Moondrop Kadenz

Introduction
Moondrop Kadenz is a successor to the Kato released in Q4 of 2024. It retails for 189 USD for the global market. It is supposed to feature an upgraded driver to enhance it’s sonic performance. It is the representation of Moondrop's final K-series single dynamic driver. The Chinese name for Kadenz “终章” which can be read as “Zhong Zhang” which signifies the end of a chapter.

Unboxing and presentation

• The iem
• Spring tips x3 (s,m,l), black tips (s,m,l)
• Carrying case
• Pouch containing the nozzle that varies in length [short, medium(attached to iem), long]
• Dongle that has DSP functionality
• 4.4 to 3.5mm converter

Kadenz accessories are quite complete. To me, this feels like a complete product ready to be used right out of the box.

Fit and comfort
I find the fit and comfort to be above average, it is decent enough to be worn around for hours on end but due to its shell design it might lack a bit of stability, the user might need to adjust the fitment of the iem from time to time. For the Tips, I find Spring tips to fit well but for me, I don't prefer how it sounded when paired with the kadenz. As a result, I choose to use my go-to tip which is Spinfit CP100+ (Please note that this product is being reviewed using Spinfit CP100+).

Nozzle
It is an extra accessory to help with fitting. There are 3 different lengths to choose from short, medium, and long. I find this is helpful when rolling tips or just wanting to change the insertion depth for example, choosing a longer nozzle can allow deeper insertion. I found nozzle B to fit me quite well at first but after a few weeks of usage, I have opted to use nozzle c for a bit better stability in fitment. However, the medium-length nozzle is having a channel imbalance issue I have contacted the seller and they have sent me another pair of nozzle which fixed the issue.

Sound Impression
Bass
Quantity: 6/10
Quality: 7/10
The bass is neutral in quantity and has good quality in presentation. This iem does not have lots of bass. The bass is punchy and quick. It has a good texture, for example in Hiroyuki Sawano songs you can feel the tactile feedback in the bass in a well-defined manner. In Bocchi the rock “If I could be a constellation” you can not only hear the bass but also the subtle vibration when the drum strikes.

Mids
Lower Mids
Quantity:5/10
Quality: 7/10

Upper Mids
Quantity:6/10
Quality: 7/10

The Midrange is the focus of why you would want to own a Kadenz. The midrange is very refined and natural-sounding however it is on the leaner side. It has an improved transition and handoff from lower to upper mids over it's predecessor. It also has a less aggressive 4-6khz compared to the kato. For this reason, some might perceive kato vocals to be slightly grainy. For my preference, the only thing I hope for is to have it sound a touch warmer as I would like a bit more heft for male vocals but, sadly it did not. The upper mids are slightly emphasized, giving female vocals a bit more presence, some that prefer a more relaxing upper mids might find it a bit much. For female vocals, despite having slightly emphasized upper mids I don't find the vocal to be rough or edgy. The impressive aspect of Kadenz is it's vocal texture, which is impressive for a single dynamic driver. When listening to the song Fukashigi no carte sung by Asami Seto, Nao Toyama, Atsumi Tanezaki, Maaya Uchida, Yurika Kubo, and Inori Minase, You can hear each singer having a distinct vocal texture and layers.

Treble:
Lower Treble
Quantity: 5/10
Quality: 7.5/10

Upper Treble
Quantity: 4.5/10
Quality: 7/10

The treble of Kadenz is what I would describe as resolving but very inoffensive, It is non-fatiguing and easy to listen to. I didn't find any peaks that protruded from the mix. However, I find it just a touch on the slightly dark side but still has enough treble for anime tracks. The main issue I find is the treble might sound a little scattered and dry as sometimes it did not have enough note weight. I find the detail retrieval to be great for a single dynamic driver. Compared to kato I think the treble resolution is much improved. The treble extension of Kadenz I find it to be ok but not great, It sometimes leaves a bit to be desired on some of the tracks example Because by Tei sounded a bit lacking in spaciousness.

Technical performance

Separation (how the vocalist and also various instrument has its own placement):
Rating: 6.7/10 (8/10 for single dynamic driver)

It is quite impressive for a single dynamic. I like listening to band music on Kadenz as it can separate the vocals of each singer. It feels like there are clearly multiple singers rather than "sound like" there are multiple singers. It also has quite a holographic space giving space to different instruments, the result is a well-defined, well-placed instrumentation. The weakness only shows when you are comparing it to a very well-tuned hybrid iem where a busy track can sound too busy on a single dynamic driver.

Soundstage (how much width and depth is perceived by the listener)
Rating: 7/10



Width: Average, it is rather more holographic than trying to sound wide.
Depth: Above Average, it has great depth for a single dynamic driver.

Resolution (how much fine detail I can perceive in the music):
Rating: 7.5/10
It has great resolution, for a single dynamic driver. A great example will be how well it can define vocal texture. its resolution is the best presented at it's midrange. Kadenz presents detail in a "Blend into the mix" rather than trying to make stand out.

Comparison

KATO
In comparison to Kato, The main difference I think is the transition and handoff from lower to upper mids, you can expect Kadenz to sound a bit more natural and have a more delicate factor to it. It also has a better vocal texture to its midrange. The separation and instrument positioning is also improved giving it a more holographic presentation. The soundstage is slightly narrower horizontally because of it's smoother nature but better in depth. However, due to it's faster transient it also sounds dryer in comparison to Kato.

Aria 2
Kadenz is generally a neutral version of Aria 2 with better resolution across the board. however, Aria 2 did not sound as dry as the Kadenz. For my preference, Aria 2 can sound a little bloomy in the vocal for female vocals due to it’s slower bass that slightly bleeds into the lower mids. Kadenz however does not possess this character, it sounds more clean and articulate for its midrange however it lacks warmth compared to Aria 2. This can cause Kadenz to sound too clinical at times, especially for male vocals or even female vocals that require more body to sound nice. Due to Aria 2 slower bass, aria 2 bass can come across as more single-noted in comparison to the more punchy and well-defined Kadenz bass. however Kadenz bass has less quantity it focuses more on quality. Well, I will look at this as a balance between being more technical or more musical.

Average score: 7.08

Conclusion
I would say this is a good iem for the price especially for a neutral-ish tuning iem with natural-sounding vocal, and great resolution. However, due to the nozzle issue I have experienced I can only recommend them if you can get them from a store that you can return them if you are having any issue.