Fit and Comfort

Above is the Sivga Phoenix on a headphone stand that is actually a set of two artificial ears complete with soft-molded human ears and a couple of different adapters acting as the top of the head. This has been mounted on a tripod, which also showcases how headphones would look on a human head, with the artificial ears spaced ~20 cm apart. As with all headphones, getting a good fit and seal is crucial, so make sure to properly use the pivot points and headband and ear-cup height adjustability. This section is mostly a summary of the points expanded upon in more detail on the previous page. The Phoenix weighs 296 g without the cables and certainly does not feel heavy on the head if properly positioned. It's also one of the more comfortable set of headphones I have used, with the combination of the suspension headband, multiple swivel and pivot options, roomy and soft ear pads, and average clamping force working well together. The ear-pad installation mechanism is also less of an issue here than on the Sivga Robin because of the open-back design. Isolation is already not high on the list of features. In general, pretty much everything is a step up from the less-expensive Robin, including small things, such as the classic round ear pads over the oval pads of less width and the cable connectors facing away from your face and not resting on it. I still recommend using these in a quiet environment lest others around you get a second-hand listen, or the ambient environment affect your listening experience.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

This section was easy to write because I have covered this driver before with the Sivga Robin. Sivga is using a 50 mm dynamic transducer with an in-house developed polycarbonate and fiber diaphragm that is reportedly ultra-thin and flexible. The diaphragm composition was chosen with high elasticity for rapid back and forth movement in mind. Driving it is a 3 mm thick Nd-Fe-B (Neodymium-iron-boron, typical rare earth magnet with the Nd2Fe14B molecular formula) Sivga claims is high-performing, which means of high magnetic flux, and the diaphragm is paired with a CCAW (copper clad aluminium wire) voice coil. These all combine to make for a set of headphones that is fairly easy to drive even from portable sources, with a relatively average 32 Ω mean impedance; however, there's a 15% deviation over the frequency range owing to the likely non-linear impedance curve and ~average sensitivity of 103 dB, which I am fairly certain is 103 dB/mW and not 103 dB/V. Pretty much any portable DAC/amp will be fine thus, as will 3.5 mm outputs from your phone, PC, or laptop, at least in terms of driving it. This makes the Phoenix effectively no different from the Robin for source requirements, and Sivga markets the Phoenix as a set of headphones you can get to loud volumes quite easily. But keep in mind that having enough power on tap to crank up the volume is not necessarily the same as driving them well, which is where the provided 1/4" adapter for pairing it with more substantial desktop sources comes in handy.

Frequency Response Measurement and Listening

I will mention that I have a general preference for a warm-neutral signature emphasizing a slightly elevated bass and smooth treble range with detailed mids and good tonal separation. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, with favored genres including jazz and classical music.


Our current headphones test setup uses a set of two custom in-ear microphones for the two channels. These microphones which closely adhere to the IEC711 class, but have been tweaked to be more reliable in the >10 kHz frequency range that was the issue with my previous setup that is still very good and will continue to be used for IEMs and earphones. Two soft silicone pinnae are installed on the sides, separated by a distance matching my head, and multiple "height" adapters have been 3D-printed for further customization based on fit and head size and shape. Each set of microphones has an XLR output I separately adapted to 3.5 mm. I used a transparent source—the JDS Labs Element II—for measurements after confirming it was not a bottleneck in any way.

This artificial head simulator feeds the microphone lines into a reference USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, account for floor noise, and finally test the frequency response of each channel separately. Octave smoothing is at the 1/12th setting, which nets a good balance of detail and noise not being identified as useful data. The default tuning was used for testing, and no app or program-based EQ settings were chosen unless specifically mentioned. Each sample of interest is tested thrice with separate mounts to account for any fit issues, and an average is taken of the three individual measurements for statistical accuracy. The raw data is then compensated based on a custom curve created after having worked with Crinacle from In-Ear Fidelity to get measurements with this setup on par with a GRAS 043AG industry-standard measurement rig, especially by accounting for the slightly different pinna gain compared to the KEMAR anthrophometric pinna there.


As per usual, you can find my headphone frequency response measurements on VSG.squig.link, along with all the earphone measurements. Scroll to the bottom and choose different targets there, including two from Harman Kardon developed after years of R&D. The Harman 2018 over-ear target in particular is a reference curve many headphone makers aim for now, but I find it too bass-boosted. As such, I am opting for the Harman 2018 curve with the bass target from the Harman 2013 curve, which is what is being referred to as the "Harman Combined" target there.

Sivga describes the sound signature of the Phoenix as equalized in the lows, mids, and highs, with layering and a clean background for a natural sound. It also markets the bass as flexible, whatever that means, with a wide soundstage and "fresh + gorgeous" treble. That's a lot of colorful language for what is otherwise a pleasant listening experience more often than not. I was quite surprised by the bass response in particular, thinking the same drivers that had the clear V-shape tuning in the Sivga Robin would be an extremely warm set without much detail. The warm tuning is still there, but it is much better implemented. There is not much in the way of SPL drop off in the sub-bass, akin to what I would expect with a more expensive planar set. So while this is still not a set I'd use for purely sub-bass head-thumping music from your favorite house DJ or trance and electronic artist, it is still energetic enough to appeal to bassheads who want an open-back set to accompany their favorite V-shape-tuned closed-back. The Sivga Phoenix does this with a pre-set EQ, and it works well without any perceived distortion while maintaining good detail throughout the mid bass. Bass dynamics are appreciable, although I would have liked more dynamic range to better distinguish the attacking notes. On the flip-side, there wasn't much room left for a bigger EQ boost, so keep that in mind.

The warmer tuning extends fully into the lower mids, which will be a love-or-hate affair depending on how you prefer your male vocals. They are front and center, but pronounced to where instruments take a back seat. This is made worse by the relatively weaker macro contrast. As such, instrument separation is harder to pull off successfully. On the flip side, this is now a comfortable set that is very good for many podcasts and general media consumption, and I can almost visualize someone relishing a typical explosion-filled Michael Bay movie with these. Imaging is fairly accurate in the front and gets progressively worse the closer to the ears, so it's not a set for FPS gaming as much as a relaxing tune in AoE:2. There is a general SPL recession into the mids proper, but it isn't perceived until female vocals come in and you realize they are actually more in the background than anything else. The upper mids are thus where EQ is an absolute must for anyone listening to female vocals, be it with modern pop music or even something more niche, such as babymetal. As expected, the soundstage is quite wide, and there is a clear sense of space, which I appreciate.

While timbre is excellent across the board courtesy the 50 mm dynamic driver, treble response would have again benefited from some work. It's not as bad as the frequency response measurements above make it seem, but the Phoenix can get a touch hot from 4–5 kHz, where several instrument fundamental frequencies are placed. In fact, it can seem harsher because of the recessed pinna gain region here, which has the aforementioned EQ boost work double duty. Here too I could feel the effect of some aggressive damping, which made the treble response rougher than it might seem. However, it's still detailed and with enough energy for most users, and I still had a good time listening to orchestral music with the caveat of poor layering of the same or similar instruments. For example, string instruments as a whole seemed to blend together more than I'd like. Piano keys were another case I likely would not use the Phoenix for exclusively; however, the Phoenix is a generally decent set here.


The obvious comparison would be with the newer Sivga Robin using the same filters, but the two complement each other and take more of your money rather than competing for the same pile of cash. A/B comparing the two was quite something, especially as the listening experiences are so different. I would have been hard pressed to say the drivers are identical! But I generally prefer the Phoenix for its more balanced tuning and detail retrieval, with the Robin handling the upper mids better and losing out pretty much everywhere else, including with a richer set of accessories, actual carry case, better planned and executed design, more comfortable usage, and arguably cooler aesthetics, too.


When I moved from the US to the UK, I got rid of a significant chunk of my personal audio collection, including a couple of beyerdynamics, Audio-Technicas, and Sennheisers. As such, and given some time has passed since, I will refrain from comparisons to headphones I no longer have solely based on my recollection. Shown above are instead three other open-back headphones in the same price range as the Sivga Phoenix I do have on hand, including the recently reviewed HarmonicDyne Zeus, Philps Fidelio X3 and extremely popular Sennheiser HD 6XX/650. Notice what I meant about the Sivga Phoenix having a far more established bass response for an open-back set? The measurements here provide credence to that statement. The Zeus is actually an even warmer set that goes further down the "fun tuning" road without being challenging in technical performance, especially when it comes to balancing out said fun with associated distortion and poor detail. It does get better accessories and can easily compete on aesthetics, so for some people, it might be the more lucrative purchase. Forget about the even newer HarmonicDyne Poseidon as that set just is not worth the money. The Fidelio X3 is brighter than anything else here, and this one-trick pony hurt the adoption of the Philips to where the company had to put it on a massive discount for it to sell again. However, it is the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX that is the real dark horse in more ways than one. Technical performance is slightly in favor of the Sivga Phoenix, and for most, the bass and treble tuning is better executed on the Phoenix if looking for headphones in this price range. But none of the others in this comparison can even come close to the Sennheiser HD 6XX (same as the HD 650) when it comes to representing vocals and instruments properly in the mids, and a case can be made for having both the Phoenix and HD 6XX.