Disclaimer:

Good morning, readers! Today, we have in our hands the brand new Sivga Peng, headphones with exceptional build quality and a detail that initially escaped me and made me feel like I’d made a mistake. These headphones have an impedance of 340 ohms. This is madness for the average listener, and I can relate to that. It takes a nuclear power plant to drive them adequately and give the drivers dynamics.

Luckily, among the many DACs (not professional ones) I own, I only have three that can somehow drive them at decent levels. The first is the Creative SoundBlaster X5, which theoretically handles up to 600 ohms. These headphones aren’t aimed at fun, but rather at being extremely analytical, serious, detailed, and clean. They’re not for everyone’s budget, but what I can tell you is that the build quality alone is far superior to many HiFiMan headphones.

Tech Specs:

• Driver: 50mm Dynamic Driver.
• Impedance: 340Ω±15%.
• Frequency Response Range: 20Hz~40kHz.
• Sensitivity: 102dB±3dB.
• Weight: 341grams.

Packaging:

The Sivga Peng’s packaging isn’t the most luxurious or elaborate, but it’s certainly very sturdy and basic. To be honest, it feels like a product geared more toward the Asian market than the European one. I don’t think that’s a problem.

The package is quite generous for this type of high-quality product:

• Hard leatherette case (I think I’ve seen something similar for nearly $50 alone)
• Excellently made balanced cable + 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter
• 6.35mm adapter
• Cable pouch

The standard package is more than decent; the case is truly as beautiful as the headphones. I don’t think I saw the manual or warranty card. Could that be an oversight? Never mind, I’ll live anyway.

Design/Build Quality:

Sivga’s expertise is visible and tangible here. The materials used are all high-quality, as is only right for the price. I’m not criticizing HIFIMAN, but some of their products are expensive and of highly questionable quality. I’m 100% convinced of the quality here. The product’s solidity is evident as soon as you touch it. It’s true that the excessive weight might be a drawback for some, but if that means having wood, metal, and leather, then I’m totally in favor. The earcup faceplates are made of premium African zebrawood wooden earcups, while the main frame is CNC-machined aluminum alloy. The earcups are soft, with a unique design that makes them very comfortable; leather on the outside and a more breathable fabric on the inside. The ultra-thin headband features a non-stretchy, slightly padded lambskin headband with a wide profile that distributes the Sivga Peng’s weight well.

The metal connectors are very sturdy, which is a good thing, because plastic ones clash with similar products. The earcups have large vents at the top that give them a hint of open-back sound. The included cable, a high-purity 6N OCC cable, is excellent—thin but adequate.

Fit & Comfort:

For me, all headphones are challenging because of the heat they generate on my ears. It’s difficult to talk about comfort, especially in the summer, but I have to say that despite everything, they’ve been very comfortable on rainy days (yes, it’s raining now, and it’s about 25 degrees Celsius with a light breeze). The weight, though significant, is well distributed, and I don’t feel any particular pressure. They’re very comfortable.

Initial Sound Impressions:

I’ll tell you exactly what happened because I was convinced something wasn’t working. As I mentioned, I hadn’t noticed their extremely high impedance, and when I read it, I thought it was a typo. But the moment I connected it to the Fosi Audio K7, I was hugely disappointed. The Fosi Audio seemed broken, half dead, and I had to crank the volume all the way up, but it still couldn’t reproduce bass. It took me a while to realize that above 300 ohms, the Fosi Audio was giving up. Having established my mistake, I searched my repertoire for the only DACs rated up to 600 ohms, namely the two Creative DACs. Despite being powered only by USB, they’re real beasts at this point. I picked up the Creative Soundblaster X5 and G8, and finally, we have power and control. Beyond all expectations, the Soundblaster X5 doesn’t seem shaken by the workload, and even at 1/4 volume, it delivers the full dynamics of the driver. Fantastic!

As I had guessed, the Sivga Peng aims for a clean, warm yet detailed sound with that analytical, non-fun feel that characterizes Kefine products. Don’t expect a Kefine Quatio, but something more neutral with a warm touch. These aren’t headphones I’d listen to house or D&B with, but if you listen to jazz, blues, or R&B, you’ll enjoy them.

Equipment used for the testing above:

Device:

• Mac Mini 2012

Software:

• Amazon Music UHD 24bit 96kHz 

Dac:

• Fiio KA17 (best portable option)
• Creative SoundBlaster X5 (Best Balanced I own)
• Creative SoundBlaster G8 (Best single-ended I own)

I didn’t have many options or choices; the only ones capable of piloting them in my collection are these little beasts. I’d definitely need something even more powerful in the future.

Final sound impressions:

I always have the doubt that if I had an even more powerful amplifier, it would be even better. With 340 ohms, unfortunately, the doubt remains. However, with the Creative SoundBlaster X5, they seem to sound full and rich. As in my first impressions, I can say that they have a warm base but a very natural and analytical tone. Perhaps not as natural as some expect, but in any case, the tuning is not too distorted. What my ears hear is a very harmonious and smooth sound with excellent attention to the mids. The bass does not focus on quantity but rather on quality and naturalness (personally, I would have liked a little more), and the treble, on the other hand, is not at all fatiguing. They are not the kind of headphones I would use for listening to electronic, house, or techno music because I think they do better with R&B, soul, jazz, and some pop.

Treble

The Sivga Peng driver delivers remarkable clarity, even though the treble doesn’t reach very high peaks. I must say that the chosen tuning is very pleasant and smooth, not fatiguing, and there are no harsh sounds. In any case, the presence of air is guaranteed; despite their closed-back nature, they have sizable ventilation holes that make them very airy at times. Macro and micro details stand out easily in the mix. The separation of the various frequencies is also excellent.

Mids

The attention to detail in the mids is remarkable. The way the vocals stand out is truly surprising in many ways. The bass enriches the depth of the vocals, giving them body, while the treble gives them excellent clarity. The mids are positioned quite forward in the mix. Perhaps they lack a little energy due to the choice of a warm base. I can’t say, however, whether the problem lies in the insufficient driving power of my Creative X5. I think this is a case where headphones are very sensitive to the source.

Bass

The bass, when you find something powerful enough to drive it, comes through forcefully, the Sivga Peng. I wouldn’t call them bass-heads, but they definitely have a strong and decisive bass presence. It’s not the kind of bass that’s forced or overly emphasized; on the contrary, I find it very natural, but it gives the tuning a warm color, giving body to the tracks. The bass also contributes to the soundstage and the perception of space. Despite being a more intimate headphone, on some occasions, you can appreciate its depth.

Soundstage & Imaging:

I think the best premise here is that there may be some variations depending on your source. As I’ve said, I still have some doubts about the power capability of my DAC/AMP. The soundstage isn’t enormous, but rather intimate, except in a few cases where the track is particularly punchy. What’s surprising is the dense yet precise layering; its strength is precision and separation (except on complex or overly fast tracks). But the fact that I sense some issues could also be due to my amplifier, which can’t keep up with the headphones on complex tracks that require power to keep the driver clean. For example, with the Fosi K7, certain tracks were a real mess, and the bass was completely missing.

Fast Comparison:

Vs Hifiman Edition XS

I’ll be very honest here. The build quality of the Hifimans compared to the Sivga is like night and day. But in terms of musicality, the planar driver truly delivers. The Hifiman Edition XS is incredibly easy to drive compared to the Sivga. Listening to them, I ask myself the same question I asked at the beginning: “Will the Creative X5 be enough?”

The Hifiman Edition XS are currently $100 less than the Sivga Peng. In terms of construction, materials, and comfort, the Sivga are heavier but truly much more comfortable.

I believe the Sivga could offer even more with an even more powerful amplifier.

Conclusion:

Before purchasing, make sure you have an amplifier that can easily handle even 400-ohm headphones. The Sivga Peng are undoubtedly beautiful, the build quality is truly top-notch, and the choice of materials is truly excellent. The audio quality is unquestionable. You might not like the warm tuning, but I personally find it very pleasant. As for the 340-ohm drivers, they’re way too much for most enthusiasts. Also, out of curiosity, I read other reviews and didn’t even find any mention of their high impedance.

They’re excellent headphones; I’m sorry I don’t have other Sivga headphones to compare. The only thing is, next time I’d try to stick to 200 ohms to make them more versatile.

8.6/10

Pros: 

• Build quality and materials are top quality
• Closed back with some open back vibes
• Warmish and extra detailed sound
• Super clean sound
• Mids are well done.
• Excellent separation and imaging
• Good soundstage
• Super nice travel bag

Cons: 

• Needs a nuclear power station to drive properly (340 ohms, no joke)
• Treble quantity 
• Not ideal in summer heat (but pretty great)
• Better on Balanced Cable

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