SIVGA SV021 PRO Review – Audio Identity Crisis

If you are an experienced music listener, audio engineer, gamer, or just someone who wears headsets all day, you might start to develop a taste for audio. A taste where you can hear imperfections, audio peaking, and poor quality, which, in turn, brings me to headset reviews. The SIVGA SV021 PRO is the big daddy of the original SV021’s, which brings aluminum drivers, whereas the original hosts a coated diaphragm. The company claims aluminum will cause poor bass tone, so they chose a more technical build process to avoid that, leaving the cost at $179.

Now, I care about audio, but after reviewing these cans, I don’t think the extra manufacturing steps and the increased cost of the SV021 PRO serve consumers as intended. Sure, the sound is subjective, but let’s discuss why this headset is a bit of a miss for most.

Build Quality, Hardware, Comfort, Materials, Etc.

The SIVGA SV021 PRO uses a 50mm aluminium diaphragm dynamic driver, nested behind a leatherette trimmed earpad with fabric cushions, and SIVGA, in my opinion, does a great job at offering unique, natural, simple, yet aesthetic options, such as wood and real metals, along with plush comfort.

Having said this, the SV021 PRO cushions are certainly not uncomfortable, but they are a bit hard-feeling on the head, contrary to how they feel to the touch. This could be due to the headset’s grip and weight being a bit bottom-heavy, given the extremely minimal, matching leatherette-and-fabric headband. The earcup exterior is also made of real wood, which nicely stands out as premium, with a solid feel and smooth finish, but it doesn’t make the headset feel too bottom-heavy, nor do the angle or size of the 3.5mm jacks in each ear. I understand this is for quality reasons, but for some reason, I feel like I have to wear this headset at a different angle than usual to keep the wires from pulling on my head, rubbing against my sweatshirt, or getting in the way. The wire, along with the bottom-heavy design just seems to make this headset a drag to wear.

The SV021 PRO is not uncomfortable due to padding issues, although the headband is a bit lacking in design or ergonomics, and the ear cushions could use a bit more fluff. The real problem lies in the maximum and minimum size of the headband’s retract system. The smallest size on the SV021 PRO is just way too big for my head, and my head isnt tiny. I’m 6ft tall with a fairly large head, and I cannot get this form-factor to sit nicely. My ears are always rubbing against the interior walls; the wire is always rubbing; the headband is at a 20-degree angle on my head; and the bottom of the cushions presses into my lower jaw to hold the SV021 on my temples. Everything is just off, and I feel strongly about it. I normally don’t rant that hard about this topic, but here we are.

On the other hand, the use of real metals, wood, and quality materials does not go unnoticed for someone who hates it when everything winds up plastic.

Sound Quality, Performance, Sound Tone, Subjective Discussion

If you want hard numbers or specs, you can read the product description, because let’s jump right into sound opinions. The SIVGA SV021 PRO delivers a very direct attack sound stage, with little reverb or delay, due to the closed-back build. After some open-back headset reviews on this channel, you forget how different the experience is and how sound directionality differs.

I can say firsthand that SIVGA wasn’t kidding when they said they removed most of the bass in this product, because in most music, unless very heavy, it is very lacking. Almost removed entirely from the sound presence, as the sound profile is heavily focused on an intimate, mid, and treble-based experience. Unless you are stuck on hearing vocals, listen only to soft, acoustic, or technical first music; the listening experience of the SV021 PRO is a bit too flat for my liking. The lack of low end is too present, leaving a very ear-piercing tone.

If you are only listening to perfect waveform audio tracks, mixing audio, or in a professional setting, most audio out there is somewhat compressed, so the sharp treble tone and “es” tones really come to the forefront. The SV021 PRO seems better suited as backup headphones in a studio environment, where listening for imperfections in vocals or finer noises is important; otherwise, this headset’s sound profile is a bit unpleasant in general music situations or gaming.

The SV021 is almost too loud or too sensitive to gain, unless it’s just the lack of bass damping the profile. Powered from the HyperX Audio Mixer and the Komplete Audio 6 Interface, the SV021 PRO provided way too much headroom for volume, almost blowing out my ears by accident with the attack of the treble sharpness, so just be careful. It is nice to have the versatility in gain when perfecting a mix or in a studio setting to say something positive. The solid-wood closed-back construction can also provide a natural, warm sound that is hard to recreate without direct organic material dampening.

I think SIVGA and the SV021 PROs continue to prove that the brand knows how to stay true to their warm sound profile by offering wooden options, regardless of cost. The construction, along with the wood provides a sense of live music or closeness to the source of sound, almost like you are a few feet away from the performance, and the vocals come through clearly and full of humanity when listening to music suited for SV021, such as jazz, acoustic, country, whereas EDM, Hip Hop, and even gaming can suffer.

Conclusion

I’ll wrap this up by saying there is good to be found in the SV021 PRO, but I feel a bit robbed of sound fidelity due to the lack of bass. SIVGA is upfront about its focus on vocal clarity and warmth, and if that’s your preference, you may enjoy it. But at $179, I expect a more complete listening experience, not one that feels this restrained in the low end.

I can’t ignore the comfort issues either. The fit feels off, the cups are bottom-heavy, and I constantly found myself adjusting the headband. The wire placement and sizing don’t help either. For this price, ergonomics should not be this distracting.

Then there’s the fatigue factor. The sharp treble and high sensitivity make the SV021 PRO more aggressive than I’d like. Compressed music, gaming audio, and everyday listening can quickly highlight that sharpness. It’s not terrible, but it’s not relaxing either.

For a studio environment, these could work as a secondary pair or a client headset. Beyond that, the sound profile is simply too specific, and the comfort too inconsistent, for me to recommend broadly. At this price, you’re paying as much for materials and aesthetics as you are for performance.