--- title: "Sivga SV021 Pro Review: A Fun, Wooden Closed-Back for $179" description: "Sivga SV021 Pro review: the revised driver fixes the original's sibilance, but at $179 the isolation still leaks and the midrange still lags. 7.6/10." url: "https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-sv021-pro/" type: "article" section: "Headphones" author: "Bastien Beauchamp" published: "2026-06-10T00:00:00.000Z" tags: ["Dynamic Driver", "Closed-Back", "Sivga", "Budget", "Over-Ear"] product: "Sivga SV021 Pro" brand: "Sivga" score: 7.6 score_max: 10 verdict: "Recommended" --- > Markdown rendering of https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-sv021-pro/ > Canonical URL to cite: https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-sv021-pro/ > Generated from the published page. Text and links only; see the HTML for layout. Breadcrumb: [Home](https://theaudiostuff.com/) > [Reviews](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/) > [Headphones](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/headphones/) > Sivga SV021 Pro # 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. Sivga By [Bastien Beauchamp](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/bastien-beauchamp/) $179 Reviewed Jun 10, 2026 Checked Sep 2026 4 min read Score 7.6 out of 10 Recommended higher than 17% of everything we have tested Distribution of all 69 scores on the site, 6.5 to 9.3, median 8.1. This review is in the 7.5-8.0 band, which holds 14 of them. - **Standout**: Real wood earcups at $179 - **Watch out for**: Poor passive isolation - **Better alternative**: [Kiwi Ears Atheia](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/kiwi-ears-atheia/): leans more analytical, $170 more, scores 0.3 higher. [What the verdicts mean](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/#verdict-scale) Is it for you? - You want to listen for hours without being analysed at - You want more performance per dollar than most of its peers - You are listening for detail rather than for pleasure Tick anything that sounds like you. Read 4 min Watch 7 min Sivga SV021 Pro - reviewed by Bastien Beauchamp for The Audio Stuff. Score 7.6 out of 10, Recommended. Full review: https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-sv021-pro/ ## Tested by [Bastien Beauchamp](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/bastien-beauchamp/) On this chain [Denafrips Hermes 12th](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-hermes-12th/) Transport [HIFIMAN Serenade](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-serenade/) Amp / DAC Documented 2 photographs of this unit, taken here · a 7-minute video walkthrough · 3 specifications recorded · [listened on the same 2-component reference chain as every review here](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/#methodology-title) **How we test, and what we disclose** Scored on a single 0-10 scale anchored across the whole catalogue against the published [reference chain](https://theaudiostuff.com/#rig-title). Never sponsored - loaner units and affiliate links are disclosed and never change the verdict. [Full standards & disclosure](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/#methodology-title). Method standards: [ITU-R BS.1116-3 (opens in new tab)](https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BS.1116)[ITU-R BS.1770-4 (opens in new tab)](https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BS.1770)[EBU R 128 (opens in new tab)](https://tech.ebu.ch/publications/r128)[AES standards (AES17, AES-2-2012) (opens in new tab)](https://aes.org/standards/)[IEC 60318-4 (711 coupler) (opens in new tab)](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/1445)[Harman Target Curve research (opens in new tab)](https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=19436) Pick **#3 of 4** in our [Best Budget Headphones](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-budget-headphones/) guide, where 2 products rank above it. The first thing to say about the Sivga SV021 Pro is the price. At $179, this is a very affordable pair of headphones by hi-fi standards - and what makes that figure even more striking is that they are made out of wood. Wood is wonderful for the look, but it is also good for the sound, because it absorbs resonance. Many wooden headphones cost somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000, so we are talking about twenty times the price. For a wooden [closed-back](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/closed-back/) to land at $179 is, on its own, a remarkable deal. Let me keep expectations realistic on the sound, though. By strict hi-fi standards it is just OK, and it leans firmly to the fun side. But for the money, the value here is great, and the design and build quality are genuinely beautiful. ## Design & Build Quality: Wood You Want to Be Seen In **Strong point:** Very light at 289g, with breathable, comfortable materials The design is the headline. The wooden cups look fantastic, and the build quality backs up the looks. The materials feel good in the hand, the skin can breathe against the pads, and you are never ashamed to walk down the street wearing them. This is a headphone you want to be seen in. [![The Sivga SV021 Pro's wooden closed-back earcups, leather headband and soft pads, lit on a dark wooden surface](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/sivga-sv021-pro-wood-earcups-1152w.avif) (view larger)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/sivga-sv021-pro-wood-earcups-1536w.avif) *The wooden cups, leather headband, and soft pads.* The other standout is the weight. At just 289 grams, these are like nothing on your head - half the weight of my previous headphones. Combined with comfortable, breathable materials, they are easy to wear for hours, and they are a pleasure to travel with because you simply forget they are there. ## Technologies: A Six-Layer Copper-Aluminum Driver **Strong point:** Easy to drive at 106dB / 45 ohms - scales nicely with a dongle or amp The driver is built from six layers of black copper and aluminum alloy. Copper is not the lightest or most agile material, but the aluminum in the mix helps with speed. [Sensitivity](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/sensitivity/) is rated at 106dB and [impedance](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/impedance/) at 45 ohms, so they are fairly easy to drive. [![An exploded-view render of the Sivga SV021 Pro's dynamic driver, showing the magnet, voice coil and multi-layer diaphragm](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/sivga-sv021-pro-driver-1152w.avif) (view larger)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/sivga-sv021-pro-driver-1536w.avif) *An exploded view of the driver and its multi-layer diaphragm.* That said, I would still pair them with a small dongle to get better dynamics and agility out of that copper driver. If you have a dedicated headphone amplifier, all the better. ## Cable, Pads & Isolation: The Weak Spots **Watch out:** Included cable is a bit rigid, and there is no balanced connection The included cable is of OK quality, but it is a bit rigid, and there is no [balanced](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/balanced/) connection - for the price, that is fine. My one real critique is the foam in the pads. It is a touch too hard and maybe a little too thin, so [air](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#air) passes straight through. The foam should be a bit softer and more prominent, so it could mould perfectly to the shape of your skull. That would give both better sound isolation and greater comfort. As it stands, the SV021 Pro does not isolate well: walk through the city with them and you will hear the street around you. ## Sound Quality: A Muscle Car with a Heavy Frame **Strong point:** Fun, dynamic bass with real grit and excitement **Watch out:** High treble can still get a touch sibilant on trumpets and hard cymbal crashes The [bass](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#bass) is the star - very pleasant and fairly dynamic, with real grit and excitement. The [midrange](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#midrange), on the other hand, is [recessed](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#recessed). The treble is more complicated. Other reviewers have described the highs as fairly exaggerated, but in my listening the low and mid highs actually felt restrained and limited. It was only the high treble that came across as slightly hot: when a trumpet hits, or a heavy crash lands on the drums, you can hear some [sibilance](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/sibilance/). If these headphones were a car, they would be a Ford Mustang: a muscle car with bass and power on tap, but with a heavy frame. The acceleration is not the most refined. In the mids and the low highs, where most vocals and instruments live, there is some dynamic [punch](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#punch), but they are not as light and agile as the high-end headphones I am used to. That makes them great fun for electronic, pop, and hip hop - genuinely pleasant for general listening. With classical, acoustic folk, or jazz, though, you will sometimes feel like there is a sheet of silk draped over the speakers, softening the finer detail. ## The Revised Driver: Sibilance, Fixed **Strong point:** Revised driver smooths out the original's high-treble sibilance Sivga sent me a revised version of the driver alongside the original, reworked specifically to address that sibilance. After living with both, they sound largely the same - the driver itself does not seem to have changed much, and both keep that very natural, elegant, comfortable character. But the new version does seem better in the very high frequencies, with more naturalness and richness up top. It looks like they have fixed what some reviewers flagged on the original. I have been using the new pair daily for my travels, and they are really, really good. ## Verdict: Tremendous Value, Real Character At $179, the Sivga SV021 Pro is a tremendous value in terms of fun, style, and build quality. It is hard to beat at this price, even if it is not the most refined headphone for critical hi-fi listening. They sound proper, they behave well, and they have some grit in the bass that is perfect for the right kind of music. They are a joy to use on the go, because they look nice, they weigh almost nothing, and that exciting bass keeps things lively. If you are shopping on a budget and want a pair of headphones with real character, the SV021 Pro are a great value and plenty of fun - you will feel like there is nothing on your head. ## Sound signature How it sounds, by the numbers we use: auto-derived from the language used across the full review. Each axis runs from one descriptor to its opposite; the polygon's shape is the signature's fingerprint - pulled out toward whichever side the review's language leans, pulled in toward centre when it sits balanced. - Warm ↔ Bright Sits close to centre - Relaxed ↔ Analytical Leans relaxed - Polite ↔ Aggressive Leans aggressive - Lean ↔ Bass-heavy Neutral, no clear signal in the review language - Intimate ↔ Wide stage Neutral, no clear signal in the review language Never sure what "relaxed, aggressive" actually sounds like? This plays a short synthesised loop flat, then with those leanings dialled in, so you can hear the difference the words are describing. **It is an illustration of the vocabulary, not a recording of the SV021 Pro and not a measurement.** Not sure which signature suits you? [Find yours with a blind A/B test](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/sound-signature-finder/) ![Bastien Beauchamp, reviewer at The Audio Stuff](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/bastien-beauchamp-112w.avif) Reviewed by ## [Bastien Beauchamp](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/bastien-beauchamp/) Reviewer · on The Audio Stuff since April 2026 Bastien Beauchamp is an internationally awarded music and multimedia producer who converted into a hi-fi YouTube reviewer. He has a deep fascination for technology and its applications to music. [Everything by Bastien](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/bastien-beauchamp/) [Testing methodology](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/#methodology-title) [The Bast Audiophile (opens in new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQkHdZ46ndPm6g638lTXyQ) [Report a correction](https://theaudiostuff.com/contact/#report-correction) [Read next: buying guide Best Budget Headphones This one is pick #3 of 4 there. The guide is what sits above it, and why. Open the guide](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-budget-headphones/) 7.6 Sivga SV021 Pro Recommended [Read next: buying guide Best Budget Headphones](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-budget-headphones/) ## Pros - 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 ## Cons - 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 ## At a glance - **Price**: $179 Budget - **Type**: Dynamic Driver Closed-Back Over-Ear - **Score breakdown**: Sound 7.3 Technical performance 7.8 Build & comfort 7.6 System fit 7.8 Value 7.6 0.5 below the 8.1 average across all 30 headphones reviews. Derived from this review's own 10 pros and cons, weighted to the published rubric. [How a score is built](https://theaudiostuff.com/#rubric-title) - **Rank**: [#23 of 30 headphones by score - see the full ranked list](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/headphones/#top-rated) by score, of all headphones we've reviewed [Above Sivga Robin SV021 Score 7.8 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-robin-sv021/) [Below OneOdio Max 1 Score 7.0 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/oneodio-max-1/) - **Value**: Strong Above average for the price in headphones ## Specifications **Key specifications for the Sivga SV021 Pro** | | | | --- | --- | | Driver | Dynamic | | Impedance | 45 Ω | | Sensitivity | 106 dB | | Weight | 289 g | Manufacturer figures unless a measured value is noted. [See an error? Tell us.](https://theaudiostuff.com/contact/#report-correction) Calculator Will my amp drive these headphones? At most 56 mW to reach 110 dB peaks, which is most dongle DACs. This review's 45 Ω and a bare 106 dB, which could be dB/mW or dB/V. This is the hungrier of the two. [Reproduce this in the Headphone Power Calculator](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/headphone-power-calculator/) ## More from Sivga - [Robin SV021 Score 7.8 out of 10, Recommended](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-robin-sv021/) - [Luan Score 8.1 out of 10, Recommended](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-luan/) - [Anser Score 8.0 out of 10, Recommended](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-anser/) ## Watch the video review [Subscribe on YouTube (opens in new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/@TheAudioStuff) Prefer to read? The written review above is a complete text version - everything covered in the video is in the article. [Watch Sivga SV021 Pro Review - They Actually Fixed It! on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwVT7xG6szc) New gear lands on [@TheAudioStuff (opens in new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/@TheAudioStuff) first - every written review gets a video companion on the same chain. ## Common questions about the SV021 Pro 1. **Is the Sivga SV021 Pro worth it?** Yes, for the right listener - 7.6/10, Recommended, higher than 17% of everything we have tested, against a catalogue median of 8.1. On value it rates strong: above average for the price in headphones. Price: $179. 2. **Who should buy the Sivga SV021 Pro, and who should skip it?** Buy it if you want to listen for hours without being analysed at, and you want more performance per dollar than most of its peers. Skip it if you are listening for detail rather than for pleasure. 3. **What amplifier does the Sivga SV021 Pro need?** Impedance is 45 Ω. By the rule of eighths the amplifier feeding it wants an output impedance no higher than 5.6 Ω, otherwise the interaction between the two tilts the frequency response rather than simply making it quieter. Power is the separate question. At most 56 mW to reach 110 dB peaks, which is most dongle DACs. The review records 106 dB without saying against what, and the two conventions differ by a factor of 22 at this impedance - so that is the worst case, and the real figure is at or below it. [Work out the power in the headphone power calculator](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/headphone-power-calculator/) 4. **What else have you tested around the price of the Sivga SV021 Pro?** No head-to-head page for this one yet. The closest reference points we have scored in the same bracket: the OneOdio Max 1 at 7.0/10, the HIFIMAN HE-R9 at 6.9/10, and the Sivga Anser at 8.0/10. ## If you're interested in this [All 30 headphones reviews](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/headphones/) Closest alternatives - [![OneOdio Max 1 dynamic driver closed-back wireless headphones - related review (7.0/10 Mixed) linked from the Sivga SV021 Pro review](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/thumb/oneodio-max-1-headband-red-stitching-160.avif) OneOdio Max 1 scores 0.6 lower Scored 7.0 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/oneodio-max-1/) - [![HIFIMAN HE-R9 dynamic driver closed-back over-ear headphones - related review (6.9/10 Mixed) linked from the Sivga SV021 Pro review](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/thumb/hifiman-he-r9-full-headphone-160.avif) HIFIMAN HE-R9 $20 more, scores 0.7 lower Scored 6.9 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he-r9/) Step up - [![Sivga Robin SV021 dynamic driver closed-back over-ear headphones - related review (7.8/10 Recommended) linked from the Sivga SV021 Pro review](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/thumb/sivga-robin-sv021-wood-earcup-160.avif) Sivga Robin SV021 $30 less, scores 0.2 higher Scored 7.8 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/sivga-robin-sv021/) ## Featured in - [Best Budget Headphones #3 of 4 Ranked 3 of 4](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-budget-headphones/) - [Best Headphones Under $500 #11 of 12 Ranked 11 of 12](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-headphones-under-500/) ## Published around it - [Previous Meze 105 Silva Scored 8.7 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/meze-105-silva/) - [Next HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth Scored 8.5 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000-stealth/) ## Tools for this gear - [How good are my ears, really? EQ Ear Training Game](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/ear-training/)