Closer Examination

While there isn't a lot of information provided about the cable that comes with the Truthear Hexa, it doesn't take long to realize this is a pretty good cable. In fact, this is the exact same cable that came with the Truthear ZERO, which makes sense given most of the accessories are the exact same. You get a quad strand cable in black with a right-angled 3.5 mm TRS connector headed to the source, and the cable uses silver-plated OFC (oxygen-free copper) as the conductor for low resistance and capacitance alike. The splitter has the Truthear logo on one side and the name spelled out on the other, with an actually functional cable cinch helping ensure the two individual channels are securely held in place whether you route the cable down your back or the front of your face. The braiding past the splitter is slightly loose, but there were no microphonics perceived in use, and the entire cable to this point was a pleasure to work with in not tangling by itself and being easy to re-shape as needed. Then we get to the pre-formed ear hooks and the only issue I have with the cable, whereby it's too firm and aggressively curved. I was okay with it, but chances are you may have to take a hairdryer and open it up slightly. The opaque sheath also makes it look cheap unfortunately, and then we get to two straight housings that host 0.78 mm two-pin connectors headed to the IEMs. There are L/R markings for the channels and all the metal contacts are gold-plated for oxidation resistance, and perhaps the aggressive ear hooks are to help compensate for the lack of angled housings on this end.


The Hexa shells are made for Truthear by Heygears, a 3D printing design and manufacturing company that has worked with more established brands including FiiO and MOONDROP when it comes to resin shell IEMs. Indeed, Heygears uses DLP (digital light processing) 3D printing of various different resins to get the same detailed prints that SLA printing offers but at a much faster rate enabling true mass volume production. These shells are translucent black in color and form the cavity for the driver assembly to slot into. The Hexa gets a plainer looking face plate compared to the less expensive Zero to where this is a more industrial finish that also reminded me of the Symphonium Helios in shape, fit, and finish alike. It is a CNC-machined piece of aluminium alloy that is anodized in black and sandblasted, before being locked in place via a self-tapping screw and glued for a permanent fix. Indeed, you can remove the Phillips-head screw from the face plate at this point if you so desire and place in something else for further customization. The overall shape is ergonomic, aiming to fit inside the ear concha although personally I am a bigger fan of the ZERO's design with the striking and iridescent face plate.


Branding comes in the form of the Truthear printed on the side of one of the face plates but otherwise I would classify this as a clean and fairly minimalist look. The translucent shells allow for a sneak peek at the driver configuration employed here, and a look from the side also confirms the face plate wraps around the sides and is glued to the resin shell. There is a cutout here to accommodate the 0.78 mm pins the cable fits into, with a vent alongside for airflow to the drivers. The inner side is otherwise bare except for L/R markings to indicate the left and right channels. The side profile also shows a longer nozzle than average with a thick bore ~6.4 mm in diameter at the end, tapering down to ~6 mm where it meets the shells. This will be tough to fit into smaller ear canals! Note also the lack of any retaining notches at the end of the nozzle to help secure ear tips in place, but the tapered nozzle effectively works as one here anyway. There is no pre-installed metal filter either with Truthear using Knowles balanced armature damper plugs, or a version thereof, instead.


Fitting the different ear tips will require you to slightly stretch the inner bore to fit over the nozzle before pushing them in and going around to ensure they are not at an angle. This helps given the lack of a retaining notch as seen above, and I did not experience the ear tips working themselves loose thankfully. Seen above are each of the included size M silicone and foam ear tips installed on the Truthear Hexa. Try out the various tips and sizes, and keep in mind that both ear canals don't need to have the best seal with the same size or set, either.


Regardless of which tips you pick, the next step is to connect the cable by carefully identifying the matching channels and orienting the ear hooks around your ear when connecting the IEMs. Doing so is simple, as you just push the pins on the cable into the receptacle on the IEMs, and the recessed connectors in the shells help further by avoiding any unnecessary extension on the cables too. The black on black color scheme also keeps things clean here and makes for continuous aesthetic from the shells to your source. Speaking of which, now use the 3.5 mm TRS single-ended plug with the source of your choice. I know there are many who prefer using IEMs throughout, but I like to use over-ear headphones when sitting down and IEMs on the go. I paired the Truthear Hexa with many of the tested portable DAC/amps to date, and personally like the cleaner profile and handy EQ options of the Qudelix-5K.