Truthear Nova Review and Discussion

Truthear Nova
MSRP: $150
The unit reviewed here was provided by Shenzhen Audio
https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/truthear-nova-1dd-4ba-in-ear-headphone?variant=43939463921907

My only previous experience with Truthear has been their cheapest model, the $20 Hola, which I purchased and is now on my list of recommendations. From what I’ve read online, Truthear was started by a former Moondrop engineer. I’m not sure if these manufactures are directly related or if they just share some resources, like Moondrop and Softears reportedly do. Regardless, Truthear has quickly risen in popularity and most, if not all, of their lineup has received consistently good reviews.

The Nova is the newest flagship from the (so far) budget oriented Truthear. It is a hybrid in-ear comprised of 1 dynamic driver and 4 balanced armatures in a 3-way crossover configuration. The 10mm dynamic driver has a PE suspension and a liquid crystal dome diaphragm. Two armatures are larger, full frequency and handle the midrange and part of the treble and the remaining two handle the rest of the treble. A tuning filter can be seen in one of the three nozzle bores.

The shells are 3D printed resin from HeyGears and look very similar to online images of the Truthear Zero and Zero Red models. The faceplate design is also similar to those models and resembles blue colored wings under a shiny clear coat, which I suppose is inspired by the angel waifu on the box. The housings, while on the larger, more full size, are smoothly contoured and plenty comfortable, at least initially. While I haven’t had any specific pressure points, I have experienced some longer term fatigue from the large shell size. Four small vents are located near the cable connector at the top of housings. Isolation is average to perhaps a bit above average considering the very snug, very full fit.



The cable uses the standard 0.78 2 pin connectors and has a 3.5mm termination. It’s a fairly fat and heavy braided cable. It has 4 strands, each with 112 cores. It is a two color, blue and black, cloth/fabric covered but is very pliable and soft. I don’t have any issues with tangling and nor memory effect. It will lay flat with no kinks or curls. The preformed ear hooks are very short and fairly aggressive but I didn’t really have any significant issues with it wanting to pull the IEM outwards. I don’t normally care for colored cables and usually just prefer a black cable; the color scheme does match with the housing colors but for me its a bit too ‘matchy’. While I can wear the cable with glasses, the heavier, fatter cable never lets me forget its there. My biggest gripe with the cable is the length. It’s around 60” which 10 to 12” longer than typical IEM cables, which of course adds a good bit of weight. What is particularly annoying is a lot of this extra length is above the Y-split. Why you would need so much length about the Y-split is unknown to me, and the chin slider is a bit on the loose side and may or may not stay in place, depending on how much moving you are doing.

The Nova doesn’t come with a hard case but rather a black faux leather, zippered pouch. It has a quick release clip for easy clipping to a backpack. I really like the visual aesthetics of the pouch a lot but ultimately would also like a hard case for better protection. Accessories round out with some stock tips: 2pr dual flange, 1pr foam, 3pr silicone. Other than the foam tips, the rest are narrow bore tips and I prefer wider bore on almost everything, so tip rolling was definitely needed; I’m currently running TRI Clarion tips.




Sound

Nova has an obvious sub-bass focus that keeps rising the deeper it gets. Mid-bass impact takes a backseat to the sub-bass rumble, and upper-bass to lower-midrange sounds relatively recessed in comparison. This leads to a very clean bass boost but at the same time a leaner signature that lacks some natural body and heft. This bass lean-ness obscures some of bass texture the driver is capable of showing.

The midrange has a crystalline, effortless purity to it. However, this clarity can come across a bit dry and un-engaging at times. There is no lower midrange wetness or warmth. Even so, the upper midrange focus never becomes hot or ‘shouty’ to my ears. This presentation lends itself well to female vocals providing plenty of exciting energy but male vocals do sound notably lean. Rock guitars have good bite and attack, if slightly smoothed, and lack body as well.

The treble, though, is really fantastic. It’s resolution and timbre are great. There is a hint of brightness at times but it is extremely smooth in frequency response and non-fatiguing. It’s controlled, there aren’t stray peaks and dips to to cause hot spots or odd timbre. It stays smooth on its slow decent down with good upper treble extension. For me, the Nova treble is the star of the show.


Comparison
Vs. Moondrop Kato
MSRP $189

In simple terms, Nova rumbles more, and Kato has greater impact. When listening to electronic music, Nova displays the deep beats more prominently, whereas Kato hits harder with greater mid-bass impact. With classic rock tunes that are typically recorded a little leaner, kick drums hit harder and fuller on Kato. On a technical level the bass presentations seem mostly evenly matched, but Kato just has a more even and natural presentation down low, revealing more texture, even if overall a bit on the warm side.

Kato male vocals have more natural heft and body compared to the cleaner, leaner Nova. This extra weight and warmth gives male vocals a more emotive presentation, whereas Nova sounds more clinical and dry in direct comparison. Both have similar energy in female vocals; here the leanness of Nova isn’t an issue with female vocals and they sound pretty fantastic. Rock guitars have good crunch and attack on both in-ears but of course Kato has more body to the lower end of the guitar. Interestingly Nova sounds a little smoother in presentation and Kato a little grittier with sharper edges.

During busy passages with lots of cymbal crashes, Nova sounds a bit more precise of each crash, as well as pulling them slightly more forward in the mix. Nova is able to pull low level treble details more out of the background and are easier to discern, all without being fatiguing. Both have good treble timbre but Kato can, at times, sound just a hair steely. Even so, it’s longer decays sound more natural and dynamic in this regard.

Kato sounds more intimate overall compared to Nova. Nova while sounding wider in staging, is also further away. The closer presentation of Kato, leads me to feel a bit more depth front to back, but I think this difference isn’t a large one. Nova also has a slightly greater sense of separation between the instruments, versus the Kato’s more organic and cohesive presentation.


EQ

The Nova’s stock tuning follows the latest version of the Harman target pretty closely. If you are a fan of Harman tuning, then I think you would be very pleased with the stock tuning. What makes the Nova special, I think, is it’s treble smoothness. Other than perhaps your own personal ear canal resonance, there really aren’t any peaks or dips typically found in most in-ear treble responses. As a consequence, the Nova is super easy to EQ, and can be done in 2 simple points!



I like using Crinacle’s tool for EQ, especially if he has measured the IEM on his new B&K Type 5128 rig and fortunately he has! My preference is to tilt the diffuse field target -0.8 to -1 dB per octave and add in a +6 dB bass boost. This is what the dotted line below shows. The bass EQ point fills in the missing mid-bass and lower midrange warmth the Harman target removes. The middle midrange EQ point removes the slight nasal characteristic most IEMs tend to have when compared to speakers.



This simple EQ elevates the Truthear Nova significantly. It now sounds quite natural and full bodied. The new, natural sense of warmth really compliments Nova’s fantastic treble. Male vocals are so much better. They are no longer somewhat clinical, rather there is natural sounding weight and heft, bringing a more evocative and powerful connection. Now Les Paul rock guitars have that signature body, weight and tone they are known for. These are gains I hope we can soon realize in future tunings as the insights and understandings of 5128 measurements grow and ‘targets’ mature over time in the in-ear community.

I know EQ is not favored by everyone here but, if you do EQ, the Truthear Nova should definitely be on your must try list of in-ears under $300. Considering the whole package and potential for $150 (and less during typical seasonly sales), It’s easy to understand how Truthear is becoming a household name. I’m putting the Nova on my recommended list here at SBAF.

 

Hmm, this is interesting…


Blessing 3 is a little over double price and has an extra dynamic driver.