SIVGA Luan Review – Sound-Staging and Seperation at It’s Finest

For those seeking more than just a gaming headset, behold the Luan, a wired, open-back solution by SIVGA. If you are like me, you may not be familiar with this brand, as it seems relatively new to us in the US. However, for those looking to expand their horizons and those with a pre-powered amp solution, such as an audio interface, the Luan packs an unexpected punch at $299. It’s not perfect, and it may not integrate with any gaming software for us, Noisy Nerds. Still, the SIVGA Luan has me listening to music more often again due to its enriching audio experience. Let’s unpack that.

Comfort, Hardware, Build Quality, and More

The SIVGA Luan comes pre-loaded with 50mm dynamic open back drivers, which lie entirely over the ear with plenty of space, even for my big ears. In terms of weight, it weighs approximately 0.78 pounds, with the majority of the weight distributed around the ear. In this case, since the headset stays on your head due to an intense clamping pressure, the Luan feels like a memory foam pillow on your head with seemingly no feeling of pressure or pain over 8-hour sessions and beyond. Additionally, the headband serves as a very thin retaining strap in this case, as the rigid grip with plush padding absorbs all pressure points. It feels like almost nothing on my scalp, but it does a great job at messing up my hair, I’ll say that.

The frame and body continue to bring luxury with real metal and real wood on the earcups. In this case, SIVGA puts effort into matching luxury comfort with its look and feel, and both black and brown Luan color options are great choices.

The Luans carrying case, although well-made with a premium zipper and leather-like materials, is a bit of a hard miss, simply because it looks like a butt. I’m not sure who missed this, but this case is too awkward to carry around and is quite laughable.

Since the Luan is a wired-only option, the provided cable is also very short; any shorter, and I wouldn’t be able to route the wire to a desktop amplifier comfortably. It will never reach my PC back port, and not that I want to use my PC to power the Luan, but the cable length on a rigid, wire-only option seems cruel.

On the other hand, the cable is made with love and care, offering a strong, thin coiled braid with metal accents and a textile finish where the wires meet. It doesn’t go unnoticed. The downside to the split-left-and-right cable design of the Luan build, besides its lack of aesthetic, is that my sweatshirt or baggy warm clothing often gets caught when I turn my head, but this is a trade-off for performance. Having a dedicated wire for each channel can improve sound separation, amplification, and overall fidelity; however, this topic will be revisited later.

Other than that, the contents of the package are rather simple, providing a 3.5mm to .25” audio adapter and a nice pouch.

Performance, Sound Quality, Staging, and More

To start, the SIVGA Luan is generally a fantastic-sounding headset. With its open-back design and 50mm dynamic drivers, the soundstage presence takes center stage. When it comes to music, especially when listening to lossless-quality downloads, every sound, blip, and instrument stands out with a sense of direction. The panning of sounds between the earcups is distinct yet doesn’t muffle other directional effects.

Sound separation is crucial for us gamers, as it enables us to fully immerse ourselves in the game while also staying competitive, hearing enemy footsteps, and music cues. I can say that Luan not only reinvigorated my interest in listening to music during the day but also turned games that were otherwise stale back to life. Games like Arc Raiders sound cinematic, full, and engaging.

The form factor of the interior of the earcups plays a crucial role here, as it perfectly surrounds the ear within the padding, allowing sound to travel in and around the ear. This is necessary for top-tier surround sound, as Luan delivers tenfold in spatial sound and directionality.

When it comes to the lows, mids, and highs of the Luan, the bass can use a bit of help. In music genres that rely heavily on bass, such as hip-hop or EDM, the bass is often underrepresented. It could be a crossover issue, but sometimes the bass is missing. At other times, the bass kicks in cleanly with a deep punch that ties in nicely with the well-sounding mids and high range of the Luan. In this case, it seems the Luan is intentionally focused on distinct mids, highs, and sound clarity through directionality, while the bass supplements its strong suits. When the bass is present, it sounds reverberant and wet, but it lacks a bit of strength when pushed to its limits.

The Luan also has a low attack, where the sound almost has a natural delay or travel time, thus softening the tone for a warmer, richer experience.

Comparison

To keep it simple, we compared the popular Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pros, which are the default go-to in the wired open-back market. Although the Beyerdynamics have a much more powerful bass presence, the SIVGA Luan wins in terms of sound staging clarity and comfort. With the Luan, sound separation and instrument distinction are more noticeable, and it has a higher gain floor than the Beyerdynamics on the same hardware.

Suppose you prefer electronic music or heavier genres. In that case, you may be willing to spend double on the Beyerdynamics, but for $299, the Luan is a nicer set of headphones for most music listeners.

During this review, I did not use any software EQ; instead, I tested the audio directly off the HyperX Audio Interface and the Komplete Audio 6.

Conclusion

The SIVGA Luan is, overall, an excellent headset for those looking beyond the consumer market. Granted, in the wired-only, studio headphones space, the sky is the limit in terms of price, and at $299, the Luan is barely scratching the surface.

That’s not to say the Luan impresses with sound staging, dynamics, mids, and treble; above all else, this set of cans is a delight to wear, offering top-tier comfort. The plush earcups bring a smile to your face every time you put them on. The bass tones are lacking, but if you aren’t a basshead, the Luan is an excellent choice if comfort is your top priority.Truly standout comfort is what lifts this score, as it is an expensive item for most, but user subjectivity in sound taste can drive customers to opt for cheaper options.