Sivga P-II Review

The Sivga P-II are a pair of planar magnetic headphones with a warm sound. While they’re large and non specially portable, they boast a audio signature that well-nigh volition relish.

Introduction

Recent years have seen an influx of Chinese audio brands looking to brand their mark in western markets, a grouping referred to every bit Chi-Fi (Chinese Hi-Fi).

Sivga is 1 of those brands, and with its range of headphones, it’s looking to mix high-quality craftmanship, innovative design and, above all else, “perfect sound”. The P-IIs are the second set of headphones from the company nosotros’ve looked at, a pair of open-backed, planar magnetic headphones that wait to fuse all the ingredients mentioned above at a cost that’s more than accommodating for those looking to trade upwardly from budget wired headphones.

Pattern

• Big and comfy earpads
• Slightly unusual looks
• Black walnut wood housing

There’s no getting past the fact that the P-2 are a big pair of over-ear headphones; just with that in mind, it’s also fair to say that they’re a comfortable pair to wear.

Despite weighing a non-so-insignificant 420g – 10g less than the similarly priced Brainwavz Alara from 2022 – the adaptable headband (a combination of stainless steel and loftier protein leather) spreads the weight beyond the caput well, while the grooved, indented ear cups apply pressure evenly across the contact area.

They warm up the ears slowly simply not uncomfortably so, and the space for your ears is generously large – those with smaller ears may feel swamped – and ensures there’southward no pinching against the earlobes or requirement to continue adjusting the fit. At least non at first: it took about twoscore minutes for the start signs of a fiddling cramp to announced.

The wood housing for the ear cups isn’t unusual for planar headphones, but there is a lot of it; the blackness walnut wood chosen for its acoustic backdrop. The metallic mesh on the outer ear cup does feel similar it clashes with the await of the woods, giving the P-2 a slightly unusual artful – merely in a striking way, rather than one that’due south off-putting. The ear cups can exist rotated to fold flat, and at that place’due south an odd-looking, fairly large carry example in which to stow them.

The open-backed pattern means sound filters through the membrane, then passers-by will likely get a sense of your musical tastes. Depending on whether you want anti-social looks fired at yous, that may be a reason
for
or
confronting
ownership these headphones.

Portability doesn’t appear to exist a role for which the P-II were conceived – the size, weight and open-backed design count confronting them, as does the lack of any in-line buttons on the cable. Nevertheless, the Sivga P-Two laissez passer the muster in the areas that matter near.

Features

• Open-backed design
• 1.6m cablevision
• Planar magnetic drivers

Similar the Robin SV021, there isn’t much ground to cover when it comes to features. You have the P-Ii’s employ of an ultra-nano planar magnetic driver that measures 97 x 76mm, with audio-visual holes punched into the construction to increment the flow of air through the drive unit of measurement to accept the effect of a wide, natural and transparent soundstage.

Impedance matches the SV01 at 32-ohms, inferring that these are headphones that don’t crave much amplification to drive them (a Lenovo laptop and Astell & Kern music player have worked well), while the frequency range is claimed to be 20Hz to 40KHz, suggesting the P-Ii tin can describe those high-frequency notes without breaking stride.

The one.6m braided cable features a 4.4mm balanced connector, but the headphones too come with 3.5mm adapter for more pint-sized (and common) connections. Fabricated from a 6N single crystalline copper dissonance, Sivga claims that it doesn’t add together whatsoever dissonance to the bespeak. Information technology tin can become tangled rather easily, which is e’er a pain.

Sound quality

• Warm, pleasing audio
• Slightly relaxed high frequencies
• Disciplined bass

The use of the blackness walnut wood gives the Sivga P-IIs a slightly warm tone, which, if you’re a planar magnetic fan, may suggest that these aren’t the snappiest sounding headphones – and the P-IIs aren’t. But that warm colour does add something unlike to what I’d normally expect from planar magnetic headphones, which I discover are usually a bit chilly and clinical in terms of tone. These headphones are not that.

They strike a skillful balance tonally; the soundstage is spacious, and they don’t hit y’all over the caput with bass. Low frequencies are weighty but measured, and that helps make for a smooth listening experience. Up top, the high frequencies have a relaxed feel, which again paints a picture of headphones with an easy-going vibe.

Those loftier-frequency notes could benefit from some more refinement, though. In Man or Animal from Nathan Johnson’s Nightmare Alley score, there’s a nice decay to the piano notes, which linger in the air later each note is played. Nonetheless, in that location’s also a lack of clarity to them – definition of these notes sounds a little flabby with the Lenovo laptop I’m using, and listening to the track again with an Earmen Eagle DAC brings about a difference in portraying those notes with more than dash.

A mind to Jorja Smith’southward Fond (24-bit/44.1kHz) shows the Sivga headphones have a good feel for vocals, presented front and eye, and preserved with plenty space to split from the instruments and background beats. Information technology’s a commitment that’s naturally smooth in tone, one that rings true for male vocals akin. This can exist heard with Corey King’s vocalisation in Takuya Kuroda’s Fade, the Sivga revealing detail alongside a warmth that avoids vocals sounding dry or clinical.

And they too avowal a good plow when it comes to energy, the percussion in No Good Deed from the Spider-Homo: No Way Home soundtrack drives the track forward with propulsion and weight. At their best there’s plenty of transparency and insight to their presentation – not class-leading, but these headphones entertain.

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