Sivga SV023

Sivga SV023: open-back headphones with solid walnut earcups

Two earcups carved from a block of walnut, a stainless steel grille that offers a glimpse of the driver, and a goatskin-covered headband: these open-back headphones place as much emphasis on fine materials as on their diaphragm. Inside, a 50 mm dynamic driver combines a liquid crystal polymer with a beryllium coating. They are designed for listening at home, connected to a headphone amplifier or a portable player capable of driving them.

Hand-finished walnut earcups

Sivga, the sister brand of Sendy Audio, has been making wooden-earcup headphones since 2016, and the SV023 carries on this signature design. Each earcup is CNC-machined from a selected piece of walnut. The brand’s craftspeople sand, varnish and wax it, then leave it to dry until a glossy finish is achieved. The grain and colour therefore vary from one pair to another. Anodised aluminium rings and a stainless steel grille complete the rear of the earcups.

This grille leaves the back of the headphones open to the air. The diaphragm radiates without an enclosed cavity behind it, limiting internal resonances and producing a wider soundstage than closed-back headphones. The trade-off is familiar: sound leaks out and noise from the room gets in. The SV023 is therefore best enjoyed in a quiet setting, in a study or living room, rather than on public transport or in a shared space.

A diaphragm combining polymer and beryllium

The 50 mm driver uses a two-zone composite diaphragm. The outer section is a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) film, a lightweight, rigid material that effectively damps unwanted vibrations. The centre has a beryllium coating, a metal that is both very light and very rigid, raising the frequency at which the diaphragm begins to deform. The central area, which reproduces the treble, gains rigidity, while the outer section remains flexible and damped for the bass and midrange. A neodymium-iron-boron magnet drives the assembly, housed in an aircraft-grade aluminium alloy frame.

The frequency response extends from 20 Hz to 40 kHz. Sivga’s chosen tuning aims for controlled bass without excess, a warm midrange for vocals and natural treble, with the instrument separation and soundstage width characteristic of open-back headphones.

318 grams for long listening sessions

The SV023 weighs 318 g, a modest weight for over-ear headphones with wooden earcups. The headband combines an adjustable stainless steel arch, which controls pressure on the head without squeezing, and a supple goatskin strap. The aluminium yokes, also CNC-machined, connect the arch to the earcups.

The memory foam earpads, covered in velour and synthetic leather, follow the shape of the ears to surround them comfortably. Their outer edges feature small holes: these ventilate the ears during listening and help tune the bass. The headband does not fold, which explains the generous dimensions of the supplied case.

300-ohm headphones that need a capable source

With an impedance of 300 Ω, the SV023 requires more voltage than 32 Ω portable headphones. In practice, a low-powered source will drive them, but at a limited volume and with less controlled bass. Their sensitivity of 105 dB partly offsets this requirement: a home headphone amplifier, a desktop DAC or a hi-fi portable player will drive them without difficulty.

The 4.4 mm Pentaconn balanced output is the most suitable. It keeps the two channels entirely separate all the way to the headphones and delivers a higher voltage than the same device’s unbalanced output, benefiting headphones with this impedance.

6N copper cable and connection accessories

The detachable 2 m cable is made from 6N OCC copper: 99.9999% pure copper, cast using the Ohno process, which produces very long crystals with few junctions along the signal path. It consists of four braided strands, each made up of 30 wires measuring 0.08 mm and a reinforcing thread to prevent breakage. At the headphone end, two 2.5 mm jack plugs connect to the respective earcups. At the source end, the 4.4 mm Pentaconn plug connects to balanced outputs.

Two adapters cover the other sockets: the first converts the balanced 4.4 mm connection to an unbalanced 3.5 mm mini-jack, and the second converts the 3.5 mm connection to the 6.35 mm jack used on home amplifiers. The headphones travel in a leather-covered, fabric-lined hard case, while a soft pouch holds the cable and adapters.

Technical Specifications

Construction

• Type of fit: Circumaural (around the ear)
• Headphone type: Open dynamic
• Driver size: 50 mm
• Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) diaphragm with beryllium dome
• Solid walnut wood ear cups
• Ergonomic and comfortable headband
• Ergonomic and micro-perforated ear cushions

Technical Specifications

• Frequency response: 20 Hz - 40 kHz
• Sensitivity: 105 dB ± 3 dB
• Impedance: 300 Ω ± 15%

Connectivity and Dimensions

• Detachable cable in pure 6N copper (OCC)
• Cable length: 2.00 m ± 0.2 m
• Connectors: 4.4 mm balanced Pentaconn
• Weight: 318 g

Package Contents

• 1 Sivga SV023 headphones
• 1 hard leather carrying case
• 1 soft carrying pouch for cables
• 1 balanced 2.5 mm to 4.4 mm Pentaconn cable
• 1 4.4 mm balanced Pentaconn to 3.5 mm unbalanced mini-jack adapter
• 1 3.5 mm unbalanced mini-jack to 6.35 mm unbalanced jack adapter