Proving premium quality headphones don’t have to be expensive

While wireless headsets have taken over and can offer great sound, there are those who will argue that nothing beats a good wired headset. Unfortunately, Hi-Fi headphones with high-end sound are often rather expensive. Fortunately, there are some companies trying to bring high-end sound to users at a more affordable price. One of those is a company you may not have heard of but has been around since 2016: SIVGA.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Our SIVGA Robin review looks at one of the company’s lightweight Hi-Fi wired headphones with 50mm drivers, wooden cups, and an affordable price point compared to other offerings. Read on to find out why they easily earned an Editor’s Choice award here at Techaeris.

Specifications

The SIVGA Robin we reviewed has the following features and specifications (alternate SIVGA Oriole model also listed for comparison):

• The combination of wood and metal materials makes the design classic and fashionable
• Self-developed 50 mm dynamic driver for smooth sound and enduring listening
• Balanced three frequencies for deep and elastic bass, natural mid, bright and gorgeous highs
• Wearing is comfortable with zero pressure
• The wood housing is handmade with fine workmanship
• Woven detachable cable for durable quality

What’s in the box

• SIVGA Robin (SV021) Hi-Fi Wired Headphones
• Braided 3.5mm audio cable
• 6.3mm audio adapter
• Carrying bag

Design

I’ve reviewed a lot of headphones over the years, and I have to admit, unboxing the SIVGA Robin and seeing and feeling the premium-quality construction was most welcome. Not to say other headphones I’ve reviewed are poorly constructed, but there is a visual and tactile difference between synthetic and real leather, and the feeling of wood earcups instead of plastic ones was a nice change for once.

On that note, the headband and ear pads are covered in soft leather with memory foam underneath. The headband has a thin layer of memory foam across the entire bottom, but it’s more than enough for a comfortable fit. On the top side, white stitching helps add to the premium look.

The headband is attached to the earcups with the typical inverted “Y” piece, in this case, crafted from lightweight metal. Each end of the headband is capped off with the same metal and an R or L is engraved into the outside of each piece. I would have preferred this to be hidden on the inside of the headband, but that’s a minor design choice preference on my part. The top of the inverted “Y” is straight, and then the arms twist inward towards the earcups for a sleeker look. The headband slider offers 11 preset adjustments, each clicking into place when you move the earcups up and down into and out of the headband. Curiously enough, they fit on my larger man-sized head at the smallest setting so they may be loose on smaller head shapes.

According to the company, the ear cups are handcrafted with natural wood, so each headphone has a unique wood grain look. The surface is coated with piano paint, matte on the Robin and glossy on the Oriole, which not only gives the shell a sharper look but also further protects the wood. While the Robin has a round center component, the Oriole opts for a diamond shape. Both versions have the SIVGA logo laser engraved within them. While our review unit came in a darker brown colour wood with black leather, these headphones are also available in a lighter colour wood and tan leather. On the bottom of each earcup is a small gold plate jack for the included braided audio cable, or a cable of your choosing should you choose to upgrade that component. More on that in a minute.

As mentioned, the ear pads are also wrapped in a soft leather finish. They fit rather nicely over my ears, with plenty of padding for a nice comfortable — and sealed — fit. The earcups are also removable so they can be replaced should they wear out down the road.

The braided audio cable is as premium-looking and feeling as the headphones themselves. I love braided cables not only for the way they look but for the fact they rarely, if ever, kink or bunch up when unwound. The gold-plated 3.5mm jack on one end has a black metal sheath around it with the SIVGA logo printed around the top edge. After about five feet, the cable splits into thinner left and right cables about 16 inches long. Each end is capped with a smaller black metal sheath with an L or R on the side so you know which ear cup the 2.5mm gold-plated plug should go. SIVGA also included a larger 6.3mm (1/4″) audio adapter for use with amplifiers or stereos without a 3.5mm audio jack.

Finally, the company does include a canvas carrying pouch with the headphones. Roughly 8 1/2 inches wide and about 10 inches tall, the SIVGA Robin Hi-Fi headphones fit quite easily and nicely inside it. Once in the bag, a drawstring closes the top shut. Unfortunately, the material is quite thin and actually reminds me of a pair of pants you might wear in tropical climates. Even though it feels pretty sturdy, I’m not sold one what type of long term protection it might offer while tossed in a larger bag or backpack.

The combination of the leather headband, leather ear pads, natural wood ear cups, and metal components, the SIVGA Robin headphones not only look but also feel very high quality. Not only that, but they are very comfortable to wear, even after a few hours. The only thing I feel is missing from these headphones is an inline volume control with a multi-function button for playback control when connected to a smartphone or computer.

Sound Quality

With a closed-back over-ear design, the SIVGA Robin headphones have custom 50mm drivers. The frequency response is pretty wide as well, listed at between 20Hz and 20kHz, with an impedance of 32Ω. As for the customer drivers:

“The SIVGA team has developed this ultra-thin and flexible diaphragm in-house using polycarbonate (PC) and fiber materials. Its physical characteristics have ensured good dynamic performance and details. The sound is lush and natural when music is playing, and the background is clean when music is off.”

SIVGA website

When wearing the SIVGA Robin headphones and with the music turned on, you are really immersed in the music and can’t hear any outside noise with the balanced soundstage. I found 70% volume on my smartphone to be plenty enough, although I did crank it a bit for some peppier tunes. On a computer, however, 40% was about the same. Even at full volume, these headphones are crisp and clear, and there was no distortion on the lower or higher ends of the spectrum.

According to SIVGA, the Robin delivers “a lively, forward sound, ideal for rock, pop, and dance music,” while the Oriole delivers “a sound signature that is balanced and wide, ideal for classical and jazz music.” Given my music preferences, I found the sound quality from the Robin across rock, pop, dance, hip hop, and even classical and jazz music was nicely balanced with just the right amount of bass. Unlike some other headphones, I didn’t feel the need to play with any EQ settings on my phone, although doing so only further enhanced the soundstage based on the genre of music I was listening to.

I’m no audiophile and my hearing isn’t what it used to be the older I get, but the SIVGA Robin Hi-Fi headphones are easily one of the best-sounding headphones I’ve reviewed to date.

Price/Value

Premium-looking and sounding headphones can cost a pretty penny. I remember one of the first pairs of high-end headphones I reviewed here at Techaeris. Sure, they sounded great, but the price tag (at the time of launch) was a whopping $550. On that note, the SVIGA Robin has an MSRP of $149.99, while the Oriole costs a bit more with an MSRP of $199.99. Given the build and audio quality of the Robin, these are well worth the price if you’re looking for a set of new wired headphones.

Photo Gallery

Wrap-up

With the Robin (and Oriole) headphones, SVIGA proves that premium build quality and audiophile-level audio don’t have to be expensive. The SVIGA Robin headphones look great, are super comfortable, sound fantastic, and are easily worthy of an Editor’s Choice Award here at Techaeris.

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Last Updated on February 8, 2023.

SIVGA Robin (SV021)

$149+

Nailed it

• Premium build quality with natural wood, leather, and metal components
• Excellent sound quality with custom 50mm drivers
• Comfortable over extended periods of use
• Two variations available depending on your preferred music choices
• Design allows for audio cable to be replaced or upgraded
• Nice long braided cable
• Affordably priced

Needs work

• Thin canvas bag doesn’t offer much protection
• Inline volume/track control would be nice
• Fit on the larger side