Sivga Nightengale Review

The Nightengale is a new 14.5mm planar driver-based in-ear monitor from Sivga, the company known more for their planar magnetic headphones. This new IEM retails for $229 on Amazon and was provided for review by the company directly.

Sivga chose to use a 14.5mm dual-sided magnet driver for this IEM and it comes with its unique tuning choice which I'll cover a bit later. Inside the package is a carrying case, another case for a set of tips, and a 4-wire black braided cable. The 4.4mm pentaconn connector also has a visible spring to help with strain relief.

The cable terminates in angled 2-pin connectors into the resin-based shells. Each of these shells features a wood-grain inlay on the front face with the company branding centered on the sheet. The wood inlay is encompassed with a chrome trim in an egg-shaped shell design.

For my ears, the shells and cable combination are very lightweight and comfortable and I had no pain or discomfort over lengthy listening times. I also had no problem getting good seal with the stock tips. The nozzles are on the medium to deeper side of nozzle length, and this is mostly due to the shell design.

Sound Impressions

The Nightengale can be described as a dark, moody, and analog sounding in-ear monitor. It has a slightly-rolled off subbass, with more focus on mid-bass and midrange, and a very relaxed and recessed treble range until the upper treble area which gives it a bit of air and space. It's an interesting IEM that reminds me quite a bit like two products: the Shozy V33, which I absolutely disliked, and more closely, the Campfire Holocene, which I found interesting and unique, yet also not really my style.

This presentation, with its total treble suckout, provides a very warm and analog sound that slows-down time and tempo, or at least gives off that impression in many tracks I listen to when compared to a more "normal" sounding in-ear product. When I put the Nightengale on, it's like going to an alternative universe and listening to the same songs in a completely different light (or lack thereof, in this case).

That's not necessarily a bad thing. For some of the bluegrass songs I listened to, like the newest Sarah Josrosz, pop-inspired, "Polaroid Lovers" album, this really makes the album's highs come down, and make them much more relaxed and easy-going. It'll tame treble in tracks that are perhaps too bright, or where female vocals stand too far in front. You'll hear a new presentation where these octaves are much, much further behind in the scene.

But that said, its a slow moving scene, and one that has a psychoacoustical effect of making the tempo feel much slower than it seems. This was ever present in hip hop and EDM tracks I heard, or even rock songs with fast drumming. 

The resolution of the Nightengale is decent. While I don't necessarily feel like its highly resolving, I don't always feel like I am missing stuff either. It's just well buried in a much more thick, syrupy envelope of mid-range sound overpowering the treble that typically accentuates what some may find as resolution. The soundstage is medium-sized and does have a bit of a holographic aura to it.

Final Word

The Nightengale is a very niche sound, but does stand out from others that all go after the same tuning in this race of planar IEMs. I think most may not find this IEM as a great all-arounder, but for those who are very sensitive to treble and want a much richer and darker presentation, with an intimate, yet medium-sized soundstage, this is an option.