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Sivga Phoenix Review (headphone)

amirm

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the Sivga Phoenix open-back headphone. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $255 on Amazon including Prime shipping.

I must say, this is one attractive looking headphone!
Sivga Phoenix Review open back headphone.jpg


The padding and soft surfaces feel luxurious as well. Reminds me of the inside of an Audi automobile!

I absolutely love the fact that they indicate the channel designation both in large letters inside and on the sides:

Sivga Phoenix Review headphone.jpg


On some headphones it literally takes me a minute or two to find the darn designation.

The headphone is also fairly light at just 300 grams. Cups are round as you see with a diameter of 58 mm. The depth is variable and at the shallowest end is 17 mm which is not a lot. If you have your ears poking out, it may touch dust cover.

The measurements you are about to see are made using a standardized Gras 45C. I searched for any and all measurements I could find online. Alas while a number of them are close to mine, none are using the exact fixture down to coupler and pinna. As you will see, I have confirmed the approximate accuracy of the measurements using Equalization and listening tests. Ultimately headphone measurements are less exact than speakers above a few kilohertz so keep that in mind as you read these tests.

Getting a good fit was super easy with both channels matching each other at my two targets on the first install.

Sivgo Phoenix Measurements
There is nothing more important than frequency response of a headphone as each is seemingly different and that difference leaves a very distinct character:
Sivga Phoenix Measurements.png


We almost have a match for our target between 100 and 500 Hz but above and below that range we have a shortfall. The higher frequency loss will likely translate into a dull sounding headphone. There is however enough bass for it to not sound light in that department.

Relative chart may be easier for some to understand even though it conveys the same information as above:
Sivga Phoenix relative frequency response Measurements.png


Basic emphasis here then is the region between 200 and 300 Hz.

Relative distortion shows what we see from typical headphones in bass but there is also some disturbance in 3 to 6 kHz:

Sivga Phoenix relative Measurements.png


Fortunately since we have good bit of upper bass energy, we won't be boosting that so what we see is what we get:

Sivga Phoenix Absolute distortion Measurements.png


Group delay is not revealing:

Sivga Phoenix Group Delay Measurements.png


Impedance is variable but low which means typical portable devices should be able to drive it:
Sivga Phoenix Impedance Measurements.png


That is especially so since the Phoenix is the most sensitive headphone I have measured so far:

Most efficient headphone review.png


Sivga Phoenix Listening Tests
First impression was not positive: the sound is dull with most emphasis in lower frequencies. I had to pull up the parametric EQ right away to get it to be more correct. This is a quick and dirty attempt at fixing the gross problems:

Sivga Phoenix headphone equalization.png


Broad corrections will probably benefit from mathematical correction than my manual one. Still, the improvement was dramatic in both balanced sound and better spatial imaging. Female vocals that were lost before now came out front and center as they should.

Conclusions
The measured performance of Phoenix headphone shows broad deviations from out preference target. Subjective listening tests confirmed the same resulting in strong amount of EQ. The outcome was positive but not super exciting.

While I like the look and feel of the Sivga Phoenix, the overall performance is not good enough for me to recommend it. If you own it, I highly recommend using equalization to get better fidelity.

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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
 

Attachments

  • Sivga Phoenix Frequency Response.zip
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Thanks!

Interesting for me, as I've never heard of the brand before.

Hopefully the manufacturer will chime in here and share a bit about this product (and the company--unless they've been featured here before and I missed it).
 
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I read that they usually design headphones for other companies to market.

The pads are shaped.
Did you have any seal issues measuring or when listening ?
 
@amirm I must admit, they are probably the most attractive looking (to me) headphones you have reviewed to date.

So they have 1/8" plugs, one for each cup and detachable?
 
So they have 1/8" plugs, one for each cup and detachable?
That's correct. It is a soft cord that I liked. And the jacks are pretty tight so the cables should not pull out easily.
 
Did you have any seal issues measuring or when listening ?

I would think that the high level of consistency left/right in the plots would show the seals were competent and similar from cup to cup.
 
This is about what I expected. Not great, not terrible. Interestingly not even the paid reviews are overly positive :)
 
  • SPECIAL FILM - The uniquely developed polycarbonate film and the independently developed diaphragm structure not only solve the shortcomings of the diaphragm being easily deformed, but also bring a new listening experience.
  • SOUND - Triple frequency equalization. Clean background, clear layering and wide sound field show natural sound, the high frequency is fresh and gorgeous, the low frequency is moderate, and the bass dive is flexible.
The above is from their blurb on Amazon.
A flexible bass dive? Isn't it supposed to be the deep technical tests that can be difficult to understand?
Now it's vice versa:rolleyes:
................
Within which there's nearly always a Kiki, and she didn't say the woodgrain matched her handbag
 
, they are probably the most attractive looking (to me) headphones you have reviewed
Unfortunately, it appears the cups - though 'beautiful' - are made of real wood.

Wood is a terrible choice for a cup. It is hygroscopic and dimensionally unstable, depending if along the grain or across it. Unless steps are taken to allow for expansion and contraction when mounting the 'innards', cracks can (and have, in other brands) develop. Pretty, yes. Functional - no.
 
I tried a pair of these and they are surprisingly small, not only for your ears but in general. I had the suspension completely maxed out and haven't run into the on any other headphone.
 
Thanks Amir.

This doesn't look like a bad showing to me. I don't imagine the imperfections in FR are too severe, and they can be fixed with EQ. 1/8 inch connectors are my favorite. It looks like these also ship with a nice hard case. The efficiency will be great on a phone, saving battery power and playing as loud as you want.

I agree with @Cahudson42 that wood is not a suitable material for this application, though these are as pretty as headphones at 10x the price.
 
My impression....a set of phones designed more for panache than performance. Wood as a material for HP use? As a woodworker we’re not dealing with huge expansion/contraction issues on this size scale...plus “wood” is kind of a generic term. Many woods are quite stable, especially when sealed.
Wouldn’t wear ‘em in the rain though...;)

Also as a retired woodworker and on a more personal front...I can’t help but feel headphones that are so efficient propose a danger to one’s hearing. Not all HP amps have adjustable gain. If I used these off my receivers HP output, one would have to be very careful...and not expect too much in the way of volume control...
 
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