Sound Quality
With the SV023, Sivga had already departed from the fun and warm-sounding signature, for a more balanced and neutral-ish sound. It was a welcoming change after the Apollo’s very warm and thick sound. The new Luan carries over that shift in sound signature. It is a resolving, neutral and flat-sounding headphone with a very competitive performance for the price.
In my opinion, the headphone is well-balanced and has a linear sound. The clarity and crispness of the presentation are impressive, and it also provides good detail retrieval for its price. Additionally, the mids have a smooth delivery, and the tonality is pleasant.
Sivga seems to grasp what to do, to earn respect and praise in the audiophile community. The headphone has all the qualities to perform on a high level in its own price bracket, which are PRaT, resolution, separation and tonality. Let’s dig in.
Bass
The bass response of the Luan is tight, neutral and quick. It’s not a type of bass to satisfy bass lovers at all, but if you’re a seeker of a truthful, honest sound presentation, the Luan has that bass quality. There’s no sugar coating here, it’s flat, fast, and moderate.
So if you’re used to the performance of the Sendy Apollo or Peacock, you can be quite surprised by the tuning of this one. Especially considering this is a dynamic driver headphone, it’s quite unexpected. But then again, Sivga tried this with the SV023 and succeeded, so why not?
The Luan appears to excel at reproducing the bass while maintaining a balance with the other frequencies. Nevertheless, the texture of the bass could’ve been enhanced, particularly for Pop and R&B music genres. The bass and mids are well-separated, creating an immersive and realistic auditory experience. Though those who favour bass may desire more impact, as a Jazz enthusiast, I’m content with the performance of the Luan. It’s true to the recording with a very clean, well-controlled bass. In fact, I think quantity-wise it’s just the right amount of bass.
Mids
The Luan boasts a precise and clean sound in the midrange, with well-defined and nicely positioned vocals. While there may be occasional volume imbalances between the instruments and vocals, the overall presentation is natural and lively.
While tonal accuracy is good, there’s room for a slight improvement. The bass response is crucial for the Luan, as it provides a clean and highly controlled presence that doesn’t overpower the midrange. The midrange is the standout feature because of this, with excellent resolution and transparency.
Just like in the bass region, PRaT and dynamism are fantastic for the price. Clarity is also very impressive with the Luan, and I think it performs above its price in this particular trait as well.
Treble
The Luan has a crisp treble with a good texture. The high frequencies are well-defined and clear, creating a pleasurable listening experience. It is an excellent choice for those who desire a crisp delivery in the treble region. There’s a good resolution and extended delivery. The timbre of this range is nicely balanced, without being too thin or too thick. It offers good clarity and air too.
Although the Luan may occasionally render the treble in a too-crisp manner, it still provides a very detailed and resolving signature that complements a variety of music genres. In general, the treble performance is superb in my opinion, especially at this price. It reminded me of the HD560 S in some ways.
While the treble of the Luan may not be everyone’s cup of tea in terms of satisfaction, smoothness, or relaxation, it’s hard to argue with its objective performance. In fact, when compared to other headphones in its price range on the market today, the Luan can hold its own and even surpass them in terms of treble quality.