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

Pick #3 of 4 in our 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 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.

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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 is rated at 106dB and impedance at 45 ohms, so they are fairly easy to drive.

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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 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 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 is the star - very pleasant and fairly dynamic, with real grit and excitement. The midrange, on the other hand, is 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.

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, 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.