TRUTHEAR NOVA - Travel To HI-FI SOUND With Hybrid IEMs

8.4

Gorgeous

Truthear Nova flagship hybrid earphones at $150, delivering great sound for the price.

Sound up to $2009

Sound up to $5008

Material Quality7

Design9

Comfort9

Pros

Quality Bass
Emotional Highs
Top-notch detail retrieval
Comfy fit
Marvellous design
Solid accessories

Cons

Men's voices are kinda muted
Cable has that funky chemical smell

Summer’s the time for new adventures and travels. Today, we’re talking about a pair of headphones you’ll wanna take on the road. Last week, I reviewed the budget-friendly Truthear GATE from Truthear’s lineup. This time, I’m diving into their flagship wired earphones, the Truthear Nova. These IEMs are true hybrids with a 1DD+4BA setup.

What TRUTHEAR Brings with the Wired Truthear Nova

2013 Harman curve implementation.
1DD+4BA design with a three-way crossover composite structure.
10mm dynamic driver for bass, dual balanced armature driver for mids and partial highs, and dual balanced armature driver for highs.
DLP-3D technology crafted earphone shells.
Braided cable with multi-strand monocrystalline copper wire.

Buy TRUTHEAR NOVA – from the official TRUTHEAR store for $148.19 on Aliexpress

Sound of Truthear Nova IEMs

TRUTHEAR NOVA packs 5 drivers: one dynamic and two dual balanced armature drivers. With low impedance and high sensitivity, these IEMs work well with any source.

Overall impression: The sound has a V-shaped tuning with a focus on highs and clear hybrid characteristics. Highs can be uneven, especially on tracks with male vocals needing more volume, while rock tracks might need a reduction. Without diving into the frequency response analysis, the overall sound leans towards natural and authentic.
Bass: Deep and massive with smooth decays and fast attacks. The texture and relief are slightly lost due to the smoothness. Sub-bass is hefty and well-detailed, while mid-bass is soft, relaxed, and well-balanced in volume.
Mids: Male vocals sound subdued but clear and detailed. After low-frequency tracks, you’ll want to crank up the volume for vocals. Female vocals stand out over male altos, sometimes closer to the listener. Upper mids are brighter and more expressive, with trumpets and electric guitars sounding rich.
Highs: Crisp and bright without being piercing. Despite the brightness, they don’t feel airy due to non-linear accents confirmed by slip tests.
Detail retrieval: High, revealing all nuances without being intrusive.
Soundstage: Artists and instruments are well-placed in the soundstage.
Conclusion: These IEMs have a well-balanced and mature sound. They play orchestral and classical pieces nicely, with standout female vocals and brass instruments. Drum solos are impressive with their detail and power, while male vocals slightly lag behind in expressiveness, but that’s more of a nitpick.

Sound in games and movies:

Gaming sound: These IEMs capture the environment well and position interactions accurately.
Movie sound: Good with a 3D effect.

Sound rating

Sound for its price at $150 — 9 out of 10
Sound up to $500 — 8 out of 10

Comparison with Competitors

Comparing the build, my top pick is the Hidizs MS5. Both have the same driver count – 1DD + 4BA. However, the Hidizs costs 3.5 times more than the Truthear. So the comparison isn’t entirely fair due to the budget differences in components. Still, NOVA held its ground well, but the MS5 has more refined sound tuning and emotional delivery, with a more precise and even frequency response. The MS5 sounds more linear and natural. Both models excel in detail and soundstage.
In the same price range, Intuaura Plume shines in the bass, sounding heavier and more massive, but loses to NOVA in texture and naturalness. Plume excels in lower mids, with male vocals sounding heftier and more even. However, in other frequency segments, detail, and soundstage, NOVA has the edge.
In my ranking, they are just behind the INTUAURA Splender II in 4th place.

Design, Accessories, and Comfort of Truthear Nova

Box: Impressive design with a flat square box featuring an anime character on the front, drawn by SHIROI, unlike many companies using AI.
Earphones: The beautiful blue faceplate design stands out, reminiscent of ocean waves, shimmering silk, or butterfly wings. The shells are quite large but lightweight, made from polymer resin. On the black lacquered shells, gold letters indicate the side (R/L) and the company name “Truthear.” Near the connector, there are four compensation holes. The sound tube isn’t covered with a mesh and lacks a lip for securing tips, but the tips fit snugly and don’t fall off. The large shells are comfortable, thanks to the proper direction and length of the sound tube.
Cable: Mixed feelings here. It’s a nice blue matching the faceplates, but the fabric wrap has a noticeable microphonic effect. Also, it had an unpleasant chemical smell when I took it out of the case. So I used an aftermarket cable from TIN HIFI P2, an 8n silver-plated one.
Case: A handy, small black eco-leather case with a silver zipper and a carabiner. It’s very convenient to attach the case to a bag, and I wonder why other manufacturers haven’t thought of this.
Ear tips: 6 pairs to choose from—three silicone pairs, one foam pair, and two double-flange silicone pairs.

Conclusion: The earphones are comfortable and convenient to wear, with a complete accessory package. I didn’t like the cable’s smell and fabric wrap with microphonics, so I docked a point for that.

Material quality — 7 out of 10
Design — 9 out of 10
Comfort — 9 out of 10

Specs

Driver configuration: 1DD + 4BA
THD @ 1kHz <1% (94dB)
Sensitivity: 123dB/Nrms (@1kHz)
Impedance: 14.8Ω+15% (@1kHz)
Frequency range: 8Hz-40kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)
Effective frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)
Cable: 4-Strand (448-Core) OCC

What’s in the box?

Earphones
Cable
Silicone ear tips – 3 pairs (S, M, L), double-flange ear tips – 2 pairs, foam ear tips – 1 pair
Manual
Warranty card

Overall Impression of the Hybrid Earphones Truthear Nova

Truthear NOVA are hybrid earphones with impressive sound and attractive design. I was struck by the high detail and clarity of the sound, deep and textured bass, pleasant midrange softness, and distinctly pronounced highs. There were a few disappointments, like the low volume of male vocals and some unevenness in the highs. Overall, the sound experience was above average.

These earphones are perfect for various genres—from rock and classical to jazz and electronic music. NOVA can work with any source—from a smartphone to a high-quality player, provided you choose the right tips and cable. This makes them convenient for travel.

My take on the Truthear NOVA is clear and straightforward: they offer excellent value for money.

Buy TRUTHEAR NOVA – from the official TRUTHEARstore for $148.19 on Aliexpress

Leave your questions and comments – I answer them all 😉.

TRUTHEAR NOVA – Smooth and Laid-Back Travel on Butterfly Wings

What TRUTHEAR Brings with the Wired Truthear Nova

Sound of Truthear Nova IEMs

Comparison with Competitors

Design, Accessories, and Comfort of Truthear Nova

Overall Impression of the Hybrid Earphones Truthear Nova