Fit and Comfort

Seen above is the right channel of the Truthear NOVA placed into an artificial ear mold with the included single-flanged size M silicone ear tip installed. I have average-sized ears, and the ear mold above represents my own experiences well enough as a proxy. Size M silicone tips are my go-to for testing since foam tips are not included by some, and in this case I defaulted to the single-flange tips since I got a nice, deep seal already without needing to resort to the double-flanged ones that can be less comfortable and a bit too isolating. The shells are on the larger side of average although thankfully not as big and more ergonomic compared to the Truthear ZERO models. The biggest improvement compared to those and the HEXA is the more gentle and narrower nozzle that makes a huge difference in use over longer periods of time. I still can't recommend the NOVA for those with smaller ears/ear canals but it is at least a good step in the correct direction for the company. The pre-formed ear hooks on the cable can be hit or miss and I do think Truthear would have been better off just having the individual strands all the way through; I was able to get them going around and back my ears well enough but I did re-shape them slightly with my hands to a larger radius of curvature first. The IEMs are already light at ~6 g each, thus preventing physical fatigue. The multiple vents on the side also help relieve some air pressure if built-up in the ear canals but I recommending taking a break to at least re-adjust the shells every hour or so.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

Truthear makes things easy for me by sharing not only details about the drivers used but also how they are used in the NOVA. There is a 1 DD/4 BA driver configuration here with a 10 mm liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) diaphragm dynamic driver with a polyurathane (PU) suspension and N52 magnets handling the bass. This appears to be the same driver used in the Truthear HEXA/ZERO/ZERO:RED so I know it's capable of good bass already. There are then two sets of custom balanced armature drivers in the form of a dual BA for the mids and another custom dual BA unit for the higher frequencies. These do not seem to be actual Knowles drivers but are based off equivalent versions anyway, especially given the Knowles-style BA dampers used in the nozzle. Going with a different driver source helps Truthear cut down on the materials cost of the NOVA and, in turn, the product cost itself as it's done before. This 1+2+2 3-way crossover is placed in a dual cavity acoustic chamber which is 3D-printed when making the shell itself and leads to a set of IEMs with a rated impedance of 14.8 Ω rated impedance and a sensitivity of 123 dB/Vrms that corresponds to ~105 dB/mW. This means that the Truthear NOVA is easy enough to run off a decent dongle, let alone a portable DAC/amp with more features and power output.

Frequency Measurement and Listening

I will mention that I have a general preference for a warm-neutral signature with a slightly elevated bass, smooth treble range, detailed mids, and good tonal separation. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, with favored genres including jazz and classical music.


Our reproducible testing methodology begins with a calibrated IEC711 audio coupler/artificial ear that IEMs can feed into enough for decent isolation. The audio coupler feeds into a USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running and the earphones connected to the laptop through a capable and transparent DAC/amp—I used the Questyle M15 here. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, account for floor noise, and finally test the frequency response of each channel separately. Octave smoothing is at the 1/12th setting, which nets a good balance of detail and noise not being identified as useful data. Also, the default tuning was used for testing, and no app-based settings were chosen unless specifically mentioned. Each sample of interest is tested thrice with separate mounts to account for any fit issues, and an average is taken of the three individual measurements for statistical accuracy. For IEMs, I am also using the appropriate ear mold fitted to the audio coupler for a separate test to compare how the IEMs fare when installed in a pinna geometry instead of just the audio coupler. The raw data is then exported from REW and plotted in OriginPro for easier comparison.


The IEC711 is such that you can't really compare these results with most other test setups, especially those using a head and torso simulator (HATS). The raw dB numbers are also quite contingent on the set volume, gain levels, and sensitivity of the system. What is more useful information is how the left and right channels work across the rated frequency response in the Truthear NOVA. The left channel was separately tested from the right one, and colored differently for contrast. I did my best to ensure an identical fit for both inside the IEC711 orifice, so note how the two channels are practically identical across the entire useful 20 Hz to 20 kHz range! The measured discrepancy from 5-8 kHz feels more a measurement artifact that comes out of matching the coupler resonance to 8 kHz, and in practice a proper deep fit had the resonance hit closer to 9 kHz on my couple anyway. This is a production unit that was arguably picked from the first batch meant for reviewers but I don't expect to see much change from retail units given the history with Truthear IEMs in the past. Measurements taken after 35 hours of testing, which included these playing a mix of various songs as well as white or pink noise and sine sweeps, showed no difference. There was no perceived burn-in effect thus, and none was measurable, either. The response with the anthropomorphic pinna in place matched the ideal scenario in the coupler quite well too, especially if you consider that anything after the coupler resonance point is best taken with a grain of salt, which is an indicator of how good the seal was when installed in the artificial ear.


Having listened to the Truthear NOVA for a while before measuring it, I knew instantly this was another set tuned with the Harman 2019v2 in-ear target in mind. As such, I chose to plot the average frequency response for both channels against the Harman target taken from VSG.squig.link. This is in addition to a second graph using a new target that's based on a more scientific methodology involving a -10 dB tilt (-1 dB/octave) applied to the diffuse field target for the newer, more reliable B&K 5128 but then compensated for my exact 711 coupler instead. Do scroll down to the targets in my database linked above and see the new 5128 section to the left where you can click on the yellow question mark for a brief primer. The bottom line is this target is closer to what many people are likely to prefer out of IEMs and headphones alike. I have chosen to plot this graph with the frequency response normalized/compensated to the target to make it easier to see where the NOVA deviates from this target. This helps visualize the various elements of the NOVA's tonality—elevated bass, slightly recessed mids, relatively smooth and extended treble.

So yeah, this becomes the third Truthear set that somehow gets compared against the Harman target. I've made my thoughts on this target clear before but, as a summary, I think it has too much bass, gets shouty in the upper mids with far too much ear gain for most people, and is overly smoothened in the treble to where people are too quick to dismiss IEMs which aren't tuned exactly like it. Yet I do acknowledge that this target came about at a time when IEMs were tuned all over the place and this provided a relatively decent tonality which can be a good baseline. The issue is a lot of people don't build upon this baseline and then there are many others who end up taking this target as gospel rather than trying out what works better for them—audio is subjective at the end of the day. On the other hand, If you are a legitimate fan of this Harman target, then congratulations for being in the golden age of IEMs with so many options available now. The Truthear NOVA might well be the best option when you consider the sound quality and cost alike.

The NOVA is the best implementation of that dynamic driver in Truthear's lineup. I thought the warmer tonality of the HEXA made for a more balanced sound but it pales in comparison to the NOVA when it comes to producing a dynamic and punchy bass. The bass is also predominantly focused under 200 Hz so sub-bass aficionados can rejoice with this ~10.5 dB bass shelf that results in a small night club pumping inside your head. There's good detail and the bass isn't muddy at all so it helps with cleaner mids thereafter too. The issue is, as with pretty much anything Harman-tuned, there is a slight bass tuck in the mid-bass which can hurt how natural and impactful some instruments sound—snare drums come to mind right away. It's best to consider the dynamic response of the NOVA to be more akin to a sub-woofer thus, but a really good one if you can handle the volume.

I'd say the NOVA is also quite good for general media consumption, especially as most vocals are forward facing and clearly rendered. Some female vocals may come off tinny/shouty depending on how your ears deal with the upper mids here though. I was mostly fine but this can be a lot for most people I dare say. Having an extended upper mids and lower treble reproduction doesn't help much either. The NOVA can be fatiguing if you are sensitive to this region, or come off smooth if you are fine. Unfortunately this can be a deal breaker for some and thus potential customers need to be aware before going for a blind/untested purchase. The consolation is, if you can handle this tonality, the NOVA continues to be quite resolving and punches above its price class too. Imaging is spot-on and it has a decently wide and deep soundstage too—acoustic jazz in particular is a good genre to listen to. The treble is heavily improved compared to every other Truthear offering as well. Not only is it well-extended, it manages this without being overly bright or fatiguing. In fact, the NOVA has one of the smoothest treble of any IEMs I've tested in a while regardless of cost. Well done, Truthear! I had a really nice time with classical music on the NOVA as well.


The natural comparisons to make here would be with the two other Harman-style Truthear IEMs in the form of the Truthear ZERO as well as the ZERO:RED, or at least the ZERO:RED paired with the accompanying 10 Ω impedance adapter. Out of all the Truthear IEMs, I jive tonally with the ZERO:RED most given how it's the best adaptation of the various Harman-style IEMs from the brand courtesy less overall but equally impactful bass, clean mids, and neutral upper mids. The more budget-minded HOLA as well as the hybrid HEXA are also nice with the neutral w/bass boost and warm-neutral sound, respectively. The NOVA is not my preferred tuning as mentioned above and yet it is the best Truthear IEM made simply because it actually executes the entire treble region very well. It's also the most resolving set and also offers good bass quality on top of the excess-to-me quantity. As such, despite the three IEMs above looking similar enough tonally, the NOVA is the most enjoyable and technically competent in addition to being the most comfortable too.


In fact, such is the nature of the Truthear NOVA's bass dynamics and treble execution that I actually found myself pulling out the much more expensive MOONDROP Blessing 3 since it reminded me so much when playing my music library. The Blessing 3 is tilted more mid-forward and somewhat bright but mostly owing to the lean bass and lower mids. The NOVA is actually better balanced and comes off more engaging and punchy as a result of the bass shelf. If I EQ the Blessing 3 to the NOVA, I end up preferring the MOONDROP offering more. But this is a big win for Truthear if it was aiming to undercut the most popular of MOONDROP's recent offerings.

The Truthear NOVA is also somewhat of a market shaker in the sense that there isn't much in this price range that offers a similar sound presentation and does it well. As such, I decided to break one of my rules and briefly talk about an upcoming set from a new-to-the-West brand called Binary Acoustics. It's paired with IEM reviewer Timmy from Gizaudio (of the Galileo fame) to put out another hybrid set called Chopin that goes for another take on the Harman tuning. This time we still get the aggressive upper mids, albeit with a bit less plateauing which can help with relief to those sensitive here, and thicker bass with more pronounced mid-bass. It's also an acquired taste and, while I like it with some tracks in the rock music genre, I wasn't as big a fan of the lower mids which come off less clean to me. I do think this is a set a lot of people will like though, and I certainly prefer it to the Galileo, so this might be something to keep an eye out for since I believe it will cost less than the NOVA.

While the TangZu Zetian Wu may have won my heart when it comes to the best of the single planar IEMs released recently, TangZu Audio decided to prematurely discontinue it in favor of a more expensive collab version called the Zetian Wu Heyday. I heard it briefly and it's similar enough in sound presentation to where it's still the planar recommendation from me. It also manages to have more bass than the original to where you end up with a similar frequency response except without the bass tuck. A planar presentation isn't for everyone though and I will note the NOVA does have far more natural timbre and a smoother treble too—I can't get over how good the treble here is! I'd personally still take the original Zetian Wu over the NOVA, but might give Truthear the edge over the Zetian Wu Heyday since the latter costs a decent chunk more.