Overview

The Truthear Pure is a hybrid IEM with a 1DD+3BA configuration, announced as the successor to the company’s popular Hexa model. Priced at 90 USD, it features a 10mm dynamic driver and three balanced armature drivers. With its DLP-3D printed medical-grade high-transparency resin housing and precisely designed crossover system, the product aims to solve phase characteristic issues that conventional multi-driver IEMs suffer from. It addresses issues identified in the Hexa through objective measurement data-based improvements, achieving more natural tonality and balanced sound quality.

Scientific Validity

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The Pure achieves measurable sound quality improvements. Its frequency response secures an effective range of 20Hz-20kHz (±3dB), showing good performance as a mid-level IEM. THD achieves below 0.1% at 1kHz/94dB SPL, demonstrating excellent distortion performance close to the transparency level. Particularly noteworthy is the optimization of phase characteristics, where despite the 4-driver configuration, it maintains high phase consistency across all frequency bands, improving sound quality degradation caused by phase shifts that conventional multi-driver IEMs suffer from. Through tuning close to the Harman target and crossover design optimization, the consistency between measurement results and design goals is high, confirming audibly meaningful improvements.

Technology Level

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Excellent technical implementation can be evaluated for the mid-level price range. The 10mm dynamic driver adopts a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) diaphragm, achieving accurate low-frequency reproduction. For integration with the three balanced armature drivers, it employs frequency crossovers, building a system where each driver plays an appropriate role. The DLP-3D printed housing manufacturing uses medical-grade resin, achieving precision molding through HeyGear technology. Including the newly designed copper-silver plated coaxial cable, it represents technically sophisticated implementation for this price range, showing a technology level above industry average.

Cost-Performance

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More affordable alternatives with equivalent functionality exist. Against the Pure (90 USD), the Truthear Zero Red (65 USD) from the same manufacturer is identified as the most affordable equivalent product. Despite its dual dynamic driver configuration, Zero Red provides satisfaction levels equivalent to Pure in basic acoustic performance and general usage. The calculation formula is 65 USD ÷ 90 USD = 0.722, resulting in a 0.7 evaluation. While Pure is certainly more technically sophisticated with its 4-driver configuration and has advantages in sound quality, the pure functionality-to-price ratio represents approximately 38% cost increase. In the 90 USD price range, competing products exist from other manufacturers, and overwhelming price advantage cannot be confirmed.

Reliability & Support

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Product quality and support structure exceed industry average. The DLP-3D printed housing achieves high precision and durability, with medical-grade resin usage reducing deterioration risks during long-term use. The newly designed copper-silver plated coaxial cable has been improved from Hexa, with enhanced handling and durability. The fit follows Hexa’s design while incorporating improvements, featuring design considerations for long-term use and securing good passive noise isolation. Although Truthear is a relatively new brand, it has collaboration experience with Crinacle, and quality control and customer service are appropriately conducted. However, warranty periods and repair systems do not reach industry-leading standards.

Rationality of Design Philosophy

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It adopts an extremely rational design approach. Design optimization based on scientific measurements is a typical example of empirical sound quality improvement. In improvements from Hexa, the methodology of systematically improving each component using feedback and measurement data is highly commendable. As demonstrated by the collaboration track record with Crinacle, it adopts an objective tuning approach based on measurements and maintains a design philosophy that does not depend on subjective evaluation. It makes rational design decisions with measurable effects, such as phase characteristic optimization in multi-driver configurations and tuning based on Harman targets. The corporate attitude of completely excluding occult elements and conducting continuous improvements based on objective data is extremely rational.

Advice

The Truthear Pure can be evaluated as a product that achieves actual sound quality improvements through scientifically-based design improvements. Particularly as Hexa’s successor, the optimization of phase characteristics in multi-driver configurations and improvements in sound quality balance are noteworthy. However, from a cost-performance perspective, since the company’s Zero Red provides basic acoustic performance at approximately 72% of the price, it is difficult to recommend for users who prioritize pure functionality-to-price ratio. Users who should choose Pure are limited to those who can find value in the sound quality sophistication and technical completeness of the 4-driver configuration and can tolerate the approximately 25 USD price difference. For first-time IEM purchasers, we recommend first confirming basic performance with Zero Red and considering upgrading to Pure when seeking higher-dimensional sound quality. While technical completeness is certainly high, in the 90 USD price range with many competing products, it falls short of claiming overwhelming superiority.

(2025.7.14)