Sivga Nightingale Pro Review 

Intro

Hello, this review and feature covers the latest from the audio brand Sivga named the Sivga Nightingale Pro ($296). The Nightingale Pro is actually a planar iem which comes from the much-adored original from the Nightingale series, obviously named the Sivga Nightingale. Though I have conducted a few reviews of Sivga products by now I still have to say that I am mostly new to this brand. I certainly never tried the original Nightingale but instead only heard second-hand stories and short reviews. There is something which caught my eye on this one though. When I read that the planar magnetic driver housed within these fantastically gorgeous shells were actually made by… Sivga. I’m telling you all that this review became so much more interesting to me after I read that. The driver is proprietary folks, the shells too, and all the components are built in house. I love a brand who has a full operation and isn’t scared to make the internal components inside of their products. It speaks volumes about who Sivga is. It shows the unbelievable skill level at work. The artistry, the technical understanding of a field which isn’t the easiest to understand making products within a market that is absolutely inundated with products. How cool is that?! I know, I know, other brands do the same. It doesn’t make Sivga’s accomplishment any less awesome. I am set to receive the Nightingale Pro in about three days, and I am more than pumped to hear this set. Thank you to Sivga for providing the Nightingale Pro. I greatly appreciate it. 

Sivga

I just published a review of the Sivga M300 (M300 Review) and I did a whole two paragraphs simply bragging about this brand. Rightfully so. Just like the Sivga Que UTG (Que UTG Review) that I reviewed months prior to that I was so intrigued by Sivga and how they went about their business. I love a good operation full of people who love what they do. It’s cool to see. Even when we are talking about a personal audio brand. The reason being, they obviously have a love for this hobby, for music, and for how to best get that music into our earholes in the cleanest and most realistic (or not) way possible. It has to be the most fun job. At any rate, it makes me that much happier that I will soon audition my 3rd product from Sivga. So, you know, Sivga has actually been around almost 10 years which speaks volumes about their staying power making relevant and solid choices. Well, if the two sets that I’ve reviewed already are any indication, then the Nightingale Pro is likely going to be a special set. 

They arrived! 

Okay everyone, so the Nightingale Pro arrived about a week ago. I was wrapped up in other reviews and so I wasn’t able to get you a 1st Impressions. No Facebook posts or anything like that. I say that because when I first heard this set it was pretty bright up top. Not exactly too bright, but bright. However, instead of backing out of the review I decided to do a little burn-in to see if that would affect the sound at all. Well, I can tell you with 100% confidence that anyone who picks this set up needs to perform a burn-in for at least a few full days. Without question anything that was “slightly too bright” had gotten handled and dealt with during the burn-in process. Folks, this set sounds very nice for its tuning style. I can’t wait to talk about it. However, there’s no doubt that the Nightingale Pro is dab-smack in the middle of a very tough price point and I intend to find out just how well it stacks up against some of the competitors within the range. Anyways, I think I’m ready to dive into this one friends. I won’t bore you anymore with my useless babble. So, without further ado, the Sivga Nightingale Pro… 

Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:

–Sivga

–HiFiGo

–Amazon

–Aliexpress

Nightingale Pro Pros

-The build is top shelf, great 

-Minimalist, beautiful zebrawood faceplates, alloy housing, gorgeous

-Great cable

-Wonderful balance across the mix

-Natural neutral timbre across the mix

-Tight transients

-Clarity rich sound with fantastic resolution

-Clean and punchy moderately emphasized bass that’s well defined 

-The midrange is the heart of this set and it’s great 

-Complimentary treble, nice extension, nice sparkle, great details, no fatigue

-Detail Retrieval is top notch 

-Imaging is very easy to discern

-Multi-layered experience 

-Stage is vast, with a well laid-out sound field

Nightingale Pro Cons

-Price ($299), but you pay for what you get. This set is worth the cost in my opinion, but may not be worth it to you

-Lacks sublevel weight and haptic feedback

-Not bass shy, but definitely not bass heavy, which may be an issue to some

-The Nightingale Pro definitely benefits from a clean and reasonably powerful source

-Sound isolation may be a concern as the Nightingale Pro’s somewhat shorter nozzles may let some passive noise through 

Gear used for testing 

–Shanling UP6

–Shanling UA6 

–Ifi Go Blu 

–Hidizs S9 Pro Plus  

–Shanling H0

–Hidizs AP80 Pro Max 

–Fiio JM21 

–Hiby R3 Pro II

–Hiby R6 Pro II 2025 

–Shanling M1 Plus

–IBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2 

–Shanling M6 Ultra 

–Fiio Q15

Packaging / Accessories 

Unboxing 

The Sivga Nightingale Pro arrived at my home in a medium sized box (5 ¾” x 5 ½”) that is just like everything else that Sivga creates… classy, simple, minimalist, handsome. I realize that almost none of you care about this section. Those who do care probably don’t want me to ruin the whole experience. Something I’ve done in the past, lol. So, I’ll give a very brief overview of the unboxing and share a collage picture. I suggest not looking at that picture if you don’t want your experience ruined. At any rate, the Nightingale Pro comes in a nice black box made of thick and hard cardboard. Really it is such a simple look. At the bottom of the front cover you’ll see “Nightingale Pro” and off to the side you’ll see white lettering spelling out “Sivga” inside of an orange rectangle. There is not much at all on the backside as there are simply a few specs. So, once you open the box, you’ll be met with the Nightingale Pro sitting in foam cut-outs with the carrying case doing the same. Inside of the case you’ll find the accessories; eartips & cable. Not a bad unboxing, but also not super extravagant either. It’s appropriate I’d say, for a “under $300” set. 

Eartips

So, Sivga provides a total of six pairs of eartips and two different styles of eartips. Sivga adds into the packaging a nice plastic case that holds the eartips, which is always a nice touch. So, the first style are three pairs (S, M, L) of black silicon eartips with a wide bore and a very limp and flimsy flange. These tips do have a shallow fit as well. To be honest, I couldn’t get a seal to save my life with these tips. Anyone who does get a seal with them should have even less bass output, even airier highs as well. The next style are three pairs (S, M, L) of white silicon eartips which also have a wide bore and actually have a firmer flange, more rigid of a stem and much less flimsy. I also didn’t get a perfect seal with these, but they were much better than the dark gray set. In any event, I had to do some tip rolling. Friends, I have a mountain of a collection of tips. Trust me. I went through so many, for so long. Many tips worked just fine like the KBear 07’s (my usual choice) and the Azla Crystal tips, the Hiby liquid silicone tips too. However, two pairs and styles worked better than all the others. Those were the Dunu S&S tips and the Divinus Velvet Wide-Bore. Out of those two I chose the Divinus Wide-Bore tips and never looked back. Something about the ultra-wide bore that really does help with opening the sound up to the Nightingale Pro’s full potential. Of course, do your own trial and error tip-rolling as I’m sure we don’t have the exact ear anatomy. Who knows, the included tips may fit you just fine. 

Carrying Case

The next accessory that deserves some talking about is the carrying case included in the packaging. I say it in every review that I rarely, if ever, use any of the carrying cases provided. However, I have used the Sivga case that comes with this set every day. I really like the size and shape as it works very well for my purposes. So, the case is roughly around 4” x 3” x 1 ½”, orange-ish in color and made of actual leather with a well working zipper and a soft internal cladding. Truly a very stylistically dope case that is a very nice size for carrying around iems. Again, I use this thing every day because it’s the perfect size for bringing along the earphones, the cable, some extra tips, and even a dongle dac can comfortably fit inside. Great for throwing in a bag and not having to worry about anything bad happening to the Nightingale Pro. Really a very nice addition to the package. 

Cable

One of the best features of this set is the very nice cable that Sivga adds into the packaging. Really a nice Litz braided cable that fits the aesthetic wonderfully. Sivga is so awesome folks! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate a brand who actually THINKS about the cable and cares about what wire they are attaching to their products. Good job Sivga! Okay, that could have turned into a much-much longer and more lively rant. I’m practicing restraint! Moving on… Anyways, the beautiful cable provided is made up of 8-strands of 26 AWG (. 0016”) Litz cores of a mixture of single-crystal copper and silver plated single-crystal copper, 2-pin, and it comes in 3.5 or 4.4 (whatever you choose at purchasing). So long as the purity is good, then I love and adore this mix of alloys for this purpose. Something about single-crystal-copper and the plating of silver which works wonderfully for a seemingly balanced sound. Also, the cable provided has a very nice high-gloss PVC outer sleeve as well. That PVC layer is braided nicely with most of the strands coming in glossy black as well as one accent strand which appears copper in color. Such a dope look folks. The fittings are all sturdy, black in color as well and the 4.4 balanced connector has a slick looking stainless steel strain relief coil spring. I can tell you this; there was never a moment that I wanted to do any cable swapping, and I can really appreciate that. I know we are only talking about the cable, but cables are very important (captain obvious). All the better when it looks good, feels good, and sounds good. 

Build / Design / Internals / Fit 

Build Quality 

As I stated earlier the Sivga Nightingale Pro is a wonderfully built set invoking feelings of durability & structural integrity. I’m telling you all, everything I’ve touched from Sivga has been built very well. To begin, the housing is made of a very nice mix of alloys as it’s made from aviation-grade aluminum-magnesium by way of five-axis CNC machining. Using this aluminum/magnesium mix allows a very lightweight and also very strong alloy. However, these materials also does well to dampen and control unwanted resonances. Materials are so important in iem design folks. Other materials and alloys will have different sonic characteristics. It matters what they use, and I like this choice. Now, for aesthetic purposes Sivga used an absolutely gorgeous wood faceplate made of Zebrawood. From what I could find the Zebrawood doesn’t add into the tuning at all as it is just an aesthetic choice and isn’t part of the acoustic cavity. That is all controlled by the aluminum/magnesium housing. I see two small vents. One near the nozzles or just on top of the driver and one closer to the 2-pin connector. Now, the nozzles are super long, about medium in length and roughly around the standard 6mm in width. I love the partially recessed female 2-pin which just allows the male 2-pin connectors to slide in and really add some strength to that connection. I mean… very-very well made. Very structurally solid and clearly durable. You can tell the thought and R&D which goes into these housings and designs. Remember, all of these parts and pieces are made in-house at Sivga. Just… nice work Sivga. 

Design

This brings me to the design and aesthetic of the Nightingale Pro. So, Sivga has been using wood of some kind in many of their beautifully designed products. Always seemingly rare to find wood. Of course, I’m American and so I don’t really know how plentiful Zebrawood can be. In the States I’d have to go to a specialty retailer or lumber yard to find it. Whatever the rarity is, I know it looks stunning. Actually, the Nightingale Pro doesn’t stray far from the original Nightingale. Just a different shade of wood used. Still absolutely striking in its appearance. Right in the center of the faceplates you’ll see a non-intrusive and non-gaudy looking “Sivga” spelled out in small white lettering. The shade of the Zebrawood is a lighter, more natural shade which gives off a very fresh and clean look. Couple that natural shaded faceplate with a tan colored border surrounding the faceplates. Also, the aluminum-magnesium housing is this dark grayish-brown color in a matte texture. Such a nice mixture of colors. I love the earthy tones. If I were to sum up the appearance in three words, they’d be classy, handsome, and clean. Now, to put a bow on this beautiful set of earphones just attach that very nice looking black/copper cable. Easily one of the better looking minimalist designed iems that I’ve had the privilege of featuring at this price point. 

Internals

This brings us to the internal components of the Sivga Nightingale Pro. There really isn’t much to list here as the only internal component in this set is the 14.5 planar magnetic driver. This driver is actually made of 0.008 mm composite film with a 0.006 mm aluminum ribbon conductor which basically serves as the planar version of a voice coil. That said, this isn’t some ordinary driver that Sivga purchased to use in their iem. No sir, Sivga actually makes their own proprietary drivers. Yes, they go through the unbearable painstaking process of designing these drivers. Think of the R&D that goes into making your own as opposed to doing it like everyone else and just buying them. Obviously Sivga felt that something was missing in these other branded drivers. They felt that they could do better. For all intents and purposes, I think they made a good choice because the Nightingale Pro sounds awesome. Not much more to say about that. 

Fit / Comfort 

As far as fit & comfort is concerned, the Sivga Nightingale Pro fits my ears perfectly once I found good tips to get a good seal. For whatever reason I found that the included tips simply didn’t get me that fit that I’d like. I don’t think it has anything at all to do with the ergonomics of the Nightingale Pro itself. This set is very ergonomic, and I have to imagine that the vast majority of people will get a great fit. 

Drivability / Pairings

Sensitivity

The Sivga Nightingale Pro is rated with an impedance of around 16 ohms as well as a sensitivity of about 107 db’s. Friends, this set is very sensitive. Especially for an earphone which utilizes planar magnetic drivers. Not that they aren’t usually sensitive either, it’s just that usually it takes a touch more volume to really make them loud. There’s no doubt that the Nightingale Pro will get loud from even very weak sources. During this review period I used every single source at my disposal. Some for long periods and other just to hear loudness, dynamics, and range. I’m talking smartphones, three super weak 3.5 se Conexant chipped dongle dacs, the KZ AN01 (which I was barely able to fit the 2-pins), as well as my iPad. Friends, the Nightingale Pro can be used with weaker sources. In fact, it can actually sound quite good too. I was not expecting that. I expected splashy treble, flabby bass, and weak dynamism. Well, it wasn’t anywhere near what I thought. To be honest, some of those weak 3.5 dongle dacs sounded awesome. Like the Roseselsa RZ-200M (which comes with a few of their sets) sounded very expressive, energetic, and full. So, I was very happy to hear that the Nightingale Pro scaled even more with a couple things; more power, and a clean and good source. Also, source tonality does matter to an extent. 

Scaling

The Sivga Nightingale Pro most certainly does scale with power. 100% it does. Of course, my sources with more power are also my “better” sources. Better internal components, better circuitry, and just better and cleaner than my weaker sources. You’d think that would be obvious. Anyways, as far as power is concerned, using a good and solid dongle dac that carries a good amount of power. Something like 150mW @16 ohms, at least. Most of my 3.5/4.4 dongle dacs are well over that and are closer to 250 mW. Well, the first dongle that I attached the Nightingale Pro happened to be one of my favorite sources out of all of my sources with this set. That is, the Shanling UA6. Folks, on high gain, 4.4 balanced, the Nightingale Pro and the UA6 sound like they were made for each other (my opinion of course). What a wonderful pairing. The UA6 is pretty darn powerful at 360mW @32 ohms too. Having said that, the Nightingale Pro does seem to keep scaling when I attach it to some of my 1-watt daps. Not that I think you need that much power to adequately drive this set. Again, by all rights, the Nightingale Pro is a very sensitive iem for a planar. Of course, we know that planars seem to be able to take all the power you can give them. This is no different for the Nightingale Pro. 

Source Pairing 

As far as source pairing based on tonality rather than power, I typically like the Nightingale Pro with anything from neutral to warm. Preferably warm/neutral. For instance, the Nightingale Pro’s neutral take on the spectrum and ever-so-slightly brighter top half seem to react beautifully with the M6 Ultra’s slightly warmer and smoother sonic climate. However, even neutral sources like the iBasso DX240 don’t seem to exaggerate those brighter hues of the Nightingale Pro. Other neutral sources like the EPZ TP50 sound the same. Shoot, even the Fiio JM21 sounds great, unbelievable clarity, yet the highs don’t seem to sound embellished. The reason I’m saying this is because I’m about to tell you in the next section that the Nightingale Pro’s treble is a touch bright on the bright side, which would usually push me towards warmer sources. Somehow the Nightingale Pro does well even with a source which doesn’t counter that brightness. So, neutral to warm, which is a very broad range of devices. 

Sound Impressions 

*Note: before I dive head-first into the sound portion of this review, I first have to explain a few things. So, I performed a burn-in for every bit of four to five full days with this set. I do feel that this should be done. Whether listen-in or burn-in I don’t feel that the Nightingale Pro should be judged too harshly until it has had ample run-in. Next, I used Divinus Velvet Wide-Bore tips for all critical listening. Also, I listen mainly to flac or better files (some mp3) which are stored on my devices. The Android music player of my choice is mainly UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) and for a few of my daps either Hiby Music Player, or Eddict Player. 

What does it sound like? 

To my ears I’d call the Sivga Nightingale Pro just about dead neutral in tonal coloration with a moderate bass influence as well as a treble lift. To my ears, I really do not hear any recession of the midrange. I’m half tempted to call this set mid-centric. If there wasn’t such a nice balance of this set, I certainly would. Truth is, the midrange comes through somewhat forward, but with maximum clarity and resolution. So, presence in that range is fantastic. I’d also say that the Nightingale Pro has a homogenized blend of smooth and crisp. Usually those are two opposing attributes of most iems. In spite of that the Nightingale Pro is tuned in such a way that the actual cadence, the flow, the rhythmicity of this set is smooth like a wave in the sea, yet crisp, cleanly edged, with acute articulation of just about any micro inflection when a track calls for it. That planar is doing what planars are supposed to do. The Nightingale Pro will come across as rapid in transient speed as it needs to be. Yet, in the same breath I can attest that the Nightingale Pro can sound effortlessly smooth as well. I find that is a great thing for a set costing under $300. Now, if I would call the Nightingale Pro anything, I’d say it has a W-shaped signature with moderate levels of dynamic influence in all three regions and a slight tilt to the right with a measured boost in the treble. 

Technically Inclined 

After spending every bit of the last three to four weeks with the Nightingale Pro I can assuredly say that this set is a technical dynamo, great stage, very full & open sounding along with some of the nicest toned-down vibrance that I’ve had the pleasure of hearing around this cost. To my ears the Sivga Nightingale Pro is a set which will leave analytical heads in wonderful adoration of its ability to resolve even the faintest of details within their music. However, somehow, this analytically inclined iem is also very musical as well. Something that is not easy to accomplish. Sound separation is as one would expect with a top level planar magnetic earphone (it’s darn good) and imaging as well. Of course, I will cover all of that in detail later. However, what I find to be its best technical quality is its multi-layered playback with clean lines of imaging and no true masking of the spectrum to blur those fine lines. Truly a high-resolution set. 

A Good Successor 

Now, I was never able to get the original Nightingale in my ears. Unfortunately. However, I can tell you that the new Nightingale Pro is a very refined set. From what I’ve heard the original was highly technical, very analytically defined, and was lacking in the low-end to a degree. Well, I can tell you that the new Nightingale Pro has a good balance of the mix with the greatest emphasis coming from the upper mids through the treble region. However, the bass does not lack. If anything, it balances very well with the rest of the mix. Once again, (from my perspective) the Nightingale Pro comes across as almost dead neutral. Nonetheless, this set does have a very engaging upper half of the spectrum which can come across more illuminated than perfectly balanced. Definitely a touch brighter hue and a more uplifted sound altogether. From what I have read and what I was told, the original was very much a mid-centric set with almost zero warmth from the low-end and plenty of treble lift. As far as the Nightingale Pro, I hear a sound that takes almost a lineal path through the mix without much coloration deviating from that neutral sound. I assume it has an even more balanced approach. Anyways, It’s very nice. Of course, that’s if this fits your preferences. 

Timbre

One of the best qualities of the Nightingale Pro is the fact that it has some awesome neutral-natural timbre. It almost has an effervescent quality to it. The only real divergence from perfectly neutral is the slight treble emphasis adding a very nice glow up top and a touch of low-end warmth as well. I love what Sivga did here because this brighter “glow” never sounds fatiguing folks. It’s almost like they added the perfect amount of shimmer, of sparkle, and the right amount of air inducing levity across the mix coming across perfectly cohesive with no peaks, hills, or valleys messing up its linear sound. The timbre is very well done. Again, very close to natural. Like I said, “neutral-natural”. Not the kind of natural that I usually refer to as organic, or earthy. This isn’t a warm set. It isn’t analog in its approach. The Sivga Nightingale Pro is natural in its tonality. The actual inflection of every sound comes across realistic with a hair of added vibrance. However, it does have a very quick, very tidy, very precise transient attack through decay. That said, those same notes have good density with wonderful note contour and crispness. Hopefully you are getting a picture of the sound. Notes are tight, bodied with a certain richness that is created from its clarity. Those clean note outlines etch every note making those notes sound compacted or…dense. Hopefully I didn’t lose you there. The point is that Sivga created some of the best neutral-natural timbre that I’ve heard in any planar earphone. It has zero planar timbre, nothing metallic, and nothing which sounds overtly coarse, too grainy, or the bad kind of abrasive (yes, there is good abrasiveness). I’m not saying it’s perfect, but the Nightingale Pro is well tuned. 

Not for everyone… 

Now that I’ve said all of that, please hear me out. Friends, this set is without question NOT going to be for everyone. Of course, I could say that about every set. However, the Nightingale Pro isn’t a super high energy set, it isn’t what I’d call an exciting set or a traditionally fun set. Meaning, it doesn’t have that super bombastic bass, and it doesn’t rumble in the guttural depths of the bass abyss. Nor is the Nightingale Pro a super bright treble heavy set either. You have moderate macro-dynamic energy. Moderate dynamism too. In fact, I’d almost be willing to call every area of the mix “moderate”, including the bass region. Nothing is over embellished. No area of the mix is overtly lifted. Every tuning choice that Sivga made was to create a certain balance of energy. No area masks, no area truly causes blatant coloration, other than some brilliance from the treble. Still, those folks who are looking for a set which has “fun” qualities are probably looking in the wrong place here. The Nightingale Pro is maturity through-and-through and presents the spectrum in a very controlled manner. I’d also like to add that, while this isn’t the most exciting set; I have learned that the beauty of the Nightingale Pro is its clean and reserved nature. What it “isn’t” is precisely what makes it so good at what “it is”. So, I will certainly try to articulate EXACTLY what I hear. 

Bass Region 

The low-end of the Sivga Nightingale Pro is moderate in emphasis with a slight increase in the mid-bass (from what I can hear) and decent weight in the sublevels, though the sub-bass doesn’t carry a huge amount of extension. However, even though I call the bass “moderate”, it still has plenty of lean muscle mass style body in this region with more of a punchy nature to it. Most certainly it’ll rise to the occasion when a track calls for it. Having said that, if you ask me the bass region as a whole is meant more to compliment the rest of the mix. Think of it like a solid supporting actor in a very good ensemble cast. The bass never muddies, it never adds even a hint of veil, and the bass is never overwhelming. It replays exactly what is asked of it and does so in a very natural manner. I’m sure you are going to hear that this set is bass lite. However, I don’t really buy that. It just isn’t basshead. The Nightingale Pro’s bass isn’t there to impact the rest of the mix with its warmth and weight and it isn’t there to enforce its will frequency wide. This is a low-end meant to work “with” the mids and treble to create a copacetic union of the spectrum rather than bulbous and bullish rumble. Also, the bass is very well defined, very well detailed, hard edged, not softly layered but crisp, with some decent dark vibrance. Basically, it is a very high-quality bass… but it may lack quantity for many of you. Hence what I was saying earlier; the Nightingale Pro is not going to be for everyone. This is a bass that will be enjoyed by those who can appreciate it. 

Sub-Bass 

The sub-bass of the Sivga Nightingale Pro does have some decent extension. Enough to bring volume to the region, but not enough to celebrate it. To my ears the sub-bass is the type which shows off the Nightingale Pro’s planar ability to come across both speedy, defined, and well textured. You won’t have that earthy and hearty rumble. Still, I do find that the sublevels will rise to the occasion when needed and will represent nicely from 20-60hz with moderate levels of haptic vibratory rumble. It takes a track that is recorded heavily in this region. Tracks like “Paradigm” by The Head and The Heart. Basically, any set on earth will bring some vibrational feedback with that track even if most of the fundamental tones probably play more in the mid-bass. However, the Nightingale Pro keeps that heavy rolling bassline very clean. It allows the vocals and other instruments to shine through nicely. Though, I’m afraid you may be missing some of the meat, or some of the feel of some bass guitars, double bass/contrabass, even bass vocalists, electric bass, synth, may slightly lack some of the lowest register haptic feedback, to a degree anyways. The bonus is that it is there and will show up and is very well textured with a tight attack, clean release, and it can do so at rapid speeds. 

Mid-Bass 

As I said, the mid-bass has the brunt of the emphasis on this set. The Nightingale Pro has what I’d call a moderate or natural level of emphasis within its mid-bass. Enough to sound heavy, weighted, and authoritative enough in the track “The Hardest Part” by Washed Out. This is a snappy mid-bass which can tackle just about anything you dream of throwing at it. For instance, the Nightingale Pro handled the ridiculously fast paced drums in “Anthem Part 3” by Blink-182 in expert fashion. Trust me, not every set can do that. What I enjoy the most about the mid-bass is its ability to add some groove, some good rhythm, without ever sounding overly boomy or warm. It has that hard quick punch like in “Take on Me” by Weezer. Those quick, tight, successive acoustic drum booms are met with a clean snap, a hard-lined attack, moderate body, and a fast decay with clean space between each one and a realistic tone. Very satisfying at loud volumes. Essentially what I’m trying to say is that this is a high-quality mid-bass, with a very natural tonality with good grip. You won’t hear anything overly colored, and you’ll definitely hear good impact, but you simply won’t hear a heavily weighted impact. To add to that, the Nightingale Pro’s mid-bass is the opposite of “one noted” with its clean and fast attack/decay style. Do I have to say that this set won’t be for bassheads? Also, I should add that the mid-bass really doesn’t bleed into the midrange. Perhaps a touch of warmth infuses into the low-mids, but for the most part the mids are perfectly clean and clear and well separated. 

Downsides to the Bass Region 

We all know what the downside to this bass region is right? Of course, it’s only a downside to whom it’s a downside. Principally, it’s all subjective and you’ll either jive with it or you won’t. No friends, Bass drops won’t carry that bullish and bulbous dynamic driver style earthy boom and atmospheric decay. Bassheads will laugh at this set. However, fans of good bass will likely appreciate it. Again, not for everyone. Now, I’m afraid that genres which rely on an extended, deep sustained impact will probably not do well with this set. Genres like EDM, some metal, definitely Hip-Hop, even some reggae too. Though, on the flip side, genres that go best with a textured, speedy, natural sounding bass which allows the midrange and treble to thrive without any masking or forced warmth will certainly benefit from the Nightingale Pro. Genres which will obviously thrive are Acoustic stuff, Singer Songwriter stuff, definitely Jazz, Classical and Rock, even Pop too etc. So, it has some good and some bad depending on the listener. 

Midrange 

If you ask me, the midrange is the heart and soul of this set. It’s the midrange which benefits the most from the bass and treble tunings. As if everything was done just to accommodate a beautifully represented midrange display. The Nightingale Pro has a smooth yet highly detailed midrange with a natural delivery, and exceptional clarity. As I said, you really don’t have any bleed, or very minimal bleed into the mids which allows such a crystalline sound. Note weight is what I’d call lean and condensed. It has some body to its midrange notes, but it doesn’t come across as thick or lush. As I said earlier, it’s as if the clarity, transient tight delivery, and acute dynamic note articulation almost helps this midrange to sound bodied, lean-dense, and somehow not dry or ultra-thin. The Nightingale Pro has a fairly natural timbre which benefits both vocalists as well as instrumentation. I don’t hear any real shout or glare and thankfully I also don’t hear any planar style timbre. Everything has good control. It’s a nice midrange with a smooth cadent flow which can also come across nuanced and crisp. I always hear well contoured notes that never sound congested due to the airy and open sound within the mids. Again, it’s a highly technical midrange which is also strangely melodic and tuneful. 

Lower-Midrange 

For me, I usually cover the low-mids by explaining male vocalists, and from my perspective male vocals have a nice presence on this set. The low-mids are clean, great resolution, and they don’t sound recessed or pushed to the rear of the sound field. In truth, I find it difficult to spot anything necessarily wrong with the low-mids apart from subjective tonal issues. For instance, I personally like more warmth from the low-end. I do enjoy more of a bodied and rich lower midrange. Again… typically. Be that as it may, I find it very difficult to speak anything other than good words over the Sivga Nightingale Pro’s lower midrange. I say that because the Nightingale Pro’s low-mids are somehow leaner in body, but they have solid prominence within the mix. Good presence. Instruments like piano, cello, guitar, etc. have excellent clarity and a clean natural timbre while male vocalists retain depth and a surprisingly rich sound for not being boosted by the low-end. I’ve heard plenty of other sets which have similar tunings but it’s rare a planar magnetic earphone has the natural sound as the Nightingale Pro has in this region. Most planars anymore are going warmer, smoother, more bodied, but the Nightingale Pro went the other way with more clarity, and clean layered resolution. I have zero notes complaining about anything here. The sound is nicely done for how this set was tuned. Of course, I should also note that detail retrieval is great, which is a natural by-product of a less velvet and smooth sound. 

Upper-Midrange 

Now, the upper midrange follows suit very well yet with an even more lively, more forward, and more engaging sound without the harshness or sharpness. Females cut right through, and sound pronounced and even bold. To an extent anyways. Females like Lady Gaga in “Always Remember Us This Way” are a perfect example of clarity and liveliness without the sharp edginess of an overly boosted pinna. Sivga really did a solid job in retaining a natural hue to the sound. Almost in spite of the sprightly upper mid tuning. This region is so clean folks, yet it isn’t overly energetic. Like every other area of the mix, the upper mids have a nice glow about them, they sound airy, very open, but also clean-lined, etched against the background, and reasonably forward and pronounced. However, the upper mids also carry some well controlled shimmer and vibrance too. Now, I do think that the upper mids are one area that benefitted most from burn-in. So, keep that in mind. One of the Nightingale Pro’s greatest strengths is how well every frequency melts right into each other. 

Upper mids cont… 

I suppose that highly sensitive listeners who are seeking a very warm and rolled-off upper midrange and who do not do well with any sort of luminance may want to steer clear of the Nightingale Pro. I want to be delicate in how I put this because I don’t want to lead anyone astray. Listen, I DO NOT think that the upper mids are too energetic, too bright, or too sharp. However, I have plenty of friends who are very sensitive to this region and may find the Nightingale Pro a bit too enthused. I really just say that as a quick disclaimer because I don’t think that is a problem. I don’t hear anything harsh, even with bombastic and rip-roaring electric guitar tracks. All well controlled, just boosted enough to sound airy, shimmery, and vibrant without the sibilant or harshly pointed edge of an aggressive pinna rise. Also, timbre remains cohesive with the rest of the mix sounding fairly natural without anything artificial at all…like planar timbre. Beyond tonal qualities, the upper mids are extremely resolute and illuminate all of the details. Micro-dynamics are distinct, and every minute shift in volume, every undulating and maneuvering finite sound is captured well. So long as the track isn’t crazy chaotic or recorded poorly. Females sound very nice, timbre is nice, it isn’t too aggressive, it has shimmer and sparkle, great clarity, and the sound is very airy with distinct separation and details. It’s nice. 

Downsides to the Midrange

Like any nice thing, the midrange will have its detractors. I mean, this is one of the most subjective hobbies on planet earth. What’s good to one will not be good to another. Such is life. Anyways, the midrange is simply not a warm, rich, lush and velvet style midrange. That alone will keep people away. Granted, there’s plenty who do love a more clarity-rich and airy midrange. Still, the Nightingale Pro’s midrange won’t appeal to everyone. Also, like I said in earlier sections, the Nightingale Pro can sound a bit too energetic to those who are very sensitive to the pinna rise area. Now, I’d be willing to bet that at least 90% of the listening public would be perfectly fine with the upper mid energy, but it’s definitely worth noting here. Beyond that, I think the midrange is wonderful. Especially for how it was tuned. Folks, I really mean it, I almost always gravitate to a warmer, lusher, more full-bodied and rich sound. However, the Nightingale Pro’s clarity, its wonderful linear style balance, neutral-natural timbre, its lean yet condensed note delivery and overall musicality coupled with its equally technical, nuanced, and articulate technical ability really does help the Nightingale Pro to stand out. Coincidentally, it has also become one of my favorite midrange executions in this price range. 

Treble Region 

Just like I said that the bass region is more of a compliment to the rest of the mix, well, so is the treble. In fact, I’d almost say that the bass and the treble exist to compliment the midrange. The cadence is smooth as it reinforces the rhythmic qualities of this set with a fluid and natural integration into the sound as a whole. I think the one thing which sticks out at me is the fluidity of this treble and the airy extension that it provides the rest of the spectrum. Without a doubt it is the treble which gifts the midrange its airy & open sounding timbre as well as snap for percussive instruments, edge detail, and details in general. In my opinion I’d say that the Nightingale Pro’s treble timbre comes across very much realistic. It’s a natural sounding treble that doesn’t overcompensate, oversaturate, or exaggerate those brighter notes, but instead it is tuned with a moderate emphasis which influences balance. You won’t find anything artificial, metallic, sibilant, or piercing in this treble and there’s no forced-resolution in hopes of illuminating more details. Nevertheless, there is definitely some brilliance to this treble. I adore the fact that it does have that clean sparkle, that tinselly shimmer, and it’s just crisp enough to help define those smoothly rendered notes. In truth, there is a perfect balance of smooth and crisp. Crisp in edge detail but smooth enough to never induce fatigue. Having said all of that, I don’t feel that true treble heads are going to completely love the presentation here. I suppose they may respect the balance and the clean approach, but it won’t indulge their ultra crisp and bright treble-head style preferences. 

Extension 

Like I said, the extension into the upper treble works well to provide a sense of openness to the sound signature as a whole. Not only that, but this airiness also stretches the stage quite well giving a feeling of expanding width. Believe me, you will notice right away folks. I will cover “Soundstage” later, but the stage width is impressive. The extension is such that you won’t find a dark or closed-in feeling on any track. Everything sounds open and vast. Also, this isn’t an artificial extension friends. I do not hear any of the dreaded treble tizz, treble splashiness, and I do not hear any smearing of the upper treble. Transients remain tight in the upper treble which may clip some harmonics, but it also won’t embellish those harmonics either. Meaning, even in the upper treble notes, or the secondary harmonics of fundamental notes sound realistic past 10k. 

Technically Capable

Sivga certainly tuned the treble to be highly capable technically. That means that detail retrieval is going to be very easy to discern and instrument separation will also be easy to hear. Again, the Sivga Nightingale Pro’s treble region carries crispness without abrasiveness. This crispness does help to define the intricate layers of notes with clean note outlines, good dynamics, and solid note contours. Even with the smoother cadence. Also, this is a very speedy treble too. Folks, this is a planar magnetic driver, and obviously it is a very good planar magnetic driver. Planars are renowned for their ability to attack and decay rapidly or hit hard and recover fast with that nice fast twitch response. Planars may not be the most natural or organic driver type (granted they can sound organic), but they can handle the spectrum with effortless speed. I can easily hear this speed in tracks such as “Ice Bridges” by Billy Strings as his rapid-fire guitar picking is expertly delineated. Every note is accounted for, cleanly resolved, and distinct. I have many more examples of speed, but I hardly feel like writing every one of those examples. I’d just ask you to take my word for it. Basically, this set is very speedy and stretches the Sivga proprietary planar driver to all of its ability. Again, every note is clean, details are second nature, sound separation is a by-product, and extension into the upper treble is fantastic. 

Downsides to the Treble Region 

I suppose the one big downside to this treble would come from those who much more enjoy a dark or rolled-off treble. I get that. There is a huge swath of hobbyists who generally only want an ultra-smooth and rich sounding treble without those crisp and brilliant inflections. However, I think that is the only issue that I can come up with because the Nightingale Pro’s treble is not overly bright, it isn’t artificial sounding, and it isn’t what I’d ever call fatiguing. Of course, “maybe” for those who are ridiculously sensitive to treble notes, perhaps they will have issues with the emphasis itself. Other than those folks I don’t see anyone else having many issues. It’s a very fine treble and compliments the rest of the mix very well. 

Technicalities 

Soundstage 

Like I said earlier, the soundstage is very open, large, vast, and the Nightingale Pro has plenty of stage stretching extension. The stage is definitely one of the Nightingale Pro’s… Pro’s. Certainly, the stage has above average width. I’d call it class leading but that is a very difficult thing to say when you haven’t heard every set. I’ll stick to above average. Just know that it’s big. Not just in width too as the height is big too. In fact, the stage as a whole is simply full sounding. The sound field encompasses every bit of my mind space and feels vast. Another quality of this sound field is the depth of field. I said earlier that the Nightingale Pro has a multi-layered sound. Those clean notes are distinctly rendered and easy to identify with no real masking or overt blending happening. However, layering comes from the front to back recognition of the sound field. Granted, there’s plenty of other sets in the price point that eclipses the depth found on the Nightingale Pro. However, just the fact that it is a planar with good depth is enough for me. I guess the last thing that I’d say is that the sound field is intimate, to an extent. The midrange is pushed closer to the listener and feels closer while I listen. I happen to love this type of stage. I love when the mids are close, but the sound field is huge and vast. It creates such an engaging experience. Or, better said it makes for a very immersive listening experience. 

Separation / Imaging 

I’ve already spoken of this ad nauseum in this review, but I quickly reiterate that the Nightingale Pro most certainly does an awesome job of creating space and separation between instruments and voices. Again, the Nightingale Pro has top-of-the-line resolution and clarity with one of the more transparent planars which still remain melodic and not too dry. That’s beside the point though. The beauty of this clarity is that it helps the Nightingale Pro to create that clean canvas for instrumentation to thrive. I suppose another nice quality that I haven’t mentioned is the black background. This is good to help bring those clean lines into focus. So, separation is great. Having said that, the Nightingale Pro does excellent in the area of imaging. It places instruments perfectly & I’ve had zero issues hearing this. So, separation is great, Imaging is great, and the sound field also comes across with good layering too. 

Detail Retrieval 

I also want to speak on the Nightingale Pro’s detail retrieval ability. Of course, I’ve spoken about it this entire review thus far. The sound is so clean, so resolute, with awesome clarity, nice micro-dynamics, black background, excellent air and openness, tight transients, clean lines across the board as well as an awesome balance across the spectrum with no true masking happening on a regular basis. Add all of that up and it equates to awesome detail retrieval. If you like hearing the subtleties and all the little micro-details, then I don’t think you can go wrong with the Nightingale Pro. 

Last Words on the Sivga Nightingale Pro

I’ve had such an awesome time reviewing and spending time with the Sivga Nightingale Pro. I could end this section with that, and I’d be perfectly content because I really do feel like I’ve covered this set as best I could. I took so many pages of notes folks. I’d love to show you what goes into these reviews. However, please understand that this is a labor of love. It is such a nice creative outlet for me, and I truly enjoy speaking on a hobby that I love. The point of me saying this is that the Sivga Nightingale Pro was pure joy to review, to get to know, to break down and describe. It was a joy finding out that with a little run-in this set becomes one of the best clarity rich planar sets that I’ve ever heard. Clarity rich without all the hang ups that usually come with lesser tunings.

Stacks up well…

Sivga has shown me that they are some of the best tuners, sound engineers, and makers of driver tech as they truly created an awesomely tuned set. Now, that awesomely tuned set will only be awesome to whom it is that finds it awesome. In other words, the Sivga Nightingale Pro will be beloved by those who enjoy its signature. I’m halfway tempted to call the tuning polarizing, but I really don’t think it’s that. In the beginning of this review, I said that I wanted to find out how it stacks up against the competition. Well, I have an answer for that… it stacks up very-very well against any similarly tuned iem. Be that other planars, hybrids, tribrids, quadbrids, all-BA sets, single DD’s, or any other driver configuration the Nightingale Pro will stand tall next to them. For $299 (some sites $269) the Nightingale Pro is an easy recommendation from this guy, and I think it is well worth the cost of purchasing it. 

The Why… 

Because, the packaging is nice enough, absolutely awesome cable too as well as a dope carrying case that I actually use on a daily basis. Which is wild because I never use included cases. The build of the Nightingale Pro is very nice as it’s made entirely of aviation grade aluminum-magnesium alloy from the tips to the 2-pin connectors while the faceplates are adorned in that beautiful Zebrawood. Which brings me to the beauty of this set. Have I ever told you that I love a minimalist design? Well, I do. However, a minimalist design has to have some class folks. It can’t be boring and minimalist. Sivga actually creates some of the best and most classy designs that I’ve seen, and the Nightingale Pro falls right into line with that. It is simply one of the most handsome and aesthetically pleasing designs out there. Much like their other products. I also want to reiterate that the Sivga Nightingale Pro is very comfortable with a very lightweight build that sits comfortably in my ears for hours on-end. However, as with any set meant for music listening, the true worth of that set always relies on its ability to sound… good. If you haven’t figured it out just know that I feel that good sound is the Nightingale Pro’s best feature. 

That Sound

When I first got this set it was bright. Perhaps I needed brain burn and more correctly the Nightingale Pro just needed some run-in because this set came alive to me in such an ethereal and awesome way. The sound is so well balanced, so natural, so clean across the board, so transient tight, and yet so rich in lean density, so detailed, so vast, and so melodic. The technical mastery of this set doesn’t steal musicality, and the musicality of this set doesn’t smoothen over details. It’s a masterfully tuned set for those who enjoy its presentation. Again, it won’t be for everyone and some of you will think I’m nuts, but I don’t care, not even one bit. The Sivga Nightingale Pro is so easy on the ears yet stretches its technical capabilities to the max without any forced-resolution (which is awesome), or shrillness, it isn’t too dry, and the sound has realistic timbre without any true sibilance, or anything artificial. Plus, the stage is huge! It’s got such a big sound. However, that big sound is multi-layered with a 3D style rendering of the sound field.

Each 3rd of the mix

The bass is defined, hits relatively hard, it’s fast, and it has a good and dense punch. Then the midrange is the heart of this set with a tunefulness that works with the cleanliness of the sound. Such awesome clarity and such an airy and engaging sound in the mids. Just reread my “Midrange” section again. It’s awesome. Lastly, the treble is never offensive, always detailed, resolving, and it has bite and crispness all the while it is smooth in cadence and very rhythmical. Details are in line with much more expensive sets, Imaging is easy to discern, sound separation is too, and layering of front to back sounds makes listening a joy. It’s a fine set. Nice work Sivga! Also, it’s an easy rec from me. 

Conclusion 

To conclude my full review and feature of the Sivga Nightingale Pro I first have to thank the audio brand Sivga as well as my rep Lily who is very helpful, very kind, and always easy to speak with. I’ve said before that Sivga is quickly becoming one of my favorite brands. So, thank you so very much! Also, I need to than you, the reader, for taking the time to click the link and check out my thoughts. It will always be you that is most important as we at Mobileaudiophile.com do all to make sure that you have the information provided to help make a purchasing decision. It’s always about you, for us. So, thank you very much and I truly hope this review helps you in some way.

Other perspectives 

So now that you’ve read this review of the Nightingale Pro, I want to ask you to read other reviews and opinions of this set. It’s hard to get a clear understanding of a set from one review. I don’t think you can get a good gauge on what a set or device is with only one opinion. We are all so very much different. We all have our in-grown biases and each of us has our own personal opinions. Each of us has our own likes and dislikes, we have different gear and sources used, we have different musical libraries, different hearing abilities and most importantly, we all have been down a slightly (or not-so-slightly) different journey through audio. This journey helps shape our perspectives. There are so many variables my friends. So please, do yourself a favor and check out other thoughts on the Nightingale Pro. There has to be some other reviews of this set and I’m sure you can gain a good understanding with a little homework. With all that said, I am now done. Please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!