Sonic Enlightenment Upgrade – Sendy Audio Aiva 2 Planar Headphones
Sendy Audio AIVA 2 is a $599 USD pair of over-the-ear open-back planar magnetic headphones with a real zebrawood earcup frame, high-precision CNC carving, and a new driver diaphragm resulting in a completely new sound for the Sendy Audio company. Given the price point of the Aiva 2, we will explore in-depth how it sounds like, but also how it compares to other headphones we’ve recently reviewed that fall within a similar price range, including HarmonicDyne Baroque (559 USD), Aune SR7000 (599 USD), and OLLO X1 (539 USD).
Introduction
Sendy Audio is the courageous, productive worker of the audio world, they always do their best, always come up with new amazing products, always try to give you the best experience and sound possible for the money, and are always there to support you. Although Sendy Audio products are not available to purchase from their own website, they offer outstanding support and are present at audio shows, not leaving the fate of their company to chance, and doing an active effort, placing trust in their work. Sendy Audio and Sivga are both parts of the same bigger company, if I ever call this the Sivga Aiva 2.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3HvG9XR
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFM5NPk
Build Quality / Design
Starting with the outer shell, Sendy Audio Aiva 2 comes with Natural Zebrawood in the earcups, being made to be as comfortable as possible for this size and shape. Although it is an open-back design, the shape of the earcups is made from stainless steel, and it resembles the scales on a mermaid.
When it comes to the driver, that is where Sivga and Sendy Audio made most developments. This driver membrane is just 1 micron thick, and it is also double sided, so it is in theory a planar magnetic membrane with double sided magnetic traces. In theory, this would mean a faster impulse response. When it comes to the shape of the earpad, you have to trust the drawings, it is too complicated to describe, but basically Aiva2 uses earpads that are contoured against the human face / shape with multiple points and areas of different thickness.
You also get outstanding support from the headband, which is made from lamb leather. In total, the earcups of the Aiva 2 have 30 degrees of freedom of rotation in every direction. You can easily replace the cables, but the cables they come with from the factory are of an excellent quality, 4.4mm balanced, with 3.5mm mono plugs at the headphone side. Most 3.5mm stereo plugs will not work.
In theory, Aiva 2 is a pair of headphones with a driver that is 40mm in size, comes with a cable that is 2 meters long, has an SPL of 96 dB and an impedance of 32 OHMs. This all indicates that it will be rather hard to drive and require quite a bit of power to get loud, but should not distort easily and should have good control at high volumes.
Subjective Usage
Sendy Audio Aiva 2 is very comfortable, sits nicely on my head, it is not heavy, and the leather headband does an excellent job at distributing the weight of the headphones evenly across my head. Clamping force is medium – slightly high, they do not push down or have any hotspots. Passive noise isolation is almost non-existent, lower than the Baroque, similar to HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled, as somehow Aiva 2 lets in a lot of sound and pushes out a lot of sound as well.
Default cable is excellent, flexible, but trusty, we’ve seen this one before with many Sendy Audio and Sivga headphones, it is still great, and it survived on all the other headphones, while everything else about those headphones feels refined and fun, the outer design has a vintage beauty to it, but it also shows modern precision in the CNC processing.
A hard transport case is a huge bonus, and generally Aiva 2 has no squawking, no creaking, no self noise, with thick and dense earpads, it feels really comfortable on my head. On my head, I have them in the middle of the adjustment, they will fit someone with a much larger and much smaller head really well, and Sendy Audio is surprisingly good with the ergonomics engineering. In fact, the earpads they include are not straight nor simply ovaloid, they have a really interesting shape that gives Aiva 2 improved comfort and they follow the curves of my face more faithfully.
Sound Quality
Pairings – For today’s review I’ve been pairing the new Sendy Audio Aiva 2 with a multitude of sources, including FiiO K17, FiiO K9 PRO ESS, iBasso D16 + iBasso PB5, iBasso DX340, Burson PlayMate 2, JDS Labs Element III, Singxer Sa-1 V2 driven by a Musician Pegasus II R2R DAC, Dethonray Listening M1 and Dethonray Clarinet. While all those sources can totally drive the Sendy Audio Aiva 2, iBasso DX340 is my favorite, especially when using the AMP16 Amplifier card, as it has the proper power, but also tonality and richness in the sound to really bring the best out in Sendy Audio Aiva 2.
Sendy Audio Aiva 2 eats a ton of power, about the same as Harmonic Dyne Baroque, and almost as much as HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled, it likes to be driven with high gain on all sources, will have best impact, best control and lowest distortion if you give it a lot of gain, actual power. You can do so much with this driver if you power it from a high-end source, as it scales a lot with the source, it shows large differences between sources, and will sound best with a high-end DAP or DAC / AMP.
Overall Signature – Sivga Aiva2 is a really natural sounding pair of headphones, with a slightly mid centric sound, groovy and warm bass, sharp and brilliant treble, and no audible coloration in the midrange. I remember thinking that the original had a really specific coloration I spoke a lot about in the written review and the video review too, but Aiva 2 has no particular coloration, it simply sounds transparent, rich , euphonic, musically cohesive and now might even replace some of the other mid-centric-ish headphones people recommend a lot like HIFIMAN Ananda Nano or Arya Organic, having many of the advantages, but a more groovy, deeper bass, with more body to all instruments. Sendy Audio managed to get the textures perfect, they got a presentation that is not wet and splashy, nor dry, nor waxy and oily, it is a balance of all three, they went in the bermuda triangle of texture presentation, getting the Aiva 2 to sound like the most romantic, fun evening of your life when you’re slightly tipsy at your favorite bar with the love of your life, all voices are sweet, euphonic, rich and musically cohesive.
Bass – Starting from the low-end, Sendy Aiva2 has a slight, gentle, soft roll-off of the bass quantity below 50 Hz, as they have less focus on the sub-bass and more focus on the mid and upper bass. I would call this their only drawback and disadvantage, it is a bit of a weakness, if you wanted a ton of sub-bass. This being said, they have a warm bass that gives body to bass guitars, a strongly euphonic and fun sound, groovy and full / lush presentation to that bass. It works really well for slow rock, pop, edm, and metal music, it works well for classical and orchestral music too.
Midrange – This is where Sendy Audio did an excellent job, they gave Aiva 2 a really beautiful midrange, it is rich, euphonic and revealing, emphasizes both male and female voices, with a high transparency and no audible coloration. While some older Sivga and Sendy Audio headphones had a really specific peaking point that gave them a poppy sound, Aiva2 does not have that issue, it is highly transparent, groovy, beautiful and darn pleasing to the ear. It is almost like they filter the sound through the filter of being slightly tipsy, Aiva 2 is super lush, musical, and pleasing without sounding vague or scattered. It is actually strong in the instrument separation and resolution, which further makes this whole tuning appealing for both older and newer music. Overall, they just sound transparent, but groovy, lush with a full body, warm midrange but no audible coloration, no dips, no peaks, all voices and instruments come through naturally as they would in nature.
Treble – The sweeter midrange is complemented by a bright, sharp, brilliant treble that highlights and shows details in music really well, Aiva 2 extends the treble to 19 kHz really well, there is a wide peaking range between 9 kHz and 14 kHz, which gives music a strong brilliance, airy presentation and a pleasing tonality too. This emphasizes with violins and female voices, creating a sound that stays engaging and fun for all music styles, both older and newer songs.
PRaT / Textures / Dynamics – Sendy audio made the Aiva 2 to sound natural, slightly warm, as if you were a bit tipsy. This means ever so slightly sloppy textures, satisfying, warm, and a bit slow, but not to the point where the sonic character would be either wet or oily, it is not dry, but natural towards ever so slightly slow. All instruments, guitars, pianos, everything has a natural texture, but it is not fatiguing, it is generally pleasing, homogenous sounding, organic and rich. They sound warm, and their signature is dominated by the bigger, more bold body they offer to music. This body is constructed on a mid bass and upper bass rather than sub bass, so it sounds like an impactful, warm body, not a sub-bass rumble or rattle.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Sivga Aivga 2 is consistent across all volume levels, distortion is not audible up to 120 dB, and even at low volumes distortion is extremely low. Overall, they can be enjoyed regardless of the volume level and will stay consistent at all volumes.
Soundstage – I think the staging is an aspect where Sendy Audio improved vastly, as the original Aiva sounded rather intimate, and the poppy sound did not help much with the size and instrument separation / layering, but Aiva 2 is natural, expands on the size, and especially on the instrument separation. You hear depth, there’s a clear distinction between sounds that are supposed to come from near you and sounds which are distant, and there’s a super wide, holographic and engaging staging to the sound. Overall, they sound natural, transparent, open and airy. To be honest, I was switching up between Aiva 2 and FiiO SA1 which is a pair of desk speakers, and Aiva 2 sounds wider, more open, deeper, more holographic than SA1, although this comparison is not exactly fair.
Comparisons
Sendy Audio Aiva 2 vs Aune SR 7000 (599 USD vs 599 USD) – Build is excellent for both, but Aiva 2 is tighter on the head, feels heavier and has smaller earcups, with a more dense sponge in the earpads, resulting in a more solid fit. SR7000 has a looser fit, larger earpads, and feels more relaxing to wear. Cable quality is great for both, but SR7000 has a thicker, more reliable cable, yet both come with a balanced cable included in the package. SR7000 is theoretically closed-back but both have pretty much the same degree of passive noise isolation and leakage. Sonically, SR7000 has less bass, less impact, is more neutral, less warm, while Aiva 2 sounds more musical, bigger, warmer, more tipsy, sweeter and more euphonic. Overall, SR7000 is a fairly honest pair of headphones, with a more neutral tuning, while Aiva 2 is a more romantic, more pleasing sounding pair of headphones.
Sendy Audio Aiva 2 vs OLLO X1 (599 USD vs 539 USD) – Starting from the build and comfort, both headphones have wooden earcups, both have dense earpads and both have an eco-friendly package. Comfort is actually better on AIVA 2 because it has larger earpads, a larger headband, better cable that is balanced, compared to the more rigid cable of the X1 which is single ended only. Aiva 2 has a lower passive noise isolation, and X1 isolates a bit and leaks much less, which would be great for music production and studio work. Sound is far more dry on the X1, which is not quite as groovy, euphonic or musical as Aiva 2. Aiva 2 is a groovy, also somewhat mid centric sounding pair of headphones, which has a warmer, slower bass, and a sharper, more engaging, brilliant and sharper treble. Out of the two, X1 is a dry and precise pair of headphones great for studio work, a bit dry for music listening, while Aiva 2 is perfect for music listening, and which can still be employed for studio work in a pinch, thanks to its exceptional resolution and clarity.
Sendy Audio Aiva 2 vs HarmonicDyne Baroque (599 USD vs 539 USD) – From a build point of view, I have Baroque on my left, looking at me as I compare them, but Aiva 2 is a smaller pair of headphones, has a less tight fitting, more dense and softer earpads, and ends up feeling more comfortable. The default cable is better on the Baroque, thicker, more premium, but the flexible cable of the aiva 2 is excellent from a comfort point of view. I could see myself wearing both for long periods of time, but I feel Aiva less, it feels lighter, less clamped, more ergonomic for long periods of wear. Also, having wood in the build makes Aiva 2 feel more premium, while Baroque feels more like a modern piece of art. Sonically, both are outstanding, Aiva 2 sounds more groovy, warmer, has less sub bass, a similar amount of midbass, a slightly sharper treble, more brilliance, smoother, more musical presentation, more euphonic textures. Overall, if you want more subbass, Baroque will offer that, while Aiva 2 offers a more mid centric sound that is warmer, sweeter and sounds more euphonic.
Value and Conclusion
We rarely see value this strong in such a short period of time, but first was Harmonicdyne Baroque, and now Sendy Audio Aiva 2, everyone is pulling the big guns, creating better and more affordable headphones, Sendy Audio simply made the Aiva 2 an instant favorite for those who are looking for a more mid-centric headphone, for an euphonic but rich sound, a sound that reveals details, all in the same encapsulation and shape as the original Aiva, a comfortable beautiful vintage-looking pair of headphones.
At the end of the day, it is always excellent to see a company overcoming their limitations, and creating a product that far exceeded the previous versions, and that’s exactly what happened today. Sendy Audio and Sivga made the Aiva 2 to be outstanding, to be a much more natural sounding headphone than the original Aiva, they gave this headphone a better impact, much sharper treble, higher resolution, better comfort, and kept everything people loved, including the low weight, and comfortable fit. It is a headphone I fully recommend and enjoy in the ~600 USD price range.
PROs
- Simple, traditional, beautiful and vintage design
- Rich, revealing sound
- Sharp and brilliant treble
- Nuanced and clean bass
- Natural midrange and an excellent engagement factor
- Overall excellent package and price
- Solid transport case and a high-end balanced cable included
Cons
- Bass is softly and gently rolled-off
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3HvG9XR
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFM5NPk
Specification
Model – SIGVA AIVA 2
Impedance – 32Ω
Sensitivity – 96dB
Frequency Response – 20Hz – 40kHz
Cable Length – 2m
Connector – 3.5mm
Jack – 4.4mm
Drivers – 40mm Planar magnetic driver
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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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