Introduction

There are more audio brands popping up each week than I can count on my fingers and toes. The vast majority of these tend to focus on in-ear monitors, or simply IEMs as more commonly referred to, given the ease of manufacturing and re-branding if you know someone relevant in China. As such, it's extremely difficult to make a name for yourself as a new brand, let along maintain high expectations with future releases. Yet, defying all odds, Truthear has done just that. Partnering with a well-known name for its first release helped no doubt, but every single product bearing the Truthear logo has been successful both critically and commercially. I also appreciated that all of its releases thus far have been well under $100, where most people purchase products. That changes today with the brand new Truthear NOVA, and thanks to SHENZHENAUDIO for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp.


While the Truthear HEXA and HOLA went with relatively simpler designs, the two Truthear ZERO IEMs adopted a flashy, catchy face plate with overlapping layers in different colors. The NOVA happens to be the most expensive Truthear release to date and goes for a similar design strategy with a matching cable to further complete the aesthetics. This is a hybrid set using dynamic and balanced armature drivers aiming to give you a great reproduction of the Harman target for a reasonable price. Let's put the Truthear NOVA to the test today in this review which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

To no surprise, Truthear continues the trend of having artwork of the brand's female mascot on the product box. The brand logo and product names are also seen here in addition to the driver composition at the bottom. More useful is the factory frequency response curve on the back to give you an idea of what to expect tonally from these IEMs, and a render of the internals shows the driver distribution as well. Product specs in multiple languages are also found here and on the side is a slogan which was generated by ChatGPT—I was there live on Discord when this happened! The outer sleeve can be slid off the inner box from the top or bottom revealing a predominantly black cardboard box with further branding on the front. The lid can be lifted up to reveal a quick start guide going over the use of IEMs if you are new to them and underneath is a thick foam sheet with machined cutouts to snugly hold the IEMs themselves. On the left is another foam sheet to hold the ear tips and there is a third compartment below for the other accessories.


Truthear is fairly generous with ear tips that come with the NOVA. I went in expecting to see the same offerings as found on the previous Truthear IEMs but this time round we get two different sets of double-flanged silicone ear tips in addition to foam, all in size M, as well as three sets of more generic single-flanged silicone ear tips in sizes S/M/L. The double-flanged and foam ear tips can help achieve a deeper fit as well as help push the ear canal resonance to higher frequencies and tame the treble response slightly if that is to your preference. The single-flanged silicone tips would be more all-rounders and how most of the tuning work is usually done. Do try all of them and see what works best for you.


Another change from other Truthear IEMs comes with the new carry/storage case. It's more a bag that is well-designed for transport given the flatter form factor and the integrated carabiner. The bag appears to be made of protein leather and is well stitched together while also feeling durable enough to do the job. There's a large, heavy-duty zipper in use too so I don't feel like you'd need to purchase an aftermarket case unless you need more space. The bag opens up partially from the top to reveal a padded lining and the IEM cable inside. There is plenty of room for the IEMs with the cable and ear tips but not much more than that.