musical instruments and vocals compared with ordinary "HiFi earphones", and bring you a more open and natural listening experience.

► KATO adopts modernist aesthetic design combining light and shadow, and continues this design elements from Kanas to KXXS. Thanks to the brand-new MIM technology, The almost all sufaces of KATO has been able to inject light and shadow design, showing a three-dimensional and rich layering.

► KATO is adopted with a new independently developed 10mm ULT (Ultra-Linear-Technology) super-linear dynamic driver, which has been developed for two years. It includes a more efficient composite magnetic circuit with internal and external magnets and a more linear air circulation structure, as well as a larger brass internal acoustic cavity, a lighter extra-fine imported CCAW sound coil and a high-frequency phase waveguide.

► KATO adopts a replaceable sound nozzle design, which can be easily replaced by a quick-release structure with screw thread, and comes with sound nozzles made of two different materials (steel and brass). Users can not only experience the sound changes for different materials by replacing the nozzle, but also replace the blocked sound nozzle more conveniently.

► KATO is equipped with the newly self-designed and developed Spring Tips, which suppress weak resonance through special diffusion structure, and significantly lower the high-frequency linear distortion caused by nozzel resonance, thus making high-frequency timbre more natural. At the same time, the special material of earplug tips cap can better fit the ear canal without being sticky, and featured with the special reinforcing rib support design to prevent the bass loss caused by sound leakage.

Price History at CamelCamelCamel.

Related Stores

Amazon AU

Marketplace

SHENZHENAUDIO AU STORE

• 

  Sydamoizz on 22/12/2024 - 15:54

  +1

  How are these compared to, wf xm sony, Bose qc and airpods

  • 

    toppingq on 22/12/2024 - 16:07

    Not sure if you're aware, but these aren't wireless earphones

  • 

    cerealsmok3r on 22/12/2024 - 16:11

    Better quality but wired. You’d need a dac to make the most of it though

  • 

    whyisave on 22/12/2024 - 17:30

    Moondrop Kato are not wireless (as mentioned previously),
    but you can use Bluetooth wireless 'add-on' like the Fiio UTWS5,
    to turn these IEMs (or any other) into a wireless IEM.

    • 

      Euthyphro on 22/12/2024 - 18:46

      Then the audio quality will be reduced.

      • 

        whyisave on 22/12/2024 - 19:30

        That's true, but at least, the IEM itself may be better than, say, Airpods :-P

        • 

          warmfruit on 22/12/2024 - 20:58

          @whyisave:

          may be better than, say, Airpods

          I wonder if it's worth the hassle and inconvenience over Airpods to use something like this. Personally I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference, but I do like the look of some of the IEM because k-pop idols wear them.

• 

  Minimum-Chips on 22/12/2024 - 16:46

  -4

  FN ugly

• 

  jasswolf on 22/12/2024 - 17:17

  +2

  Regular sales price for a while now, still up for comparison against the 7Hz Timeless, Meze Alba, Truthear Hexa & Nova, Sennheiser IE200 (tip change required), Tanchjim Kara ($250 or less)… to name a few.

  It's a very competitive space.

  • 

    whyisave on 22/12/2024 - 17:36

    7Hz Timeless (1st version) sounded very 'tinny' to me when I had them (after my 1st IEM blind-purchase),
    and the Truthear Hexa wasn't anything 'special' when I demo'd at Crinacle's Hangout.
    ( It sounds like the Truthear Zero Red to me )

    I have never listened to the Sennheiser IE200 or IE300, but the IE600 is very good.
    I really liked the IE600 when I had them, but IE600 treble was 'spicy' .

    I'm curious about Tanchjim Kara (as I have their cheap, but frequently used Tanchjim Zero)
    and also curious about the Meze Alba, because I love the Meze Lirics (which I demo'd very briefly, but yet to own the Liric v2).

    I would actually prefer to buy a 2nd hand Blessing 2, for the Kato's sale price, if possible, instead of getting the Kato (even though, I never listened to the Kato). I sold my B2 at very close to that price, last year.

    • 

      jasswolf on 22/12/2024 - 17:38

      +1

      Timeless isn't going to have the best timbre out of all of these, no, but it doesn't sound tinny. Hexa benefits from tip changes, but tuning is good with stock tips.

      I think you'll see these crash in price with 2025 TWS IEMs, and probably new champions in the $100-$250 price bracket.

      Crin Red sounding the same is likely a byproduct of your music and your chain, but it would have cleaner bass.

      • 

        whyisave on 22/12/2024 - 17:42

        I guess it's my listening preference and what I (sic) resonate with.

        My favourite and most enjoyable listening experience is when I had the Nuraphones, some years ago.
        When training the Nura app to my eardrums, it instantly confirmed to me, that I enjoy flat, neutral profile (I'm not into bass).

        Then, with the bone conduction cups, … gave me an awesome feeling with them.

        Nuraphones were just a bit heavy on the head, and I wasn't using them so much, so I sold them during C-19 lockdowns.

        ( I had the Nuraloops too, and I would say they're probably better than the Kato , and cheaper as well, in 2nd hand market , but Nuraloops are Bluetooth and has a 6-7 hour battery life, when new )

• 

  neoleo on 22/12/2024 - 17:40

  +1

  I am waiting for delivery of my Moondrop Chu 2. I have KZ ZS10 Pro as another iem. I have external dac already.

  If anyone want/like to listen to hi-res music from Apple music/Amazon Music etc., wired iem is highly recommended rather than wireless headphone/earphone.

  Moondrop Kato is another different level than my purchase of Moondrop Chu 2. Crinacle has ranking list of iem & earphones:
  https://crinacle.com/rankings/iems/

  • 

    whyisave on 22/12/2024 - 17:47

    Well, I thought about the Chu from this deal, but after reading some comments on that page, I actually blind-purchased the Moondrop LAN and received them this weekend.

    I'm enjoying this IEM (using Spinfit CP145 tips) and it's actually quite good for the price.

    I'm not using DACs with my mobile phone, … and just listening to .FLAC through 3.5mm using UAPP App to play.

    If on computer, I have other DACs, … but it depends on the mood or what I want to listen to I guess.

    Currently, I have other IEMs too, and they're expensive ones, … and I have had also had had other expensive IEMs / headphones too.

    ChiFi became an expensive "hobby" , haha , after discovering them during C-19, about 3 years ago.

    • 

      neoleo on 22/12/2024 - 17:49

      +1

      ChiFi became an expensive "hobby"

      That's why I bought cheap Moondrop Chu 2 😉

      I have a lot of FLAC files too.

      • 

        whyisave on 22/12/2024 - 17:52

        +1

        I'm slowly leaning to the cheap(er) IEMs, because I tend to enjoy them more…knowing that something cheap is in my ear-holes than be too self-concscious with kilobuck or multi-kilobuck audio equipment (which I had and also currently have).

        I also cycle through the equipment, as I see fit…but trying to downsize to a few choice items only
        (saying this, while I have 4 dongle DACs + 1 desktop DAC, ha)