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Negative reviews are fun to write, but it's easy to get carried away and miss the positives of a product. With this recalibrated mindset, I review the Sivga SV021 Pro. I don't like how these headphones sound, but if someone out there will like them, I hope they'll find all the information they need.
The Robin 2 has a 50mm dynamic driver, 45Ω impedance, 105 dB sensitivity, and weighs 275g. It comes in Beechwood or Zebrawood finish. For $179, I advise most people not to buy these headphones—they sound awful.
I think Sivga aimed for an aggressive mid-forward sound signature with elevations at 500Hz and 1kHz. By decreasing 1kHz by 9dB and 500Hz by 7dB, the sound became OK, but stock sound has an unholy amount of lower midrange elevation that ruins it. Some may find this transparent, but I find it drains body and weight from vocals and instruments, making them sound honky, boxy, and hollow.
I contacted Sivga for a second pair to rule out a faulty model, but both sounded identical. The lower midrange skews everything, masking bass and treble. With corrections, there's good sub bass and punchy mid bass, but stock sound is overwhelmed by mids. On tracks like Eryka Badu's "Other Side of the Game," bass is fuzzy, treble melds into overpowered midrange, and vocals sound thin and hollow.
Comfort is good: at 270g, no hot spots or pressure issues. They run a little warm but are well-built. Looks are subjective—I don't think they look great, but the bold finish choices deserve some credit. For $179, the FiiO FT1 ($165) offers much better sound, with detailed bass and good mids.
Should you buy it? Absolutely not, unless you love this insane sound profile or prioritize comfort over sound quality. The Sivga SV021 Pro is a wonder of woodwork but a tragedy of tuning.
