When the Truthear Hexa dropped in late 2022, it completely shifted expectations for what a sub-$100 in-ear monitor could deliver. Packing a 1DD + 3BA hybrid configuration into an unassuming 3D-printed resin shell, it became the default recommendation for anyone chasing a clean, reference-neutral tuning under $90.
Two years later, we have the Truthear Pure at the exact same $90 price point. On paper, it looks like a twin brother: the same 1DD + 3BA architecture, nearly identical shell geometry, and familiar packaging. But beneath the surface, the Pure represents an entirely different tuning philosophy—developed in consultation with community acoustic tuners to address the Hexa’s most debated traits: its lean mid-bass and occasional lower-treble bite.
Truthear Hexa vs Pure
| Category | Winner | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Unboxing & Accessories | Tie | Identical tips, pouch, and extras |
| Cable Quality | Truthear Pure | Thicker, softer silver-plated OFC |
| Ergonomics & Shell | Tie | Nearly identical chassis |
| Bass Slam & Authority | Truthear Pure | Heavier punch, superior body |
| Midrange Clarity | Truthear Hexa | Zero bloom, higher vocal focus |
| Vocal Timbre & Warmth | Truthear Pure | Natural chest weight, organic decay |
| Treble Smoothness | Truthear Pure | Controlled, non-fatiguing top end |
| Micro-Detail & Separation | Truthear Hexa | Sharper transients, cleaner imaging |
| EQ Potential | Truthear Pure | Flat treble makes a cleaner canvas |
What’s in the Box?
Packaging & Accessories
Unboxing both IEMs feels like looking in a mirror:
- Artwork: Truthear continues its anime aesthetic on the sleeve (the Pure features a new character design complete with an oversized hat).
- The Pouch: Both include a soft, crumple-style synthetic leather pouch. It keeps scratches at bay inside a pocket, but offers zero crush protection. If you throw your IEMs into a heavy backpack, grab a cheap hardshell case.
- Ear Tips: You get a generous spread—narrow-bore black silicone tips, wide-bore grey silicone tips (S/M/L for both), and a pair of foam tips.
Build & Aesthetics
The shells are DLP 3D-printed black resin with a semi-translucent inner cavity showing the driver placement and sound tubes.
The primary physical differentiator is the faceplate:
- The Hexa uses a minimalist, flat matte faceplate secured with a visible screw accent.
- The Pure adopts a multi-ridged, serrated finish with bolder “TRUTHEAR” lettering printed across one side. Visually, the ridges look far better in hand than in press renders, though the subtle, blank aesthetic of the original Hexa remains cleaner.
The Cable (A Massive Upgrade)
The stock cable is where the Pure delivers its first decisive win:
- The original Hexa cable was thin, prone to tangling, and felt somewhat stiff above the Y-split with generic rubber ear hooks.
- The Pure cable is a noticeably thicker, silver-plated oxygen-free copper (OFC) coaxial braid. It handles supplely, drapes naturally without memory retention, and features soft, well-formed ear hooks that eliminate pressure points behind the ear. It terminates in standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors and a low-profile 3.5mm single-ended jack.
Fit & Ergonomics
The shell dimensions are nearly identical, but the Pure is marginally thicker through the body and introduces a pronounced retention lip on the nozzle (5.5mm core diameter expanding to roughly 6.3mm at the rim).
In my ears, insertion depth and passive isolation are virtually identical between the two. If the Hexa fit your concha comfortably, the Pure will too; if the Hexa caused fatigue due to nozzle width, the Pure won’t magically solve it. Over four- to five-hour listening sessions, both sit securely with zero hotspots.
Also Checkout: Truthear Hexa Review
Sound: Objective Analysis & Graph Realities
Both IEMs measure exceptionally well against modern diffuse-field target curves, but reading a raw frequency response graph only tells half the story.
Frequency Spectrum Comparison
| Frequency Region | Truthear Hexa | Truthear Pure |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-Bass | Deep, articulate, linear | Deep, tactile, identical sub-shelf |
| Mid/Upper-Bass | Clean tuck; lean around 200–300Hz | Filled-in, warm body around 200–300Hz |
| Midrange | Flat, forward upper mids for clarity | Relaxed ear-gain, rich lower mids |
| Treble | Crisp, with minor 6–8kHz resonance | Smooth, heavily damped, zero sibilance |
Graph Nuances & The Ear-Canal Factor
- Upper Bass / Lower Mids (150Hz – 300Hz): Where the Hexa features a steep shelf tuck into the lower midrange, the Pure stays elevated, bridging the bass into the lower mids. This removes the distinct boundary line between the dynamic driver and the balanced armatures.
- The Treble Structure (6kHz – 10kHz): On a B&K 5128 measurement system, the Hexa exhibits distinct energy peaks through the mid-treble. The Pure flattens this region significantly, maintaining a downward slope consistent with human diffuse-field HRTF expectations.
- Insertion Depth & Resonances: In real human ears, high-frequency peaks shift depending on insertion depth and ear canal acoustic impedance (HPTF variation). While measurement rigs show a smooth line on the Pure, my ears still register a slight length-mode resonance around 6.8kHz, along with mild presence around 4.2kHz. However, because the Pure’s overall treble ceiling is lowered, these structural points sound far softer and less fatiguing than on the Hexa.
Tip Sensitivity
Tip choice has a dramatic impact on the Pure:
- Narrow-bore tips (Recommended): Smooth out the transition between lower and mid-treble, giving the most cohesive, natural tonal balance.
- Wide-bore tips: While widening perceived air, they can introduce a slight 9–10kHz dip followed by an aggressive upper-treble edge that works against the Pure’s smooth tuning.
Sound: Subjective Experience
Bass
- Hexa: Sub-bass focused, fast, and clinical. The sub-bass reaches low with clean tactile vibration, but the abrupt roll-off into the mid-bass leaves kick drums and bass guitars feeling light on body. It is resolving and articulate, but lacks physical slam.
- Pure: Warm, full-bodied, and dynamic. Truthear re-engineered the 10mm dynamic driver (utilizing an LCP dome, polyurethane suspension, and a heavier copper voice coil to lower its natural resonant frequency). Playing tracks like Billie Eilish’s “Billie Bossa Nova”, the bassline has real weight, texture, and chest-thumping authority. The punch is heavier and much more organic.
Midrange
- Hexa: Highly transparent, precise, and analytical. Vocals are pushed slightly forward in the mix. Female vocals sound crystalline and open. However, on lean masterings or male baritone vocals, notes can sound slightly thin, cool, or sterile.
- Pure: Thick, sweet, and cohesive. The extra energy in the 200–400Hz region injects throat resonance and body into vocals. Voices sit naturally within the instrumentation rather than floating artificially on top. The trade-off is a slight bloom: on complex, layered acoustic arrangements or dense piano jazz, lower midrange notes can blur together slightly compared to the laser-etched separation of the Hexa.
Treble
- Hexa: Energetic, airy, and sharp. Cymbal hits and hi-hat decay have brilliant attack. For analytical listening, it provides an immediate sense of detail. The downside is that on hot recordings, the lower-treble bite can cause listener fatigue over long sessions.
- Pure: Damped, controlled, and relaxed. Truthear’s acoustic damping and crossover adjustments successfully eliminate the “ouchie zones” without totally choking the air. Cymbal splashes sound like polished bronze rather than synthetic sizzle. It sacrifices some transient sharpness to achieve effortless, fatigue-free playback.
Technicalities & Soundstage
- Soundstage: Both are average for in-ear monitors—neither creates a massive out-of-head holographic illusion. Both present an intimate, well-structured stereo field. The Pure centers lead elements slightly more intimately, while the Hexa feels marginally wider due to its brighter top-end air.
- Detail Retrieval & Imaging: The Hexa wins on perceived micro-detail and edge definition. Because it has less mid-bass warmth and more treble presence, subtle instrument trailing edges are easier to pick out. The Pure is just as resolving at the driver level, but its warm-tilted tonality presents details as part of the overall musical tapestry rather than highlighting them.
The Volume-Matched A/B Test
Directly comparing these two requires careful methodology: the Pure is approximately 3.5dB to 4.0dB more sensitive than the Hexa. If you switch between them on the same volume dial, the Pure will immediately sound “better,” “richer,” and “more dynamic” purely due to the loudness Fletcher-Munson effect.
To eliminate this bias, I level-matched both monitors to 72 dB SPL at 1 kHz using an IEC711 measurement coupler before running rapid A/B switching.
Quick-Switch Comparison — Volume-Matched at 72 dB SPL
| Track / Element | Truthear Hexa | Truthear Pure |
|---|---|---|
| Kick Drums | Tight click, modest thud | Deep impact, physical resonance |
| Acoustic Bass Lines | String buzz clear, light body | Full, woody, grounded foundation |
| Male Vocals | Articulate, slightly dry | Lush, warm, velvety chest note |
| Female Vocals | Airy, bright, upfront | Smooth, non-fatiguing, integrated |
| Cymbals / Percussion | Crisp, sharp attack edge | Softened splash, realistic decay |
| Dense Metal / Complex | Superior instrument separation | Slight low-end mask; polite bite |
The headphone analogy that best reflects reality:
- Truthear Hexa is the IEM equivalent of the Sennheiser HD560S (or a lean HD600): fast, analytical, neutral-flat, and revealing of recording flaws.
- Truthear Pure is the IEM equivalent of the Sennheiser HD650 (with slightly worn pads): warm, thick-toned, forgiving, euphonic, and musically rich.
The Everyday Comparison: Living With Both
Living with both monitors outside the testing bench changes the dynamic:
When the Hexa Wins:
- Monitoring & Production: If you are tracking, podcast editing, or cleaning up vocal tracks, the Hexa’s forward midrange and revealing lower treble instantly expose clipping, sibilance, and mic hiss.
- Fast, Busy Genres: For technical death metal, speed rock, and complex orchestral scores, the Hexa’s lean mid-bass keeps instruments distinctly separated. Double-kick drums never bleed into rhythm guitars.
When the Pure Wins:
- Commuting & Casual Listening: In everyday environments with low-frequency ambient noise (cars, cafes, trains), the Hexa’s bass can sound anemic. The Pure’s extra mid-bass presence cuts through background noise perfectly.
- Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, & Classic Rock: Modern genres rely heavily on bass weight and warm vocal timbre. Streaming tracks through Spotify or Apple Music is vastly more engaging on the Pure.
- Long, Work-Day Listening: You can leave the Pure in your ears for six hours straight without a hint of ear fatigue or treble headache.
Should You Buy It? (The Verdict)
The Truthear Pure is not an objective upgrade that makes the Hexa obsolete; it is a tonal sidegrade designed with a specific philosophy in mind.
Choose the Truthear Hexa ($80–$90) if:
- You prioritize clarity, vocal separation, and clinical accuracy above all else.
- Your music library consists primarily of acoustic jazz, classical, or dense rock.
- You prefer a lean, fast bass response that stays entirely out of the way of the midrange.
Choose the Truthear Pure ($90) if:
- You found the Hexa (or similar budget hybrids) too bright, dry, or shouty.
- You want an organic, warm-neutral presentation with punchy, satisfying bass slam.
- You listen for hours at a time to modern pop, hip-hop, indie, or electronic music.
- You like using Parametric EQ—the smooth, peak-free treble response of the Pure provides an ideal, resonance-free baseline for custom target profiles.
Final Thought: For the vast majority of music listeners and audiophiles seeking an everyday, fatigue-free earphone under $100, the Truthear Pure takes the crown. It injects heart, warmth, and physical punch into the Hexa’s proven architecture without losing the balance that made Truthear famous.
