The Sivga SV021 Pro V2 is the second iteration of the SV021 Pro, a lightweight and compact over-ear headphone featuring a single dynamic driver and wooden cups, priced at around 189 USD.
The V2 is a re-tuned version of the original SV021 Pro, which was released just a few months ago in February 2026. Despite the short turnaround, the V2 sounds notably different from its predecessor and represents an improvement across the board. The two are, however, completely identical on the outside.
The most reliable way to identify the V2 is to remove the pads and check whether the driver is covered by a mesh. The V2 has one; the first version does not.
Every review or comment you may have read about the sound of the original SV021 Pro does not apply to the V2. At the time of writing, no other reviews of the V2 exist, so you will have to take my word for it.
WHY A NEW VERSION AFTER JUST A FEW MONTHS?
I already reviewed the first version of the SV021 Pro, which was released just three to four months ago in February 2026: SV021 PRO Review (first version)
While the original SV021 Pro had a lot going for it, something about the tuning felt off to me, and I sensed an issue with reflections. I ended up experimenting with modifications. First, I added a 5mm thick pad of tuning foam in front of the driver, which helped considerably. I described this in my original review.
However, not being completely satisfied, after the review I took the next step and placed a 600 mg pad of speaker wool inside the cup, which was entirely empty with no tuning material whatsoever. This helped a lot, and the sound became much more to my liking.
Both of these measures are fairly standard and commonly used by manufacturers.
I shared my thoughts and modifications with Sivga, and it turned out I was not the only one who found the sound signature and general character of the original SV021 Pro a bit off.
Sivga responded impressively fast and decided to re-tune the SV021 Pro based on feedback from reviewers and users. They made an internally modified version called the SV021 Pro V2, while keeping the exterior identical.
WHAT IS NEW ON THE V2
In order to achieve a more balanced sound signature with more natural timbre and better technical performance, Sivga made two effective, non-invasive changes:
1 – TUNING MESH IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER:
First, the V2 features a tightly woven nylon-type mesh in front of the driver. This is not removable and is part of the driver unit itself. It serves a dual purpose: it tunes the sound by attenuating frequencies, and it gives the driver some resistance to push against. It does much of the same job as my foam mod.
2 – TUNING PAPER ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE DRIVER.
Second, most dynamic drivers of this type have paper material on the back with varying properties and venting holes. Both the paper and the venting holes have been changed on the V2.
In other words, the driver primary internals are the same, but it has received a tuning mesh in front and different tuning paper and venting holes on the back.
The rest of the headphone is unchanged. To identify the V2, simply remove the pads and check for the mesh covering the driver as mentioned. If it is there, it is the V2.
The SV021 Pro V2 is available in exactly the same finishes as the original: zebra wood with black or beech with light brown.
SIVGA SV021 Pro V2 SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: compact over-ear closed-back
- Driver: 50mm dynamic
- Diaphragm: aluminium composite
- Sensitivity: 106 dB
- Impedance: 45 Ohms
- Cable: 1.6 m OFC, braided
- Cable connectors: dual mono 3.5 mm on headphones
- Cable termination: 3.5mm jack
- Two colour options (dark or light brown)
- Cup material: zebra wood or beech
- Weight: 289 g
BUILD AND DESIGN
The V2 is physically identical to the first Pro version.
Sivga headphones always impress me with their build quality, and the SV021 Pro V2 is no exception. The wooden cups are beautiful, and the attention to detail is refreshing in a world where many headphones do not necessarily prioritise craftsmanship and aesthetics.
HEADBAND
The headband is padded, simple and sleek; it does not use the (great) floating arc and suspension band found on Sivga and Sendy’s more expensive and larger models. This is a more compact and portable headphone.
The headband offers only a little swivel action. It worked for me but could be an issue for some. Additionally, my head is not extremely small, yet I used the headband on the smallest setting possible, which is rare. People with smaller heads might find this a problem.
PADS
The pads are very comfortable, with enough space for my ears despite the small footprint of the headphone.
The pads are neither round nor oval. Like the original non-pro SV021, they have a special shape that is wider at the top than the bottom. The SV021 Pro V2 (and V1) ear pads measure 95 x 107 mm on the outside and 65 x 73 mm at the opening, and are 20 mm thick. Like the Sivga Luan, the pads are somewhat unusual in that they angle outwards, making the pad face larger than the cup.
The pads have pleather on the outside, fabric on the face, and fenestrated pleather on the inside. The foam is very comfortable and soft memory foam.
The pads attach to the cups via a twist-to-lock plastic adapter plate onto which the pad is glued. I am not a big fan of proprietary pad attachment systems, as you are essentially limited to using original or specially made pads. However, when time comes, you might cut the old pads off the adapter plate and reuse it in a more creative way with a set of third-party oval pads.
CABLE
The SV021 Pro V2 comes with the same 1.6 m oxygen-free copper cable as the original Pro, braided with a textile cover. It looks and feels nice, but is somewhat microphonic, which is not ideal if you move around a lot.
That said, because the SV021 Pro V2 uses standard 3.5 mm connectors on the cups, finding replacement cables should be easy.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
Below I will first compare the V2 to the First version version, including my own modified variants. Then I will offer some standalone listening impressions, and finally compare the V2 to the FiiO FT1, the absolute reference headphone in this price range.
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
COMPARISONS TO THE FIRST VERSION/Original Pro
Eye of the Day by Marta del Grandi
Pro V2: The bass is rich but not overpowering, the vocals are warm and forward but natural, and there is a pleasing amount of detail. The headphone feels well balanced overall.
Original Pro: The original SV021 Pro sounds markedly different. The vocals are very intense, the bass is leaner, and the sound is generally less clean.
Original Pro with foam mod: The vocals are more relaxed and the overall presentation is cleaner. It is an improvement over the stock original, but the V2 is clearly better still.
Original Pro with foam mod and speaker wool mod: Better still, with a cleaner, tighter, and more natural presentation. Although the gap narrows significantly with the dual mods, the V2 remains the superior version.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
Pro V2: The saxophone sounds very nice, warm and smooth. The bright percussion is clean without being sharp. The bass is detailed and well balanced.
Original Pro: Compared to the V2, the saxophone sounds strange and honky, the bass is leaner, and the percussion is less clean but occasionally overly sharp.
Original Pro with foam mod: The saxophone still sounds slightly off, though considerably improved. The V2 is still several steps ahead.
Original Pro with foam mod and speaker wool mod: The difference is now quite small, but the V2 still has the edge, with a more natural-sounding saxophone.
Murmurations by Vega Trails
Pro V2: Very nice bass, well balanced and detailed. The percussion is clean and nicely smooth, yet dynamic.
Original Pro: Very different. It sounds honky and artificial compared to the V2, with less detail and more distortion across all frequency ranges. The midrange especially has a strangely intense character when compared directly.
Original Pro with foam mod: The honkiness is vastly reduced and the sound is generally better than the stock original, but the V2 is still the superior option.
Original Pro with foam mod and speaker wool mod: This is getting very close in tonality and overall quality to the V2, but the V2 is still a touch better.
CONCLUSION – Pro V2 vs Original Pro
The SV021 Pro V2 is superior to the original SV021 Pro in both the tuning/sound signature and overall technical performance. The original comes across as honky and more distorted in comparison. Adding the foam pad in front of the driver on the original helps considerably, and adding speaker wool inside the cups brings the original very close to the Pro V2, but not quite all the way there.
STANDALONE IMPRESSIONS
Having established that the SV021 Pro V2 is vastly superior to the original, I will now move on to some standalone listening impressions.
Outlaws by Bill Frisell
The SV021 Pro V2 has very nice bass and a crisp but smooth presence in the mids and highs.
Sandermosen by Maridalen
The Pro V2 has very good bass presence, with warmth and detail. The midrange timbre is very nice and the highs are smooth.
Re-Melt by Tord Gustavsen Trio
The Pro V2 sounds very pleasing and well balanced, smooth and gentle with a spacious delivery.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
The Pro V2 has a nice, somewhat forward saxophone. The bright percussion is not especially sharp or piercing, but bright enough and very clean. The bass is well balanced.
The Hidden Camera by Photek
Time for some electronic music. The Pro V2 has tight and deep bass with very good presence without being overpowering. The percussion on this track can often sound a bit dry, but not so with the V2. It has very good tonality that suits this track.
Teardrop by Massive Attack
The Pro V2 delivers high-quality bass with a very good and well-balanced quantity. The vocals are smooth and delicate, and the percussion is snappy in a relaxed way.
Jambi by Tool
The Pro V2 offers textured guitars in a smooth way, with vocals that are also smooth but stand out nicely in the mix. The bass is tight but still pleasingly present.
Escape Route by Boris Blank
The Pro V2 sounds very organic, with great instrument separation while remaining slightly laid-back and smooth.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
The Pro V2 offers a nicely powerful and detailed bass while the vocals remain upfront in a smooth way, with no sibilance, which is often an issue on this track with many headphones.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
The Pro V2 has a nice enough instrumental timbre, but it sounds a bit flat and less organic compared to the best competitors.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
The Pro V2 sounds decent, but with this more complex material some issues with reflections become more noticeable than on most tracks. The string timbre is not entirely accurate, and there is a sense of diffuseness that I find unsatisfying.
Never Enough by Loren Alred
This is a track with fabulous vocal performance but poorly done mastering, and the vocals can often sound dry. The Pro V2 sounds quite decent, although it does not add much warmth.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The SV021 Pro V2 is a relatively neutral, warm-leaning headphone with a slight elevation in the bass.
Treble
The treble is detailed and nuanced, not particularly sharp or bright, but with enough presence to avoid sounding dark.
Midrange
The midrange is mostly nicely balanced, but depending on the track it can sound a bit off. I suspect some reflections from the small wooden cups come into play. This is not a major issue, as closed-back headphones always have some quirks. For the most part, the midrange is very nice.
Bass
The bass is rich and powerful without being overly strong. It is detailed and tight, and it can throw a punch.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage is reasonably large for a closed-back headphone. Imaging is good enough. Not bad nor particularly impressive. It does the job.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
The detail level is good, but I get the impression that the driver is more capable than the end result suggests. Again, all closed-back headphones, and especially those with small cups, have resonances that disturb the end result to some degree, varying depending on the frequency in play. The V2 is much better in this regard than the first version of the SV021 Pro.
Dynamics are generally good, especially macrodynamics.
When it comes to timbre, I think the bass and treble are very nice. The midrange is also often very nice, but sometimes it sounds less organic than ideal, probably due to the resonances mentioned above.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
FiiO FT1 vs SIVGA SV021 PRO V2
When it comes to closed-back wooden headphones around $200, or even below $500, my primary reference point is the FiiO FT1. It was remarkably well received at launch, and I happily contributed to the hype.
The FiiO FT1 is significantly larger than the SV021 Pro V2. In terms of acoustic performance this is a significant advantage for the FT1, as resonances within the cup are easier to manage when the cup is large rather than small. In terms of portability, however, the SV021 Pro V2 has a clear edge.
Comparing the sound of the two, it becomes clear they have much in common but also some differences. In terms of sound signature, the FT1 has more bass, a less forward midrange, and slightly sharper highs. In terms of technical capability, the FT1 is generally better, but I am impressed by how close the SV021 Pro V2 comes. The larger cups of the FT1 give it an advantage when it comes to controlling reflections that affect detail retrieval and similar qualities. Anyway, they are both very good headphones.
I have written a full comparison review here:
FiiO FT1 vs SIVGA SV021 Pro V2
AMPLIFICATION
I used the Topping A90 for most of my listening and comparisons. The SV021 Pro V2 is easy to drive and works well with many USB dongle DACs. I did a quick check with the following:
The Letshuoer DT01 Pro sounds quite OK. It wasn’t great with the first Pro version, but with the improved V2 there’s no real issues.
The Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro sounds better though, the Alpha XI1 ONIX is on a similar level – a tad warmer which is nice. The Fosi DS3 also works very well, the xDuoo Link2 Bal2 too. The Dragonfly Cobalt is the best of the bunch with more detail and control.
CONCLUSION
It is very unusual for a headphone to be replaced after just a few months with a new version. But Sivga did the right thing here. The original SV021 Pro had some real issues, and with a few targeted tweaks, Sivga managed to vastly improve the sound, making it a much better and distinctly different-sounding headphone.
The SV021 Pro V2 is a warm-leaning, nicely detailed, and quite smooth-sounding headphone. It is well built and should be a good choice for many listeners.
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