Truthear Hexa (Review) – If Mad Max Drove A Countach…

INTRO

It’s nice to try something different than the usual suspects and the Truthear Hexa ticks that box. It is a hybrid 1 Dynamic + 3BA in a 3D printed resin shell that includes soundtubes directing the sound to the exit. You do not typically see this on earphones below the mid-tier segment <$200 let alone in the under $100 segment. Steampunk inspired styling, midrange-centric with a snappy bass and a tame treble is something that could carry us through a apocalyptic scenario for a friendly price of $79.

Disclaimer: They are not going to inspire me to throw on some chaps but these were provided free from SHENZHENAUDIO and free from influence.

TOTAL PACKAGE

If I was judging on packaging, the Truthear Hexa follow the trend of bigger box might inspire a more premium product. It was rather difficult to open the box, but inside you find a matte finished opaque IEM which a pleasant change from shiny gaudy looking things. Yet at the same time it has a very striking angular profile that is lightweight and solidly constructed.

The black detachable 2 pin silver plated copper cable is braided part way but twisted after the chin slider and connects with a right angle plug. I find it flexible and lightweight with a tendency to tangle, looks very similar to a TRN cable. Microphonics are low.

The included eartips of the Truthear Hexa are a bit perplexing, I find the design decisions a little strange. The good is that they include 3 types, wide bore silicone, narrow bore silicone, and foam. Upon further investigation and usage there is more to them than just their opening diameter.

The wide bore have a stiff thick, full length stem that indeed helps with reducing bass leakage. The downside to them is in the thickness of the outer portion making contact with your ear. They are too thin and flimsy, causing sealing issues. I had to use the smaller size so they would not collapse and leak sound.

The narrow bore have an opposite problem. The stems are still full length but the thickness is halved until the end where it narrows. The outer part is slightly thicker making them a little firmer. I had to use a small size in one ear and the medium for my other ear. This is rarely a solution for me, but in these this is what I had to use. I don’t particularly like the smaller bore on these since they have a tendency to crowd the exit holes.

If I were to improve upon these, it would be simply to find a thicker firmer outer eartip and stick with the wide bores. If you use foams, then nothing to be concerned about.

One thing to also note is that Truthears uses actual resistance filters on the end of the soundtubes. If my eyes do not deceive me I spot a yellow filter, a green filter and a very small output tube for the dynamic bass driver. The midrange balanced armature driver is actually a dual BA, so that is why there is only 3 holes, and not 4. No filter removal tool or extra filters included however. I do not know if it is possible to replace these resistance filters if they ever become clogged.

When you want to store the Truthear Hexa they have included a soft leather pouch that closes with two snaps. While easy to stuff into it, the snaps are more style than function. It would have been more futuristic to go with some small magnets, but the snaps seem to indicate a Steampunk style aesthetic. The case does provide a place to contain but not necessarily for full protection from unruly attacks. I appreciate however that it can compress down in my pocket without unnecessary bulging.

Speaking of bulging, a new trend has occurred where there appears to be these collectable Waifu cards. Inside you will find Shiroi happy to great you before deploying the rest of the package.

COMFORT / ISOLATION

Due the small size of the Truthear Hexa and the longer nozzle, it wants to go for a deeper insertion, however for me it breaks the seal of the included eartips. Eartips with a shorter stem length are a bitter fit for me. If using the included eartips I recommend sizing down. Normally I use medium, on these the small size seemed to fit better at least for the larger bore.

With a firmer eartip I had to use a small on one side and the medium on the other, I guess I am a lopsided individual. I definitely recommend experimenting with other eartips if you find you experience the same. Isolation is average, they don’t fill your outer ear so I am not surprised by this.

SOUND

Tested with LG G8, HIDIZS AP80-X Pro, SMSL SU-9+JDS Labs Atom

The Truthear Hexa can be described as a midrange centric, mild bass enhancement with the very ends of the spectrum limited. It also follows a diffuse field curve. Bass is snappy with a dig into the sub-bass region that is heard but not so much felt. It presents sub-bass only when required to give the bottom end fullness without rumbling too much and distracting from the midbass. It has a rather quick decay and does not bleed into the mids.

Midrange is forward and a bit hotter than earphones I tend to gravitate towards. I would not call them shouty, the peak is more noticeable given the mid treble region is subdued which accentuates the peak around 2-3khz. Midrange clarity is very good and gives a good sense of space helping to portray the room it was recorded in well.

Treble is well balanced however there are some hiccups in the response that make it sound a tad unnatural. There is a sort of twang that is a bit grating at times. String pucks, and shakers are mellowed a bit by a valley in the middle treble, I think it could use a bit more bite here to really kill it in the realism. It sounds a bit over-damped here, but this is also a function of the diffuse field tuning.

TECHNICALITIES

Staging and instrument spacing for the Truthear Hexa are believable and no sense of crowding or compression. It strikes a nice balance between width and depth and layering. I would say the technical side of the Truthear Hexa is very good with a point loss only in the timbre department.

Everything blends nicely even being a hybrid. It doesn’t feel disjointed and coherence is great. Powered easily with a smart phone as it touts a 120dB sensitivity rating, but more power is always nice to have.

COMPARISONS

Tinhifi T4 ($80-100)
The Truthear Hexa have a similar tuning to the Tinhifi T4 and are on equal footing as far as technicalities go. The two major differences I can pick out are the T4 have a meatier midbass emphasis and the Truthear Hexa have a bit more resolution in the treble pulling out some micro details.

Geekwold GK 10 ($49)

Not sure this is even a fair comparison but these were all the rage for a weekend. The Truthear Hexa has a much better quality shell and build quality all over. Bass on the Truthear is more exacting, not overblown or sluggish like the Geek Wold GK 10. Midrange is well controlled and presnts a nicely organized stage whereas the GK10 is a bit sloppy. This is not really a fair comparison but I would tell someone save up an extra $30 and get the Truthears.

Indirect comparison (Ibasso IT00 $99 / Moondrop Aria $79)

I wish I had a set of Moondrop Aria’s as I think this would be an equivalent model in terms of build and technical abilities. I no longer own the Ibasso IT00 and these are also within this price range. I returned them because they were not a standout model. They didn’t do anything wrong, it’s that they did not do anything excellent enough to be considered a keeper for me. I feel the Truthear Hexa on the other hand does offer excellent value for the technical merits and good tonal balance.

OUTRO

Thumbs up Truthears Hexa. This is a well tuned, excellent styled, and proper sound engineered package rather than slapping a bunch of BA’s firing into an open cavity and hoping they mix well concoction. While the cable and case are not the best, fitment might be challenging for some with the eartips- do not forget this is a $79 set of excellent sounding and technically capable earphones. You could spend twice as much but not get twice the improvement.

We are now approaching a stage in the IEM world where Chi-Fi companies are starting to close the gap considerably on build quality of expensive IEMs. The Truthear Hexa use not only a 3D printed shell, but sound tubes AND resistance filters on the BA drivers-this is sports car This is where improvements can be eeked out and set the bar from good (Craftsman) to great (Channel Lock) to maybe even excellent (Knipex) in short time.

SPECIFICATIONS

GRAPHS (Manufacturer provided)

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DISCLAIMER

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Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.