I don't think that Sivga Audio requires any introduction here. The company is well-known for a bunch of really successful releases in different price tiers. The most recent one, named SV023 is a company's mid-segment offering for those who'd like to see an open-back design. Walnut cups of these cans hold 50 mm LCP composite diaphragm plated with Beryllium coating drivers, tuned to deliver natural sound.
As usual, I'd like to thank Sivga Audio for providing me with these headphones for review in exchange for my honest (but unavoidably subjective) opinion.
I won't go deep into unboxing and design, as photos and other reviews give a full impression about that aspects, I will focus on my subjective impressions.
The package and overall presentation are traditionally great. Besides headphones and cables, you'll get a nice leather storage case. It brings some unwanted associations to some people, but it leaves an impression of a luxurious accessory, not typical for the middle segment.
The same, actually, applies to headphones themselves. The main materials here are wood, metal, and leather, but despite that, they are pretty lightweight and comfortable in wearing. Weight distribution is great, and the softness of ear pads makes me think of some stupid metaphors involving angel wings and fairies' whispers. Ok, it's a bit of exaggeration, but wearing comfort is great for me (all heads are different, you know).
Headphones are open-back, and despite not leaking sound both ways as some fully opened models, they are still targeted for home usage in the comfort of your favorite armchair (or sofa, or yoga mat, or whatever you're going to use).
Stock cable deserves a separate mention. It's a 6N OCC, but I wanted to say a few words about ergonomics. If any other manufacturer representative will read this review (I doubt that, but who knows), please, look at how it should be done. No rubber insulation, no fabric coating, just nice and soft wires, braided into a comfortable cable with zero microphonics. Great plus here is a 4.4 jack, it makes the most sense for the full-size cans nowadays. And of course an adapter wire for those who don't have a source with Pentaconn.
But let's focus on the sound. And I can say that here I've got what I expected. I'm a big fan of single-dynamic driver systems. Of course, they can be lacking focus on micro-contrast, typical for planars, or, let's say, the airy and energetic treble of balanced armatures. But both in IEMs and full-size cans, it's a dynamic driver that sounds the most balanced and natural for me (subjective tastes warning, just in case).
In terms of bass, it's a step aside from the tuning that previous Sivga models typically showed. It's more neutral, with less accent. While it can disappoint some bass lovers, for me, the amount of lows here is close to my subjective perfection. Bass is deep, but at the same time, it doesn't try to overwhelm you with monumental lows, sounding more balanced. Subjectively, I'd say that it's a tuning more suiting "natural" instruments: reach with overtones, balancing weight and impact, not trying to sound super-fast (and dry) or super-weighty (and bloated). Textures are rendered nicely, with a subtle hint of extra saturation, but that extra works just as a faint spice in the overall balanced and well-controlled lows.
Mids continue this tuning, offering a good balance between neutrality and musicality. In general, the amount of detail these cans offers is pretty high, but at the same time, they deliver them without an excessive accent, avoiding too clinical or dry signature. Of course, the uncolored representation of SV023 sets pretty high requirements for the quality of record and source, but with a decent setup, you'll get a really good weight, dynamic, and emotions. The imaginary stage isn't the biggest one but still is above average both in width and depth, with proper layer separation and 3D positioning.
Treble has a bit of additional energy, but at the same time, it doesn't sound too sharp. Of course, these headphones aren't a perfect choice for those who want a super soft and "comfortable" sound, but to my ears, even with pretty sibilant tracks, SV023 doesn't sound overly bright. Treble has a good detalisation and above-average extension. Of course, it's lacking a bit of layering, typical for more expensive models, but it does a good job of saturating music with overtones. Treble attacks and decays sound natural, bringing joy to treble-fan like me.
Due to a pretty neutral character, headphones are responsive to source rolling. They preserve nuances of DAC/amp/player's representation pretty well and encourage a user to experiment with different elements of setup. They don't require tons of power, but the source should offer good control to allow these headphones to show their strong sides.
To summarise, I can say that SV023 is a really good offer. Of course, it's not a "one size fits all" option, they won't be the best choice for those who want some "fun" sound signature, but if you're looking for a neutral, but not dry headphones with a detailed, but enjoyable representation, it's a good option to consider.
As usual, I'd like to thank Sivga Audio for providing me with these headphones for review in exchange for my honest (but unavoidably subjective) opinion.
I won't go deep into unboxing and design, as photos and other reviews give a full impression about that aspects, I will focus on my subjective impressions.
The package and overall presentation are traditionally great. Besides headphones and cables, you'll get a nice leather storage case. It brings some unwanted associations to some people, but it leaves an impression of a luxurious accessory, not typical for the middle segment.
The same, actually, applies to headphones themselves. The main materials here are wood, metal, and leather, but despite that, they are pretty lightweight and comfortable in wearing. Weight distribution is great, and the softness of ear pads makes me think of some stupid metaphors involving angel wings and fairies' whispers. Ok, it's a bit of exaggeration, but wearing comfort is great for me (all heads are different, you know).
Headphones are open-back, and despite not leaking sound both ways as some fully opened models, they are still targeted for home usage in the comfort of your favorite armchair (or sofa, or yoga mat, or whatever you're going to use).
Stock cable deserves a separate mention. It's a 6N OCC, but I wanted to say a few words about ergonomics. If any other manufacturer representative will read this review (I doubt that, but who knows), please, look at how it should be done. No rubber insulation, no fabric coating, just nice and soft wires, braided into a comfortable cable with zero microphonics. Great plus here is a 4.4 jack, it makes the most sense for the full-size cans nowadays. And of course an adapter wire for those who don't have a source with Pentaconn.
But let's focus on the sound. And I can say that here I've got what I expected. I'm a big fan of single-dynamic driver systems. Of course, they can be lacking focus on micro-contrast, typical for planars, or, let's say, the airy and energetic treble of balanced armatures. But both in IEMs and full-size cans, it's a dynamic driver that sounds the most balanced and natural for me (subjective tastes warning, just in case).
In terms of bass, it's a step aside from the tuning that previous Sivga models typically showed. It's more neutral, with less accent. While it can disappoint some bass lovers, for me, the amount of lows here is close to my subjective perfection. Bass is deep, but at the same time, it doesn't try to overwhelm you with monumental lows, sounding more balanced. Subjectively, I'd say that it's a tuning more suiting "natural" instruments: reach with overtones, balancing weight and impact, not trying to sound super-fast (and dry) or super-weighty (and bloated). Textures are rendered nicely, with a subtle hint of extra saturation, but that extra works just as a faint spice in the overall balanced and well-controlled lows.
Mids continue this tuning, offering a good balance between neutrality and musicality. In general, the amount of detail these cans offers is pretty high, but at the same time, they deliver them without an excessive accent, avoiding too clinical or dry signature. Of course, the uncolored representation of SV023 sets pretty high requirements for the quality of record and source, but with a decent setup, you'll get a really good weight, dynamic, and emotions. The imaginary stage isn't the biggest one but still is above average both in width and depth, with proper layer separation and 3D positioning.
Treble has a bit of additional energy, but at the same time, it doesn't sound too sharp. Of course, these headphones aren't a perfect choice for those who want a super soft and "comfortable" sound, but to my ears, even with pretty sibilant tracks, SV023 doesn't sound overly bright. Treble has a good detalisation and above-average extension. Of course, it's lacking a bit of layering, typical for more expensive models, but it does a good job of saturating music with overtones. Treble attacks and decays sound natural, bringing joy to treble-fan like me.
Due to a pretty neutral character, headphones are responsive to source rolling. They preserve nuances of DAC/amp/player's representation pretty well and encourage a user to experiment with different elements of setup. They don't require tons of power, but the source should offer good control to allow these headphones to show their strong sides.
To summarise, I can say that SV023 is a really good offer. Of course, it's not a "one size fits all" option, they won't be the best choice for those who want some "fun" sound signature, but if you're looking for a neutral, but not dry headphones with a detailed, but enjoyable representation, it's a good option to consider.