Moondrop Kato Review Roundup

Moondrop Kato is among the best single dynamic driver IEMs under the 200$ price segment. The brand has brought this beautiful IEM as an upgrade to its classic KXXS, replacing them with improved build and tuning. It houses Moondrop’s newly-developed ULT super linear dynamic driver technology. Kato was released back in September 2021 ever since its release, the pair has been received well by the community. Audio Enthusiasts from all around the globe have loved the sound of Kato, some even stated this is the best single dynamic driver IEM from Moondrop so far. Today, we are bringing you some impressions about Moondrop Kato, what all have to say about this beautiful IEM. Before we begin, if you would like, you can grab the Moondrop Kato from our store from here priced at just 189.99$.

Super* Review(Youtube Video Review):-

Super* was among the first ones to put up the review for these beautiful earphones. From his review, it’s quite clear that he liked the Kato a lot. His words in his review are, “Kato is a step forward for Moondrop, in fact, this is Moondrop’s best single dynamic driver earphone yet”. He really liked the included accessories such as the stock cable and the carry case. He finds the tuning to be mildly V-shaped with a fairly moderate boost in the bass region. Following his words, the sub-bass region extends well with good mid-bass providing a good rumble and thumpiness with the set. He finds lower-midrange to be slightly recessed and upper midrange to take a step forward bringing vocals upfront with the pair. Going by his review, Moondrop Kato has a very pleasant tonality where vocals come across with a natural tone. He finds the Kato to have a better definition throughout the frequency response range when compared with other single DD IEMs by Moondrop. Imaging with the Kato is a lot better than all previous single Dynamic offerings by Moondrop. He has done a well-detailed in-depth review on the Kato, be sure to check out his complete review on his Youtube channel here.

The Headphone Show:-

Precogvision on The Headphone Show has written the review for Moondrop Kato. He has also shared his opinion on Head-fi on the desired page. His review reads, “The Kato effortlessly demonstrates Moondrop's continued dedication to improving their packaging game with excellent packaging and accessories”. The Kato itself follows the design that inspired its predecessor(KXXS) but with some more angles at the back of the shell. Build quality is good and the 0.78mm pins lock noticeably more securely than on the KXXS. They are recessed as well which is always a nice touch. The cable included with the Kato is also a solid step in the right direction. It is not as thin and tangly as the KXXS's and generally feels more substantial in the hand.

There is a small difference in the tonality between the KXXS and the Kato small enough that one could probably chalk them up to margins of quality control, akin to tonal differences observed between the Starfield, KXXS, and Aria. That being said, he finds Upper Midrange response to be slightly smoother on the Kato. Kato also has a smoother treble region, especially in the upper treble region. Regarding the brass and silver nozzles that are included with the Kato, I’ve seen mixed impressions online. With the gold nozzle, I hear the Kato as having more treble air and sharpness up top. I’d be remiss to mention that I tire of all these single-DDs from Moondrop, but given that 1) this is a legitimate improvement over the KXXS, and 2) it clocks in at the same price, it’s really difficult to complain. As it is, I find the Kato to be another solid addition to the Moondrop lineup

Check out his complete review here.

Tech Power Up:-

Tech Power Up has given a highly detailed and in-depth review of the Moondrop Kato. They find the pair to have a very balanced tuning without any sense of low resolution or lack of energy. Following their review, they find the mid-bass to have excellent energy complementing genres such as Rock, Pop, and Jazz. The transition between the midrange and the lower end is smooth. They find the pair to have a less bright tonality than other Moondrop sets with smoother transient responses in the highs section. The pair maintains excellent consistency between the two channels. They also find the tonal separation in the mids and highs to be crisp and clear. The new spring silicone tips are excellent contenders for tip rolling. 

Tech Power Up finds the soundstage to be so-so with the Kato, they also notice light sibilance in some tracks. They like the Moondrop Kato a lot, that’s why they have awarded the Kato with their Highly Recommended award. They have really done a well-detailed review where they have covered everything from package accessories to a detailed description of the sound. Be sure to check out their complete review here.

EL JEFE Reviews(Youtube Video Review):-

EL JEFE has done a great in-depth review of the Moondrop Kato. He showcased everything right from the package to the build and sound of the Kato. The design and shape of the Moondrop Kato are identical to other Moondrop offerings such as the KXXX, Aria, and the Starfields. They are very comfortable with no issues of ear fatigue or anything like that. So you won’t get any kind of issues with fit with the Moondrop Kato.

Coming to the sound quality of the Moondrop Kato, the pair features a warm Moondrop house sound profile. So if you have previously used any Moondrop product you might recognize the tuning style here too, especially their single Dynamic driver offerings. It has a mild V-shape sound profile where you get a lift in the bass and treble regions with very smooth mids. Moondrop Kato brings an excellent sub-bass extension that really intrigued EL JEFE about Kato’s sound. The pair has a nice punch without any bloatiness. He finds the Kato to present a tightly controlled bass response that doesn’t leak into the midrange. Coming to the midrange with the pair, Kato has a smooth and rich midrange response.

As per him, the midrange with Kato is slightly more forward in comparison to something like the Aria or the KXXX. The voices sound detailed and clean, he finds the pair to complement male vocalists with its brilliant presentation. He says the vocals are natural and full-bodied, they don’t sound overly colored by any means. Soundstage with the Kato is also impressive, it is wide and spacious. Treble on the Moondrop Kato is crisp and clear, you get good detail retrieval with the pair with no fatigue or sibilance present. It has got enough energy to give you a top-tier sound quality experience. The Moondrop Kato replaces his favorite IEM IKKO OH10 and is now his absolute favorite pair under the 200$ price range.

Check out their complete review here.

Gizaudio(Youtube Review):-

Timmy from Gizaudio has done an outstanding job in the Moondrop Kato review. He has provided us with a highly detailed review that includes a brief comparison with other Moondrop single dynamic IEMs including the KXXS, Aria, and Starfield. As per Timmy, the biggest improvement in the package is the accessories included with the Kato, The cable with the Kato is exceptional. It is a heavy and comfortable cable that looks like an upgrade to all the previous Moondrop stock cables. He nicely covers all the details of different accessories in the package including the ear tips and the swappable tuning nozzles.

Coming to the sound of the Moondrop Kato, it sounds quite similar to its predecessor the KXXS. They find the Kato to sound almost identical to the KXXS with the Brass nozzles with the Silver nozzle they sound 90% similar to the KXXS. The Kato is a better version of KXXS with a slightly more resolving nature and slightly more energy in the vocals. Kato is tuned to the Harman Target, it has a really pronounced mid-bass response. The Sub-bass is there too but it is slightly overshadowed by the mid-bass. Kato has really good bass control, so the bass doesn’t bleed into the midrange. Male Vocals comes across as rather natural with slightly rich tonality. The bass transitions to the mid-range with the Kato are quite natural. Kato has a bit of energy in the vocals section, the vocals section in general is slightly forward. Instruments are also presented very well with the Kato. This is the type of IEM that one can buy and be done with IEMs for a long long time. Under the 200$ price segment, the Moondrop Kato is among the best IEMs out there under the 200$ price range.

Check out his complete review here on YouTube where he also compares the Kato with other single dynamic driver offerings from Moondrop.

Just going by these reviews, the Moondrop Kato seriously looks quite interesting. The pair is beautifully built and has a really decent sound tuning, packed with quality accessories too. Check out the Moondrop Kato on our store here, priced only at 189.99$.