Truthear NOVA Review
Truthear NOVA Review
Introduction:
Truthear is a relative new Chinese brand that offers Portable Audio Equipment’s such like In-Ear Monitors (HOLA, HEXA, ZERO) & USB DAC/Amplifiers (SHIO) in the budget segment that are known with their high price to performance ratio.
Their latest offering is the NOVA, a hybrid IEM with a 1x 10mm diameter LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) Dome Diaphragm Dynamic Driver + 4x Balanced Armature (2x Mids & 2x Highs) Drivers with a 3-way crossover design. The NOVA claims to follow the Harman target curve a popular tuning preference among many audiophiles. The NOVA also comes with a variety of accessories, including a 4-strand (448-Core) OCC cable. However, how does the Nova perform in terms of sound quality, build quality, and comfort? Let us find out in this review.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Truthear and Shenzhen Audio for providing me NOVA Hybrid IEM for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Truthear or Shenzhen Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.
Price & Availability:
The Nova is priced at $149.99 (127.49 USD during Black Friday), which puts it in a competitive segment of the market. More information’s can be found under the link below;
Package & Accessories:
The Truthear NOVA is encased in stylish packaging, featuring a square-shaped black box adorned with the NOVA branding displayed on the top. The box’s exterior boasts an anime character illustration and a selection of product-related brandings.
Inside the box are the following contents/accessories;
- 1 x pair of Truthear NOVA Hybrid In-Ear Monitors
- 1 x Detachable OCC wire cable with 2-Pin Connectors
- 3 x pairs of Silicone Ear Tips
- 3 x pairs of Dual Flange Silicone Ear Tips
- 1 x pair of Foam Ear Tip
- 1 x Storage Case
- 1 x Print Materials
Design & Build Quality:
The Truthear NOVA has pretty lightweight DLP-3D printed resin shell that shows a smooth piano black finish, with a beautiful faceplate, which is design wise the main attraction of the IEM.
The NOVA is equipped with a diver configuration, which is a combination of 1x 10mm diameter LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) Dome Diaphragm Dynamic Driver + 4x Balanced Armature (2x Mids & 2x Highs) Drivers connected with a 3-way crossover design.
At the inner surface is the slightly angled sound nozzle that has 3 small openings which is connected to the drivers with a 3-way crossover design.
On the top of the monitors are the 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin female connectors that do offer a pretty tight and secure connection.
Near the 2-Pin female connectors of each earpiece are 4 small openings that are pressure relief vents dedicated for the 10mm diameter Liquid Crystal Dome Diaphragm Dynamic Driver.
The rear surface of each monitor shell sports the Truthear barding along with L/R markings.
The NOVA is equipped with a 4 strand detachable cable that consist of 448-Cores in total made from OCC copper wires.
The cable has a braided design with 2x stands that do have a black and the 2x with a black fabric outer isolation. To be honest, I am not a fan of cables with a fabric protective layer.
The cable sports 2-Pin connectors with a standard diameter of 0.78mm that do have a black plastic housing with L/R markings on their surface.
Near the plastic housing of the connectors are relative short heat-shrink ear goods that is my only complaint about the cable.
The cable is equipped with a metal Y-splitter and chin slider that has a black finish. The Y-splitter has the Truthear branding on the top.
The cable comes with a 3.5mm headphone plug that is protected with a strait profiled metal housing with a black finish without a branding on the top that offers a plastic strain relief for extra durability.
The cable and monitors are durably crafted and feature thoughtful design elements that enhance their overall appeal.
Fit, Comfort & Isolation:
The Truthear NOVA has a very lightweight 3D Printed resin shell with a comfortable overall shape that fits perfect in to my medium sized ear concha’s. This makes it to an ideal IEM for longer listening periods. The passive noise isolation of the NOVA is on a quite efficient level that offers a good performance in relative noise environments such like a metro, bus or train.
Technical Specifications:
- Model : NOVA
- Driver Configuration : 10mm LCD Diaphragm Dynamic Driver + 4x Balanced Armature Drivers
- Diaphragm Material : PU + LCP
- Frequency Response : 8Hz-40kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)
- Effective FR Range : 20Hz-20kHz (EC60318-4, -3dB)
- Sensitivity : 123dB/Vrms (@1kHz)
- Impedance : 14.8Ω±15% (@1kHz)
- THD : THD@1kHz<1% (94dB)
- Connector Type : 0.78mm Diameter 2-Pin Connector
- Cable Material : 4-Strand (448-Core) OCC
- Plug : 3.5mm Single Ended
- Cable Length : about 120cm
Pairing & Drivability:
The Truthear NOVA is a quite easy to drive In-Ear Monitors thanks to its low impedance of 14.8ohm and a sensitivity of about 123dB, which makes it to an ideal IEM for sources such like Smartphone’s, Tablets and USB DAC/AMP dongles.
Equipment’s used for this review:
IEM’s : Truthear NOVA
Sources : FiiO M11 Plus ESS, Moondrop MoonRiver2 TI
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Adele – My Little Love (Spotify)
- Randy Crawford – On Day I Will Fly Away (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album (Dezzer HiFi)
- Dionne Warwick – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sarah McLachlan – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Sertap Erener – Aşk (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
- Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Payer (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Sonya Yoncheva – (Giuseppe Verdi) II Trovatore, ActI (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- George Michael – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- David Bowie – Heroes (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Elton John – Rocket Man ((Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- B.B. King – Riding With The King (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Bro Safari, UFO! – Drama (Deezer HiFi)
- Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Jo Blankenburg – Meraki (Spotify)
- Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Toutant – Rebirth (Deezer HiFi)
- Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Gogo Penguin – Murmuration (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Portishead – It Could Be Sweet (Spotify)
- Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Charly Antolini – Duwadjuwandadu (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Ferit Odman – Look, Stop & Listen (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Deezer HiFi)
- Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Lunatic Soul – The Passage (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Deftones – My Own Summer (Shove it) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Metallica – Master of Puppets (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Opeth – Windowpane (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
- Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Spotify)
The Sound:
The Truthear NOVA delivers a balanced and refined sound signature, subtly emphasizing both sub-bass and upper midrange frequencies. Aligned with the Harman in-ear target curve, a popular choice among audiophiles, the NOVA achieves a good balance across bass, midrange, and treble, avoiding any noticeable peaks or valleys in the frequency response.
This review has been written after a burn-in period of 80 Hours. I have used the stock cable and the black silicone ear tips that are included to the package.
The Truthear NOVA has a relative strong, smooth, and quick bass response. The subbass offers a good amount of depth, smoothness, and reach. Songs like Daft Punk’s “Doin’ it Right” and Armin Van Buuren’s “Vini Vici” do sound powerful and exciting, and you can feel the bass shaking your ears, especially at higher volume levels.
The middle bass is not as pronounced as the subbass area, but stands out with its clear, relative quick and tight character. It does not make the sound muddy or messy when there are many bass notes playing at the same time. This was clear when I listened to songs like Gogo Penguin’s “Raven” or “Murmuration” and Charly Antolini’s “Knock Out 2000” album.
The midrange of the Truthear NOVA is reproduced with a good level of clarity thanks to the well-adjusted upper midrange region, which shows an audible but controlled boost. The tonality of the midrange is mildly warm while the timbre of instruments is pretty natural. Both female and male voices are presented in fairly intimate and detailed way.
The lower midrange shows a moderate amount of body and depth while listen to male vocals like Isasc Hayes, Dave Gahan or David Bowie, while the clarity is decent. The upper midrange on the other shows an audible peak around the 3 kHz that adds a solid sense of brightness and extension especially to female vocals and instruments. Voices like Diana Krall, Adel and Sertap Erener are recreated in a pretty lively way. Instruments on the other hand such like string, pianos or woodwinds are created in a fairly realistic way.
The Truthear NOVA’s treble response shows a good balance between brilliance and refinement, avoiding any harshness or sibilance. It adds a touch of clarity, definition, and airiness to the overall sound, without being overpowering. The lower treble region delivers commendable clarity and definition, while the resolution is adequate and meets expectations. Transitions from the upper midrange to the lower treble are generally well-controlled.
The upper treble range is slightly less emphasized compared to the lower region, but it still manages to produce a pleasing sense of air and sparkle. This results in an overall treble presentation that can be described as smooth, airy, and fatigue-free. The NOVA’s easy-to-listen-to treble makes it an ideal In-Ear Monitor for extended listening sessions, without sacrificing clarity or resolution.
The soundstage of the Truthear Nova is not very wide or deep, but it is not congested or claustrophobic either. The soundstage is coherent and realistic, and the instruments and vocals are well placed and layered. The soundstage is not very impressive or immersive, but it is sufficient and enjoyable.
Conclusion
The Truthear NOVA emerges as a stellar choice for audiophiles seeking a balanced and refined sound signature. Its adherence to the Harman in-ear target curve results in a harmonious blend of bass, midrange, and treble, catering to a wide range of musical genres. Beyond its sonic performance, the NOVA also impresses with its nicely crafted design that comes with a beautiful faceplate.
Pros & Cons:
- + Implementation of the Harman in-ear target curve
- + Bass Response (Depth and Authority)
- + Midrange Tuning (Transparent & Lively)
- + Expectation Treble Resolution
- + Beautiful Faceplate Design
- + Ergonomic Monitor Shape
- – Lower midrange could benefit from a bit more fullness and depth
- – Not a fan of cables with fabric outer layer isolation
- – Heat-Shrink ear guides are a bit short
Thank you for the Read!
