>>I am brazilian and I speak portuguese, so forgive my english, I’ll use translation tools to help<<
INTRO:
Truthear Flagship! IEM already considered as having the sound of a Moondrop Variations costing less (according to reviews). I haven’t listened to the Variations, but if the Nova has the same quality as the Hexa, it’s going to be a great IEM.
The Truthear NOVA was sent by ShenzhenAudio, one of the main distributors of Truthear products, as well as several other brands and audio products. More information on the links below.
Price: $149 USD
Color: Blue
Cable: No Mic
Truthear reviews: Hexa, Shio, Hola
ShenzhenAudio store:
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCtHxqX
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkWucVx
SPECIFICATIONS:
Hybrid: 5 drivers
(1) 10mm PU + LCP Dynamic Driver (DD) per side
(4) Balanced Armature (BA) per side
– Frequency range: 8Hz – 40KkHz (IEC61094, Free Field)
– Effective Frequency range: 20Hz – 20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)
– Sensitivity: 123dB/Vrms @1kHz
– Impedance: 14.8Ω±15% (@1kHz)
– THD: ≤1% @1kHz (94dB)
– Termination Plug: 3.5mm (straight design)
– Connectors: 2pin 0.78mm
– Cable size: 1.2m (detachable)
– Cable: 4-Strand (448-Core) OCC Paracord
– Shell: 3D-DLP resin HeyGears
– Earphone weight: 5.6g (one side)(without eartips)
– Cable weight: 27g
– Total weight (packaging, iems, etc): 317.9g
– Packaging size: 16cm [H] x 16cm [W] x 4.5cm [D]
UNBOXING:
PHYSICAL ASPECTS:
Starting with a set of eartips that I hadn’t seen in a long time… Truthear has improved the product and included a nice variety of eartips, the pack is insane! Congratulations to those involved, really, it’s nice to see this in a product. Look, we know that this is very subjective, you can test all that came, and none may satisfy you, but look, it can be the opposite too, I found the perfect eartip right away. I went directly on the gray eartips, the ones that seem to be the simplest, however, they have a great detail… The thickness of the tube is very thin, this helps a lot in comfort for those who have a narrower ear canal. Not to say that the eartip pack came out all wonderful, I could leave the observation that the double flange eartips came in only one size, the ideal would be 3 sizes.
I chose the gray dome-shaped eartip to do the review – in size M.
Cable. Another differential of the product. Truthear dared and put a Paracord cable (Paracord cables aren’t so usual). I like Paracord cables, I still have the Shozy Form 1.1 which is an example of an IEM with a Paracord cable that worked. The Nova’s cable is light, soft, flexible, doesn’t tangle, is easy to roll up to store, doesn’t take memory (undulation). The chin slider works, I confess that I have tested better ones, but this one works. Not so positive points, the cable has a lot of microphonics. I really like Paracord cables, but they have this detail of the microphonics (at least the ones I tested). Now, the microphonics appears only when music isn’t playing. Another thing, Paracord cable needs to be more careful so it doesn’t fray the fibers. If you stay with the IEM in your ear for a long time, even without music playing, maybe the microphonics can bother you. As I don’t stay for a long time, for me it’s ok. Remember that I’m evaluating the IEM in factory state, it’s possible that over time the fibers of the Paracord will soften.
The Nova’s earhooks have a peculiarity, they are “half”. The thermoplastic doesn’t make that total curve… Anyway, this didn’t change anything in the experience, at least for me, I felt as if I was using a whole earhook. The Nova’s connectors are 2 pins 0.78mm. The base of the connectors have the letters L and R (left and right), as well as the body of the IEM also have the letters. Easy system to remove and easy to put on, positive point for the Nova.
Fit & comfort. Here, two other positive points of the Nova. We know that this part is very subjective, for me, the fit was excellent, the IEM seems to have been molded to my ears. The stability was great, 100% well accommodated. I would say that this IEM can be a good alternative for use as stage monitoring, I think that together with the Audiosense AQ4, these are the two that I think are the most indicated for this purpose (suggestion). I found the insertion medium or medium to deep (will depend on the eartip), and the isolation I found very good. That’s why I mentioned the Nova for monitoring, I was quite impressed with the isolation capacity it has. Good also that I didn’t feel intra-auricular pressure.
In terms of comfort, the IEM was excellent too, the resin is of great quality, made by the same company that made the Hexa and the Hola: HeyGears. The Nova is very light, the design is totally anatomical, I found the Nova very good for long auditions. I would say that for very small ears, maybe the Nova will be a little protruding, this because the body of the IEM is more “fat”, then I would say that the Hexa goes even better for this issue.
Accessories. Included accessories, came a pouch style case with zipper. Speaking of it, the zipper is of great quality. There’s also a hook built into the case if the person wants to hang (unfortunately the hook cannot be detached from the case). The material is of great quality, but you guys know that I prefer semi-rigid or rigid cases, now, this Nova’s case I found better than the Hexa’s.
SOUND ASPECTS:
The sound of the Truthear Nova I understand as a variation of the Harman Target (compensation curve based on the research of the Harman group). Truthear itself puts in the ad that the Nova has a little less bass than the Harman target IE 2019, and treble close to the Harman target OE 2013. In summary: the IEM has highlighted bass, forwarded upper-mids, and softer treble. The Nova has an engaging and fun sound. It’s an IEM that has a lot of vigor, the sound is geared towards fitting with the most popular musical genres. I won’t consider it as energetic because the treble are well controlled, so for me it didn’t reach the status of energetic (although this can vary from person to person).
I no longer have the Truthear Hexa on hand to do a side by side comparison, but from what I remember and from my evaluation, the Hexa has a more neutral appeal with a boost in the bass, while the Nova is the classic Harman target sound. The biggest difference I think is the pinna gain and the treble, because the bass is very similar. For those who felt the Hexa’s mids to be more “calm”, the Nova brings this correction by putting a little more frontality. And in the treble, the Hexa manages to have a greater balance (a little more treble), since the Nova has more discreet treble. In instrumental separation, I would say that both are excellent, maybe the Hexa with a little more highlight because of the treble. In Soundstage, I think the Nova has an advantage. Note that this comparison was made by memory, there’s no way to put a lot of accuracy here. So, back to the Nova…
- Bass:
Quantitative: The level here is from moderate to high. The bass is very present. Certainly I think it is the region that draws more attention in the IEM. It is indeed an IEM that can please bass lovers, but the best thing is that it is not that IEM that is just pure bass, it has upper-mids that give a “balance” to the sound. The focus of the bass is greater in the sub-bass region, it has a lot of sub-bass, while the mid-bass doesn’t stand out so much in the presentation. Certainly the interaction of the eartips and the sealing of my ear canal, made me extract all the potential of the IEM’s bass. If the person puts a more wide bore eartip or smaller size, it’s possible that there is a reduction in the bass. The bass has great extension. They don’t present roll-off.
Qualitative: The Nova’s bass has a lot of weight, authority, strength, mass, “ground”, they go in the deepest sounds, create a density in the presentation, especially when the music delivers this, to mention, in EDM, POP, Hip-Hop. The bass has physicality and texture, as well as an impact that is more expansive, different from when the IEM has more mid-bass and the impact ends up being more “dry” and delineated. In some situations, the bass will sound more massive, because of the sub-bass, but the positive side is that they don’t lose definition, so they stay with a voluminous but well defined sound. So, they are bass that have a lot of activity in the sub-bass region and bring a great resolution with them. They don’t invade the mids.
- Mids:
Quantitative and Qualitative: This was the part that brought me the most enchantment. The mids of this IEM are delicious, especially talking about the pinna gain region. It brings a touch of frontality but doesn’t go overboard, it never gets aggressive or harsh, and so the sound is quite clear and transparent. Everything that goes through this region is very detailed and defined. Wind instruments like transverse flute, saxophone, or also other types of instruments like piano, violin, etc… are very good, because the sound is palpable, it’s as if you were closer to the instrument. This “closer” still brings a certain distance between the instrument and the listener, so the sound doesn’t become hard or “crunchy”, from this the Nova is completely free. In my opinion, the mids of the Nova are better than the mids of the Hexa (but of course this is something subjective, certainly there will be those who think that the Hexa’s are better, and that’s all right).
Voices: Particularly, I found that the Nova goes better with female/high voices, but it was just a slight better performance for this type of voice, because the male/low voices were also good. Something I noticed is that even though the bass has texture, the male/low voices don’t get so textured, this is even a point that makes the higher voices stand out more than the lower voices. Another thing that made me feel that the high voices were better with the Nova, was because before this I reviewed the Galaxy Buds 2, a TWS that has an absurd texture for the low voices, and then when I changed the key, I ended up feeling this extra airiness here with the upper-mids of the Nova.
- Treble:
Quantitative: Here I found it to be the least highlighted region in the Nova. The presence is simply something Ok. The level is moderate, and in some circumstances, I would say from moderate to low. If you don’t like a lot of activity in the treble region, this IEM is for you. In my opinion it still has treble even more discreet than the Hexa’s, but as I said in the second paragraph, I am seeking this affirmation from memory, but then, I listened to the same songs and I remember the Hexa having a little more activity. The treble of the Hexa were very correct, so here in the Nova I feel that it could have a hint of “could have a pinch more of treble” (for my taste). Speaking like this it seems that the Nova doesn’t have treble, well, it’s not quite like that, it does have treble, but they are very calm and relaxed. The treble have good extension, and I didn’t feel roll-off.
Qualitative: The treble of the Nova are versatile, when the recording has treble in highlight, the Nova will show these treble, when the recording doesn’t present much activity, the Nova will leave the treble in the background. For me, they are treble with a great refinement, without causing fatigue, without peaks, without coloration, with good definition, and well controlled. The quality stands out over the quantity, it’s something similar to what I heard with the Kinera URD. The sparkle is very natural, in the sense that it isn’t an artificial sound, or forced, that is, the sparkle is linear. The details is good (although I think it doesn’t reach a level of micro detailing), and the airy is good/Ok (in this aspect I have already heard more elaborate IEMs). There’s no harshness, no stridency, no sibilance. Hi-Hats don’t present harshness, chime sounds controlled and with sparkle in a good measure, ride cymbals play correct and without pinching.
Soundstage. I found the soundstage of this IEM to be good. Would it be a holographic stage? Not so much… I would say that in height and width it develops very well, while in depth I think that the frontality of the mids left the sound with a feeling of more proximity, so it doesn’t have such an extensive depth. But the sound is wide, the bass takes a considerable space in the presentation, you feel that it has “volume”, that the sound expands. So it’s a stage that I understand as positive because nothing sounds congested here.
Imaging. I found the instrumental separation to be great. It’s a very positive point in this IEM. I always defend the thesis that hybrid IEMs can make a better separation… but it’s a perception, isn’t a rule. By nature, in the Nova you can already identify the separation of two regions: the bass and the mids (upper-mids), so, you already have a separation of all instrumentation that is part of one region or the other. It’s easy to identify where each instrument is coming from (remembering that the separation can also vary according to the recording and other processes during music production).
Driver Flex Test. The conclusion is that during all the time I spent evaluating the IEM, it didn’t present the noise of driver flex.
Amplification. I used the DAP FiiO M11S to do this evaluation. The output used was the 3.5mm and the DAP in High Gain mode. I think that the Nova doesn’t need extra amplification to play well. The IEM is easy to push. As always, I recommend that you have a nice dongle to play your IEMs, you will only have improvements. If you can have a higher equipment than a dongle, even better. I tested the Nova on my notebook and on my smartphone (without dongle), and the IEM played correctly.
If you read the whole review and found that the things I described about the Nova are of interest with what you are looking for, then I would say to you that the Truthear Nova is an excellent IEM and worth the $149 dollars. We know that Truthear is putting very good IEMs for very affordable prices, this is a factor that I tip my hat to the company, because in the end, the consumer wins.
Music is subjective, so below is the list of some musical genres that I personally think that was better with this IEM. Remember that were only few genres and few artists tested. If I describe that one genre was better and the other don’t, it doesn’t mean that you can’t listen to your favorite music genre with this IEM and love it. So, here goes:
Better:
Hip Hop
Reggae
EDM
POP
Rock
Blues
Metal
MPB*
Bossa Nova*
Samba*
*Brazilian musical genres.
Not so much:
Classical
Jazz
COMPARATIVE: TRUTHEAR NOVA VS KIWI EARS QUINTET
Price: – Nova $149 USD; – Quintet $219 USD
Remember that they are distinct products, distinct prices, distinct types of drivers, and that everything said here is in comparison of one with the other.
In physical aspects, the Quintet is lighter, both the shells and the cable. The Quintet also has a more “slim” body than the Nova. The isolation is better with the Nova. The Nova’s eartip kit I find more diversified, which tends to be better. The Quintet’s case I find better for storing the IEM.
In sound, I would say that the Quintet is warmer, not that the Nova is bright, but I think that the Nova’s sound didn’t present itself as “warm” (in my opinion). Maybe if you compare the Nova with a brighter IEM, then it can sound “warm”, but in comparison of one with the other, the Quintet presents itself with a more “warmth” sound.
Bass – The Nova’s bass has more concentration in the sub-bass, while the Quintet will have a more balanced presence between the subs and the mid-bass. The Quintet’s bass has more texture, while the Nova’s have more vigor and physicality.
Mids – The Nova’s mids are more forward, they have more clarity than the Quintet’s, this means that you can have more energy in this region – more precisely the upper-mids – with the Nova than with the Quintet. This region in the Quintet isn’t recessed, but if compared with the Nova, then it seems to be a little lower.
Treble – The Nova’s treble are softer, while the Quintet’s manage to stand out a little more. The sparkle is more noticeable in the Quintet. I would say that for those who prefer more discreet treble, the Nova will be better. Technically I think the Quintet’s treble manage to have a little more detail.
Soundstage and imaging – In my understanding, the Quintet is a little more spatial and a little better in instrumental separation. Both are good, actually, but as the Nova has more frontal upper-mids, I think the sense of depth decreases. Besides the treble that in the Quintet have more quantity, thus, it is more noticeable the instruments that transit in the high frequencies.
Easier to push – The Nova is an easier IEM to push, in the sense that it plays louder with less volume. In the Quintet to reach the same SPL of the Nova, I have to increase the volume. It’s like this, in the Nova I can listen at 72%, already in the Quintet I have to go up to 80%, on the scale of 120% of the DAP.
PLAYLIST LINK:
Graphs by Super* Reviews:
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