[krismusic]

I pair them with my Cayin i5, no DSP is used. I agree that lower midbass specifically is being prevalent, it's definitely more that a "slight lift" to my ears.

I guess we all hear differently. Maybe you will get to listen to the Katana and prefer that. Or maybe a bit of EQ.

 

[WCDchee]

I would definitely consider the K10 as having a pretty big bass, the measurements do show a noticeably elevated bass response

 

[Fr_eak]

I'm surprised that you describe the K10 as a bass monster. I have always thought of it as very balanced, with a slight lift in the lower midbass. In fact I would welcome a little more true sub bass. I have never found the bass on the K10 to be overwhelming.
What source are you using? You sure you haven't inadvertently got any DSP dialled in?!
I wonder if the Katana is going to become as feted on HeadFi as the K10...

It's a matter of relativity isn't it? When I first jumped from ER4P to Savant, bass increase was welcoming. From Savant to K10, K10's bass was overwhelming. However I'm now more used to K10's bass, but I still need to dial it down using EQ. Katana hit the right spot for me personally, but I would not expect Katana to be rated as highly as K10 here. K10 suits the more mainstream preference I believe, while Katana is more tailored for hard-core audiophile who are looking at reference-oriented, details, could be not as ear friendly sound.

 

[G-K-W]

  If anyone would like to purchase one of the round cases, the price will be $10 plus shipping.
 
We can arrange for invoices to be sent directly prior to the case being placed on the site.

Hi Brannon,
Got the case last week thanks just what I was after..
Below is a photo to give people an idea of what it looks like with the K10s.
There's a silica gel pack in the bottom and I'm using the Linum Balanced cable which is thin but you get the idea....

 

[ejong7]

I wonder if the Katana is going to become as feted on HeadFi as the K10...

When I started playing with higher end stuff I would say that I might have enjoy the K10. It WAS my preferred signature when I first started. But it changed with time.
 
All I'm saying is taste may change/develop over time. People who prefer the K10 might choose the Katana over them and vise versa. Both are great sounding IEMs for their respective flavour. So if the K10 have that many fans, the Katana should be able to achieve the same.

 

[Sorensiim]

Some thoughts on the Katana, from a K10 lover.

Mojo + Katana, perfect synergy in a small package.
 
 
After a some days with the Katana, I’d like to jot down a few words about my experience with them. This is not a full blown review, just me trying to convey some early impressions.
 
One of the songs that really impressed me on the Katana is “Grand Canyon” by Puscifer. Fittingly, the third line of that song goes “Grant, Holy Mother, grant me clarity” because oh boy the Katana delivers that in spades. After 3 years with the K10 as my go-to headphone, the Katana is like a breath of fresh air, like an ice cold glass of crystal clear spring water. I’ve lauded the K10 for it’s ability to handle everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat, but the Katana is on a whole new level. Every note is so clear as to be almost tangible, you feel like you could reach out and touch the sound and the Katana does this so effortlessly, never straining, never missing a mark. Opeth is one of my favorite bands and some would probably write them off as angry swedes making a lot of incoherent noise. But listen to their music on a set of Katana or K10 and suddenly the music opens up, the cacophony turns into a symphony (granted, a somewhat aggressive symphony at times) as you can now pick out the guitars, the bass and every hit on the drums and cymbals. Using the K10 you glide comfortably through the music, enjoying the ride, but still able to pick out the individual components of sound as they flow by. With the Katana, you’re in the driver’s seat of the bullet train, every single little thing so clearly in front of you, nothing obstructing your vision and you begin to truly appreciate the sheer level of technical skill that Opeth is showing off.
 
Don’t get me wrong, the Katana isn’t some sort of musical scalpel; hyper-detailed monster. It’s still musical and has The Wizard’s trademark coherence across the spectrum, it’s just that the musical image so amazingly crystal clear. Put on an album like Steven Wilson’s “Hand Cannot Erase”, packed cover to cover with complex arrangements full of detailed layers and exceptionally well mastered and the Katana will really shine. The (great) music is still there, but you’ll hear every single pick of the strings, every delicate tap on a cymbal, every stomp on the bass drum pedal. The K10 can do that as well, but with a more laid back presentation so the details are there for you to find whereas the Katana will have them all laid out in front of you, crisp and clear.
 
Now, I don’t consider myself a basshead, but if the music has bass, I want to feel it. While the Katana is far from anemic in the lower parts of the spectrum, the K10 has spoiled me. Both go deep, both are fast, but the K10 bass has a good deal more weight behind it when it hits you. For one of my favorite songs, “Monument” (Inevitable End Version) by Röyksopp I clearly prefer the K10 and its hard-hitting beefed up bass - But listening to that song on the Katana made me notice the male backing vocals for the first time, despite having heard that song hundreds of times before. Now that the Katana has pointed them out for me, I can hear them on the K10 as well, I just never noticed them until now.
 
Oddly enough, this super clear, ultra-resolving iem works incredibly well for Spotify straight out of my phone. I had been using them strictly with lossless files (16/44.1 to DSD) via the Chord Hugo and Mojo so I was expecting the worst when I plugged them straight into my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and fired up Pineapple Thief’s latest album on Spotify. Much to my surprise it was pretty damn good. I am honestly having a very hard time wrapping my head around this fact as I can’t find any logical explanation to how it’s possible. I most definitely was not expecting them to mimic the K10 in that regard, being able to play nice with almost any source.

 

[MikePortnoy]

 
Beautiful Katana C in town.. 

 

[Hisoundfi]

Ya, Katana has plenty of bass.

Maybe not as much midbass as the K10, but if you asked me I'd say it's a touch north of neutral.

 

[Fr_eak]

Ya, Katana has plenty of bass.

Maybe not as much midbass as the K10, but if you asked me I'd say it's a touch north of neutral.

totally agree (also depending on the type of tips used if we are talking about the universal version)

 

[Hisoundfi]

totally agree (also depending on the type of tips used if we are talking about the universal version)

Yes, the universal version.

The stock tips are more than adequate, but I found a sweet spot for my ears with Spiral Dots. That goes for any Noble universal I've heard, new versions or the old ones.

 

[Fr_eak]

Yes, the universal version.

The stock tips are more than adequate, but I found a sweet spot for my ears with Spiral Dots. That goes for any Noble universal I've heard, new versions or the old ones.

I have a similar opinion as one of the reviews on the Katana that the blue stock tips produce the more optimal sound to my ears (more open, good extension at both ends, vocals not in your head). Just occasionally I find the highs a touch bit hot with the blue tips. I have tried all the other tips supplied, each have their own characters really.

I really want to try the spiral dot as well but they are difficult to get in the UK (or am I missing some info on this?)

 

[Hisoundfi]

I live in the USA, and got mine from Japan on ebay.

They aren't cheap! I think three pairs were 15 dollars USD. Five bucks a pair sounds insane, but when they work well with a pair of earphones the isolation and wide bore creates a best of both worlds type of sound and fit IMHO

 

[H20Fidelity]

Yeah, I just paid $23 AUD to get 3 pairs shipped over from Japan. There's an eBay seller selling them world wide.

 

[Fr_eak]

I live in the USA, and got mine from Japan on ebay.

They aren't cheap! I think three pairs were 15 dollars USD. Five bucks a pair sounds insane, but when they work well with a pair of earphones the isolation and wide bore creates a best of both worlds type of sound and fit IMHO

If compare with the stock tips, the spiral dot sound the most similar to which one do you reckon? And how much better is the isolation?

 

[bangkokkid]

 
Hi Brannon,
Got the case last week thanks just what I was after..
Below is a photo to give people an idea of what it looks like with the K10s.
There's a silica gel pack in the bottom and I'm using the Linum Balanced cable which is thin but you get the idea....

Thanks for sharing, glad to hear you are enjoying the case.