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Sivga Lyrebird
Sivga has built much of its reputation on combining relatively affordable pricing with materials and construction techniques more often associated with considerably more expensive headphones. Wood has played a particularly important role in that formula, appearing across many of the company's over-ear models and increasingly in its earphones as well. The new Lyrebird follows the same philosophy but approaches the acoustic side rather differently - instead of relying on a single transducer, Sivga has squeezed four different driver technologies into each earpiece, creating one of the more technically ambitious IEMs in its price range. The model now joins a growing wired earphone lineup that also includes products such as the Nightingale Pro, Que UTG and SM100.
The Lyrebird uses a hybrid four-driver configuration in which each transducer has been assigned a particular part of the frequency spectrum. A 10 mm polymer-composite dynamic driver handles the bass, while a balanced armature is responsible primarily for vocals and the midrange. Higher frequencies are divided between a micro planar driver and a 9.2 mm multilayer piezoelectric ceramic transducer. Sivga says the arrangement was tuned to deliver a balanced, spacious presentation rather than simply maximizing detail, with the four drivers working together as a single acoustic system.
This mixture of technologies is interesting because each one approaches the task differently. Dynamic drivers remain a natural choice for the lower frequencies thanks to their ability to move relatively large amounts of air, balanced armatures are compact and commonly used where precision and efficiency are priorities, while planar and piezoelectric elements offer alternative ways of dealing with the upper end of the spectrum. Packing all four into an IEM costing around $150 is certainly impressive on paper, although the real challenge with any multi-driver design is not the number of transducers itself, but making their individual contributions blend into a coherent whole. Early independent listening impressions have been encouraging, with Tom's Guide praising the Lyrebird's instrument separation, bass response and airy treble.
The construction is equally characteristic of Sivga. Each earpiece combines a handcrafted stabilized-wood faceplate with a housing CNC-machined from aviation-grade aluminum alloy. Because the grain structure of the wood varies naturally, no two faceplates should look exactly alike. The stabilization process involves treating the material with resin, which improves its durability and, according to Sivga, also helps suppress unwanted resonances. The aluminum shell provides the structural foundation, while the overall shape has been designed for an ergonomic over-ear fit suitable for longer listening sessions.
The electrical specifications suggest that the Lyrebird should not be particularly demanding. Nominal impedance is 14 Ω with a ±15% tolerance at 1 kHz, while sensitivity is rated at 108 ±3 dB at the same frequency. The quoted frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz. What may prove more significant in everyday use is the connector at the other end of the cable. Sivga supplies the Lyrebird with a 4.4 mm balanced plug rather than the more universal 3.5 mm connection. That will make perfect sense for owners of modern portable DACs, headphone amplifiers and higher-end digital audio players, but users intending to connect the IEMs directly to a laptop or conventional headphone socket may need an additional adapter or a different cable.
Fortunately, replacing that cable should be straightforward. The earpieces use standard detachable 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors, leaving owners free to swap the supplied lead if their system requires something different. The stock cable is rather elaborate in its own right - it combines 30-core Furukawa oxygen-free copper, 10-core silver-plated copper and another 10 cores made from enameled gold-plated silver-copper conductors. Its total length is 120 ±10 cm. Sivga presents the 4.4 mm balanced termination as a way of improving channel separation and reducing unwanted noise when used with suitably equipped electronics.
The accessories continue the slightly more luxurious theme. Lyrebird comes with several sets of silicone ear tips and a Crazy Horse leather carrying case rather than a simple fabric pouch. The combination of wooden decorative panels, machined metal shells, replaceable cable and leather case makes the package look more expensive than its specification sheet might suggest. That has become something of a Sivga trademark - the company often puts as much emphasis on materials and tactile quality as it does on the transducers themselves.
The arrival of Lyrebird also shows how much broader Sivga's portfolio has become. The Dongguan-based company was established in 2016 and develops both headphones and earphones, with research, production and customer service handled within the same organization. Alongside Sivga itself, the company operates Sendy Audio as a more overtly high-end brand. Woodworking and distinctive industrial design remain recurring themes throughout both ranges, but recent Sivga products cover everything from conventional dynamic headphones to planar magnetic designs and increasingly sophisticated IEMs.
Sivga Lyrebird was launched at $149/€169/£149 and is available through the company's online store, Amazon and selected retailers. At that price, the most obvious attraction is not simply that four drivers have been fitted into each shell, but the combination of that architecture with metal-and-wood construction, a detachable balanced cable and a fairly comprehensive accessory package. Whether four different transducer technologies really add up to something greater than a simpler design will ultimately depend on the tuning, but Sivga has certainly given the Lyrebird enough hardware to make that question worth investigating. Info and pictures by Sivga.
