General Info/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Sivga is a name the Chi-Fi community is very familiar with. They offer budget models all the way to mid and high tier models. The M100 that I have with me today is their latest latest entry which is designed for gaming as well as music, hence the cable came with an inline mic.
In terms of packaging, it came with eartips, cable and the IEM itself. The unboxing experience is quite good for the asking price, build quality is rather solid and the unit itself actually feels quite weighty and solid, but not heavy. The shell itself doesn’t have any sharp edges that cause discomfort throughout my listening session.
Gears used for this review
Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far
Sound Impression
The listening impression is done after a burn in period of approximately 50 Hrs+
Sivga M100 sounds U shaped to my ears. The mids are not as recessed as the usual V shaped, treble and bass is nicely done without being overly emphasised. Timbre sounds natural to my ears, tonality to my ears is on the slight bright and crisp note weight. Suitable for music as well as media consumption in my opinion
Bass
The bass on the Sivga M100 is nicely done, which is quite rare for the price point, usually it is either too much bass or very lean
Sub bass has got the satisfying rumble to it, just the right dose in terms of quantity, nowhere near basshead level of course
Mid bass is quite controlled and clean, tight and speedy as well, Listening to Slipknot is satisfying as it is able to keep up with the pace without sounding muddy
The overall texture is quite good for the asking price, can’t really nitpick
Very good control and speed overall
Mids
The mids here are not forward nor recessed, just right to my ears
Vocal presentation is good for both male and female overall, but i’d prefer if it has got a slightly thicker texture, then it will be very good, still good in my opinion, but can be better, considering a this price point, can’t really fault it that much
The pinna gain is quite standard and i don’t feel fatigue listening to them for long session, nicely elevated without causing it to be shouty
Treble
Treble is smooth and non fatiguing with enough energy
Good amount of air as evident on complex track where it doesn’t sound congested
Detail retrieval is good for the asking price, not exceptional but you can’t really fault it that much considering it’s price
Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage is good in terms of good width and height, a little lacking in terms of the depth, but it sounded very spacious overall, well, it is afterall marketed for gaming as well
Instruments can be pinpointed easily even on busy track like Slipknot’s People = Shit
Driveability
Sivga M100 is fairly easy to drive, straight out of my Macbook’s 3.5mm port, it sounded very good
It doesn’t really benefit much from amplification, entry to mid range dongle will do just fine
It does scale with source but not so much with amplification as i mentioned above, slightly better bass control in terms of tightness
Comparison (Kiwi Ears Cadenza)
Cadenza is slightly cheaper than Sivga M100, but it is also dated
Sound profile for both is quite different as well as shell size
Cadenza is warmer and has thicker note weight, but darker treble, hence offering a very laid back listening experience, whereas M100 offers better treble extension, smooth, but not to the point where it’s dark, slightly lacking in terms of bass quantity compared to Cadenza
Both have good fits but differs in terms of build quality and size, Sivga M100 is Metal build and very sturdy and solid, while Cadenza is plastic, but also of good quality and lighter
Final Thoughts
All in all, Sivga M100 is a very solid contender in the segment, it is balanced sounding and offers good technicalities for the asking price, a very solid product and i highly recommend this for those who are in the lookout for a budget IEM that offers good technicalities without breaking the bank, otherwise if you prefer a slightly more laid back listening experience, Cadenza is it.
*I thank Sivga for sending over this in exchange for this review. All thoughts are of mine and I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review.
Headover to Sivga’s store to grab a pair if you are interested
Sivga M100 - Non Affiliated
Sivga M100 - Aliexpress Store
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