The Sivga Anser is a compact, foldable open-back over-ear headphone. Despite the small cups, it uses surprisingly large 50mm dynamic drivers. It is almost a mystery how they manage to fit such large drivers into such compact cups.
The build and design feel premium, as I’ve come to expect from Sivga, combining wooden cup rings with a central metal mesh, and a premium-feeling, padded metal headband.
The Anser has been on the market since late 2024 and typically retails for 199 USD / €230 (incl. VAT)
SIVGA ANSER SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Open-back foldable over-ear headphone
- Driver: 50 mm dynamic
- Impedance: 38 ohms ± 15%
- Sensitivity: 105 dB ± 3dB
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz-20K Hz
- Cable: 2.0 m fabric covered twisted
- Cable connector: dual 3.5mm
- Cable termination: 3.5 mm with 6.35 mm adapter
- Pads: Hybrid velvet/pleather with proprietary attachment system
- Hemp carrying bag
- Weight: 342 g
Current price and availability:
BUILD AND DESIGN
As mentioned, the Anser has a very compact, open-back, foldable design that combines wooden cups with metal grills. The pads are quite small, but because they are slightly wedge-shaped, they are more roomy than they look. They are also very soft, with pleather on the outside and inside, and fabric on the face, the part that touches your skin. They are very comfortable.
The cable is nice enough: fabric-covered and twisted, two meters long. It connects to each cup with 3.5mm connectors and terminates in a 3.5mm unbalanced jack, with a 6.35mm adapter included.
The headband is padded with nice fabric on the side that rests on your head. There is no headband suspension, but I find it comfortable still.
All in all, I find the Anser to be a very well-designed and comfortable compact headphone that folds flat. It seems very well built, and like all headphones from Sivga, it shows that they value good craftsmanship.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
Associated equipment:
- DAC/Amp: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
Uncle John’s Band by John Scofield
This feels nicely balanced. It’s dynamic and detailed, but more than anything, it feels very natural. The bass is present but not overpowering, the electric guitar has a warm glow but not too much, and percussion is snappy. It doesn’t feel dark, it doesn’t feel bright. It doesn’t feel flat studio-neutral either. It’s very musical.
Some Day My Prince Will Come by Larry Coryell / Miroslav Vitous Quartet
The bass is solid, both detailed and warm. The electric guitar sounds tube-like. Good instrument separation.
Live Your Grace by Vega Trails
The standing bass is powerful but not bloated. There’s a good sense of spaciousness.
Sujet Tabou by Renaudin and Cahours
This dynamic duo sounds very nice with the Anser. It is very well balanced, natural, and snappy, sounding neither dark and muffled, nor dry and crisp. It sounds musical.
Eye of The Day by Marta del Grandi
The bass is well balanced, not overpowering but certainly present enough. The vocals are excellent, with nice warmth, sounding smooth and natural, intimate but not too intense. The guitar is crisp, the percussion snappy.
Never Enough by Loren Alred
This track can sound overly crisp and dry with a lot of revealing or badly tuned earphones. The Anser sounds great, subtly warm and nicely smooth.
Sunrise by Norah Jones
Very nice, natural vocals with presence and subtle nuances.
Vicarious by Tool
Rich and powerful, not boomy, not too crisp and sharp. It’s not as super tight but very musical.
Like Suicide by Soundgarden
Punchy bass drum, deep, warm bass guitar. Textured, warm electric guitars. Vocals stand out nicely.
Limit to Your Love by James Blake
Great vocals, very natural and organic sounding. The bass is impressive. Nice quantity and surprisingly steady quality at this price point.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
Very nice string timbre. Warm and organic, with nicely smooth textures.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
Nice delivery. The detail level is high, the tuning very well balanced. There’s a nice sense of warmth, but also great sense of attack and articulation.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
Very engaging, organic, and natural. Rather warm and smooth, with present but not overpowering bass.
Treble
Clean and well balanced. Not excessive, not too dark.
Midrange
Smooth and natural, organic and present without getting overly intense. Maybe a tad dark, but in a nice way.
Bass
Quantity-wise, it is nicely lifted, but it never feels excessive to me. It performs quite linearly, and the bass quality is impressive.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage size is average, and the imaging is not spectacular, but for the price and given the warm sound signature, I have nothing to complain about.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
The detail level is aftercare and decent for the price. The dynamics are more impressive. The best thing is the timbre. The Anser sounds nicely organic and natural throughout.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
SIVGA LUAN vs ANSER
The Sivga Luan is very similar in build to the Anser, and also comes with a 50 mm dynamic driver. The Luan is, however, larger and has a headband with a strap. It retails for about 299 USD.
Comparing the Anser to the Luan makes it clear that they are not too far apart in tuning but certainly not identical. The Anser has consistently more bass and darker, warmer mids. The Luan is more neutral, with better detail and clarity, instrument separation and imaging.
My full Luan review is here.
- Aliexpress: Sivga Luan
- Amazon: Sivga Luan
BEYERDYNAMIC DT 900 PRO X vs SIVGA ANSER
The DT 900 Pro X is an open-back dynamic driver headphone targeting professionals and audiophiles alike. It’s priced around 319 USD.
The Anser and DT 900 Pro X offer two very different listening experiences. The Anser delivers considerably more bass and warmer, fuller mids. In contrast, the DT 900 Pro X is more neutral and spacious, with superior detail retrieval. While its bass is much lighter than the Anser’s, it offers a more balanced and less colored midrange. The Anser’s thicker bass and richer mids give it a weightier and more musical presentation, but at the expense of some clarity and resolution.
- Amazon: DT 900 Pro X
SENNHEISER HD 560S vs SIVGA ANSER
The Sennheiser HD560S is a lightweight, dynamic driver headphone. It isn’t as easy to drive as the Anser and isn’t foldable. Typical price is around 199 USD.
Comparing it to the Anser, the Anser has more bass and thicker mids, while the HD560S is a bit cleaner. They do, however, sound much more similar than the Anser and the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X. The HD560S is more neutral than the Anser, but both are warm in a natural-sounding way, and relatively similar broadly speaking.
- Amazon: Sennheiser HD560S
SIVGA SV021 PRO V2 vs ANSER
The SV021 is basically Sivga’s closed-back alternative to the Anser. It is comparable in size, has a 50mm driver, and a similar build. It is very compact but does not fold. The SV021 Pro V2, like the Anser, is priced around 199 USD.
They are quite similarly tuned, but the Anser has more bass and is generally a bit warmer, with slightly darker mids. The PRO V2 sounds a bit more energetic and forward in the upper mids. Comparing them, the Anser is a bit laid back, the PRO V2 a bit brighter. That said, I find them to sound surprisingly similar given that they are a closed-back and open-back headphone.
My full review of the SV021 PRO V2 is here.
- AliExpress: Sivga SV021 Pro V2
CONCLUSION
The Sivga Anser is a compact open-back headphone that does a lot right for 199 USD price.
I really enjoy the sound signature: warm, musical, easy-going, and enjoyable. The bass is powerful but not overpowering, and technical performance is good. It is also compact, folds flat, is built from wood and metal, and is very comfortable considering the compact size.
If the tuning appeals to you and you want something compact and well built, it might be exactly what you’re after.
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