Sivga SV021 Robin Vs vs Soundmagic HP 1000 (150 USD vs 300 USD) – I like the thing Soundmagic has been doing with their headphones, but comparing the two feels slightly unfair to me, as HP1000 is much more expensive, and also goes for a widely different sonic presentation. The comfort is better on SV021, which is lighter, has deeper and softer earcups, and has less of a hotspot at the top of the head. The construction quality is better on HP1000, but it results in a higher weight. Both have slightly proprietary cables. Neither doesn’t come with balanced cables from the factory. The sonic signature is bright, brilliant, clean, detailed, wide and neutral. By comparison, SV021 sounds dark, but deeper, with more bass quantity, a deeper bass, a more dynamic sound, and with less focus on treble and a much more recessed midrange. Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), instrument and vocal tonality and timbre are leagues ahead on the 1AM2. If you are not listening to any other headphones, these can be enjoyable, but comparing the SV-21 to other options on the market leaves no space for it. Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), instrument and vocal tonality and timbre are leagues ahead on the 1AM2. Accidents, abuse, misuse, improper installation, problems with electrical power, acts of third parties.

Sivga Robin SV021 Review | Trusted Reviews

Collin at Sivga introduced the Robin SV021 to me as “neutral and balanced”. It is crystal clear that they are not and, in fact, they are far from being neutral, with a heavily V-shaped signature that sees an overpowering bass section counterbalanced by an aggressive treble area. This is all produced by a 50 mm dynamic driver made of polycarbonate and fibre. People like me and Zeos receive free review samples, once again, making it very easy to overlook the true value of something. Bassheads should likely pass on the Oriole, as the low-end isn’t tuned to brain-shaking levels. Instead, they exhibit a restrained demeanor, with a relatively flat mid-bass response. This tuning goes a long way in keeping the mid-range lean and controlled.

Comparison with competitors

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cellos/violins are better in every way on the Phoenix.

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

Combined with a light clamp pressure and an excellent headband angle, the Robin SV021 is a real winner for extended hours of usage without any fatigue whatsoever. During testing, I left the headphone on for roughly 10 hours one day and thought nothing of it. Spectacular comfort. Hey, gamers! Pay attention, this is a real winner for long gaming hours. You will love this set. In terms of treble, it is sparkly, airy, and well-extended. However, it can be slightly bright for some which can cause some slight sibilance.

Having said that line about no need to upgrade, you can alter the sound signature depending on what your amplifier or DAC of choice is. Many times, as a reviewer our time is at a premium. Especially if this is a hobby, which it is to the vast majority. That said, if you keep organized you can give initial impressions and then burn the unit in while other units are being reviewed. I always burn units in, whether called for or not. It is my philosophy that users want to hear how the unit sounds in a year’s time as well as brand new, should there be any change. Many manufacturers advocate burning their units in. Some do not. Sivga made no such charge, but after an initial listen the unit was put onto my Shanling M0 for 75+hrs straight of music. Personally, I did not hear much change, and would be averse to stating any changes did happen based upon my shortcomings. That said, the initial listen was favorable as was the burned in listening. Besides these elements, the ear-cup design is fairly simple. It’s not a circular, it’s not oval, it’s the shape of these two combined. Imagine if you had a circle and an oval shape that was overlapping it. This is how I’d describe it. Or, if I was not to complicate it, it’s an egg shape.

Sivga sv021 Review • Audiostance

Internals​The Robin are powered by a pair of 50mm dynamic drivers. Sivga designed the dynamic driver in-house with an ultra-thin diaphragm made of polycarbonate (PC) and fiber. Looking for clarity and energy? The Oriole deliver in spades. Those wanting a more lush and full sound signature will likely not gravitate to the Oriole’s personality. The SIVGA SV021 shows a slightly warmer than neutral midrange tonality with good level of headroom, clarity and airiness. The midrange sounds slightly recessed while the general resolution in this area is pretty high due to the pronounced upper midrange tuning. When I get new headphones or earphones, I always burn in the headphone for several hours. Burn-in or break-in is the process where I just let some music play through the headphone without actually listening to the headphone. This is a debatable topic or process, but I think burning in a headphone or earphone, especially dynamic drivers, is necessary. Let me tell you why. The ear-cups feature a flat surface one the upper outer part, and this is also where the “SIVGA” logo is carved out.

Workmanship and tactile feel

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), a lot more natural tonality/timbre, not recessed mids and not veiled on the Phoenix. Any item returned must be complete with all accessories, hardware, manuals, or instructions, and in the same "new" condition as when it was when shipped to you. Please send us photos or videos of it.

Sivga SV021 (Robin) Headphone Review: These - HIFI Trends

Their sound played well with the SV021, which benefited from their warmth and dynamics. They also curtailed the Sivga’s slight bit of peakiness in the upper mids, which to me is this headphone’s main weakness. The Robin is responsive to the nature of the amplifiers and DACs. I spent lots of time experimenting and I finally settled on the Topping E30 plus iFi Zen Can combo. The Oriole dip around 300 Hz and steadily climb until they hit a 2.5 kHz peak. The lower midrange is somewhat recessed, and the upper midrange jumps out. Unfortunately, this signature is a bit fatiguing at louder volumes, so the Oriole sound best at moderate volume.

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Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), a lot sharper on the SV021 while timbre and tonality are a lot better on the 1AM2. Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider on the SV021 but a lot deeper and holographic on the D1100. Imaging, separation and details are better on the SV021 but timbre is a lot better on the D1100. If you ask me, this is a result of lazy engineering and design. When it comes to designing a headphone for the masses (the consumer market), your aim as a designer is for the product to satisfy the greatest number of people. At first, if you don’t think about it at all, having ear-cups fixed at a 90˚ angle sounds like it wouldn’t cause any problems, but when you look at the human face anatomy, you realize that that doesn’t really work. Treble is quite aggressive as there are multiple peaks: I can point to at least two, one around 5 kHz and the second around 8 kHz (give or take). These two together make instruments quite harsh and fatiguing. Even though detail is fine, it ends up being lost due to the fact that highs are piercing and not quite pleasant to listen to. Extension is fine, with the upmost frequencies being possibly even too present. The mellow physical placement (a bit recessive) plays wonderfully well with the wider than tall staging feel. These traits combined make the headphone sound deeper than it actually is.