Truthear Impressions/Discussion

[4ceratops]

Two new youtube reviews of Truthear Hola:





I'm going to go play them right now.

 

[voicemaster]

When I say 'decay' - I am utilizing Crinacle's definition of what it is - https://crinacle.com/2021/06/04/the-tonal-technical-dichotomy-the-ief-evaluation-system/ . Can't link to the precise spot in the webpage but it's about 1/3 down from the top.

The abnormal decay is evident especially when comparing to my LCD-5 (which is completely unfair given the price differential), HD660s, and stereo. I mention the unnatural decay (to my ear!) because no other review mentioned it. Not any from the ones I read on Head-fi or watched on YouTube.

And I have tried EQing the Hexa but the issue persists.

EQ 55Hz to around 3-5dB depending on your taste and 75Hz around 2dB. This will help getting a bit more weight to the bass. The bass on the Hexa is very tight and can sound too clicky most of the time with a little of decay if at all. Get something like Letshouer S12pro or Tangzu Wu Zetain Heyday instead.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Thanks for the explanation as to why. This was my first entry into IEMs since I'm mostly an over-ear guy.

I haven't but I might just try that one and see what I think about it. Sennhesier is also releasing the IE200 soon for $150 and I might just splurge on that. I think the shape of their IEMs will work better for me.

If you happened to try another IEM for “drums”, you may consider AFUL P5 and pairing with FiiO’s HS18($4.99 per 6 pairs) ear tips.

I’m a drummer myself, and there are only two IEMs that produce satisfactory bass timbre for drums, first one is Unique Melody’s MEST MKII, another one is AFUL Performer 5 with HS18. Of which P5 is much reasonable ($219+$5 eartips or it doesn’t work as I literally paired over 100 pairs of ear tips for P5‘s bass resonance contro)

 

[jasonb]

Just ordered a Hexa. Looking forward to trying it out.

 

[toge]

any got hold a shio? my fc3 has died <2month of receiving it

many positive reviews about it so i want to buy it

 

[jasonb]

Just got my Hexa. Initial impression is that they are good. So far I feel that no EQ is needed and they seem to do just fine at around 30-40% on the Apple lightning dongle. I usually prefer wide bore tips but these seem best on the small size narrow bore tips for my ears and my taste.

Will have more to say later. I also got the Timeless AE yesterday and used them all day yesterday and this morning, and in comparison I don’t hate the Hexa.

 

[voicemaster]

The Hexa is a bit different that other IEMs that I've tried. Usually from my experience, most IEM has bloated or a bit too much bass OOTB then become tighter/controlled as time goes by, but the Hexa sounded pretty anemic OOTB. It is now has been around 2 weeks since I got mine and the bass has become more rounded and way less anemic.

 

[jasonb]

Mini budget Blessing 2 Dusk with better top end extension. It sounds great.

*Ive never heard the real Blessing 2 Dusk.

So as I said before, I also got a 7HZ Timeless AE yesterday as well. I actually may like the Hexa more. It’s not as “in your face” as the Timeless and seems to have better imaging and separation.

I wanted to try the cable from the Timeless on the Hexa since it can be used balanced but the left side didn’t want to work. I wonder if these sound even better with a better/balanced cable.

 

[bryaudioreviews]

Just came across this thread. Here are my first impressions of both the Truthear SHIO and HOLA.

Truthear HOLA / SHIO - First Impressions​

1. TRUTHEAR HOLA​

​

Another Harman-tuned IEM but this time coming in at the $30usd price range. It has good tonal balance, easy to listen to, and is very smooth sounding overall.

My opinion on the HOLA changes based on how I use the IEM: 1. amped / 2. unamped / 3. with Truthear SHIO. When unamped, I would give HOLA a 3/5. It has good tonal balance, but it sounds somewhat dull overall. Bass is a bit boomy and lacks texture, midrange and vocals sound a bit too laid back, and treble is just.... smooth. soundstage is on the smaller side, imaging and transients are both a bit soft and blunted. When amped, everything opens up and sound much better. I would rate HOLA amped a 4.5/5. For the price, I was surprised at how well it performed. Bass tightens up a lot with decent texture and punch, midrange sounds cleaner and clearer whilst still retaining its smooth character, vocals sound more airy and open, and its treble, whilst still smooth, has a bit more sparkle to it. Soundstage opens up a bit, imaging and transients are slightly sharper and tighter. However, when paired with Truthear SHIO, I think the HOLA sounds pretty bad. I would rate it maybe 2/5. The overall warmth and smoothness of the SHIO just does not go well with the HOLA. Everything just sounds muddy, boomy, and a bit of a mess. Will get more into details later.

2. TRUTHEAR SHIO​

I think SHIO is pretty good for the price. At $69.99usd, it has balanced output, decent power output, volume controls, detachable cable, dual dacs, low/high gain, low power draw, and doesn't get hot when used.

In terms of sound, it is a warmer sounding source, with emphasis on bass and mids. Bass and mids here sound thick and warm, with vocals sounding fuller and more laidback. Treble here is smooth, slightly dark. In terms of technicalities, soundstage is average (around/inside your head), imaging and transients are a bit soft and blunted. Overall timbre is good. No glare, no lower treble sharpness.

However, there are issues with volume when used with Windows. On average, the max volume I can go to is 6/100 on 3.5mm unbalanced and 4/100 on 4.4mm Balanced. Even worse, when used with my Shanling M3X (without UAPP), I can still get around 50dB when my volume is literally 0/100. I think a software upgrade is needed to fix this issue.

Another issue I have with SHIO is how bad of a pairing it is with their very own Truthear HOLA. As mentioned above, HOLA and SHIO together do not sound good. Bass and midrange are both boomy and muddy, vocals sound a bit compressed, and treble is borderline dark. Not to mention, imaging and transients are also a bit too soft which makes the HOLA even more dull sounding.

​

CONCLUSION​

All in all, on their own, I think both are pretty decent choices and are quite capable for the price. the Truthear HOLA really surprises me when amped - I find it to give IEMs around the $50usd range a run for its money. Furthermore, SHIO is also quite a complete package for the price of $69.99. If you are not using SHIO with HOLA, I think SHIO sounds pretty decent overall, especially if you are into warmer smoother sources.


Thank you Cloris Gee from SHENZHENAUDIO for sending both the Truthear HOLA and SHIO over. Full review coming soon.

 

[jasonb]

So I’m still only really liking the Hexa for Jazz, and not rock/metal. Idk what it is exactly, but for rock/metal they seem lean in the bass and fatiguing. That’s ok though. I prefer the Timeless AE for rock/metal.

 

[LaVey1999]

Does anyone here have an Moondrop Aria Snow?
I‘m looking for the Hexa and I‘m curious if the Hexa is better or equal overall.

 

[baskingshark]

Does anyone here have an Moondrop Aria Snow?
I‘m looking for the Hexa and I‘m curious if the Hexa is better or equal overall.

It is kind of an apples to oranges comparison as the Aria snow is a single DD, versus the hybrid Hexa. So the different transducer types have their own pros and cons.

FWIW, the HEXA has better resolution/technicalities but slightly less natural timbre. Both are bass lite, but the HEXA has more sub-bass. HEXA also doesn't have as thin note weight, more accessible for consumers in tuning.

 

[BeezBee]

Is there a filter in that marked hole ?

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Is there a filter in that marked hole ?

Just checked, that’s bass port unfiltered LCP directly delivered. Green is Midx2, Red is High x1, a very ideal quasi-penta driver set up which LCP DD can be substituted by 2BA DD like Softears RSV.

 

[BeezBee]

Just checked, that’s bass port unfiltered LCP directly delivered. Green is Midx2, Red is High x1, a very ideal quasi-penta driver set up which LCP DD can be substituted by 2BA DD like Softears RSV.

Thank you for the informations,
I have to be careful with the bass port so it doesn't get clogged.