Truthear Nova: Good, solid ... but awkward timing and price

 Pros

• Solid build 
• Great set of included accessories 
• Clean, natural midrange
• Smooth and engaging upper midrange
• Very smooth treble 
• Decent treble extension
• Decent technicalities

Cons

• Stock cable is microphonic and tangles easily 
• Shell can be a bit large 
• Lackluster bass performance
• Slightly thin lower midrange

Disclaimer

• Huge thanks to SHENZHENAUDIO for providing the opportunity for me to review the Truthear Nova. I really do appreciate it. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way. 
• Please take this review with only a grain of salt, as everyone's hearing, fit, and gears may differ, so our experience may be different.

Price(MSRP)

• $149.99

Source(s)

• Truthear Shio
• FiiO KA13
• Jcally JM6

Ear tips

• Dunu S&S

Packaging

• IEM.
• Semi soft pouch. 
• Able to protect IEMs to a certain degree and feels decently soft as well
• 3 pairs of generic silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• 1 pair of foam tips
• 2 pairs of double flange silicone ear tips (S, L) 
• 4-Strand (448-Core) OCC 
• Tangles easily, microphonic, and comes with a shorter than average ear hook.
• Only good thing is that it looks decent with the Nova, and it is light & comfortable.

Build Quality

• Very smooth and solid yet lightweight resin build.

Fit and Comfort

• Nozzle is slightly longer than average, but relatively thinner compared to previous Truthear models.
  
• Decently comfortable but the shell size can be a bit large for smaller ears, and it gets quite stuffy even though it has vents, so I can't wear for too long.
  
• However, I would say that it fits very snuggly in my ears and have very good isolation.

Tonality

• Harman 2019 

Bass

• Sub bass is more prominent and focused compared to the mid bass.
• Sub bass is quite rumbly, and has good depth to it.
• Mid bass lacks body and thump, sounding quite hollow and thin.
• Sub bass quantity is enough but mid bass quantity is lacking and scooped out.
• Overall, the bass is ... a little unengaging, limp, and lacks impact. However, it is very well controlled. Definitely not for bass heads.

Midrange

• Midrange is very clean with a hint of warmth so it is not too recessed.
• Male vocals sound slightly thin, lacking a little bit of body and lushness.
• Female vocals sound very forward and energetic, they also sound really smooth as well. Not too shouty for me but I can see how this can be slightly shouty to some, considering that it has less lower end to balance it out.
• Instruments and timbre is quite natural considering that this is a hybrid IEM, almost no sign of BA timbre can be heard.
• Note weight and density is on the thin side. 

Treble

• Treble is very smooth, with enough sparkle and energy to make everything lively and exciting but never too harsh or sharp fatiguing for me.
• There is some air in the upper treble but it is not an excessive amount to make everything unnatural and overdone, it is just an adequate amount to make it sound slightly airy and open while keeping it natural.
• Details can be slightly harder to perceive due to how smooth the overall treble is.

Technicalities

Resolution

• Resolution and detail retrieval is decent, but it isn't anything outstanding like the planar IEMs in this price range. 
• Slightly improvement in terms of resolution compared to its little brother, the Hexa, which was fantastic for its price, but then this is why I find it a little harder to justify for Nova's resolution for almost double the price.

Soundstage

• Staging is slightly narrow and closed in but decent in terms of height and depth. 

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy is decent, I can track and pinpoint where the sound is coming from most of the time.
  

Separation

• Separation and layering is good. Instruments and vocals is well layered and separated among each other. 

Comparison 

Truthear Nova vs Gizaudio × Binary Chopin

• Accessories: 
• Chopin offers only 3 pairs of generic ear tips with different sizes while the Nova offers up to 2 more types (2 pairs of double flange & 1 pair of memory foam). 
• Furthermore, Nova provides a much better and more practical carrying case compared to Chopin's cheap and flimsy hard carrying case. 
• As for the cable, Chopin's cable is much more usable in my opinion but it isn't that much of an upgrade in value overall.
• However, Chopin's packaging did include 2 cloth covers to protect the IEM and a small cleaning brush. 

• Bass: 
• No competition at all in my opinion. Chopin wins easily.
• Chopin just has a MUCH better slam, impact and body.
• Nova's only advantage is a less noticeable bass tuck, which provides a smoother and more natural transition into the lower midrange. 

• Midrange: 
• Both performs quite similarly.
• Nova's lower midrange sounds a little bit more natural due to the smoother transition from the bass. 
• However, Chopin has that extra meat and body from the mid bass, so it doesn't sound as thin to my ears but still lacking lushness overall. 
• As for upper midrange, both have the same forward and energetic presentation but Nova sounds noticeable smoother here.

• Treble: 
• Chopin's lower and mid treble is less smooth compared to Nova but it has a touch more energy and sparkle in them. 
• Both have similar performance in terms of airiness and upper treble extension.

• Technicalities: 
• Chopin has the upper hand in terms of every aspect of technicalities which includes, separation, staging, imaging and resolution. 
• The difference in technicalities  is actually quite noticeable to my ears.

• Overall, I would have very much preferred the Chopin as I find the Nova to be lackluster in the bass and technical department, as the difference is actually quite significant to my ears. Furthermore, the Chopin fits a lot more comfortable in my ears. However, the Nova can still be considered if bass and technical performances isn't as important to you, and if you're on a tighter budget. 

Conclusion

• As a conclusion, I think the Truthear Nova have a really solid midrange and treble performance which is really smooth, engaging yet inoffensive. 
• However, I don't think that this is enough to compete in this price bracket ... especially when a banger such as the Chopin which follows a similar signature just got released around the same time. 
• The other reason I find the Nova a little hard to compete is the existence of Truthear's own IEM: the Hexa. 
• I won't comment too much on the signature since everyone's preference is different.
  
• The Nova definitely improved on several aspects such as the bass performance and technicalities, and its also a lot easier to listen with significantly less metallic timbre. 
• However, I don't find the improvements to justify the price tag that almost doubles the Hexa.
• In my opinion, the Truthear Nova would be a much easier recommendation if it is priced around $120 or lower. 
• But if you're on a really tight budget but want a midrange and treble presentation that is smoother and similar to the Chopin that comes with good accessories, and if you're okay with sacrificing bass performance, then I think the Nova is a good choice. 

Non Affiliated Link

• If you are interested after reading the article, feel free to check out the non affiliated link below.

• SHENZHENAUDIO

• https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/truthear-nova-1dd-4ba-in-ear-headphone

　

Thanks for reading!