Sivga SV021 Pro Review: A Fun, Wooden Closed-Back for $179

A $179 wood-earcup closed-back with a fun, bass-forward sound. A revised driver fixes the original's treble sibilance, though isolation and midrange refinement still lag.

Verdict: Recommended - 7.6/10. Price: $179.

What's good

Real wood earcups at $179 - a look and feel that usually costs thousands

Beautiful design and genuinely solid build quality

Very light at 289g, with breathable, comfortable materials

Fun, dynamic bass with real grit and excitement

Easy to drive at 106dB / 45 ohms - scales nicely with a dongle or amp

Revised driver smooths out the original's high-treble sibilance

A great-looking, disappear-on-your-head travel headphone

Worth knowing

Poor passive isolation - you hear the street while you walk

Pads are too thin and too firm, letting air and noise leak through

Recessed midrange; vocals and low treble can sound compressed and rolled off

High treble can still get a touch sibilant on trumpets and hard cymbal crashes

Included cable is a bit rigid, and there is no balanced connection

Not refined enough for critical listening to classical, acoustic, or jazz

Read the full Sivga SV021 Pro review on The Audio Stuff