About The Sendy Audio Peacock Headphones
The Peacock is Sendy Audio's top of the range offering and everything about them simply screams high end. You could be excused for buying these beguiling creations just to look at them, they are so beautifully crafted with luxurious materials and design touches everywhere you look. But hidden beneath this high fashion exterior is Formula 1 level headphone tech that gives you the mind blowing performance to match their sublime looks. Prepare to have your wallet swiftly lightened as these headphones demand to be owned.
Technology: While the Peacock unmistakably takes visual cues from both the Sendy Audio Apollo & Aiva, much more care has been taken in the design and implementation of the Peacock.
Starting with the driver housing, the design has been further refined with the position of the mounting screws and holes around the housing to ensure a uniform frequency response with controlled baffle resonance.
Inside, the Peacock utilizes a huge 88mm planar magnetic driver that is implemented with a Quad-former design. This means that it has dual-sided magnets with diaphragms that are double-sided as well. This ensures that the Peacock has low distortion and ends up having a live concert presentation.
The diaphragm material on the Peacock is made of proprietary material with a high damping factor which produces a natural and warm vocal presentation while having a solid bass line. This diaphragm material also allows the Peacock to extend into the 40kHz range.
Design: The general aesthetics of the Peacock is unmistakably from the Sendy Audio stable with its metal suspension headband and yokes with articulating hinges. However, the design has been taken up several notches with the Peacock. The headband is no longer bare metal, instead, both the suspensions strap and the headband are wrapped in goatskin leather stitched with gold embroidery. The earpads are also covered with the same goatskin leather.
Each earcup has a wooden ring, and the grills on the earcup consist of 2 unique layers. The first layer is made of a 24k gold plated perforated metal grill, while the outer layer is made of a black mesh with a pattern that resembles a peacock spreading its tail.
The left and right channels are clearly marked out with badges on either side of the base of the headband. The cables also have a similarly clear channel marking etched on the Hirose connector casings, as well as red and blue rubber tubes attached to the Hirose connectors for quick identification.
Cables: The cables that come with the Peacock are premium grade, with 8-core 6N purity OCC wires, with each strand of the cable coated in a PVC coating. Individual wires are braided tightly to ensure that the cable won't unravel easily.
The cable itself is a 2-tone cable, with half the strands coated in a brown PVC coating contrasting the clear PVC coating which shows the pure copper inside. On the headphone side, the cable is terminated with a pair of Hirose connectors, which are used on other premium quality headphones..
The splitter is protected with a wooden enclosure, with Sendy branding on it, and there is also an adjustable slider to customize the length of the split of the cables.
The jack is a 4.4mm pentaconn connector allowing the Peacock to be used in balanced mode with some desktop amplifiers and plenty of DAPs. The Peacock also comes with two additional adaptors, one with a balanced 4-pin XLR plug and the other with a 6.35mm single ended jack.
Overall, the cable design on the Peacock is premium and well thought out. With the practical choice of termination and the adaptors for the more traditional terminations, the cable that comes with the Peacock allows it to be used with a wide variety of upstream gear right out of the box.
Comfort: The headband's suspension strap system is made of soft foam covered in goatskin leather. This strap touches my head when the headphone is being worn, but it evenly distributes the weight across your head, so there are no particular hotspots.
Each earpad is made of soft foam, again covered with that soft goatskin leather. While it's not memory foam, it still properly conforms to the sides of my head to make a proper seal. The earpad holes are rectangular and large enough to ensure that your ears don't touch any part of the inner cavity walls.
While the Peacock is on the heavier side, weighing in at 578g, the foam padding on the headband and the appropriate level of clamp force from the spring steel headband allow the Peacock to be quite comfortable even when they are worn for more than a few hours.
Packaging & Accessories: The supplied headphone carrying case is made of real tan leather which gives it a premium feel and will form a nice natural patina over time. The carrying case is larger than usual, but it's still a form-fitting carrying case specifically designed for the Peacock.
Inside the carrying case is the headphone itself, a pouch that contains the cable which is terminated in a 4.4mm pentaconn connector, as well as the aforementioned adaptors that allow the headphone to be connected in 6.35mm single-ended and 4-pin balanced XLR modes.
About Sivga
Dongguan Sivga Electronic Technology Co., or Sivga for short, was established in Dongguan City, China in 2016. It is a wide-ranging company integrating design & research & development (R&D) with production and customer service. Their main focus is on innovation and producing high-quality headphones to meet the needs of the high-end audiophile community.
The team at Sivga has rich experience and extensive in-depth technological knowledge in the audio industry. From raw materials to the immaculate end-products, Sivga is dedicated to presenting an extraordinary experience to their customers by upholding the highest level of quality during the entire production process.
Sendy Audio is a sub-brand of the Dongguan Sivga Electronic Technology Co. and was established to create higher-end audiophile products.
Sendy Audio Peacock Headphones Review
"The bass on the Peacock easily reaches down into the sub-bass region, where there is a good sub-bass fundamental. There is a mild mid-bass hump that offers more warmth to instruments like toms or bass guitars. Each hit with the drums is palpable with an immediate sense of attack and decay. There is a sense of body in the low-end, while still retaining the speed, clarity, and control of a planar magnetic headphone. Overall, the bass is firm, giving enough presence and fundamental to most pop and rock music, while not being overdone to the point of encroaching on the other frequency ranges.
With the vocal presentation, there is a sense of warmth and body, however, the weight behind each note isn't particularly heavy. Although there is a sense of euphony and sweetness with the vocal presentation of vocalists such as Barbara Streisand or Josh Groban, they're rarely pushed forward in the mix. … acoustic instruments such as guitars and pianos have a sweetness to the tone, retaining a detailed presentation. String instruments such as cellos and violins remain flowy, while still presenting the nuances with each bow stroke.
Though the midrange is not particularly forward, the tonal balance between the mids and the lower treble combine to produce a clear and euphonic harmonic character. Furthermore, the detail retrieval capability of the Peacock in the midrange also allows nuanced spatial detail to shine through without dominating.
Starting from the lower treble, the Peacock has a nicely balanced curve. Cymbals have a more prominent position in the mix, while cymbal hits have a natural sense of attack and decay. Detail retrieval is prominent with higher pitching instruments without sounding sibilant or fatiguing.
The treble extension on the Peacock is largely linear, which means that it won't contribute much to the sibilance while presenting upper treble information with ease. With the lower treble uptick, the Peacock's vocal and midrange instrument presentation have a brighter tilt. This allows the Peacock to compensate for the weightier bass performance, giving it an overall more vibrant presentation.
The Sendy Peacock has a nicely extended upper treble register giving it a wider and more natural soundstage performance. In my listening tests, I was surprised to hear some images being formed in front of me, sometimes to the left or to the right, but they were in front of me. With most headphones, I experience this when I stretch my imagination, but with the Peacock, it's simply more apparent. Although the images formed are not particularly far out into the soundstage, the images are coherent and chiseled. Images are also separated well from each other, allowing each instrument or vocalist to have a distinct place within the soundstage.
Aesthetically, the Peacock doesn't stay away from the design language used by its stablemates despite being the company's current flagship. Instead, the Peacock takes how Sendy headphones typically look and improve upon most of the aspects of the build by integrating softer and more premium materials, connectors and cables. Simply said, the Peacock takes a tried and tested design, and brings it to another altogether more artistic level.
The Peacock's sound on the other hand is a unique take on a highly detailed planar magnetic headphone. Where it has an enjoyable presentation with an uptick in the bass response that manages to remain controlled while allowing midrange and treble details to shine through its well-organized and delineated soundscape." Headfonics
"After this even the rumbling tones of Leonard Cohen seem cheerful, and again I am struck by the sense of space created by the Peacock on You Want It Darker. It is precise and evocative, while the striking bass riff – always surprisingly slinky and sensuous – is full and firm, and I am impressed by the sharp, staccato percussion that adds an urgent edge to the mood. The Peacock reveals all the rumbling depths of Cohen's voice, capturing its warmth and the rasping undertow on the deepest notes, as he mourns: "a million candles burning for the love that never came". … if your budget can stretch to £1,300 and you have a comfortable listening room, this luxurious offering is a satisfying and worthwhile investment". Hi-Fi Choice Recommended
"For my personal taste, the Peacocks are just right. They sound natural enough that they are easy to ignore and forget you are listening to phones. Another lovely aspect of these phones is the organic presentation of lower frequencies, with a bit of bounce in the upper mids. Again, this gives the Peacocks a more natural overall presentation.
When listening to acoustic music and solo vocalists, these phones really come alive and resolve enough information to keep track of a densely packed recording. They have low enough distortion that your ears will be in jeopardy before the phones break up, so please be careful if you're blasting your favorite metal tracks. Which they also do a great job with
Some of the best dynamic phones offer a more sizzling top end, with more resolution, but are tough to listen to for hours on end. Removing dust specks from photographs is tedious work, and it's easy to zoom through 5 or 6 hours. The Sendys are perfect for long listening sessions, no matter what the task.
Are they for you?
It always goes back to personal preference. However, if you like the idea of a natural sounding planar phone that is moderately forgiving on your worst recordings and engaging with your best recordings, these might just fill the bill for you. Thanks to their higher than average resolving power, you can start using the Peacock's with a modest headphone amplifier and improve that part of your setup as far as your checkbook will take you, making them very versatile indeed
Finally, the Sendys are very nicely executed. The earpads are plush, comfy, and well sealing. The cables plug in at the earpieces, so this can be easily changed should you so desire. Everything is well packaged and the six foot cable allows multiple output options. Everything is well thought through, to the point you'll be proud of the purchase, but not feel like you paid too much for packaging that will only be a thrill for the first 90 seconds you unbox them
If you are a multiple headphone user, these will make a great addition to your growing collection. Should you be a music lover just looking for a premium set of cans that won't break the bank, these are also an excellent choice. Highly recommended." Tone Audio
Our Take On The Sendy Audio Peacock Over Ear Wired Headphones
The Peacock shows what the Sendy Audio designers and engineers can do when they are let loose on a design and there are no material or financial constraints. This is a high end headphone aimed at users who demand the best in every way. From the materials and construction to the high tech planar magnetic drivers to the immaculate sound that will reveal new layers in your music, the Peacock deserves your careful consideration. Feed them a high quality signal and prepare to be very impressed.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: High End Open Back Over Ear Wired Headphones
- Transducer Type: Planar magnetic driver
- Transducer Size: φ 88mm
- Frequency Response: 20Hz - 40KHz
- Sensitivity: 103 dB +/- 3dB
- Impedance: 50 Ohm +/-15%
- Cable Length: 2.0 M +/-0.2 M
- Connector: φ 4.4 mm Balanced (4.4mm to 6.35mm Adaptor & 4.4mm to XLR 4 Pin Balanced Adaptor included)
- Included Accessories: Balanced Audio Cable, Tan Leather Carrying Case (with retro bronze zips & buckles), Hemp Cable Bag, 4.4mm to 6.35mm Adaptor, 4.4mm to XLR 4 Pin Balanced Adaptor
- Weight: 578 grams
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 12 Months
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.