TRUTHEAR
The TRUTHEAR PURE had a strange assignment in 2025: follow the HEXA without trying to erase it. At just under $90, this 1DD+3BA set lands as a sidegrade to TRUTHEAR's benchmark HEXA, and reviewers kept hearing the same shift from the brand's usual target-adherent lane: more upper-bass and low-mid bloom, thicker note weight, and a calmer treble shelf than the HEXA. Not a sequel. Warm-neutral, denser through the low mids, and easier on listeners who found the HEXA lean or shouty. That's where the consensus locked in fastest. HEXA stays the brighter, leaner, more analytical reference in the sub-$100 lane, while PURE is the smoother sibling. What kept coming up instead was Sennheiser shorthand: HEXA mapped to HD600, PURE to HD650, with the kind of forward low-mid and upper-bass bloom that HD650 listeners will recognize. That tuning from Listener is also why electronic music showed up so often in positive coverage. Reviewers heard more body and low-mid fill than on the HEXA, but not the V-shaped shove of the Juzear x Z Reviews Defiant; against AFUL's $120 Explorer, the PURE landed closer to strict warm-neutral than a bass-heavy middle ground. Where the consensus really split was overall preference versus HEXA. Reviewers using the HEXA for editing or mixing still wanted its extra top-end clarity. People chasing a mellower, less fatiguing listen leaned toward the PURE instead. The honest read across reviews was that neither set wins outright. They occupy different lanes, and the choice depends on whether you want analytical or relaxed. Tip pairing is the other real fork in the road. Listener tuned around the stock wide-bore grey tips to preserve a specific treble dip, but some reviewers found those grating and preferred the stock narrow-bore black set. Another landed on Dunu Candy. So yes, this one rewards tip rolling. Across reviews, the hardware fixes were easy to spot. The silver-plated coaxial cable landed as a clear upgrade over the HEXA's tangle-prone lead, reviewers specifically called out the new lip on the nozzle because tips stayed put, and TRUTHEAR throws in a soft leather pocketable pouch plus three tip sets: wide-bore, narrow-bore, and foams. The only recurring gripe was cosmetic (white cable, black shells, like they were borrowed from different boxes). Fit shifts too. Reviewers converged on a thicker shell than the HEXA but a slimmer nozzle at about 5.6mm, and TRUTHEAR added a small lip on the PURE that the HEXA lacked, so tips stay seated. They treated that as an actual comfort change, not spec-sheet trivia. Reviewers also found the PURE easy to drive from a phone. A Topping E30/L30 II stack showed no downside in one test, but the broader read was simpler: no dedicated DAC or amp needed. What the PURE adds to the sub-$100 field is not another rung on the upgrade ladder. It shows TRUTHEAR understood the HEXA formula didn't need replacing, only a warmer second lane.
“If you are a little bit more sensitive towards the high end, this is a nice one.”Watch from 2:32
“Suffice to say that the Pure 100% found its own place in the market as a very, very well executed alternative to the Hexa.”Watch from 3:45
“The Pure, at least subjectively, is a bit more like an HD 550, just with the kind of forward low mid upper base bloom that you get from an HD 650.”Watch from 10:12
“I typically like electronic music and this seems to work quite well. Maybe you want a little bit more mid bass around 200 Hertz, ish, which this doesn't have.”Watch from 11:00
“I think overall, it did. Is this better than the HEXA? I don't know that it's better than the HEXA. In some ways, I think it's better. In some ways, I think it's worse.”Watch from 23:10
How well the PURE suits different use cases, based on expert reviews.
The Chi-Fi consensus places the TRUTHEAR PURE on the short list of sub-$100 sets worth recommending without caveats. At $89.99, this 1DD+3BA hybrid arrives with a silver-plated coaxial cable that reviewers flagged as a clear upgrade over the HEXA lead. TRUTHEAR also fixed the fit. A new nozzle lip keeps tips seated, and the box includes three tip sets (wide-bore, narrow-bore, foams) plus a leather pouch. Listener tuned the PURE for a warm-neutral profile that maps closer to an HD650 than an HD600. That thicker note weight is exactly what newer listeners need for long sessions. Phone-drivable, fatigue-light, and accessory-complete. It stands as a first IEM that does not require a second.
The TRUTHEAR PURE builds its long-session appeal through tuning more than ergonomics. Reviewers heard a warm-neutral signature with a calmer treble shelf and denser low mids, an HD650-style presentation that keeps upper-mid glare from accumulating over a workday. A new nozzle lip holds tips in place, and the silver-plated coaxial cable resists tangling. Three included tip sets (wide-bore grey, narrow-bore black, and foams) give you real options to dial in a seal. The shell itself runs chunky, making stability heavily dependent on tip choice. Listeners who land a good seal get hours without ear fatigue.
The TRUTHEAR PURE lands in the warm-neutral lane that office listening actually rewards. The Chi-Fi consensus reads it as the HD650 of the sub-$100 tier next to the HEXA's HD600, and that thicker low-mid body with a calmer treble shelf is exactly what keeps eight-hour desk sessions from grinding on the ears. The 1DD+3BA hybrid drives clean off a laptop or phone. No dedicated DAC required. The slimmer 5.6mm nozzle and added lip keep tips seated through a workday. Speech crispness gives up a half-step to leaner sets like the HEXA, but for music behind focus work at moderate volume, this is the low-fatigue pick at $89.
TRUTHEAR built the PURE for phones and dongles, not desktop stacks. Low impedance and high sensitivity mean a basic USB-C dongle drives this 1DD+3BA hybrid easily. While one reviewer tested it on a Topping E30/L30 II stack, the broader read was simpler: no dedicated DAC or amp is necessary. The warm-neutral tuning masks the artifacts of lossy streams and noisy commutes. The physical hardware matches that on-the-go intent. The silver-plated coaxial cable resists tangling in a bag, the soft leather pouch tucks into a pocket, and a new nozzle lip keeps tips seated during quick swaps. Commuters get a plug-and-play set that demands nothing more than a phone.
The TRUTHEAR PURE handles commuting duty as a calm, warm hybrid. That tuning actually plays to the use case. A smooth low-mid bloom and a calmer treble shelf mean less fatigue on long transit stretches. Reviewers flagged the new nozzle lip as a real improvement for keeping tips seated when pulling the IEMs from a bag. The soft silver-plated coaxial cable resists tangling. TRUTHEAR also includes a pocketable leather pouch alongside three tip sets. Because fit stability relies on tip choice rather than shell lock, commuters should grab the included foam tips to maintain a secure seal before catching the daily train.
