I write this review after almost 6 months of purchase. During this period I bought several other IEMs and was listening to a variety of sounds. The Moondrop Kato is a unique iem in its own way. Perfect balanced sound for all genres of music. All frequencies shine on this iem. My only problem is with the fit. It's a bit heavy, being solid CNC machined metal. I haven't tried the more evolved tips to resolve the fit issue. The sub bass and mid bass are quite surprisingly more prominent than some of the planar IEMs I listened to. The vocals and high frequencies were so much clear and bright with no distortion or sibilance even at higher volumes. The Kato is easy to drive and expose nuances in music that remain subdued on other IEMs. Its a whole new experience listening to hi definition music on Kato. Slowly building on you as it gradually burns in. The Kato is a must for aspiring audiophiles. It also is a reference monitor for comparisons with other Hybrid, Planar and BA iems. I am sure, you won't be disappointed with its performance.

Pros: 

1. Good punchy bass, Bass has quality over quantity

2. Good mid-range

3. Good detailed and well extended highs, good airiness

4. Good detail retrieval

5. Decent soundstage and imaging, good layering and separation

6. Well-built and comfortable fit, but slightly heavy...only if doesn't fit well in your ear. So try different ear tips and most probably that heaviness will not bother you when the IEM is securely fitting in your ear.

Cons:

1. Lacks a bit sub bass rumble, it was a good thing for me, cause it makes listening experience possible for long duration.

It is expected from this IEM cause It is Balance sounding IEM.

P.S. : The price of these IEMs are justified, the level of engineering, quality of the product and accessories together make up for this high marked price.

What you can expect from this IEM is to sound more lively and more human like than other earphones, which people usually use ranging from the price of 500 to 2-3K earphones.

These sound so much more lively and full.
Sound is like it is there around your ears, not being produced by mechanical device into your ear canal, it creates sound like it is just there around you.

Not much around you like that produced by Open Back Headphones, but still way better soundstage than regular earphones under price range of 3K.

I've used a ton of headphones and earphones including expensive ones that costs more than Kato! But this one is a gem which i could dig out! In short the perfect IEM's for me! There are reviews mentioning bass is not pronounced, but you should listen to this first, this boy has the best tight and controlled bass, not the boomy one like other iem's. Usually I'm not a treble head, but man this one has the best treble i have listed to.. very well controlled, and not harsh at all! I'm loving these. Thinking now, should I buy one more of these and keep it as a back up? :P what if Moondrop stops this model and release it for 500 dollar bracket in a different name? Something to think about :).

I was confused between the Kato and the Timeless but in the end I went with the Kato maily due to the fact that it can be driven with any sources.
It sounds great both on an iphone dongle and on my Sony NW A105, Also vocals are really good on these and according to reviews the timeless don't shine well on vocals.
If you have a powerful DAP or a balanced portable amp then go for the Timeless, but you will never be dissapointed with the Kato no matter the sources you are driving it with.

This is my 1st iem above 10k budget., I always consider price to performance ratio ,my mind was like 7hz timeless vs Kato.. finally I pick this because there is no negative reviews for kato but timeless have that,almost all top online reviewers praised and that's true

Kato's biggest plus is it can handle any genre with ease., Am not skipping my playlist, at this time iam listening to my fav 90s A.r Rahman playlist, and it's bliss :) getting new sounds

Nothing is less nor High , everything is well balanced..I mean the Lows , mids and highs

My setup is simple fiio Btr5 , op7 Poweramp player and No EQ adjustments

According to me my Top 3 iems are

Less than 3k- Blon 03 ( but strictly you have to change the stock cable and eartips, to get the full potential) if you are not ready for that Go 4 KZ Zex

5 to 6k - undoubtedly TINHIFI T3 plus , superb value for money, instead of Aria I bought this :)

Above 10k undoubtedly KATO...seems like for atleast next 1 year I won't buy new iem...am satisfied

Moondrop Kato has been creating lot of space for itself in reviews. Gorgeous looking mirror silver finish iem sounds very energetic, intense and thrilling.
Pros
- Full body sound with neutral to bright tuning
- Bass is accurate, tight and attacking. Not at all boomy or bloated. Not for bass heads.
- Vocal sounds very natural and full bodied and is extremely pleasing to listen. Forward and clear.
- IMHO treble is what impressed me very much in kato. Very sparkly and clear to ears without being harsh. Treble presentation is so pleasing and listenable that I can go on listening for hours without any fatigue.
- And lastly soundstage OMG. It's so wide and spacious.
- Imaging and instrument separation is brilliantly done.
Good job moondrop👍

Cons
Didn't find any. May be to others, shells might feel heavy but not for me.
Thanks