Special thanks to MusicTeck for wonderful holiday pricing.

Intro:

One of the few quad birds that are well tuned and not gimmicky. You can clearly hear the various drivers lending their strengths to produce a fantastic SQ.

Bass is the most stand out feature, it's fantastic but doesn't overshadow the resolution/resolving capabilities of the IEM.

The bone conduction system sounds gimmicky, but it is truly unique and wonderful. The dynamic driver in conjunction with the bone conduction driver produces bass that cannot be matched, but doesn't overshadow the music.

Even the Monarch MKII doesn't have bass this addicting IMO.

This is in large part due to the dBC-s handling 500Hz-20KHz.

Sound:

Bass-
The bass is textured and quite detailed, but is not lacking in quantity. In one of my favorite test songs as of late, Man Human by Denki Groove has a certain texture to it that isn't just bloat as it sounded on my Xenns Up, instead it's more detailed and far more impactful.

Mids-
The midrange is slightly recessed, it isn't as harsh as full on v-curve, but it's somewhat noticeable if you are coming from a midrange focused IEM, such as Hidition Viento-C or Viento-D (C has a 4dB increase on mids, D has a 4dB increase on mids & bass). Additionally it's not as impactful or smooth as perhaps other kilobuck offerings, in fact the Moondrop S8 IMO has a more pleasing midrange. However, Mest MKII is far from bad, and is still quite a good midrange even if slightly recessed.

Treble-
Wonderful, not shouty or fatiguing in the slightest. Instead we have a luscious and tasty upper-midrange to treble. Metal sounds great, pop and rock as well, in fact nothing sounds bright or harsh at all. You'll love the treble. It's one of the most satisfying aspects of the Mest MKII. If I had to point to my favorite IEMs for their treble reproduction, Mest MKII is up there with my Hidition Viento-B. Truly wonderful and is one of the reasons the IEM is worth the price.

Details-
Simply fantastic. Detailed sound, excellent clarity, instrument separation is superb. Not much else to say, if I compare to Hidition Viento-B, I think this IEM is ever so slightly more detailed in certain songs. Otherwise it's quite neck and neck. Monarch MKII is also another IMO that may be the only IEM that I can say for certain bests the Mest MKII and costs less.

Comfort:
As long as the correct tip is used you shouldn't have an issue, but CIEM would be worth looking into if you have any discomfort with the universal fit Mest MKII.

Design Standouts:
Carbon Fiber shell is premium and looks fantastic.

Summary:
All in all, wonderful resolution/resolving capabilities, excellent instrument separation, and terrific bass. Slightly recessed mids, but as long as you grab these on sale at $999 from MusicTeck or head over to the classifieds then it's easy to overlook the cons. The only IEM that is potentially a better value at that point is ThieAudio Monarch MKII. However, the Monarch MKII is noticeably less comfortable and cannot be purchased in a CIEM version. I'd take Mest MKII over it for those reasons.

Nearly all listening tests done on Moondrop M3x or Schiit Magni from SMSL SU-9n or Schiit Gumby. Some were also done on the iPhone 13 Pro Max with a dongle and Samsung S21 with a dongle. Using Apple Music Lossless, FLAC, and Spotify 320kbps. The Kato reviewed below was provided by Moondrop as a review sample, I will be returning it back, but I plan to purchase a pair of Kato’s as soon as I sell some of my other gear. With that out of the way, let’s review the Kato.

The packaging has the typical Waifu on the box that I love that some hate. It’s classic Moondrop waiving and catering to otaku culture.



Immediately noticeable is the improvements to the cable, the Aria, B2Dusk, and my S8 all have mediocre cables at best. The latter two being arguably worse, but Kato changes this. The stock cable is fantastic, not too heavy, not too light, it’s the perfect thickness.

Kato’s new cable is a step in the right direction from Moondrop, only wish the cable had a little better strain relief on the 3.5mm jack but that’s me possibly nitpicking ?



Design is great, the IEM may show scratches a little more easily on the glossy finish, but the appearance looks fantastic. Not too much else to say, would’ve liked to see Waifu engraving options though like B2 Dusk.

Comfort is fantastic for me, I always find the Aria to be comfortable, but the Kato’s included silicone tips are even more comfortable for me and do not slide out with the medium size. Long listening 4+ hours wasn’t an issue for me, in comparison to say B2 Dusk which causes me significant pain after just 30 minutes.

Sound quality is overall summarized as refinements over Aria, it is noticeable but at the same time somewhat more subtle.

The mids are a bit more forward, the soundstage is slightly improved/wider, the treble seems to not be as rolled off to my ears either. The bass is ever so similar, perhaps more refined ever so slightly to my ears.

As a result of the increased detail, I find myself listening to the Kato more often than Aria, it’s tough to recommend buying a Kato if you already own a pair of Aria, I know I will since I love collecting IEMs and frankly love the comfort of Kato and Aria, just wish Aria had a little more detail. Therefore, the Kato are perfect for me.

In terms of amping vs unamped, I do think amping the Kato brings out a little bit more bass and ever so slightly cleans the bass, but it isn’t a drastic difference from an iPhone dongle or Samsung dongle. In a blind test it’s debatable how noticeable the differences are with Kato.

Noise isolation isn’t bad, but don’t expect the same noise isolation/passive cancellation you’d expect from S8 or Blessing 2usk. Kato is very much like Aria for me in this regard, it barely keeps any noise out. Quite handy though as office IEMs, that way I can still hear my boss shouting across the office for me.


Listening Tests & Comparisons:

Ayano No Kouhuku Riron – Jin – Mekakucity Records:

The detail on the Kato is noticeable over the Aria, the instrument separation is rather similar, but the soundstage is slightly wider and gives a more immersive sound than Aria. The B2 Dusk has noticeably more detail, even unamped using an iPhone dongle or MBP 3.5mm jack. Otherwise, this song isn’t significantly different on the various IEMs.



Summary: The Moondrop Kato is a fantastic IEM. The improvements over the Aria are subtle but noticeable, the comfort and cable as well as eartips immediately stand out. Not sure if it’s worth over double the Aria’s cost, but time will tell.

At $899 this is the most expensive Topping DAC I've seen thus far.

It had a lot of expectation from me at this price.

It delivered.

If you like neutral, detailed sound, you'll fall in love with this DAC. Unlike D90 or Gustard X16 you really don't lose anything with this DAC. It is less punchy or dynamic as say Yggdrasil GS or Gungnir Multibit (Gumby) but it's very close while edging those two out in detail retrieval and pinpoint imaging.

It isn't as impactful or warm as a Yggdrasil GS (A1) but it is still solid and bass is impactful and doesn't disappoint, more detail can be heard here over the Yiggy GS for example in Parasite Eve by Bring Me the Horizon.

It is the most detailed DAC I've ever heard, it completely beats the Yiggy GS in detail and the Gungnir Multibit loses even more so.

Probably the only criticism some would have is the DAC may come across a little bright since it's not rolling off the Highs the way many R2R DACs do like Denafrips Aires 2 or Schiit Bifrost 2. It is not fatiguingly bright like the D10 Balanced from Topping though.

Build quality is also excellent on this unit, it's compact with decent weight and feels quality.

I always love it when a DAC has I2S input, another bonus is the screen is wonderful. Even turns the screen off when not in use, really neat feature especially when using it with speakers or other dark environments.

Some criticism though is the DAC gets warmer than I'd like, nowhere near as warm as the Asgard gen1 from Schiit, but it's always warmer than my Gungnir Multibit to the touch. If you live in a warm climate like myself keep this in mind.

Having a preamp option as well as the ability to turn the preamp off if you don't need it is very nice and helpful.

This DAC has Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC and works great although I'd be lying if I said I use Bluetooth headphones often.

Personally I ordered from Aoshida-HiFi off Amazon and they packed it quite well but I've had issues with poor packaging Topping and Gustard products from Lingsol/ShenzhenAudio. Your milage could vary, but this should be factored in, on this topic warranty is the most complicated thing for me with this DAC.



For starters, I am aware in the EU it's not uncommon to go back to the store you purchased the device/product from and get warranty support there, but in the US most stores would say "it's a 1 year manufactures warranty, contact them". Therefore it is a bit odd having a distributor/dealer like Aoshida or Apos handle warranty and support, it makes me a bit uneasy. Some might not mind, but it's a disadvantage iMO over say Schiit Audio.

Glad this DAC doesn't click when changing inputs unlike my Yiggy GS or Gumby. It can really be annoying to me after a long day of work.

While the remote is cheap plastic junk with questionable longevity, it can change inputs on the DAC. This is such a damn useful feature it frustrates me that my Gumby and Yiggy GS lack this. Anyone ever needed to change from USB (PC) to Optical (TV) or to Coax (streamer)? It's so annoying having to get up, walk the 10 feet, hit the button, then walk back. On my days off fine, no problem, but after a 10-12 hour shift you can bet I don't want to get up.



Thank you Topping for allowing the remote to change inputs and for even designing the DAC around using a remote, such a useful feature other DACs sadly lack.

Really wish Topping still offered the $20 upgrade for an aluminum remote as the plastic remote included is extremely cheap and makes me ponder how long it will last.

Drivers are extremely smooth on Windows 10 and Mac OS, in comparison my SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII had horrid drivers on Windows causing freezing on occasion until I updated them from the manufactures site. You will not have any trouble with Topping's drivers that they provide to Microsoft.

Summary: This DAC has the best detail retrieval and frankly sounds better to me than any of my other DACs past and present, but lacks a rolloff on the Highs and may be too neutral for some, audition it before you buy or take advantage of Amazon or Apos' return policy. IMO this DAC sounds better to me than even the Holo Audio Spring 2 DAC, Yggdrasil GS (A1), and Gungnir Multibit. It will be my primary DAC from now on.

Thanks for reading,
Tom.

PS: ---
Some song tests and comparisons below:

Guardian Angel by Juno Reactor
Strong bass, more impact than SMSL Sanskrit 10th Mk2 very similar to Yiggy GS, but no bloated bass peaks that I can hear, much clearer with D90SE.

Spirits of the Sea by Kenshi Yonezu
Bass is tighter than SMSL and more than the Yiggy GS but still has a nice impact - vocals sound clearer than both the other DACs

The Realm of Athena by EUROX
Vocals are smooth yet incredibly detailed on the D90SE, it is brighter than the SMSL and Yiggy GS, but it pairs so well with the Pendragons it’s bliss. This song sounds so great on the D90SE.

Immortal by 21 savage
Great bass slam without being bloated or boomy, vocals are insanely clean.

Lost Canvas OST by Kaoru Wada
Incredible detail on drums, so damn fantastic sounding.

Ill Wind by Radiohead
Vocals sound natural and detailed, excellent extension on upper-midrange and treble is not rolled off. I am hearing my Pendragon Speakers as they were intended to be heard. The drums sound fantastic and are very well separated. Compared to the Yiggy GS I hear better detail on the vocals and the drums come through tighter and clearer as well.

EDIT: Ended up having an issue with optical and coax to this DAC from my LG OLED TV. On ASR I received a response that if the source has poor jitter it may not work with the DAC. Other users reported similar issues with their LG OLED TVs and another user with his Samsung TV. Unsure if other TVs or sources will have the issue as well, but it became such a problem that I had to return this DAC. After all most of my listening is done with my speaker setup nowadays. Compatibility with my TV’s optical or coax is a requirement. Currently using my SMSL SU-9 and will review it soon.

So many solid reviews already on this, but to summarize the sound quality and tuning is fantastic.

Very neutral but yet not fatiguing, smooth but not quite as smooth as the Aria's.

Detail monsters, insane value. The IEMs are so close to perfection for me personally, from the anime waifu aesthetic, to the solid build, to the tuning and overall SQ.

Instrument separation is fantastic, Battle 1 by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger OST on Apple Music lossless) sounds incredible. It really sounds like the instruments are 360 degrees. Incredible separation and pinpoint imaging for a IEM, it's truly impressive.

The one thing that Moondrop seems to screw up, is the cable.

Blessing 2: Dusk has a worse cable than even the cheaper Moondrop Aria. It gets tangled far more easily, has even worse microphonics, and frankly is uglier.

I don't understand how Moondrop keeps getting that wrong, but hey if they have to cut corners on the cable to keep the price low so be it but why not offer a premium cable option for say $50-$100 extra? I would pay it.

Summary: Moondrop keep the anime waifus on the box and I'll keep buying them like the cultured person I am. But damn please improve the cable on the next IEM you release, I'm begging here.

Most of Topping's DACs tend to sound very neutral and sometimes ever so slightly warm (D70S), but not this DAC.

This DAC could cost more than $139, it could easily be $249 and would probably still sell massively.

D10 Balanced made my Arya sound even brighter than usual to the point of harsh fatigue, did multiple back and forth comparisons between it and my others DACs (Gumby, Yiggy GS) and come to this conclusion every time. Even SMSL's Sanskrit 10th MK2 is less harsh than this DAC. This is something that we must address, as I'd hate to see someone with a pair of bright sounding cans buying the D10 Balanced, it will likely just fatigue them.

That being said, when paired with HD650 or anything dark, it actually sounds incredible.

Synergy is going to be very important with this DAC, so much so that I'd hesitate to recommend it lightly.

Since this DAC has no preamp unlike the SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 or other ChiFi DACs, you'll likely not use this DAC with speakers. For testing though I tried out Wharfedale's EVO 4.2 on them, it was not good. The Evo 4.2 which normally has a laid back warm sound (think HD 599 SE or HD650 to a lesser extent), sounded bright and harsh with the D10 Balanced. I was shocked, and went back and forth between it and my other DACs. Was noticeable which was which every single time even for someone like me that normally cannot hear major differences between DACs.

No remote included while SMSL's Sanskrit 10th MK2 includes a remote.

Zero issues with drivers Topping provides for Windows. The best I've encountered from really any brand. Has excellent instructions for getting DSD working on foobar with their DAC. Really appreciate them going that extra mile.

The D10 Balanced comes with adapters for the balanced outputs, 2x 6.35mm balanced TRS to XLR.

One downside is certain sources cannot work with the DAC easily, the Apple Lightning to Camera adapter which many of us use with our iPhones/iPads to output won't work with D10 Balanced. Had to use a powered USB Hub in the middle to allow me to use the iPad with this DAC. Really wish this extra step wasn't needed.

Really nice to see this DAC run cool and not get warm, my SMSL DAC, Gumby, and Yiggy GS all get noticeably hotter. As a Texan it's nice to see one less item heating up the room.

Summary: This D10 Balanced is not something I'd buy again. It's too bright and comes off as harsh. Synergy will be important with this DAC, it is not a good all rounder that just falls into the background like Topping's D90. Would you buy this DAC at it's $139 pricetag?

Thanks for reading,
Tom.

Pros:

Let's start with the price, $499 for this DAC is fantastic.

If you like neutral and detailed sound, you'll fall in love with this DAC, but there are several drawbacks, most coming from poor QC.

To some the DAC may sound lifeless/soulless, don't expect it to dramatically change or increase soundstage, add warmth, improve musicality & timbre etc. This is not an audiophile's DAC. It measures almost perfectly with a SINAD of -121dB and THD of 0.000085% on CH1 and 0.000087% on CH2. Insane measurements making this DAC one of the best for neutral, clean, sound. IMO it is perfect for mixing or professional use. This DAC beats out the Topping D90 in measurements (but loses to D90SE), considering it's price this is a true value.

If you like ruler flat neutral this is your DAC, otherwise you may be a bit disappointed. Best to set proper expectations.

If you want less neutral sound there are so options to consider, for example opting for a different DAC, such as a Schiit Gumby (Gungnir + Multibit upgrade) or even Yiggy GS. As you are likely aware, those cost significantly more, which makes this product stand out as a great value.

Alternatively you could add a tube preamp such as a Freya+ from Schiit Audio. Freya+, pair with Tung-Sol tubes which will add warmth and musicality while slightly increasing soundstage, making it close to the warm fun sound of my Yiggy GS.

In terms of detail I can hear more from the X16 than my Yiggy GS, which is the main reason this DAC is staying with me and not getting returned.

Drivers are good on Windows 10 and Mac OS, in comparison my SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII had horrid drivers on Windows causing freezing on occasion until I updated them from the manufactures site. Topping and Schiit IMO has better drivers.

With all that out of the way, let's get into the cons.

The remote is cheap plastic, it's quite poor quality but if you have a universal remote like the Sofabaton, you can use the IR learning feature then never have to use the stock remote again. Many users reported on ASR the remote not working out of the box.

The DAC does not work with DSD, below is what it sounds like when I try to use DSD.



Do want to note if I convert to PCM then the issue is basically resolved, but if I wanted to do that I could just use my Schiit DACs.

Really was hoping to stream DSD straight to the DAC. This is not an isolated incident, there are many on ASR and other sites that have the same issue.

The only fix it to disassemble the unit and use a flash programmer to upgrade the firmware, why Gustard didn't just make it possible to update the unit via USB is beyond me.....maybe it helps keep costs down or was just something they didn't expect to need to do. In any case it's a total PITA. Will likely have to mail the unit to China for them to upgrade the firmware then mail back to me.

Furthermore Gustard is basically not possible to communicate with in my experiences, rather I had to contact the seller (Aoshida) off Amazon, to communicate. I then had to show a video of the issue (same video I linked above) and they basically acted clueless despite the many posts on various forums of people having this issue. Really wish contacting Gustard directly was possible such as how I can email Topping or Schiit when I need assistance with their products respectively.

The power switch is on the back, I've learned to tolerate this since both my Schiit DACs are the same way, but it's honestly annoying and something I wish wouldn't be the case here. It wouldn't even need to be mentioned if the remote had a way to power the unit off, but it does not. :/

Summary: This DAC has excellent detail, and is priced to sell. Normally I'd say the neutral sound makes this a very much the DAC for measurement focused buyers or possibly someone looking to mix but then we get into the QC and DSD issues. I can tell you I still use my Gumby and Yiggy GS, this DAC isn't replacing either of them, but it does stand out as my go to DAC for certain songs when the extra detail is appreciated.

Thanks for reading,
Tom.

These are a perplexing pair of cans. On one hand I love them for when it's noisy as the noise cancellation is the best, it beats even my Sony XM4's. That being said it isn't very comfortable compared to the XM4, and the strange fatigue the cans cause make me hesitate to recommend them.

While they work well on Windows, Mac, and iOS, I've found that they don't auto power off when I take them off my head with Windows. As a result the cans will just drain themselves overnight if I forget to disconnect manually from my Windows devices prior. It's odd since the Sony's don't do this, or really even my Airpods Pro don't. So I'm not quite sure why the Airpods Max have this behavior with Windows devices.

Hopefully it's fixed in a software update later down the line. No noticeable sound quality change between using them on bluetooth on iOS or Windows other than no spatial/Dolby Atmos support on Windows iTunes as of 06/2021. You'll likely want to use something other than Apple Music on Windows with these cans if you're a Windows user.

As far as weight goes, these aren't as heavy as say a pair of LCD-2s, but they are heavier than my HD599 SE, Beyer Custom Studio, and HD650. It's really a bit odd, since the cans didn't need to be made with metal, I bet with plastic the weight would've been noticeable less making them more comfy for long term wear, but in any case they're still comfortable cans. However you will definitely feel them, unlike my Sony WH-1000XM4 which I fall asleep with often.

I mentioned the noise cancellation is better on the Airpods Max, to give you an idea, with the Sony's I can still faintly hear a dog barking in the next room with them as well as someone talking right next to me. With the Airpods Max I could not. Someone had to grab my shoulder, which made me jump, then I realized they were there. It was really impressive. If the Sony's block out 80 decibels (going by mentalfloss's article) then the Airpods Max must be 85-90. It's that slight improvement that makes them used by me daily since I have loud neighbors.

As far as LDAC, aptX, W1, I don't think most people really care, but if you're curious, the Airpods Max do not support aptX, they use Apple's W1.

Takes usually about an hour to go from half to full battery. You can use them while they charge fairly easily.

Sound is so perplexing on these, in some ways they remind me of a pair of DT770s but less detailed. If you check the frequency graphs on them, the cans seem warm (emphasized bass) but also emphasized mids, the treble is then shot down. So not a flat pair of cans at all. I'd argue the way they are dark and shoot the treble down reminds me a bit of my DT770 which had noticeably less treble than DT880 but still were noticeable. The soundstage is about what one would expect for closed back Bluetooth headphones, small, and really benefits from Dolby Atmos to try to artificially improve sound staging IMO.

Don't think I'd recommend buying these for those that prioritize sound quality, as frankly I think they have less detail than my Sony's, even less than DT770, my $98 Prime Day Sennheiser 599SE are significantly better sounding in all areas, sound staging, detail, bass, mids, treble etc.

Summary: In my opinion if you buy these Airpods Max's it's going to be simply because you need the best ANC available at the moment (06/2021). Other reasons might be if you prefer Apple over Sony. Otherwise the XM4 would be my pick over these any day.

Thanks for reading,
Tom.

This is quite the DAC, $699 for this package is quite interesting.

If you like neutral and detailed sound, you'll fall in love with this DAC, but there are some drawbacks.

For starters the DAC sounds lifeless, don't expect it to increase soundstage, add warmth, improve musicality etc. This is not an audiophile's DAC. It measures almost perfectly with a SINAD of -120dB and THD of 0.000093% on CH1 and 0.000096% on CH2. Impressive measurements making this DAC so neutral and clean it is perfect for mixing or professional use.

If you like ruler flat neutral this is your DAC, otherwise you may be a bit perplexed.

How do you resolve this?

You can opt for a different DAC, such as a Denafrips Pontus or even the Ares II. Or you could add a tube preamp such as a Freya+ from Schiit Audio. Freya+ with Tung-Sol tubes will add warmth and musicality while slightly increasing soundstage, making it close to the performance of my friend's Yggdrasil G1. Another benefit of the preamp is you can then use solely the XLR out of the DAC giving you the best performance (RCA only uses half the DAC). Then if you need single ended out you would take that from the preamp.

Some have reported worse sound quality when using the preamp function, but I did not notice any difference, and measurement wise it is essentially the same (THD still 0.000096% or better).

The included aluminum remote on some Topping D90 orders is worth the $20 extra, it is much nicer than the cheap plastic remote.

Drivers are extremely smooth on Windows 10 and Mac OS, in comparison my SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII had horrid drivers on Windows causing freezing on occasion until I updated them from the manufactures site. You will not have any trouble with Topping's drivers that they provide to Microsoft.

Summary: This DAC has the details of a $2000 DAC but lacks the textures and qualities a lot of audiophiles may seek, making this a very perplexing product. Honestly, without the Freya+ I don't think I would've kept this DAC. But I do not regret the pairing between the two, in my opinion this setup is superior to the Yggdrasil G1. Now how it compares to Yiggy G2 remains to be heard .

Thanks for reading,
Tom.

Well not much to say here. Audio-GD kicks as(s). Seriously this amp/dac combo has details, neutral, but not boring, powerful, has a remote control, preamp functions, low and high gain, balanced output, etc, all at $580 promo price. I cannot recommend more. It sounds better than the Schiit Bifrost, and the amp in this NFB-10ES2 is better in every way than the M^3 with ADA4627 opamps. For rock music, reggae, and jazz this thing wins. Seriously I don't care if this is made in China or US, it sounds amazing. I compare this to the Beta22, my uncle had a beta22 2 channel, and it was so similar sounding. 
 
Honestly this unit should be priced at $750 maybe even $1000. Hell I'd pay $1000 for it. NFB-10ES2 is that good. 
 
The only downside is the casing is plastic, and the amp outputs more power and sounds better out of the balanced output. I went with a Charleston Cable Company LCD-2 4 pin XLR cable, but you could DIY a cable easily as well. This amp should be on anybody's list. This unit sounds good with basically everything since its neutral. I love the Sabre ES9018, and this is coming from a warm and musical music loving freak. If you want a warmer amp, then NFB-10.33 should go on your list as well, it costs the same, is balanced, but uses 2X WM8741 (warmer sounding chips). 
 
For Rock (J-Rock too), Daft Punk, Jazz etc this amp is perfect. Buy it without hesitation if you have the funds for it. I don't think I need a Beta22 anymore.
 
 
 
Conclusion:
I highly recommend Audio-GD's NGB-10ES2. Loving it with my LCD-2 Rev 1. 

Well overall I find this Amp to be good, but still would not change my mind when it comes to recommending amps for Beyerdynamic T1's. If you have the T1, get a tube amp. Tube amps just sound warmer and better IMO. Honestly, this amp is severely overpriced. However if you need a neutral and not so warm amp (music production) then this amp will do the trick. That being said, this is still a good amp and if your in need of a neutral amplifier this will be a good solution. 
 
 
Thanks!