Sivga SV023 vs Sennheiser HD660s Comparison Review

It has been a while since I compared two similar headphones together. These reviews bring a competitive but informative look into two products at similar price ranges. Hopefully, it will help you decide which one works best for you. Here we have one headphone that has been a staple for mid-fi dynamic open-backs, and one recently released headphone that I have been gushing over since I reviewed it. Those would be the Sennheiser HD660s and the Sivga SV023. Both of these headphones are very similar and occupy the same price range, so take a look at what each one has to offer.

What You Get

Look and Feel

These headphones couldn’t be more different when it comes to their build. Sivga’s wooden structure can’t really be compared, but Sennheisers full grille design is also a unique construction despite using more plastic parts. For comfort you may find that the earcups on the 660s are narrower than the SV023, but it doesn’t encompass that much more of your ear than Sennheiser’s headphone. However the pads are much softer on the SV023 and feel like a lighter fit overall.

Design 

Both headphones use dynamic drivers and an open-air principle. Considering driveability, both headphones will benifit strongly from an amplifier, but the SV023 is significantly more power hungry than the 660s at 300 Ohms.

Soundstage

When listening to both headphones back to back, it becomes clear that they are built to accomplish different styles of sound. For a while, the 660s was one of the most accurate and reliable headphones for its price. It buts heads with the Beyerdynamic DT1990s in terms of realism, but how does a headphone like the new Sivga SV023 hold up to a headphone like the 660s. Surprisingly quite well! Since its release, I have been loving listening to the SV203, particularly for its wide and engrossing soundstage. If this is Sivga’s answer to studio headphones I think they really succeed here, as the imaging comes into much more focus than the 660s. It’s wider and much more non-linear, but the 660s appear much more full due to how much frequency content is packed into such a tighter space. This tighter space might make it easier to easily decern what’s going on in the mix, but the SV023 just makes analyzing its spatial elements so much more enjoyable.

Low End

The bass on both headphones couldn’t be more different. Sennheiser’s 660s will feel a lot heavier in their tone, and altogether appears more full and solidified. Compared to the SV023, the 660s has a greater emphasis on its lows and pushes them forward in a more aggressive fashion. Sivga’s SV023 sits on its own end of the bass frequency spectrum, providing more even distribution throughout its response. It comes at you in more layers than the 660s, while keeping its deep texture and impact, although not as effectively as Sennheiser’s headphone.

Mids

While the 660s plays favorites in terms of its low-mids, the SV023 has a far more spacious reproduction of the midrange frequency spectrum. In terms of energy, I think both headphones are comparable, but the extension is much cleaner on Sivga’s model. The 660s has a ton of power in its midrange and presents its timbre with a thicker tonality, but the layers and details are much bigger of a highlight on the SV023.

Highs

You’ll definitely be able to feel more of the bite from the treble on the SV023, but if you’re looking for a flatter and more easy-going response, then the 660s will more than satisfy your needs. Although it has some peaks to it, the SV023 gives you more character in its treble, showcasing a stronger grip and light sparkle on its details. On the opposite end, the 660s brings you a much more laid-back, but uncompromissed look into the high frequencies.

Summary

While it is hard to debate Sennheiser’s quality, Sivga gives the 660s some great competition. I would say if you are looking for something wider, and less bassy than the 660s, the the SV023 is almost the perfect pick, but if you like that more full and engrossing sound signature, then the 660s will be more up your alley.

The Sennheiser HD660s and Sivga SV023 are available at Audio46.