Setting a New Standard – Sivga SV021 Closed Back Over Ear Headphones – Review

Sivga is a brand that seems to cater to both the casual listener and highly invested audiophile. These types of brands are quite interesting to me, as I can look at them through the lens of both a listener with refined taste and an audio nerd with obsessive ears. Today, we’ll be seeing if their new SV021 closed back over ears can impress either crowd at their $149 price point.  

If you want to watch my video review of the Sivga SV021, Click Here!

What’s in the Box

– SV021 Headphones

– Cable with 3.5 mm termination

– 3.5mm to 1/4” converter

– Drawstring fabric bag

Look and Feel

These definitely have you covered in the style and comfort departments. With their glossy, polished wooden ear cups and detachable, leather memory foam ear pads, the SV021 sport both vintage looks and a modern fit. These are also extremely light weight, so much so I was shocked when I found out they were made of real wood, as their weight felt closer to something plastic. Their looks definitely exceed their price point, so if you’re someone who likes to look rich on a budget, these are your golden ticket.

Design

These closed backs are made using a combination of wood and metal. They contain a custom 50 mm dynamic driver that utilizes a flexible polycarbonate/fiber diaphragm. These have an impedance of 32Ohms.

Soundstage

All I can say is wow. For a closed back headphone, these have an insane width almost unheard of at their price point. Even though they don’t have the must neutral frequency response, their extremely separated, realistic sound could make these a good choice for producers who want a spacial image of their mix. These often felt like a more purified, tamed ATH-M50x to me at times. The SV021’s extremely expansive sound gives them a showy, immersive sound that immediately lets you know they’re not messing around.

Lows

These have a clean, full-reaching low end sure to satiate your bassy appetite. The SV021’s wide soundstage allows its bass a lot of room to vibrate and perform, allowing it to build a rumbling foundation beneath each track. I never found the bass on these overwhelming, but it always felt like it was definitely getting to make its point thoroughly, both in terms of volume and depth. Sub frequencies are well represented and the rest of the spectrum on upwards is just as full bodied. If you like bass, these will not disappoint. If you don’t feel set on a ton of bass, the dynamic, balanced handling these keep on the lows will still be sure to impress you. 

Mids

The SV021 have a clearly warmed up low mid and fairly subdued high mid. These are not the headphones to go for if you want a stronger bite from your mid range, but they’re defined enough to not feel overly-dulled by their more dampened intensity. Overall, I found this mid range gave these a very cleansed, serene quality, smoothing out harsher sounds and adding some heightened fluidity to mixes. At times, I wanted a hint more high mid, which is rare for me since I almost always want less. Still, I’d personally rather a headphone be short a few decibels than overshooting the mark. 

Highs

I’ll warn you, these are quite bright. They’re not quite hissing, but definitely testing the limit at times. I adjusted to this brightness fairly quickly, but it’s clear these are eager to add a solid layer of shine, glitz, and glam to your music. For the less neurotic listener, the SV021’s extended highs paired with their deep bass and smooth mids will create a wonderful sense of clarity and refinement. For the more picky audiophile, this V-shaped response may feel a tad extreme at times, but will mostly perform with a ton of precision and detail despite its more intense cuts and boosts. 

Overall

For the price, the SV021 may be on to something major. This definitely competes with some of the classics in its price range such as the Audio Technica M50x, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, or Sennheiser HD 560s. The width, cleanliness, and clarity these offer far exceeded expectations, and paired with their luxurious looks, the SV021 could be your new go-to for a high quality listen. 

You can purchase the Sivga SV021 at Audio46