We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a rugged, wired DJ monitor headphone that isolates you from a loud room and survives real abuse, choose Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XBK; if you need a lightweight in-ear with a hybrid driver setup and a swappable cable for detailed listening, choose TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1.
• Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XBK — biggest strength: 40 mm dynamic drivers rated to handle up to 1,500 mW of input power, so they stay clean and distortion-free at loud volumes — exactly what a DJ booth demands.
• Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XBK — biggest trade-off: They're over-ear, 250 g, wired-only, with no active noise cancellation — just passive sound isolation from the earpads.
• TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1 — biggest strength: A 1DD+4BA hybrid setup with a three-way crossover, tuned close to the HARMAN curves for a warm, natural, detailed sound.
• TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1 — biggest trade-off: They're in-ear only, with no noise control at all, and their 14.8 ohm impedance means they lean on your source rather than on raw power handling.
• Pick the Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XBK if you mix, DJ, or monitor in noisy rooms and want one cable-locked pair that takes a beating.
• Pick the TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1 if you want pocketable, cable-swappable in-ears for critical listening, commuting, or long sessions where weight matters.
The ATH-PRO5XBK is built around one job: staying accurate when everything around you is loud. The newly developed 40 mm dynamic drivers are rated for a maximum input power of 1,500 mW, which is a serious number for a headphone in this class. In plain terms, that headroom means you can push these hard without the sound falling apart into distortion. If you've ever had a pair of headphones go crunchy the moment you nudged the gain, that's the problem this spec is designed to avoid. At 34 ohm impedance, they're also easy enough for a laptop, phone, or controller to drive without a dedicated amp.
The design language is unapologetically pro. A metal enclosure, over-ear fit, and soft, durable earpads that sit around the ear rather than pressing on it. That around-ear seal is where the sound isolation comes from — there's no active noise cancellation here, just the physical barrier of the pads. For a DJ cuing the next track over a booming PA, that passive isolation does more useful work than any ANC circuit would. Audio-Technica also includes two detachable locking cables — a 1.2 m–3.0 m coiled cable and a 1.2 m straight cable — plus a 6.3 mm screw-on adapter. The locking part matters: a cable that unplugs mid-set is a nightmare, and the coiled option gives you slack without dragging on the deck.
Who should buy it? Working DJs, bedroom producers tracking at volume, and anyone who wants one wired, durable pair that lives on a desk or in a gig bag. The 2-year limited end-user warranty backs up the pro positioning. Who should skip it? If you want something that disappears into a pocket, or you need active noise cancellation for a flight, this isn't that product. It's 250 g of metal and padding — comfortable for hours per the design, but still a full-size headphone.
The NOVA is the opposite philosophy: maximum acoustic engineering packed into something tiny. It's a hybrid in-ear running five drivers — one 10 mm dynamic driver handling the bass plus four balanced-armature drivers — split by a three-way crossover. The bass driver uses a polyurethane suspension composite liquid crystal dome diaphragm with a dual-cavity internal magnetic circuit built on an N52 magnet. That's a lot of spec for an in-ear, and the point of it is control: each driver only handles the range it's good at, so nothing gets muddled.
The tuning story is where the NOVA gets interesting. TRUTHEAR states it has slightly less bass gain than the HARMAN IE 2019 curve and tracks close to the high-frequency response of HARMAN OE 2013, with a design that lowers the Q value across the system. The practical result, per the manufacturer, is a warm, soft, clear, and natural sound rather than a bass-cannon signature. The frequency response spans 8 Hz to 40 kHz, so there's genuine extension at both ends. Sensitivity is listed at 123 dB with 14.8 ohm impedance — low impedance, high sensitivity, meaning they'll get loud off almost anything, though they'll also reveal whatever noise floor your source has.
The build is genuinely unusual. The cavity is DLP 3D printed by HeyGears using a medical-grade high-transparency resin, which lets TRUTHEAR mold complex acoustic waveguides into a lightweight, skin-friendly shell. The cable is a braided multi-core single-crystal copper design — 4 strands, 112 cores each, 448 cores total — and it connects via a versatile 0.78 mm 2-pin interface with an ear hook to set the angle. That interchangeable connection means you can swap cables later. A carrying case is included.
Who should buy it? Listeners who want detail and a natural tuning, people who wear in-ears for hours and want low weight, and anyone who likes the idea of a cable they can replace or upgrade. Who should skip it? If you need isolation in a genuinely loud environment or you want a single durable over-ear that survives being thrown in a bag, the NOVA's in-ear, no-noise-control design is the wrong tool.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for detailed critical listening → TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1. The 1DD+4BA three-way crossover is built to separate instruments cleanly.
• Best for loud-environment isolation → Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XBK. Passive over-ear isolation beats the NOVA's zero noise control.
• Best for portability and low weight → TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1. In-ear, with a carrying case, versus a 250 g full-size headphone.
• Best for cable flexibility → TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1. The 0.78 mm 2-pin interface is swappable; the ATH-PRO5XBK gives you two locking cables but no third-party swapping.
• Best for easy driving from weak sources → TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1. 14.8 ohm and 123 dB sensitivity gets loud off almost anything.
• Best for durability and warranty length → Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XBK. Metal enclosure and a 2-year limited end-user warranty versus 1 year.
• Best for bass extension by the numbers → TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1. The rated range reaches down to 8 Hz, though its tuning is deliberately restrained.
In my opinion, these two aren't really competing — they're built for different rooms. If your listening happens in a loud space and you need one wired, over-ear pair that takes power and abuse, I'd buy the Audio Technica ATH-PRO5XBK. The 1,500 mW rating, metal build, locking cables, and 2-year warranty make it the obvious pick for monitoring work.
But if you're listening critically, moving around, and want a natural, detailed tuning in something pocketable, I'd buy the TRUTHEAR NOVA Earphone 1. Its hybrid driver array, HARMAN-leaning tuning, and swappable cable are genuinely more interesting for everyday listening. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit — the page has a button for that.
FAQ
how to check headphones battery
how to check headphones battery on iphone
You can't, for these two, because there's no battery to report. iOS only shows battery levels for Bluetooth accessories, and both the ATH-PRO5XBK and the NOVA are strictly wired connections. Plug them into the 3.5 mm jack (or an adapter) and they just work.
how to check headphones
Check the fit first — the ATH-PRO5XBK is over-ear with soft pads that should seal around your ears for isolation, while the NOVA is in-ear with a rounded tip and an ear hook to set the angle. Then confirm your source: both use a 3.5 mm jack, and the ATH-PRO5XBK also ships with a 6.3 mm screw-on adapter for larger gear.
how to check headphones mic
Neither product lists a microphone in its specs, so don't expect one. The NOVA's control type is listed as media control via a wired touch controller, which handles playback rather than calls. If you need a mic, plan on using your device's own or a separate one.
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