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Moondrop Kato Reviews & Discussion

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by shotgunshane, Sep 28, 2021.

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  1. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    I have been considering purchasing the Kato IEMs again, but I am concerned about their isolation. I use my IEMs mostly when walking outside or doing chores, so I would like them to be fairly isolating. Can you tell me how others have experienced the Kato and its isolation? Currently, I have the Truthear Hexa, but it feels too "neutral" for outdoor use.
     
    Poleepkwa, Oct 4, 2023
    #101
  2. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    I haven’t tried Hexa, but from pictures it seems to have a pinhole vent near the recessed 2 pin connector for the cable. That’s the only one I see but being where it is, it will be exposed and lose some isolation, so I’d expect Kato isolation to be somewhat better. Kato has 2 pinhole vents but both are on the underside of the housing and that sits, and vents, into your ear. For this reason, I would expect Kato to isolate more than Hexa, however, my guess is they would not be at the level of isolation you need/want.

    If sticking with dynamic driver, look for something that only has a pinhole vent on the nozzle area. Otherwise, most sealed balanced armature models will isolate a lot more.
     
    shotgunshane, Oct 4, 2023
    #102
  3. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    Thanks a lot! The crashcourse in isolation and what to look for was something that I was totally unaware off.
     
    Poleepkwa, Oct 4, 2023
    #103
  4. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    They offer very little isolation ime. One of the reasons i went with something else tbh. Same use case pretty much.
     
    Riotvan, Oct 4, 2023
    #104
  5. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    What did you settle on?
     
    Poleepkwa, Oct 4, 2023
    #105
  6. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    SoftEars RSV, a couple tiers up but I'm happy.
     
    Riotvan, Oct 4, 2023
    #106
  7. DigMe

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    I had to switch the tips I was using on my Kato to get more isolation from drums when monitoring my bass playing. I switched and the amount of isolation increased dramatically. The only problem is I’m not sure what I switched too. I have a bunch of tips laying around. But I’m posting this just to say they can be much more isolating with the right tips.
     
    DigMe, Oct 5, 2023
    #107
  8. goodvibes

    goodvibes Facebook Friend

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    Deepish double flange or foam are the best for that. Rear venting always limits it somewhat bur almost all IEMs with DDs are vented. Same is true of ADEL and APEX. always limits isolation.
     
    goodvibes, Oct 10, 2023
    #108
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