Hello everyone. After having iems like It01, Imr Aten and Rha t20 ive realised that i like vocals and instruments more than anything. Both Rha t20 and Imr Aten were too bassy for me. After reading some reviews ive selected tanchjim hana 2021 and kato as two of the best options. I have a small ear so big iems are not welcome.
Would like to know what you think about those two and other options in similar price range.
Hello everyone. After having iems like It01, Imr Aten and Rha t20 ive realised that i like vocals and instruments more than anything. Both Rha t20 and Imr Aten were too bassy for me. After reading some reviews ive selected tanchjim hana 2021 and kato as two of the best options. I have a small ear so big iems are not welcome.
Would like to know what you think about those two and other options in similar price range.
If you like vocals and instruments, do check out the Tanchjim Oxygen. This set melds timbre, tonality and technicalities into a very nice package and is my most favourite single DD in my collection. The Hana 2021 are supposedly a cheaper version of the Oxygen, though I've not tried the Hana.
The Oxygen and KATO both have very good timbre and tonality, but the Oxygen have the edge slightly in the technicalities department (soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, and details) and the Oxygen also have more air and treble energy.
The KATO on the other hand, have more subbass extension, a fuller note weight, and more heft to the music. Male vocals sound fuller on the KATO. The KATO also have tuning nozzles to give a slightly different presentation.
For something cheaper, you can read about the Moondrop Aria 2021, TForce Yuan Li, Tin T3 Plus and Whizzer HE01. These I would consider as sidegrades of good single DD sets < $100 USD, which have good timbre and tonality in general.
The Final A4000 offers excellent technicalities, natural timbre and a very pleasing (in my opinion) mids and treble presentation. It is also small and very comfortable.
The Final A4000 offers excellent technicalities, natural timbre and a very pleasing (in my opinion) mids and treble presentation. It is also small and very comfortable.
Hello everyone. After having iems like It01, Imr Aten and Rha t20 ive realised that i like vocals and instruments more than anything. Both Rha t20 and Imr Aten were too bassy for me. After reading some reviews ive selected tanchjim hana 2021 and kato as two of the best options. I have a small ear so big iems are not welcome.
Would like to know what you think about those two and other options in similar price range.
I've been looking for a $2-300 IEM to carry with me every day instead of bringing my IER-Z1R. The Hana and Kato are on my radar also, as is the 7hz Timeless.
I can also say that the Aria sounded a lot better than I expected it to, so it's worth looking at.
If you like vocals and instruments, do check out the Tanchjim Oxygen. This set melds timbre, tonality and technicalities into a very nice package and is my most favourite single DD in my collection. The Hana 2021 are supposedly a cheaper version of the Oxygen, though I've not tried the Hana.
The Oxygen and KATO both have very good timbre and tonality, but the Oxygen have the edge slightly in the technicalities department (soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, and details) and the Oxygen also have more air and treble energy.
The KATO on the other hand, have more subbass extension, a fuller note weight, and more heft to the music. Male vocals sound fuller on the KATO. The KATO also have tuning nozzles to give a slightly different presentation.
For something cheaper, you can read about the Moondrop Aria 2021, TForce Yuan Li, Tin T3 Plus and Whizzer HE01. These I would consider as sidegrades of good single DD sets < $100 USD, which have good timbre and tonality in general.
This is exactly how I would compare the Kato to the oxygens brother! Since male vocals is my priority I actually like the Kato's quite a bit to my oxygens now as I prefer that hefty power and noteweight to male voices. Moondrop have always struck me with good vocals and I just needed a Kanas pro V2 which is basically that in the Kato's.
Currently I am really enjoying the Kato's and timeless (modded) and it will be quite a while before I upgrade unless something stellar can one up these in vocals. Maybe one day I need to save up and buy the simphonio rx10 as I have heard some serious good stuff about that iem.
This is exactly how I would compare the Kato to the oxygens brother! Since male vocals is my priority I actually like the Kato's quite a bit to my oxygens now as I prefer that hefty power and noteweight to male voices. Moondrop have always struck me with good vocals and I just needed a Kanas pro V2 which is basically that in the Kato's.
Currently I am really enjoying the Kato's and timeless (modded) and it will be quite a while before I upgrade unless something stellar can one up these in vocals. Maybe one day I need to save up and buy the simphonio rx10 as I have heard some serious good stuff about that iem.
Don't really listen to female vocals in terms of the recitations I listen to but at times I do stumble across female voices on YouTube due to some debates or lectures I hear. With that in mind i'd say the oxygens sound slightly better for that because of the smoothness and thinner noteweight but I can't really give a proper answer on that since female vocals isn't really my thing. Both iems sound more similar then different with the oxygens coming across more leaner, slightly more open sounding and smoother whilst the Kato's are very slightly less technical but sound more weightier and powerful. The biggest difference I'd say is the male vocals and that's why for my personal tastes I prefer the Kato's considerably more. Oxygens just a tad too smooth and lean for my liking.
Don't really listen to female vocals in terms of the recitations I listen to but at times I do stumble across female voices on YouTube due to some debates or lectures I hear. With that in mind i'd say the oxygens sound slightly better for that because of the smoothness and thinner noteweight but I can't really give a proper answer on that since female vocals isn't really my thing. Both iems sound more similar then different with the oxygens coming across more leaner, slightly more open sounding and smoother whilst the Kato's are very slightly less technical but sound more weightier and powerful. The biggest difference I'd say is the male vocals and that's why for my personal tastes I prefer the Kato's considerably more. Oxygens just a tad too smooth and lean for my liking.
Isolation on the Kato is above average at best if the stock Spring tips are used (isolation is partially dependent on the type of eartip used).
As per most single DD sets, it is vented, so there will be penalties in isolation compared to unvented pure BA types. It is still very usable outdoors, but if isolation is the first priority, do consider pure BA types, or stuff like the etymotics, or even customs.
Isolation on the Kato is above average at best if the stock Spring tips are used (isolation is partially dependent on the type of eartip used).
As per most single DD sets, it is vented, so there will be penalties in isolation compared to unvented pure BA types. It is still very usable outdoors, but if isolation is the first priority, do consider pure BA types, or stuff like the etymotics, or even customs.
I had the RHA 750i which is a single DD and it blocked out everything and sounded great with every genre.
I don't like how BAs sound.
The alternatives I found to the Kato are Sennheiser IE300 and Final Audio A4000 but both are a little sibilant, which I really don't want to experience again from my IEMs.
Man it sucks that I have to choose between isolation and sibilance to better sound but less isolation...
I had the RHA 750i which is a single DD and it blocked out everything and sounded great with every genre.
I don't like how BAs sound.
The alternatives I found to the Kato are Sennheiser IE300 and Final Audio A4000 but both are a little sibilant, which I really don't want to experience again from my IEMs.
Man it sucks that I have to choose between isolation and sibilance to better sound but less isolation...
Thank you for your feedback on those IEMs. I had been experiencing a similar problem.
I currently have the Kato, and had guessed right in the single DD having better timbre than my previous Shanling hybrid IEMs. Though the resolution was noticeably better with the latter (and bettering some more expensive conventional headphones I've had), it was a "technical" set that I couldn't make more "musical" through DSP (tube amp simulators) or EQ. Resolution of the Kato has been surprisingly good for the price (though it falls off as the frequency increases, from my perspective). I notice good imaging and layering with the Kato within its narrow soundstage, beryllium drivers having produced being the best I've ever heard. It's probably the stiff driver Moondrop had come up with. In all, it's well worth $179 to me, and I'm not sure what I would replace it with, at this time. I couldn't imagine traditional audiophile brands Final Audio or Sennheiser producing a better single DD IEM for under $400, than Tanchjim or Moondrop. All three IEMs I've had, sounded livelier than my Focal Clear Mgs. I feel like I'm hearing a naked, undamped representation of the source, where vocalists are yelling at me and I want to turn it down when playing close miked tracks (and indeed, it's all hard surfaces around the IEM drivers). I have used DSP to expand the soundstage and add warmth with all of the IEMs I've had.
I had found out that tip selection makes a difference for isolation and soundstage. I'd rather do without some isolation and continue to use vented DDs.
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