[Ace Bee]

Anyone here owns the Serial and Kato both, and can give a comparison? I have the Kato with me now, so will try to gauge how the Serial sound based on that.

 

[H T T]

Anyone here owns the Serial and Kato both, and can give a comparison? I have the Kato with me now, so will try to gauge how the Serial sound based on that.

I have both. I might not be the best for comparisons as I found the Kato to have significant treble glare and moderate shoutiness. Maybe it is just where in the frequency range that I am sensitive? If you don't experience the Kato's treble glare, then my ears/sensitivities probably don't coincide with yours and my comparisons might not be that helpful to you.

 

[szore]

I have both. I might not be the best for comparisons as I found the Kato to have significant treble glare and moderate shoutiness. Maybe it is just where in the frequency range that I am sensitive? If you don't experience the Kato's treble glare, then my ears/sensitivities probably don't coincide with yours and my comparisons might not be that helpful to you.

How do you like the Serial? I just ordered it yesterday...

 

[H T T]

How do you like the Serial? I just ordered it yesterday...

I quite enjoy the Serial. I think Penon has done a superb job with the Serial. My only quibbles are, from my experience alone, the Serial's rather limited soundstage depth and needing a bit more treble extension.

 

[szore]

I quite enjoy the Serial. I think Penon has done a superb job with the Serial. My only quibbles are, from my experience alone, the Serial's rather limited soundstage depth and needing a bit more treble extension.

Are they 'dark'sounding? Are you using the stock cable?

 

[Dsnuts]

Serial is not dark sounding. If it had a lot of mid bass it would lean towards warmth but it doesn't. It is sub bass focused. It is more neutral in tonality. Treble is tuned to be more of a supportive role in the tuning vs being a star of the show. I put it on my review that it is the treble that seems to open up and help with stage perception.

Folks that felt the stage was a bit on the average sounding on open listen. Get them drivers to burn in. I am very certain the drivers open up with some time on the burn.

 

[Ace Bee]

I have both. I might not be the best for comparisons as I found the Kato to have significant treble glare and moderate shoutiness. Maybe it is just where in the frequency range that I am sensitive? If you don't experience the Kato's treble glare, then my ears/sensitivities probably don't coincide with yours and my comparisons might not be that helpful to you.

I do feel that the Kato is a bright leaning sound, and depending on source may come off as a bit shouty, but it hasn't been much uncomfortable for me. I have experienced shoutier earphones.

I'm more interested to know how is the stage, layering, and imaging of Serial compared to Kato

 

[rawbine]

I wonder if this particular type of “refinement” we’re hearing in the Totem pigtail and PS has something to do with their palladium content? Not that I have another cable with palladium in it to compare it with but I also haven’t heard anything quite like it with my other cables, not even the Ag+Au which seems pretty close otherwise, apart from possibly sounding better with vocals despite being (and I agree with you there) quite a silvery cable.

I know I for one keep hoping it’s placebo… might be spending less for one.

And yeah I understand - I tried for a few years to keep my collection to 2.5mm 2-pin cables but it got a little out of control this year and I suddenly have a small army of 4.4mm… and not to mention a secondary invasion of MMCX… so good on you for holding the line

Very likely it’s the palladium working it’s magic. Lolz

PS Series

• Pure silver & SCC - both palladium-plated
• Double frozen Litz
• Hybrid

Totem

• Pure silver palladium-plated +
• SCC silver-plated Litz type 6 +
• SCC gold-plated
• Coaxial

Palace Series

• Pure silver gold-plated +
• Pure silver palladium-plated +
• SCC/OCC
• Mixed

As long as it is positive placebo! The availability of the pigtail at a fraction of the cost to sample bits of it’s sonics is a win in my book.

We shared the same conundrum on cable inventory, happened to me last year. Most of my cables were mmcx then which I personally dreaded, not saying 2 Pins are miles better but I do favor them over mmcx. Luckily I stayed the course with 2.5mm otherwise by just looking at my inventory will induce massive headache!

I find both 2.5mm/4.4mm equally versatile as a pigtail/adapter will convert to either termination including 3.5mm. Totem at this point is missing a 4.4mm to 2.5mm adapter and I can see their point in not making one as 2.5mm seemed to have waned in popularity? Super if they did. A 2 Pin adapter also comes in handy for me on the odd mmcx in-ear purchase once in a blue moon.

Sticking to Penon in-ears for the whole of this year greatly help in my transition from mmcx to 2 Pins. And I hope it stays that way going forward cable wise at least.

 

[H T T]

I do feel that the Kato is a bright leaning sound, and depending on source may come off as a bit shouty, but it hasn't been much uncomfortable for me. I have experienced shoutier earphones.

I'm more interested to know how is the stage, layering, and imaging of Serial compared to Kato

Soundstage-wise, the Kato is slighly deeper, narrower, and of equal height. I find the Serial crazy wide for soundstage, lacking in depth, but very good height after burn-in. Instruments placed in the soundstage are almost etched on the Kato. Instruments are much more naturally placed in the soundstage of the Serial. For the Kato, they almost seem like the instruments are pop-ups:

Layering is clearly superior for the Serial.

Again, the Kato irritating my auditory sensitivities may diminish its performance relative to someone else's experience with different auditory sensitivities. FWIW, I gave my Kato away. With the Serial, 2021 Hana, and the Globe, I am at a place where I do not feel I need another IEM until one of the three units breaks. It is a rather strange feeling.

 

[rawbine]

Soundstage-wise, the Kato is slighly deeper, narrower, and of equal height. I find the Serial crazy wide for soundstage, lacking in depth, but very good height after burn-in. Instruments placed in the soundstage are almost etched on the Kato. Instruments are much more naturally placed in the soundstage of the Serial. For the Kato, they almost seem like the instruments are pop-ups:

Layering is clearly superior for the Serial.

Again, the Kato irritating my auditory sensitivities may diminish its performance relative to someone else's experience with different auditory sensitivities. FWIW, I gave my Kato away. With the Serial, 2021 Hana, and the Globe, I am at a place where I do not feel I need another IEM until one of the three units breaks. It is a rather strange feeling.

Wonderful summary on the Serial and likewise I’m really close to the spot as you are right now on not getting another in-ear for sometime. Maybe just one last one before the year closes.

 

[H T T]

Wonderful summary on the Serial and likewise I’m really close to the spot as you are right now on not getting another in-ear for sometime. Maybe just one last one before the year closes.

Thanks

I might get tempted with a Yume II or a re-tuned Falcon Pro…

 

[Ace Bee]

Soundstage-wise, the Kato is slighly deeper, narrower, and of equal height. I find the Serial crazy wide for soundstage, lacking in depth, but very good height after burn-in. Instruments placed in the soundstage are almost etched on the Kato. Instruments are much more naturally placed in the soundstage of the Serial. For the Kato, they almost seem like the instruments are pop-ups:

Layering is clearly superior for the Serial.

Again, the Kato irritating my auditory sensitivities may diminish its performance relative to someone else's experience with different auditory sensitivities. FWIW, I gave my Kato away. With the Serial, 2021 Hana, and the Globe, I am at a place where I do not feel I need another IEM until one of the three units breaks. It is a rather strange feeling.

Nice comparison. I do feel the same about Kato, however, from your impression I am feeling that the Serail may not be up my alley.

Another query - I found that with deeper stage and more etched imaging, the layering becomes superior. Your impression is saying otherwise. Was that a typo?

 

[H T T]

Nice comparison. I do feel the same about Kato, however, from your impression I am feeling that the Serail may not be up my alley.

Another query - I found that with deeper stage and more etched imaging, the layering becomes superior. Your impression is saying otherwise. Was that a typo?

No, no typo. The Kato’s etching then causes apparent dissonance/unnatural separation between instruments. Please see the graphic illustration from earlier. Thus, layering is poor for the Kato.

 

[szore]

Well, the Serial has shipped...6 days till delivery... jeez I'm like a little kid with these things...

 

[kmhaynes]

I do feel that the Kato is a bright leaning sound, and depending on source may come off as a bit shouty, but it hasn't been much uncomfortable for me. I have experienced shoutier earphones.

My experience with the KATO (only 2 days of listening vs the Ikko OH10) is that it is mid-centered, and yes "bright," becoming shouty with treble-intense tracks. Instead of a V-shape sound it is more like a flat U, smiley shape. The OH10 leans toward a V shape with a silky smoothness to the 6k and up trebles. Because of the more mid-focus of the KATO, to me the soundstage is a bit smaller or flatter, more in-your-face. There is a airiness with the OH10 that the KATO doesn't quite have. This difference is very small, TBH, and the KATO really does a great job with everything considering it is a single DD.

After YEARS with the Etymotic ER4 series of several flavors, I'm finding that I am now more attracted to a hybrid design, and feel that a DD is best for bass-mids and BA is best for mids-trebles. There are just some tracks that are bass-heavy, esp. metal genre intense double-kicks that a single full-range BA (depending on tuning) can get overwhelmed and wash out the rest of the frequency range. I really like the Ikko OH10, and will likely soon be letting go of the Moondrop KATO.