[Steve from Hobart]

Wow. The opinions on these headphones (and other aspects of the listening process) are soooo divided. In the end I think I'll let my own ears decide.

 

[plmon]

Just got these in and had a listen. First impressions, pretty decent for a V-shaped closed back. I actually like their tonality a little better than the Meze 99 Classic, which has basically been my go-to recommendation for an easy-to-drive, fun-sounding closed back. There's a similar bass emphasis, but the midbass bump doesn't overwhelm as much imo, the Mezes were just a touch too strong there for my tastes.

Like the Mezes, the SV021 doesn't really sound too boomy or muddy in the mids and the timbre of vocals and instruments is not bad either. Meze had a bit of a weird "plastic" feeling to its treble, but the SV021 doesn't have any of that. Really the only issue I have in the tonality is the sibilance. It's not quite at the level of something like the DT990 but it's going in that direction and colors the midrange similarly. My ears got used to it, but I'm sure it probably sounds like an ice pick to people used to warmer headphones.

The other thing I don't like is the slightly weird imaging. The soundstage is not very wide, pretty average for a closed back. But parts of the music sound a bit distant while vocals are more forward, so it's like there's more empty space in the soundstage than there should be. Kind of reminds me of the Takstar Pro 82's imaging. Instrument separation and general positioning is decent, it's just the presentation is kind of unnatural to me.

Comfort and build-wise, it's a win for me. The wood cups are nice looking, the cable is better than average, and the adjustment has a very satisfying click to it. Surprisingly lighter than I expected and clamp force is mild, so easy to wear without fatigue. Pads feel plush (very similar to Takstar Pro 82 or Coolermaster MH751) and are decently roomy. Only con is the headband, I do get a hotspot in the center of my head.

My thoughts might change as I listen to it more, but atm I wouldn't feel bad recommending this as a cheaper alternative to the Meze 99 series. At least, if they keep with the $150 price point it seems to be going for right now.

EDIT: Also seems to me that they scale somewhat with amplification, the headphones have noticeably less dynamics when run off a phone vs JDS Labs Atom.

 

[xanlamin]

@plmon, how would you compare the SV021 with Avantone Planar?

 

[plmon]

@plmon, how would you compare the SV021 with Avantone Planar?

Much bassier and punchier, though the Avantone and many other planars have better bass texture. Avantone also handles transients and detail retrieval better. While the SV021 doesn't necessarily turn everything into a bloated mess, that bass boost does cover up finer details. Bass takes center stage here.

The SV021 midrange is a bit colored from that sibilance region, so male vocals sound a bit leaner and female vocals slightly sharp. The Avantone is more neutral and natural-sounding there, I rarely hear sibilance on the Avantone.

Treble on Avantone is quite smooth, due to it being a bit on the dark side. SV021 seems like it has some peaks that cause the sibilance. And it also pushes smaller details in the treble forward, similar to Beyerdynamic.

Soundstage-wise, the Avantone is a bit wider and the imaging is more naturally spaced. Separation and layering is better on the Avantone.

Overall, the Avantone is a much more balanced and natural sounding headphone. I would say it's also noticeably more resolving, even when taking into account the effects of the SV021's bass boost.

Comfort-wise, SV021 takes it. Though the Avantone has comfortable pads and good weight distribution, it still weighs around 500g.

 

[Mink]

Much bassier and punchier, though the Avantone and many other planars have better bass texture. Avantone also handles transients and detail retrieval better. While the SV021 doesn't necessarily turn everything into a bloated mess, that bass boost does cover up finer details. Bass takes center stage here.

The SV021 midrange is a bit colored from that sibilance region, so male vocals sound a bit leaner and female vocals slightly sharp. The Avantone is more neutral and natural-sounding there, I rarely hear sibilance on the Avantone.

Treble on Avantone is quite smooth, due to it being a bit on the dark side. SV021 seems like it has some peaks that cause the sibilance. And it also pushes smaller details in the treble forward, similar to Beyerdynamic.

Soundstage-wise, the Avantone is a bit wider and the imaging is more naturally spaced. Separation and layering is better on the Avantone.

Overall, the Avantone is a much more balanced and natural sounding headphone. I would say it's also noticeably more resolving, even when taking into account the effects of the SV021's bass boost.

Comfort-wise, SV021 takes it. Though the Avantone has comfortable pads and good weight distribution, it still weighs around 500g.

I agree on everything except soundstage width, the Sivgas sound much wider, well at least my pair does. Imaging and depth is clearly better on the Avantones though.
That said, I enjoy the Sivgas a lot. For sheer music enjoyment I prefer them over my 'neutral-ish' pairs of headphones, the HD650s and K550MKIIs. Neutral is overrated, LOL
I have come to the conclusion that 'neutral' to my ears isn't necessarily natural. Classical music for instance sounds more realistic with v-shaped pairs than flat ones.
The Avantones make the exception, they are the only pair with a neutral tonality that sounds truly musically engaging, I think it is because of their better than average soundstage.

 

[voicemaster]

Just got mine today and first impression is they sound a bit shrill on the treble, vocal sounds distant, bass has good punch and body. Then I ran my go to bass track to cook up the driver (with higher volume than normal listening), the shrillness has lessened and vocal doesn't sound so distant anymore. I don't find this headphone bassy at all, but it has a pretty nice thumpy bass and goes pretty deep too.
This headphone is very very comfortable and light. It is definitely lighter than my Sony Z7 and Oppo pm-3. It also doesn't clamp my head too much, but it is pretty secure in my head.
For a blind buy, this Sivga SV021 has exceeded my expectation so far. Will update on sound impression after I use this headphone longer.

 

[trellus]

 

[Lokiiami]

Maybe he got a bad set? He felt it's so mediocre he doesn't even want to review it

 

[plmon]

Maybe he got a bad set? He felt it's so mediocre he doesn't even want to review it

I don't think so. Now that I've listened to it longer and compared with more headphones, it definitely has an unusual coloration in the midrange. Crinacle puts quite a bit of weight on the tonality, this definitely wouldn't jive with him.

It's not too hard to get used to and it didn't bother me initially because while it's a weird tonality, it also kind of helps to integrate the elevated bass better. On the other hand, something like the Mezes don't have as much coloration in the mids and so don't sound as "thick" and are noticeably clearer there, while diverting more focus to the bass in exchange.

I still stand by my earlier comment that it's cheaper alternative to Meze, but I think how you receive that coloration will really be the deciding factor of whether you like these headphones compared to its competitors.

 

[Mink]

I have used them for the last month as my main and only pair and I enjoy them immensely, but there is something in the sound that gives away the cheaper price. I find it very difficult to put in words, but when I switched to the NightOwls it became immediately apparent. It is not the tonal balance - that I can get used to pretty quickly - but something I can only describe as dampening?
The sound isn't always grounded or solid, they lack tranquility and solidity at times. Similar to book shelve speakers that aren't ideally placed without stands, or are driven by an amp with too little power, the bass can get jumpy, the overall presentation a bit nervous. Mind you, this is only occasionally.

 

[voicemaster]

I have returned mine because I find there is something missing in the sound especially the vocal. The vocal/mid can sometimes sounds sucked in kinda like using an ANC tws. Also, the sound actually better when I pushed the headphone into my head making the driver sit closer to my ears. The sound become fuller and more forward. Otherwise, I love the build quality and the weight of it.

 

[zomvid]

.

 

[Mink]

Very interesting. I've read and heard people describe these as "smooth/laid back" and "non-fatiguing", but some others find them harsh and honky? Now crinacle hears harshness but not sibilance? Really weird. I actually do hear an emphasis on sibilance, it's not a deal breaker for me but it could be for people sensible to that range. This is the most polarizing headphone I've heard in a while. The reviews vary so much it's like people hear two completely different headphones, some hear wide soundstage, some don't? How can that be? I'm not discouraging people from buying these, I actually like them very much, but it's just very strange how reviews differ so much. Could it be a quality control issue?

I find their sound pretty upfront, with a wider than average soundstage, rather sibilant but not in a fatiguing way, "harsh" is not how I could ever describe them.
But objectively they are not smooth and if you are treble sensitive these headphones are not for you.

 

[voicemaster]

The best way is to try and hear it yourself. I bought mine from Amazon for that specific reason - to be able to return without any difficulties.

 

[wushuliu]

Just tried these out and not very impressed. The pads are almost too soft and therefore the sound changes with the slightest shift of the cups. Clamping force is minimal, which is too bad because the best presentation I got from the sivga was when I pressed the cups against my ears. Furthermore there was a drastic difference between having my glasses on or off, again I think because of how soft the pads are. Unfortunately the Sivgas sounded *worse* to me with my glasses off; muddy bass, peaky mids, and slightly muted but still kind of grating treble.

And this was using a hybrid tube headamp. I was able to change output impedance and surprisingly the Sivga sounded more refined and less 'fun' V-shape with the higher impedance.

It's a shame because they certainly are gorgeous and feel expensive.

I say just pony up the extra $60-70 and get the HD6XX and use an equalizer if you want more sizzle and call it a day.