Moondrop Kato VS Truthear Nova

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Moondrop Kato and Truthear Nova use 1DD and 1DD+4BA driver setups respectively. Moondrop Kato costs $190 while Truthear Nova costs $150. Moondrop Kato is $40 more expensive. Truthear Nova holds a clear 0.5-point edge in reviewer scores (6.3 vs 6.8). Truthear Nova has significantly better bass with a 1.5-point edge, Truthear Nova has slightly better mids with a 0.4-point edge, Truthear Nova has better treble with a 0.7-point edge, Truthear Nova has significantly better dynamics with a 2.5-point edge, Truthear Nova has better soundstage with a 0.5-point edge, Truthear Nova has significantly better details with a 1.6-point edge and Truthear Nova has significantly better imaging with a 1.3-point edge.

Insights

Metric Moondrop Kato Truthear Nova
Bass 5.5 7
Mids 6.4 6.8
Treble 5.9 6.6
Details 5.7 7.3
Soundstage 6.5 7
Imaging 5.7 7
Dynamics 4.3 6.8
Tonality 6.1 6.8
Technicalities 6 6.8

Moondrop Kato Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Nymz
Precogvision Audionotions Jays Audio Tim Tuned
Gizaudio Axel Crin Jaytiss Shuwa-T
Head-Fi.org
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

6.3

Mixed to Positive

Truthear Nova Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Fresh Reviews
Smirk Audio Shuwa-T Tim Tuned Gizaudio Axel Super* Review
Jaytiss Jays Audio Head-Fi.org

Average Reviewer Score:

6.8

Cautiously Favorable

Reviews Comparison

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Super* Review

Super* Review 8.5* * score rescaled + normalized
check links for more info:

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

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Price: $189.99

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Truthear Nova reviewed by Super* Review

Super* Review 6* * score rescaled + normalized
A little bit thin and shrill sounding. Hexa costs half as much and it's the better IEM.

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

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Price: $199

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Moondrop Kato reviewed by Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 6.5 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
B+ Tech
check links for more info:

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel

Truthear Nova reviewed by Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 6.5 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
A solid reference. Harman-style sound signature with solid sub-bass, clean forward vocals, smooth treble extension, and great detail. Could use more bass, vocals can feel lean and a bit intense at times.

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Jaytiss

Jaytiss 6.3 Reviewer Score
C+ Tuning
C+ Tech
For $200, I'd probably recomend other iems. But it's solid.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: B Treble: C+ Dynamics: C- Soundstage: A-

Truthear Nova reviewed by Jaytiss

Jaytiss 7.3 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
C+ Tech
Nice set, great bass. Too much upper mids.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: B Treble: C+ Dynamics: A- Soundstage: A-
YouTube video thumbnail

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 6.2 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
B Tech
Comment: Moondrop's best "budget" single DD iem. Solid tuning, backed with surprising clarity that is a step up from the kxxs bunch Lower mids thin sounding

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

Bass: B Mids: B Treble: B+ Soundstage: B Details: B+ Imaging: B

Truthear Nova reviewed by Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 6.8 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
A- Tech
Overall clean sounding, works well with quicker pop genres (Jpop/Kpop) Male vocals recessed, does not work well with the other half of Jpop/Kpop. Lower midrange suffers from thinner note weight (tuning)

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

Bass: A- Mids: B Treble: B+ Soundstage: A- Details: A Imaging: A-

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Jays Audio

Jays Audio 5.5 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
Good detail, clarity, and imaging, but can sound thin. Similar tuning as Hana, but I found Hana to have better note-weight and bass.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Truthear Nova reviewed by Jays Audio

Jays Audio 7 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A Tech
NEED FOAM TIPS makes the treble smooth and clear. Very clean harman sound with smooth but well extended treble/one of the best treble under $200, no roll-off. The pinnacle of trying not to offend anyone, but light bass/low-end; another harman.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Tim Tuned

Tim Tuned 5.5 Reviewer Score
B- Tuning
A- Tech
KXXS with better vocals and details

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
Bass: A- Mids: A+ Treble: A-

Truthear Nova reviewed by Tim Tuned

Tim Tuned 6.5 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
A+ Tech
check links for more info:

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
Bass: A- Mids: A+ Treble: A+

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Head-Fi.org

Head-Fi.org 7.9 * score rescaled + normalized
25 community members have rated the Moondrop Kato at an average of 4.2/5 on Head-Fi. Overall sentiment: Very Positive.

URL to full Review

Head-Fi.org original ranking

Truthear Nova reviewed by Head-Fi.org

Head-Fi.org 7.5 * score rescaled + normalized
12 community members have rated the TruthEar Nova at an average of 4.0/5 on Head-Fi. Overall sentiment: Very Positive.

URL to full Review

Head-Fi.org original ranking

Moondrop Kato (more reviews)

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Crin

Crin 6.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
B+ Tech
check links for more info:

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Precogvision

Precogvision 5.8 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
C+ Tech
A slight improvement over the KXXS all-round in the technical department.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: C+ Mids: A- Treble: B Dynamics: C Details: B- Imaging: B
YouTube video thumbnail

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Audionotions

Audionotions 5.5 Reviewer Score
Decent bass, decent mids, vocals presented nicely (tastefully forward), treble is non-fatiguing but a little darker but maybe a bit weird. Sounds a little blunted to my ears. Fit may be an issue for some, but tip-rolling can fix that. Build quality is excellent. The replaceable nozzles are a gimmick - they don't sound any different. Matte one is beautiful - it's a literal work of art - but be wary of the sharp edges if you have large conchas. Better than Aria, but not by much. Previously Owned

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

Moondrop Kato reviewed by Nymz

Nymz 4.9 Reviewer Score
C Tuning
C+ Tech
A bit thin, pillow light bass. Treble and stage could use some more refinement. A tecnical upgrade to Aria.

Nymz original ranking

Nymz Website

Bass: C- Mids: C+ Treble: C+ Details: C+ Imaging: C+

Truthear Nova (more reviews)

Truthear Nova reviewed by Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 6.9 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
check links for more info:

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

Bass: A- Mids: A- Treble: A- Dynamics: B+ Details: A- Imaging: A-

Truthear Nova reviewed by Fresh Reviews

Fresh Reviews 5.5* * The score of this reviewer influences only the Gaming Score
Borders C+

Fresh Reviews original ranking

Fresh Reviews Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

Moondrop Kato User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

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Truthear Nova User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

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Moondrop Kato Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6

Gaming Grade

B

Truthear Nova Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.8

Gaming Grade

B+

Moondrop Kato Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

B
  • The tuning leans easygoing, yet occasional unevenness nudges it away from greatness. A bit of EQ polish can smooth things nicely.

Average Technical Grade

B
  • Technical ability is serviceable, keeping basic detail intact across simpler tracks. It keeps up with acoustic tracks without much fuss.
Bass B-
The bass offers steady support without stepping into the spotlight. There's just enough punch for everyday playlists.
Mids B
Expect a confident midrange that keeps details audible without harshness. Acoustic arrangements sound engaging.
Treble B-
The top end is tidy and serviceable, adding air without overdoing it. Extension is decent for casual listening.
Dynamics C-
Volume swings are adequate, though they rarely feel dramatic. It won't offend, yet it won't thrill.
Soundstage B+
Good soundstage with proper width and depth, placing instruments in clearly defined positions. Instruments sit in their own lanes.
Details B-
Plenty of nuance surfaces, just not the last layer of shimmer. It balances clarity with an easygoing tone.
Imaging B-
Complex mixes stay organized thanks to the improved spatial discipline. Complex passages stay intelligible.
Gaming B
Decent spatial awareness for fundamental positioning. Creates satisfying atmosphere in story-driven games while handling basic directional cues.

Truthear Nova Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

B+
  • It sounds pleasant overall, with some uneven spots that hint at room for refinement. Vocals remain pleasant despite the imperfections.

Average Technical Grade

B+
  • Technical ability is serviceable, keeping basic detail intact across simpler tracks. It keeps up with acoustic tracks without much fuss.
Bass A-
Expect a commanding bass response that reaches deep without clouding the mix. There's both slam and nuance in equal measure.
Mids B+
Expect a confident midrange that keeps details audible without harshness. Acoustic arrangements sound engaging.
Treble B+
The top end is engaging and airy, yet never overbearing. Brass and strings feel energetic.
Dynamics B+
Dynamic expression is good, delivering solid impact and convincing contrast. Percussion lands with convincing weight.
Soundstage A-
Immersion steps up dramatically as width, depth, and height integrate into a cohesive hologram. Everything sounds naturally spaced.
Details A-
Textural subtleties glow, giving each recording a beautifully illuminated character. It exposes mix decisions with precision.
Imaging A-
Depth mapping feels natural and accurate, supporting convincing immersion. Depth mapping feels precise and natural.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance.

Moondrop Kato User Reviews

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Truthear Nova User Reviews

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