SIVGA Nightingale Pro Planar IEMs – Song Of Forest Nights
Sivga Nightingale Pro is a $296 USD pair of IEMs or In-Ear Monitors designed with a Deep Bass, Wide Soundstage and Refined Details as core values, relying on a large planar magnetic driver at the core to produce sound and music. Sivga Nightingale Pro will be our guest and the star of our review today as we explore how it sounds like and how it compares to other IEMs, including ZiiGaat Crescent (279 USD), Sivga Audio Nightingale (279 USD) and Punch Audio Martilo (329 USD)
Introduction
Sivga and Sendy Audio are super popular nowadays, having designed some highly successful pairs of IEMs and Headphones. They are not just re-composers using known drivers, but they actually develop new technologies, new driver types, both companies having introduced complex technologies, new sounds and having been a favorite for those who are looking to purchase a high-quality ChiFi pair of earphones.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3L0Rly0
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c2zmyFsh
Build Quality And Design
At the core, Nightingale Pro is defined by the planar magnetic driver inside, which is a multi-magnetic planar driver as it has two sets of magnets. With a newly developed composite diaphragm of just 0.008mm thickness and an even thinner 0.006mm aluminum ribbon conductor, this driver will surely deliver a super crisp treble.
Faceplates of the Nightingale Pro are made of Zebrawood, and are meticulously sanded, polished and coated for the finish you see in my photos. Cable is a 26 AWG 8-Strand Braided cable with litz cores made of single crystal copper and silver plated single crystal copper for the best sound. This cable is detachable, and based on the standard 0.78mm 2-Pin interface, with a 4.4mm balanced plug at the end and it is not modular.
Inside the case you can find the IEMS, the cable, transport case and 2 sets of tips. Technically, Nightingale Pro has a planar magnetic driver at the core, 14.5mm in size, and has an SPL or sensitivity of 107dB, with an impedance of 16 OHMs. They are not very heavy at 14 grams for the IEMs.
Subjective Usage
Sivga Nightingale Pro is quite similar in design to the original, but different in fitting. The new pro version has less of a seal, it feels more open. And all the eartips included have a wider bore opening, which flares and allows for a medium-deep insertion, but a more open, less voidy, zero driver-flex comfort for the Pro. It is a good fit, they are ergonomic, but you have to experiment a bit with the eartips, even use ddHIFI ST-35 if you want a more proper seal, as the default ones all are a bit iffy on the comfort and sealing.
Cable quality is excellent, as we’ve grown used from Sivga and Sendy Audio, plus there is no cable handling and microphonic noise. Passive noise isolation, if using good fitting eartips, is around 15 dB, even higher at times, towards 20 dB, depending on the frequency range, with more isolation right in the midrange, and less in the low-end and treble. Cable is a bit kinky and bend, plus tangle prone.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I have paired the Sivga Nightingale Pro with a collection of sources, including FiiO K17, Audioengine HXL, Shanling Onix Beta XI2, Surfans F35 Music Player DAP, iBasso D17 Atheris, Burson Playmate 3, Rose Technics RT-5000, and Luxsin X9.
Although the impedance is rightfully detected low, at 16 OHMs, Nightingale pro is quite hard to drive and eats a lot of power even from balanced sources, getting loud much harder than most IEMs. This causes them to theoretically have a higher THD, as they place more strain on the source, so they are rather source sensitive.
Overall Signature – Sivga Nightingale Pro is quite bright, sharp and bassy, a classic V-Shaped tuning. There’s quite a bit of bloom in the bass, and a tasteful bit of bass bleed, which gives music warmth, body and thickness in the lower midrange. Combined with a really sharp and somewhat aggro treble, and upper mid-range emphasis and extra sharpness, Nightingale pro sounds rather revealing, detailed and manages to deliver on the promised characteristics of a deep bass, good resolution and a wide soundstage.
Bass – In the lows, Nightingale Pro reaches as low as about 40 Hz, with most of the bass energy being between 45 Hz and 120 Hz, which gives music a bit of extra thickness, extra boom and bloom. Bass is fast in impact, but there is a bit of extra lingering of each musical note, like a post impulse ringing or echo. Bass is generally pleasing and deep, and it is heavily conditioned by the sealing and fitting, with most eartips not providing an adequate fit due to the very large bores of the Nightingale pro and deeper required insertion, so upon experimentation it may change for you.
Midrange – While I seem to gloss over this fact, Nightingale Pro has one of the richest midrange sounds, kinda like they have the tube added harmonics of a tube setup, they have a TON of micro texture, and it is very obvious, which gives them an advantage for classical instruments, but the V-Shaped tuning does not generally help the signature for classical and orchestral. Basically, it can work well for all music styles, but traditionally people who enjoy classical and orchestral are looking for a more mid centric, neutral or natural tuning.
Treble – Top end is quite over-the-top for Nightingale Pro, but much more controlled, less sharp, and less metallic than it was with the original, creating a more natural, more organic and cohesive sound. In fact, cohesiveness is one of the defining characteristics of the Pro as it uses just one driver and a clever acoustic design to lower the treble brashness and increase the musicality of the Pro without damping on their resolution. The result is a treble that extends up to 18 kHz, has a peaking range of 9 kHz up to 16 kHz, and a ton of energy in the treble. A slightly splashy character helps the treble steer away from being seriously fatiguing. It ain’t relaxing either way and Nightingale Pro is a snappy, slightly aggro sounding pair of IEMs, but as I said, this works quite well for a lot of music.
Dynamics And Textures – Sivga Nightingale has a fast response across the midrange bass and treble, but the resonance of the IEM shells gives the bass a thunderous presence and slow decay, a bit of extra post-impulse echo which gives them a bit of bass bleed and a bit of extra thickness to music. This means that they are generally super revealing and can render micro details and micro textures nicely, for all frequencies. As usual of a planar magnetic driver, the treble is naturally a bit more present than the midrange and the bass, which is countered by smart damping at the acoustic level. Dynamic range is not compressed and it feels natural.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Nightingale Pro uses a planar magnetic driver at the core, which has a bit of extra THD at loud volumes, and that is audible, but they also sound best at higher volumes, and require a lot of power to get loud, all characteristics that make them a really good match with a high-end source that has good control. Overall, they can go far beyond 115 dB and stay crispy clean with a good source, and are not a good match with most entry-level dongle DAC AMPs, instead sounding best with a high-quality DAP like iBasso DX260 MKii, or at least a Surfans F35.
Soundstage – You will hear a nice, holographic soundstage with the Nightingale Pro, as the staging expands nicely in width, but also has a bit of depth. This creates a nice setup for EDM and electronic music, as well as rock and metal, where the signature works best. Instrument separation is not necessarily a focus for the Nightingale Pro, but it works alright, while size of the soundstage expands beyond the boundaries of your head, but does not scatter much.
Comparisons
Sivga Nightingale Pro vs ZiiGaat Crescent (296 USD vs 279 USD) – Crescent has a lighter shell, less interesting cable, but a more secure fit, which makes it a bit more universal and versatile. From a constructional perspective, Nightingale Pro has a higher value. Crescent is easier to drive, but a bit more sensitive to the source background noise. They isolate comparably from the outside noise. Sonically, Crescent is a bit less sharp, less detailed and more neutral / natural, while Nightingale Pro has a more accentuated V-Shaped tuning and signature, more bass presence, more treble and a sharper treble, and a wider soundstage. Overall, Crescent is a safe option that sounds less energetic, less aggro and less colorful, while Nightingale Pro is a more risky buy with more potential.
Sivga Nightingale Pro vs Punch Audio Martilo (296 USD vs 329 USD) – Martillo is heavier, with a far thicker and what feels like a more premium cable, but which is less practical in person. Martilo offers a stronger passive noise isolation, has a more secure fit and works with generic eartips better. Martilo is easier to drive and less needy of a good source. Sonically, Martillo is a basshead pair of IEMS with excellent impact and bass depth, but not a lot of treble, and a lower resolution, making Nightingale Pro sound wider, more open, far more detailed, crisp and brighter. Nightingale pro has less bass, while Martilo has far more bass, deeper bass. Different IEMs for a different taste.
Sivga Nightingale Pro vs Sivga Nightingale (296 USD vs 279 USD) – Now we reach an interesting point, as the original Nightingale has a similar design and price point to the pro, but the new pro has a slightly less secure fit, but a similar level of quality for the cable. Sonically, the new variant is less aggressive, less bright, less sharp and more controlled. The new variant is far more natural, more organic in the midrange, has a fuller and deeper bass, which makes them a better choice unless you wanted the more extreme sound of the original.
Value and Conclusion
With a price tag of around 300 USD, and only a bit pricier than the original Nightingale, the new Pro version is more natural, more ergonomic sounding, creating a tuning that is pleasing to the ear, V-Shaped, vibrant and energetic, vivid and fun. At this price point, Nightingale pro delivers a good transporter case, one of the best cables on the audio market, and very solid value.
At the end of the day, Sivga Nightingale Pro is an excellent pair of IEMs if you’re looking for fun, a bit of extra oomph in the bass, a bit of edge and treble sharpness, and an open sound with a wide soundstage. While comfort will be personal and each person will have a different experience with the Nightingale Pro, with a bit of tip rolling, you should be set for fun with those planar magnetic driver IEMs.
PROs
- V-Shaped sound with a lively presentation
- Open and holographic soundstage
- Excellent cable included in the package
- Full and Deep bass
- Sharp and airy treble with outstanding extension
- Resolution and clarity is excellent
- Transport case included in the package
- Great value
Cons
- Fit and tip rolling is necessary for the sound to reach its max value
- Requires a ton of power from the source, sounds best with high-end sources
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3L0Rly0
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c2zmyFsh
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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