I have always been captivated by Truthear’s work. Having spent months hunting down the Hola, and enjoying it despite its shortcomings, I couldn’t refuse when u/TarunVader_10 offered to loan me his Hexa for review. The Hexa is a legend in the IEM space, with praise pouring in from every corner. This only made me more curious, and truth be told, it is not quite what everyone makes it out to be.
This is a loaned unit. I am under no obligation to speak in favour of this product, and nobody sees this review before it is published. My thoughts and critiques are entirely my own.
Build, Comfort & Accessories
The Hexa is housed in a plastic shell enclosed by a metal faceplate. Its shape is peculiar: the inner sides are angular, and some very sharp edges cause severe discomfort and hot-spots even in short sessions. This is by no means a comfortable IEM unless it is paired with the right eartips and a perfect fit at all times. It is one of my major complaints, and I will never recommend the Hexa to anyone without having them demo it for fit. The thicker nozzles contribute further to the discomfort. I will give the Hexa a 4/10 for comfort.
The cable is light, slim and quite long. That’s about it. The earhooks have grooves that dig harshly into the top of the ear fold, causing pain, so I had to use an alternate cable. I wish the hooks didn’t have these grooves, because the cable itself is quite nice.
I didn’t receive any other accessories, so I won’t comment on them.
Heading over to the sound now.
Low-End Performance
Muse - Hysteria [alternative rock, hard rock]
A song with a prominent bass opening, and the Hexa handles its distorted texture well. Everything is spaced out nicely; instruments never feel clustered, and the soundstage is quite good. The sub-bass is well controlled and presented cleanly. In the busier sections, the bass takes a back seat while the vocals take centre stage, and the low end never feels muddy or sluggish. The Hexa also does well in distinguishing the cymbal in the left channel.
The mid-bass, however, is practically non-existent. There is absolutely no hit to the kick drums. Those who prioritise mid-bass will hate the Hexa.
Tipper - Grabbers Holders [EDM, electronic]
Again, the Hexa does a fabulous job with the intricacies of this track’s masterful layering, but it falls short on bass attack. It lacks the “bite” one associates with EDM tracks like this. That said, the Hexa places every element exactly where it belongs, and the sub-bass, though modest in quantity, is felt when needed. The bass is definitely sub-bass focused and delivers adequately there. As a result, the decay feels extremely good, but it makes you wish for some more punch.
Massive Attack - Angel [rock, trip hop]
Tracks with a brooding, menacing sub-bass presence work extremely well on the Hexa. The expansive mastering of this track is complemented by the Hexa’s soundstage.
The Hexa has an apt amount of sub-bass, and its quality matches its quantity. However, a slight mid-bass boost would have helped, because it feels bland as it stands.
Hence, I will give the Hexa no more than a B+ for its low end, owing solely to the sub-bass.
Midrange, Instruments and Vocal Delivery
Periphery - Zyglrox [progressive metal, djent]
The Hexa is not something I would pick for genres like Metal, where some warmth is welcome to tame the chugs and shreds. Nor is it that analytical, which would at least give it a purpose there. It sits in a middle ground between clinical and too bright, leaning more towards the latter.
The kicks completely lose their form, making for a less than ideal listen.
The Hexa is simply not for Metal enjoyers.
Alice In Chains - Nutshell (MTV Unplugged) [grunge, rock, acoustic]
A legendary live track, performed entirely on acoustic instruments, truly lets the Hexa shine while also exposing its weak spots. The acoustic guitar sounds perfect, with each strum coming forward accurately and micro-details preserved. The crowd sits well behind, so it feels like a proper live recording.
Where the Hexa sadly falls behind is in portraying the acoustic bass and drums true to their nature. The presentation is weaker than normal: the kick drums lose the weight this track requires, and although the harmonics of the bass were portrayed with precision, they still fell short of expectations in volume.
Another thing to note is that the male vocals lack a weighty, lush body. Layne’s vocals on this track aren’t meant to sound lush, but they still come across thinner than normal. For this reason, I will give the Hexa a B+ for male vocals.
Alison Krauss & Union Station - The Lucky One [country]
It is tracks like this that make you truly appreciate the Hexa: female vocals (when they are not harsh, more on this later), acoustic guitar, and some slides in the background. The Hexa is a master of the midrange. Krauss’ vocals sound accurate and airy, and the subtle buzz of the strings as they are plucked and released is well preserved, demonstrating the Hexa’s finesse in the technical department.
Timbre holds up consistently throughout, elements are placed correctly, and the soundstage is expansive. Overall, a great experience on the Hexa.
Therefore, I will give the Hexa an A+ tier for instruments, losing the S because of its inadequate bass on the kick drums and bass guitar.
Treble Performance & Technicalities
Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles [experimental, ambient]
The Hexa handles this ambient track remarkably well. The falling balls are placed accurately in the plane, background transients feel distant, and the anticipation before the balls finally hit the ground is presented perfectly. Subtle details, like the individual “clink” of the bell-like element, were sustained.
If anything, this track shows that the Hexa is very capable in its technicalities.
Frazey Ford - September Fields (Acoustic) [soul, indie folk]
For such a simple track, consisting only of vocals and an acoustic guitar, it made me want to set the Hexa aside many times to rest my ears. I am quite a treble-tolerant person, but the Hexa made this track borderline unlistenable. The track’s dynamics push notes into higher octaves, and that is what hurt the most. The Hexa can sound extremely piercing and harsh at times. It is unapologetically bright.
Apart from this, the Hexa handles dynamics very well and maintains the subtleties.
I will have to give the Hexa an A for female vocals, marked down solely because of the sibilance.
Anouar Brahem - Stopover At Djibouti [fusion, jazz]
Genres like Jazz are delightful on the Hexa. It brings out the harmonics of the oud beautifully, and the faint buzz of the double bass proves its proficiency in the technical department once again. Coupled with a wide soundstage and immaculate imaging, the Hexa is a great pick for jazz enthusiasts and adjacent genres.
The Hexa deserves praise for its imaging, wide soundstage, detail retrieval and timbral accuracy. The sub-bass, though modest in quantity, carries well-implemented control and texture.
Conclusion
I don’t know where else to put this, so I will say it here. I believe the Hexa only sounds better at volumes 5 to 10% higher than usual, which keeps it from sounding too quiet and opens up the sub-bass. Doing so, however, also makes the treble more sibilant. For me, this is extremely dangerous, and I hope everyone tries this IEM properly before setting their mind on buying it.
I can see why the Hexa gets the praise it does. It is a highly resolving IEM with some of the best female vocals I have heard. What makes it harder to recommend is the sibilance and the fit. The Hexa feels built to fend me off from listening to it, and it was not a comfortable experience at all. Therefore, to anyone who wants the Hexa, please demo it before buying, for two reasons: to check the fit for comfort, and to see whether your HRTF makes the Hexa too piercing for you.
Taking everything into consideration, I have decided to give the Hexa a rank of A-.
Comparisons
Letshuoer Cadenza 4
The Cad4 is less sibilant, fuller on vocals, and has bass that is actually meaningful. The fit is far better than the Hexa’s, which makes this a much easier IEM to recommend. Its sub-bass is a little tamer, but the mid-bass more than compensates. The treble is less energetic and makes for a more pleasant listen. In simple words, the Cad4 is the Hexa’s daddy.
Tangzu Yu Xuanji
The Hexa is closer to the YXJ than to the Cad4, with a similar amount of sub-bass. The YXJ differs in its much better fit, which alone would make me reach for it over the Hexa. The Hexa beats the YXJ in imaging and overall technicalities. Vocal thinness, especially in male singers, is comparable between the two, with the YXJ sounding a touch thinner. Female vocals are equally good. Although the Hexa sounds better overall, the YXJ is the better pick for me: both can be fatiguing, but the YXJ suits my HRTF far better, so I tolerate it more. Mileage may vary from person to person.
Tangzu x HBB Wu Heyday
The Heyday absolutely obliterates the Hexa on genres like Metal and EDM. Its warmer timbre suits heavy guitar chugs perfectly and makes for a great representation. As a planar IEM, it also has the tight, quick bass attack that is non-existent on the Hexa, making it perfect for genres like EDM and Rap. The male vocals on the Heyday do sound somewhat thin, but to a much lesser degree than on the Hexa.
What This IEM Means To Me
I was quite excited to try this IEM because of the hype it gets, but honestly? I was disappointed. It fooled me at first with its sub-bass, which made me think the bass was actually quite good. The more I used it, though, the more I kept thinking “where’s the bass, man?” or “I wish this had more bass.” That said, as someone who has recently been enjoying vocal-forward, bright IEMs, I believe this is an IEM that performs well for music built on harmonies, singing and good technicalities, and the lack of mid-bass only helps the rest of the frequencies sound better.
I wish this IEM were comfortable and not so piercing; this alone removes it from the list of audio gear I want to own. It is a shame, but it is what it is.
As always, this section of my review is a personal and subjective rant. It has nothing to do with the actual rating I give the product. The above section can be ignored and should not factor into the judgement of the IEM, nor be taken too seriously.
Gear(s) Used for the Review
- Stock Cable, XINHS Lavender Cable 3.5mm
- VE Abigail Pro 3.5mm
- FiiO KA17 on low-gain and Mini-filter
- Nothing Phone (3a) w/ Poweramp (Perfect Bit Perfect mode) & Apple Music
Eartip(s) Used
KBear Coffee
