By aspect — in detail
Tonality
Contested · 13 srcNear-universally identified as a textbook Harman 2019 IE tuning — the agreement is on the measurement. Sources split on the verdict: cleanly-executed and engaging, or safe, generic and lean/clinical — one more Harman set in a crowded field.
Measured
Measures very close to the Harman 2019v2 IE target on an IEC711 coupler — a big sub-bass shelf, forward ~3 kHz ear gain and smooth, extended treble (TechPowerUp).
⚠ vs. listeners — 'Reference' vs 'generic' is one accurate-to-target tuning judged against taste: it does what Harman says, and whether that thrills or bores comes down to the listener, not the graph.
Where it splits
Safe and generic — nothing we haven't heard.45%
“Yet another Harman-tuned IEM”
headphones.com
Everyone agrees the low end is sub-bass-forward with a Harman-style mid-bass tuck. The most-argued axis is what that feels like: a big, fun, slammy sub-bass, or a clean-but-'vanilla' low end that lacks mid-bass punch and impact.
Measured
A ~10.5 dB sub-bass shelf focused under 200 Hz with a slight mid-bass tuck typical of Harman (TechPowerUp, IEC711); the tuck is what saps snare/kick 'slam' for the light-bass camp.
Where it splits
Big, sub-bass-forward and fun — real slam.55%
“this ~10.5 dB bass shelf that results in a small night club pumping inside your head”
TechPowerUp
Clean but light — 'vanilla,' no mid-bass punch.45%
“The result is a vanilla low end that stays in the background—great for clarity, not for slam.”
Jays Audio (via IEMRanking)
Female vocals are forward and clearly rendered by consensus, while male/lower-mids run lighter. The fault line is the forward upper-mids: sweet and tasteful to some, shouty/shrill and thin to others — around the Harman ~3 kHz ear-gain peak.
Measured
Forward upper-mids to the ~3 kHz Harman ear-gain peak with a lower-mid dip (headphones.com suggests a ~300 Hz correction); TechPowerUp notes 'some female vocals may come off tinny/shouty depending on how your ears deal with the upper mids.'
Where it splits
Clean, forward, tasteful — never shouty.45%
“The mids of this IEM are delicious, especially talking about the pinna gain region.”
iemsandmusic
Thin and shouty — clenched, nasally, over-gained.55%
“almost every vocalist sounds both super-clenched and nasally”
headphones.com
Most hear the treble as a highlight — well-extended and among the smoothest Truthear has made. A dissenting camp hears a rough, glarey 4–8 kHz lift that fatigues. Strongly ear- and tip-dependent; foam tips calm it.
Measured
Well-extended with no obvious sharp peak on IEC711, but headphones.com hears a wide-band 4–8 kHz elevation on the B&K 5128; TechPowerUp: 'The NOVA can be fatiguing if you are sensitive to this region, or come off smooth if you are fine.'
Where it splits
Smooth, extended, non-fatiguing — a highlight.65%
“one of the smoothest treble of any IEMs I've tested in a while regardless of cost”
TechPowerUp
Rough and glarey — a fatiguing 4–8 kHz lift.35%
“Nova's treble has a rough, somewhat sandy character”
headphones.com
The other big split. One camp calls it a lot of IEM for $150 that cleanly undercuts pricier Harman rivals; the other says the cheaper Hexa or Zero:RED is the smarter buy and better options exist at the price.
Where it splits
Strong value — undercuts pricier Harman rivals.55%
“might well be the best option when you consider the sound quality and cost alike”
TechPowerUp
Better options exist — the cheaper Hexa wins.45%
“least “worth the price” of any of Truthear’s IEMs thus far”
headphones.com
The most consistent praise — accurate, precise placement and strong separation that reviewers repeatedly single out for gaming and busy mixes.
“Imaging accuracy is noteworthy, allowing precise tracking and pinpointing of the sound sources”
mobileaudiophile
“the imaging is accurate, and one of my favorite things about it”
headfonics
Good technical performance for the price — several call resolution a standout for the class, though others temper that to good-not-great and 'moderate.' Aided by the forward treble and upper-mids.
“Perceived resolution is standout for the class”
Yifang (via IEMRanking)
“Detail retrieval of the TRUTHEAR NOVA is good, not excellent”
headfonics
Soundstage
Moderate · 9 srcBroadly heard as average for the price — a standard, mostly in-head stage with limited depth; not congested, but not the wide, holographic space some want.
“characterized by an average presentation, not the widest and not too enclosed”
mobileaudiophile
“an enjoyable semi-spatial experience”
headfonics
Modest and mixed — the slam question is really the bass question (see above): the sub-bass-forward, mid-bass-tucked balance leaves gentle punch on bass-heavy tracks for some, while non-bass dynamics rarely feel buried.
“leading to gentle slam and reduced impact even on bass-heavy tracks”
ATechReviews (via IEMRanking)
“Dynamics is a non-issue. Nothing is buried”
headfonics
Light (~6 g) and well-vented, on a resin shell reviewers find comfortable — but it's Truthear's biggest yet, so small ears struggle, and the pre-formed ear hooks can be fiddly. The nozzle is a clear step up over the ZERO/HEXA. Fit varies a lot by ear.
“People with smaller ears will surely find trouble with this shell”
headfonics
“for me, the fit was excellent, the IEM seems to have been molded to my ears”
iemsandmusic
Measured
~6 g per side; Truthear's largest shell to date but with a narrower, gentler nozzle than the ZERO/HEXA — TechPowerUp still 'can't recommend the NOVA for those with smaller ears/ear canals.'
A good-looking HeyGears resin shell with a generous accessory kit (six tip sets, pouch) that reviewers like — let down by a microphonic, tangle-prone stock cable and, for some, no balanced option in the box.
“one of the best-looking IEMs at this price point”
headfonics
“the cable has a lot of microphonics”
iemsandmusic
Isolation
Moderate · 6 srcMostly reported as good-to-excellent, helped by the filled-in shell and secure seal — though at least one reviewer found it merely okay. Seal- and tip-dependent, as always.
“I was quite impressed with the isolation capacity it has”
iemsandmusic
“I wouldn’t use this for any passive isolation purposes”
headfonics
