[mbwilson111]

now I am really confused... K12?

 

[HungryPanda]

My K172 pro

 

[mbwilson111]

lol go to sleep!

wow.. weirdly there did used to be a K172...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKG-172-HD-High-Definition-Headphones/dp/B0028N78IE

 

[ferez]

The Thinksound On2 look very tempting at only $115 on Amazon, how do they compare to the 1More?

 

[mbwilson111]

The Thinksound On2 look very tempting at only $115 on Amazon, how do they compare to the 1More?

That is a good price! I am bad at comparisons because whenever I try to do them, I just get lost in the music for hours and forget to compare I think someone else will help... I love most of the headphones in my list... which are too many...

 

[Slater]

So I finally got my Sivga SV007 issue sorted out, and bottom line is I got a brand new pair.

I have to say, this is a very impressive sounding headphone. Looks good, impressive soundstage, and comfortable to wear (but I did have to loosen the clamp by bending the headband). The stock cable looks like something that came from a dollar store headphone, so I recommend changing that to something better.

Also, I wasn't completely sold with the sound of the fenestrated ear pads out of the box (ie perforated with holes). I mean, they are comfy and were a bit cooler than non-fenestrated ear pads. But the sound seems a bit thin and not full-bodied. The mids have a touch of hollowness that was a little off-putting.

I tried some normal pleather pads (ie not fenestrated), and boom the sound is very full-bodied, bass increased slightly, and the mids sounded much better. I may try out the stock pads again, but for now the regular pleather pads are staying.

Also, there was an odd distortion/vibration on the left side. I naturally assumed that the driver had some problem and the headphones were defective. To my surprise, when I pulled off the pads and looked, there was a small scrap of cotton tuning paper sitting on the driver diaphragm (in other words, the same tuning paper used to tune the vents on the rear of the driver). I lifted up the nylon mesh covering the driver, and carefully removed the debris with tweezers. All of the games of "Operation" I played as a kid finally paid off, as I had a steady hand and removed it perfectly without touching the fragile diaphragm! I then put everything back together and everything sounded perfect. So the lesson is to always check over your gear after receiving it. You never know what kind of QC issues you'll find!

Unfortunately my digital camera had a malfunction, and didn't record any of the photos to the memory card. So I have no photos of the paper debris, so you'll just have to use your imagination

If you have a chance to pick up a pair of these open-backed wooden beauties, do so!

 

[Roderick]

@Slater how are the highs on relation to mids? I't is a headphone with potent bass but is it more bass/mid centric than bass/highs style (v-shape).

I don't need more headphones but I always need more wooden headphones something leaning bit to dark side with good soundstage would be perfect.

 

[Pharmaboy]

So I finally got my Sivga SV007 issue sorted out, and bottom line is I got a brand new pair.

I have to say, this is a very impressive sounding headphone. Looks good, impressive soundstage, and comfortable to wear (but I did have to loosen the clamp by bending the headband). The stock cable looks like something that came from a dollar store headphone, so I recommend changing that to something better.

Also, I wasn't completely sold with the sound of the fenestrated ear pads out of the box (ie perforated with holes). I mean, they are comfy and were a bit cooler than non-fenestrated ear pads. But the sound seems a bit thin and not full-bodied. The mids have a touch of hollowness that was a little off-putting.

I tried some normal pleather pads (ie not fenestrated), and boom the sound is very full-bodied, bass increased slightly, and the mids sounded much better. I may try out the stock pads again, but for now the regular pleather pads are staying.

Also, there was an odd distortion/vibration on the left side. I naturally assumed that the driver had some problem and the headphones were defective. To my surprise, when I pulled off the pads and looked, there was a small scrap of cotton tuning paper sitting on the driver diaphragm (in other words, the same tuning paper used to tune the vents on the rear of the driver). I lifted up the nylon mesh covering the driver, and carefully removed the debris with tweezers. All of the games of "Operation" I played as a kid finally paid off, as I had a steady hand and removed it perfectly without touching the fragile diaphragm! I then put everything back together and everything sounded perfect. So the lesson is to always check over your gear after receiving it. You never know what kind of QC issues you'll find!

Unfortunately my digital camera had a malfunction, and didn't record any of the photos to the memory card. So I have no photos of the paper debris, so you'll just have to use your imagination

If you have a chance to pick up a pair of these open-backed wooden beauties, do so!

Terrific post! Ingenious (and shockingly simple) resolution to the distortion/vibration. The "tweezer mod" (!)

I've been interested in these headphones off & on for the past year, but kept getting put off by indifferent or negative comments. I don't recall any user posts about padrolling on these--which solid/pleathers did you use? HM5/ovals? Brainwavz rounds?

And here's my challenging question: you surely remember the sound of the heavily modded Akai...is this in that neighborhood? Not as good? Better? Because that modded Akai instantly became my SOTA inexpensive open-back checkpoint.

PS: game of Operation?

 

[Slater]

Terrific post! Ingenious (and shockingly simple) resolution to the distortion/vibration. The "tweezer mod" (!)

I've been interested in these headphones off & on for the past year, but kept getting put off by indifferent or negative comments. I don't recall any user posts about padrolling on these--which solid/pleathers did you use? HM5/ovals? Brainwavz rounds?

And here's my challenging question: you surely remember the sound of the heavily modded Akai...is this in that neighborhood? Not as good? Better? Because that modded Akai instantly became my SOTA inexpensive open-back checkpoint.

PS: game of Operation?

The pads I used were the LyxPro HAS-30 round pads, but HM5 oval pads also work. I am not done pad rolling, so I have not settled on the LyxPro HAS-30 pads. It was just what I threw on. I just changed those for the HM5 pleather oval pads, and got a nice improvement. I still have many more pads to try in more depth - HM5 hybrid oval pads, thinner round pleather pads, velour pads, Senitek fabrics, etc. I can say that they are very responsive to different pads - moreso than the average headphone.

As good as the SIVGAs sound, they definitely have modding potential - cup dampening, rear venting, front venting, driver tuning, pad rolling, etc. I have not really started any of that as I don't have time right now.

I did do a few quick mods that took less than 5 minutes:

1. Added magnets to the back of the stock drivers
2. Swapped pads
3. Different cable
4. The drivers are angled, but they are angled AWAY from the ear! If this was on purpose or a QC issue is unknown at this point. I did swap the drivers around so the angle is going the 'right' way (ie toward the ear not away from the ear). I like it much better the 'right' direction.

As far as the comparison with the Akai, it's been a while since I heard those. I don't remember them well enough to say with any certainty. However, I have been working on your new set, so I will be able to compare them with the SIVGAs in the coming weeks, and will let you know!

 

[Slater]

BTW, Operation is a Milton Bradley board game, where you remove plastic pieces through a tiny hole in a "patient" using tweezers. If the metal tweezers touch the sides of the hole (that is metal), a circuit is completed, causing an electrical buzzing effect and you lose your turn. The object is to remove the pieces without touching anything. It actually takes a decent amount of skill (and a steady hand), especially for a young child.

It's been around since at least the 80s, but I am not sure when it was originally released (and if it is even still around). Nowadays kids have video games, ipads, and phones. So I don't even know if the average kid even knows what a traditional board game is LOL!

Here's what it looks like:

 

[Slater]

@Slater how are the highs on relation to mids? I't is a headphone with potent bass but is it more bass/mid centric than bass/highs style (v-shape).

I don't need more headphones but I always need more wooden headphones something leaning bit to dark side with good soundstage would be perfect.

Be aware that I do NOT have the stock pads on at the moment (instead I have HM5 hybrid pleathers), so take the following impressions with a grain of salt.

I only have a few hours of head time, with only 1 album (Michael Jackson The Essential 2CD) plus a handful of EDM songs. I have not tried multiple genres, no frequency sweeps to understand where specific bumps and dips are, etc. But from what I have heard so far it is mid-centric, with an equal amount of bass. The treble is present and lively, but there is definitely less of it compared to the bass and mids. It would be an excellent choice for someone who is treble sensitive. There is no sibilance.

On a scale of 1-5, this is how the LEVEL of each band breaks down (with HM5 hybrid pleather pads):
3 sub bass
4 bass
4.5 mids
3 treble

Keep in mind that I have done little/no mods, so it is likely possible that it can be tuned a number of different ways.

I will provide updates this weekend with a more realistic scenario (ie stock pads, driver angle back the way it was stock, etc). I realize most people would run the headphone stock, so I don't want to confuse anyone who may be considering buying these or misrepresent anything.

 

[Roderick]

Thanks @Slater ! Now I'm really intrigued. If only I could get one for good price on eu. Ones on ae have been bit expensive.

 

[mbwilson111]

Thanks @Slater ! Now I'm really intrigued. If only I could get one for good price on eu. Ones on ae have been bit expensive.

One seller on ali has it for £74 with the mobile app. That is only a £8 more than i paid on amazon UK 14 months ago. Amazon UK seems to no longer have them.

 

[Slater]

Thanks @Slater ! Now I'm really intrigued. If only I could get one for good price on eu. Ones on ae have been bit expensive.

I don't know the cost of the Sivga in the EU, but JoyBuy has the Fildelio X2HR for $159. So if the Sivga is anywhere near that, I would get the Fildelio X2HR any day of the week. It's not that the Sivga is that bad, but rather that the Fidelio is that good!

For reference, I paid $70 for the Sivga, which I think is a fair price. It seems to hover around $70-$90.

Finally, be aware that there's multiple Sivgas - SV004, SV005, SV007, etc. They use different wood cups, but I do not know if they have the same drivers, the same sound tuning, etc. My understanding is the SV007 is the 'best' out of the various Sivgas, and it will come with walnut cups. If you find it with other cups, such as rosewood, ebony, etc, it is a different model designation (ie SV004) even if the item description lists it as SV007.

It is quite confusing, so just remember the SV007 is the open backed walnut wood one.

 

[Roderick]

One seller on ali has it for £74 with the mobile app. That is only a £8 more than i paid on amazon UK 14 months ago.

thanks! Maybe those could be my next month purchase. That might be a decent price. I allready enjoy msur n550 alot and if it is a upgrade I'm very happy.

Tonight I went from sony ma900-dx1000-hd800-n550. Msur's don't sound like bad $60 headphones in comparison. N550 is the best chi-fi headphone I've had.

I really need to find time and learn how to use my measurement rig for these kind of situations.