Kiwi Ears Serene is a fully closed-back planar magnetic headphone using a proprietary 72mm x 89mm driver. It was tuned in cooperation with Z Reviews. The launch price was 159 USD, but it is currently available for significantly less. See links below.
The SV021 Pro is also a closed-back over-ear headphone. It has a 50 mm dynamic driver with a five-layer aluminum composite diaphragm. The build quality is stunning, and the shells are real wood. The launch price is $179 USD.
My full individual reviews:
SIVGA SV021 Pro 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
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Sivga S021 Pro
- Sivga store: Sivga SV021 Pro
- Aliexpress: Sivga SV021 Pro
KIWI EARS SERENE SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Closed-back, compact over-ear
- Driver: 72mm x 89mm planar magnetic Driver
- Impedance: 50 ohms
- Sensitivity: 102 dB
- THD: Less than 3%
- Lightweight aluminum frame with polymer cups.
- Padded headband and thick, vegan leather earcups.
- Cable: 1.5m braided with fabric
- Connectors: Dual 3.5mm TRS on headphone side
- Cable termination: 3.5mm jack
- Weight: 269 grams (excl. cable)
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Z Serene
- Linsoul : Kiwi Ears Z Serene
- Kiwi Ears: Serene
BUILD, DESIGN, AND COMFORT
The Serene and SV021 Pro are similar in size and weight, and they feel pretty similar to wear on the head.
The Sivga SV021 has exceptional build quality, made of metal, plastic and wood.
The Serene is made of aluminium, plastic. It has polymer cups with metallic decor disc.
PADS: Both have very comfortable memory foam pads. The Serene is all pleather, while the SV021 Pro is fabric on the face and pleather on the sides. The Serene uses the standard lip-and-groove attachment system which makes 3rd party pads an option, the Sivga SV021 Pro uses a proprietary lock on mechanism.
HEADBAND: Both have similar padded headbands. The Serene has pleather all around, the SV021 Pro has pleather on top, and textile on the “head-side” .
I have to wear the SV021 Pro on its minimum setting, which is not something I normally have to do, so if you have a very small head the Serene is the better option. The Serene fits me at 2-3 cm from the minimum extension setting on each side.
The SV021 Pro has very little swivel action, the Serene has plenty. It even folds flat.
CABLES: Both have similar light braided textile cables at 150-160 cm. None of them are especially impressive, both cables are a bit microphonic. Both use 3.5mm connector jacks on the headphone cups and have a 3.5 mm termination jack.
COMPARISONS
UPDATE: This comparison was done before I did the “driver fix” recommended by Z reviews. After the fix, the Serene gets more but tighter bass (more here).
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
For this comparison I used my foam-modded SV021 Pro. The mod is basically just a circle of 5mm tuning foam in front of the driver under the pad fabric. This tames the midrange, which I otherwise can find overly intense and sometimes even honky sounding. It can also be adjusted with EQ. The foam mod does not radically change the headphone, though. It is a small adjustment that I personally find makes a big difference. You can read more here.
The Kiwi Ears Z Serene comes with foam in front of the drivers in the box.
Anyway, here are my track by track listening impressions:
Sujet Tabou by Renaudin and Cahours
The Serene is warm and lush, with good detail and dynamics. Instrument separation is good.
The SV021 Pro is very different, much crisper and brighter with less but tighter bass and more forward mids.
Outlaws by Bill Frisell
The Serene is dark and warm with a subtle way of conveying details. The bass is a tad boomy, but not in a bad way.
The SV021 Pro is crisper and brighter with a more upfront way of delivering detail. The midrange is more intense and upfront.
Sandermosen by Maridalen
The Serene is warm and lush, with good instrument separation. It is quite airy still.
The SV021 Pro has less bass and more mids. It is crisper and more energetic, less laid back.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
The Serene offers warm, rich timbre on the saxophone. The percussion is bright, certainly not too laid back – but it’s clean. The bass is rather powerful and not too tight, but nice enough.
The SV021 Pro is very different. The saxophone is much brighter, and the general presentation is a bit boxy when coming directly from the Serene. However, after adjusting, it sounds good. The bass is qualitatively much better than on the Serene, with a more balanced, tighter presence.
Murmurations by Vega Trails
The SV021 Pro has excellent quality bass. When things get a bit more complex later in the track, it keeps up composure quite well.
The Serene offers a warm bass with some bloom. The delivery is nice and roomy in a dark, intimate way. When things get busy it is not as clean, though still totally enjoyable.
Eye of the Day by Marta del Grandi
The Serene offers beautiful vocals. The bass has some bloom, but instrument separation is generally good.
The SV021 Pro is brighter and crisper. The bass is tighter with significantly less quantity. The vocals are very upfront and a bit intense.
How Deep by John Scofield
The Serene has a smooth, laid back tonality. It is warm, but still detailed, especially in the treble.
The SV021 Pro has tighter bass, a much more forward lead guitar and a busier sounding soundstage. There is more intensity in the upper mids and lower treble.
The Sun Always Shines on TV MTV Unplugged by a-ha
The SV021 Pro has a very upfront vocal delivery, which is a bit intense.
The Serene has the vocals drawn back somewhat, with a quite laid back delivery. Still, imaging is good and the treble is detailed.
Come Away with Me by Norah Jones
The Serene is lush and feels a bit dark in general. Vocals are dark but still present.
The SV021 Pro is very different. Vocals are much brighter, and in direct comparison it feels a bit boxy at first before the brain adjusts.
Like Suicide by Soundgarden
The Serene has a warm, not excessive bass presence that lacks a bit of definition. Vocals are dark but separation is still generally quite good.
The SV021 Pro delivers tight bass and crisp percussion. The vocals are not the best I’ve heard though clear enough.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Kiwi Ears x Z Reviews Serene and the Sivga SV021 Pro have vastly different sound signatures. When switching back and forth it is quite difficult to adjust to either when coming from the other.
Generally, the Serene is dark and lush, the SV021 Pro is upfront and crisp. However, the big difference is in the midrange; the bass and treble quantity is actually relatively similar – although different in character.
Treble
Both have a nice and detailed treble, surprisingly similar in presence given the difference in overall sound signature.
Midrange
The midrange is very different. The Serene is dark and laid back while the SV021 Pro is very upfront and often intense. They sit on opposite sides of neutral. The SV021 Pro must be EQd or modded down, and the Serene must be boosted to achieve a neutral midrange.
Bass
In terms of quantity they are relatively similar, although it depends somewhat on the track due to differences in frequency response. The SV021 Pro does, however, offer consistently better quality. It delivers better detail, control and a more textured and tight presentation. The Serene generally has a bit of bloom, which contributes to its warmer character overall.
UPDATE: This comparison was done before I did the “driver fix” recommended by Z reviews. After the fix, the Serene gets more but tighter bass (more here).
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage experience is very different when switching back and forth. Because of the vast difference in midrange tuning you have to let your brain adjust to the differences in character.
When you do, however, both offer a nice large soundstage with good imaging.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
The detail level in the treble and midrange is relatively similar. In the bass, the SV021 Pro is superior.
Dynamics are equally good but the experience is still very different.
The general experience of timbre is very different. However, after spending some time comparing them, as mentioned before, the main difference is in the midrange. The midrange of the Serene is very dark, the midrange of the SV021 Pro is very upfront.
AMPLIFICATION
The Serene needs much more power to reach the same volume compared to the SV021 Pro. The Pro can be powered nicely by a multitude of DAC/Amp dongles; The Serene is more picky, both on desktop amps and dongles.
I write more about that in the dedicated review of these headphones.
CONCLUSION
The Serene and SV021 Pro are similar in size but still very different. The build quality of the SV021 Pro is certainly a step up and frankly impressive, while the Serene is more standard and “does the job”. The SV021 Pro minimum headband setting is not too small, though and it might not fit the smallest of heads. The Serene can be adjusted to be significantly smaller.
Both are sonically capable closed-back headphones with very different sound signatures. Neither can be called neutral.
The big difference is in the midrange, where the Serene is dark and laid back, while the SV021 Pro is very upfront and energetic. I prefer the SV021 Pro with an added foam pad in front of the driver to take it down a bit. The Serene has foam in place from the factory.
Which you might prefer mainly comes down to tonal preference. If you prefer a warm, relaxed listen, the Serene is the better choice. If you prefer a more energetic, detailed and forward presentation, the SV021 Pro is better.
Thanks for reading. You can support us by purchasing anything using any of our affiliate links.
- Amazon: Sivga S021 Pro
- Sivga store: Sivga SV021 Pro
- Aliexpress: Sivga SV021 Pro
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- Amazon: Kiwi Ears Z Serene
- Linsoul : Kiwi Ears Z Serene
- Kiwi Ears: Serene
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