Closer Examination

We saw how the stock cable for the Sivga Robin (SV021) came placed between the headphones in the box, and next to it is a handy 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm (1/4") adapter for a typical desktop or living-room source. The cable itself is nothing to scoff at, but also clearly a place of cost-cutting since Sivga doesn't even go into any detail about it. I understand that the other finish gets a color-matched cable, so this black one does match this particular sample as well. It starts with a 3.5 mm connector with a very substantial housing to better distinguish it from the other two used here, with the Sivga logo on it and metal coils to add to the durability at the point where the housing goes to the cable itself. I suspect this is a standard copper cable inside the braided fabric sleeve, which feels thick and durable, but somewhat prone to kinking and resistant to re-shaping. There were no microphonics except when rustling the cable along on a desk quickly. There is a physical Y-splitter that is equally imposing, and it leads to two thinner cables headed to the two different channels with their own large plastic housings with knurled finishes helping with their removal. These go to the headphones and are respectively marked L and R for the left and right channels. Sivga is using 2.5 mm TS connectors with a single ring (green for left, red for right), and the connectors are all gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


Sivga's own product page does injustice to the Robin, at least this so-called black version. I can't really speak for the other brown version outside of photos and videos seen online, whereby it uses a tanned protein leather headband, native steel frame, and glossy wooden ear cups. That at least seems to be in line with the manufacturer's photos, as opposed to this version that isn't as dark; instead, the wood is far more brown, and generally brighter throughout the headphones. The headband is still protein leather, aka faux leather attempting to convince you it is real, with some foam lining for added comfort. The stitching in white contrasts against the black base, and a closer look shows it's well executed. The headband is relatively thin though, and there is no support, suspension, or spring-loaded band here. It terminates on either side to a gunmetal-colored steel frame which comes with L or R markings on the outside for the two channels and is itself of two parts screwed together to clamp the headband closed inside.


A steel band inside the headband helps with sizing and provides structural integrity and clamp force. Several notches are cut into the steel band that is a part of the frame, which is how you adjust where the headband will sit on your head vertically. This means there is minimal swivel horizontally with this headband, which is another drawback of this particular headband style. Sizing options are plenty, however, so these may be used with head sizes small and large alike.


The steel band has support points for the ear cups themselves, with two points on either side of the cups for ~45° vertical swivel in either direction. This somewhat makes up for the lack of horizontal rotation, but is still bested by many others in the price range of the Robin (SV021). I wish Sivga would have gone with a better implementation here, perhaps even one for the ear cups to be folded in for easier storage and transportation. I will also point out the cutouts in the ear cups on the top, which seem to be a combination of aesthetics, support for machining them, and potentially airflow to the driver.


At first glance, the ear cups are the primary selling point for the Sivga Robin, using real wood in an open-pore or filled-pore finish based on which version you pick. This one looks quite clean and classy, with a rich color to the wood that is machined inside and then trimmed on the outside to give the gentle curves you see above. The inside is no doubt mostly hollow and designed with acoustics in mind, and the Sivga logo is engraved on the outside for branding. A look from the side also shows the larger ear pads jutting out of the ear cup on all sides, and Sivga is using large oval-shaped leather pads with memory foam filling that makes for a fairly comfortable fit around your ears.


Sivga has gone with removable pads on the Robin, and it is one of the simplest implementations as you just rotate the ear pads anti-clockwise slightly so the plastic interlocking tabs separate. As such, replacing the ear pads is extremely simple, though the simplicity may impact the seal and clamping force, which we will discuss more on the next page. More importantly, these practically proprietary pads aren't available for purchase separately, rendering the whole point moot and hurting the longevity of the product. Removing the ear pads confirms a slightly oval shape to the ear cups and pads alike, which I have seen before. This also gives us a closer look at the ear pads, including the use of medium-density memory foam and fabric cover separating your ears and external contamination from the driver. Touching the surface of the ear pads, I again am not sure this is real or protein leather, but there are so many different grades of leather that there is no one set better than the other without knowing what is used exactly.


There is a separate mesh grille over the 50 mm dynamic driver, which we can now get a better look at. Sivga is claiming most of the driver components to have been in-house developed, which we will examine more on the next page. Four Phillips head screws hold the driver assembly in place on the wooden ear cups, removing which confirms the nature of the machined wood. Two wires go from the cable connection point to the driver PCB, with the wires far thicker than usual, which should appeal to those complaining about internal wiring being too thin and delicate. The solder job could have been better, but won't impact the functionality of these headphones.


On the bottom of the ear cups, towards the middle, is where we find small cutouts for the cable connectors from before. These have the cable plugs connect easily enough, which has the cables falling straight down as opposed to shifting away from your neck with inputs more towards the front. The Sivga Robin (SV201) uses dual 2.5 mm connectors on the ear cups, which increases compatibility with aftermarket cables and is handy if you don't like the stock cable—but note that TS connectors are preferred. With the two cables meeting at the splitter on your chest and moving to the source, the weight balance is still centrally placed as it then heads to the source. The cable is a weird 1.6 m long, making it too long for portable use and generally on the shorter side as far as desktop use goes.