Fit and Comfort

Seen above is the Sivga Robin (SV021) 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 height adjustability of the headband and ear cups. This section is mostly a summary of the points expanded upon in more detail on the previous page, but I will also point out that the Robin weighs 295 g and certainly does not feel heavy on the head if properly positioned. It's not as comfortable as even some heavier headphones, and the headband without any horizontal swivel is primarily to blame here. Vertical swivel is plenty enough, but the thinner headband doesn't help, either. This is again where I would have preferred a better headband design. Clamping force seems adequate enough, at least on my average-sized head. The ear pads are also quite comfortable, so I can see why these are on many a recommendation list just for those. One issue I do have is that the ear-pad installation mechanism results in worse isolation than average closed-back headphones, and there is noise leakage from the tiny gaps not only between the ear pads and the ear cups, but the ear pads and your head. As such, those around you are likely to get a second-hand listen of whatever you are listening to, which nullifies one of the main advantages of closed-back headphones.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

Finally a change from all the planar magnetic headphones we have covered, as the Sivga Robin goes back to basics with a single dynamic driver. 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 come together to make for a set of headphones that are fairly easy to drive even from portable sources, with a relatively average 32 Ω mean impedance; however, with a 15% deviation over the frequency range owing to the likely non-linear impedance curve and above average sensitivity of 105 dB, which I am fairly certain is 105 dB/mW and not 105 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 them. This is also why the Robin is so popular, but keep in mind that powering headphones to a loud volume is not necessarily the same as driving them well. This is where the provided 1/4" adapter is handy for pairing it with more substantial desktop sources.

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.


We now get to use our new headphones test setup, which has a set of two custom in-ear microphones for the two channels. These microphones 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, which 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 did power the headphones using a dedicated source, the JDS Labs Element II.

This artificial head simulator feeds into a reference USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running and the headphones connected to the laptop through the sound card and/or a separate DAC/amp as needed. 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. Also, the default tuning was used for testing, and no app-based 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, so big thanks to him for that. Give him a subscription on his new YouTube channel if you like his work; the poor guy lost access to his immensely successful older channel recently.


As before, 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, as I have added new ones, 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. This idea came from a highly experienced reviewer on the Headphones.com review team, so I'll give Resolve due credit while recommending his work as well.

I can also commend Sivga for not holding back on the tuning with the Robin (SV021). It's unabashedly V-shaped and happens to be one of the better V-shaped implementations I have recently seen from closed-back headphones aiming for it. Yes, this might be my relative inexperience with closed-back headphones speaking here, but it doesn't take a genius to recognize that the mainstream audience being targeted here is going to want just that. A rising bass shelf starts at 500 Hz, which is typically deemed the cut-off point between the bass and mids in such a tuning, and we see a ~10 dB rise at 200 Hz holding steady below 500 Hz and all the way through the sub-bass. It's not an insane amount of bass, and there is clear method behind this tuning aiming to have some balance, too. This will result in good appreciation for several bass-heavy music genres, including EDM, house music, electronic rock, acoustic and jazz guitars, and classic rock, among others. But the limitations of the drivers are felt when you go from, say, heavy metal, where volume is king, to rock or jazz with drums and bass guitars alike. The Sivga Robin is unfortunately just not very resolving here, with a narrow dynamic range that fails to back up the slam it aims to put forth.

This V-shaped tuning also means mid-heads are not going find this set very appealing, with a short range for instruments that generally take a backseat to forward-facing vocals. Once again, I am left wanting more from the technical side of things, with instrument separation also suffering. Imaging is surprisingly good though, and the soundstage for a closed-back set is also wide enough. It comes off as an empty shell with little inside, however, so I would take this for watching movies and even listening to podcasts over gaming. Keep in mind that female vocals can be somewhat nasal-sounding and sibilant, so use it for podcasts with an asterisk next to it. This is reflected in the 1 kHz rise even above the Harman target that is arguably aggressive when it comes to a typical HRTF and the associated pinna gain, and this is also where I would EQ the tonality slightly for an otherwise impressive tuning based on expectations set forth by marketing claims. The dip at 500 Hz makes it t come off more "honky" by comparison.

The treble response is a set of mixed feelings for me. The tuning appears to push for an extended treble, with the measurements showing as much. However, what at first glance appears to be a smooth response without much in the way of sharp peaks or dips is more an artifact of aggressive damping, be it via filters or otherwise. It feels more like the treble response is veiled, which begins with the pinna gain compensation where it works out well and proceeds to get heavier down that road the higher in the frequency range you go. This again makes for a somewhat muffled sound with instruments, but everything feels like it's playing out with a barrier between the drivers and your ears. Needless to say, this is the weakest region for the Sivga Robin in my opinion, and ultimately makes the Robin good for bass, alright for mids, and just lacking in the treble response.


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 the time that has passed since, I will refrain from comparisons to headphones I no longer have solely based on my recollection. Shown above are instead two others I do have on hand, including the recently reviewed Meze 99 Neo and another recent Chinese release, the BLON B60 that will be reviewed soon. The Meze Neo is more expensive than the Sivga Robin at $199, whereas the BLON is only just higher in cost, and somehow both of those do worse than the less expensive Robin. This is true especially for tonality, but the Robin is somehow a more resolving set, too. The BLON B60 is arguably built better with similar wooden ear cups and has more fit options, but just look at that wonky low-end. The Meze 99 Neo on the other end is heavily overpriced and distorting, while also a plastic set with the 99 Classics that has the wood more than twice as much as the Sivga Robin. There are the likes of the AKG K371 and Shure SRH840 that may well be better for sound quality than either of these, but I have not tested them properly yet.