Sendy Audio Peacock ($1499): Strutting feathers, but is that enough?
Sendy Audio Peacock: Strutting feathers, but is that enough?
Pros: Build is gorgeous
Craftsmanship is top quality
Cable is quality (as usual)
Warm, rich sound
Bass is good
Treble reach is sufficient
Laid-back signature
Hard case is quality as well
Cons: Laid-back signature not for all
Warm, rich signature not for all
Some do not like the gold
Not the “curve” signature, which seems to be in vogue (could be a good thing as well…)
Sendy Audio Peacock ($1499): Strutting feathers, but is that enough?
5-stars
for the build, 4-stars for the sound, which should avg out to
4.5-stars. Dropped 0.25-stars for the rich, laid-back signature, which
some will not like. Hence 4.25-stars for the rating. This is a very good
unit to me, and personally it gets a 4.5-stars for my rating.
Peacock
Musicteck
Intro: I have and own the excellent Sendy
Aiva. I have reviewed the Sivga Phoenix and the Sivga SV021. Upon asking
about a demo Peacock, Collin and Sendy sent me a one for review
purposes. I have this for what we will call medium-term duration. At the
end, my review will be posted on HeadFi, my blog, and various Facebook
audio sites. Marketed as a rich, warm sounding open back, with a large
planar magnetic unit, the Peacock sits squarely at the top of the
Sivga/Sendy food chain. Defined by price and technology, the Peacock
utilizes the same stunning looks of all the models, and new technology
with the size of the driver.
Upon finishing my review, the unit
will be sent back according to our agreement. I stand to gain nothing by
promoting this model, and as such will give an open and honest review.
What follows are the ramblings of an amateur audiophile, who likes to
put words to pen. I will do my best to explain the technology, but you
should review from the Sendy and Musicteck sites along with peruse other
reviews for a more thorough answer. I thank Sendy for the loan of the
unit.
Specs:
Style: Open back
Transducer type: Planar magnetic
Transducer size: 88mm
Frequency response: 20Hz-40kHz
Sensitivity: 103dB +/- 3dB
Impedance: 50ohm, +/-15%
Cable length: 2m
Connector: 4.4bal
Weight: 578g
Included items:
Peacock headphone
8-core 6N OCC Copper cable 8-wire, 4.4bal jack
4.4bal to 6.35mm adapter
4.4bal to XLR adapter
Hemp accessories bag
Molded leather case
Gear Used/Compared:
Audeze LCD3 ($2100)
Shanling M6 Pro
MBP/EarMen TR-AMP
MBP/iFi Zen CAN
Cayin N6ii mk2
Songlist:
Alex Fox
Dave Matthews
Joey Alexander-Warna album and others
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
twenty one pilots
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World
Mark Knopfler-Down The Road Wherever
Elton John-yep, still good, still cool
Tidal MQA
Unboxing:
Open
the tan outlined box, and you are met with the hard headphone case. I
won’t say what it looks like, because it is such a good case. following
the typical Sendy/Sivga pattern, but larger to accommodate those huge
88mm drivers, it is a really nice case.
Packed in a hemp pouch is
the cable and two adapters: 4.4bal to 6.35mm & 4.4bal to XLR. I
have always liked Sendy cables for how good looking they are and the
performance they give; which favors my sound; and this one complete with
carved wooden slider makes no exception. From unboxing to use, the
Peacock promotes elegance and humbleness. I like both aspect.
Technology:
Quad-former technology
is one of the highlights of the Peacock. That promotes double magnets,
and double coils on the diaphragms (two on each side). This supposedly
allows the diaphragm to act more quickly, giving better response to the
tones from within. Combined with a high internal damping of the
diaphragm (which took two years to design and build), and you get a rich
realistic sound emanating from the Peacock.
The driver housing
is aircraft quality aluminum, and each hole promotes proper response by
their precise placing, to further enhance the realism of sound. Sendy
does not hide from the fact that the Peacock provides the listener with a
warmer richness of sound than some may like or expect from an open back
at this price. I appreciate their desire to put forth the signature
without hiding it.
Adding in a thick gold-stitched goatskin headband, and you get a quality unit with good fit.
Fit/Finish/Build:
One cannot
question the build quality of any Sendy/Sivga model, for they are
impeccable. Some have noted that the wood looks “too plasticky to be
real.” That would be incorrect, for it is the craftmanship of the Sendy
models, which to me have raised the bar of what we expect. Exquisite
looks combined with first class craftsmanship makes this a trademark
Sendy/Sivga product. Even the gold accent under the black “peacock”
feathers catches on to me after a while. At first glance, it was garish,
but after a bit, you get a slightly subdued look of excellence. That
said, I would prefer a bit more understating of the design, but that’s
just me.
The wood cups are cut, then carved (I am assuming lathed
first), then finished precisely to blend together with the gold accents
of the back cover/grill along with the ring, which helps to hold the
diaphragm and driver in place on the other side. Precise craftsmanship
makes this all seem machined, but the Peacock is hand built to the
highest tolerances.
The headband also has an inner cushion made
of the same goat skinned leather as the earcups. All are plush and soft,
without being too squishy. Fit as a result is plush, but sufficiently
snug enough to afford the unit from not bouncing around on your head.
Ear cup pressure is sufficient enough to also provide the right fit
without being too tight or too loose. I do wish for a bit tighter fit,
but the unit does not move when wearing the unit. As a result of all the
plush softness, the Peacock can be worn for long periods of time
without tiring.
Stitching is even given preferential treatment,
with its gold embroidery. But like the grill, it is not too much. The
metal parts seem to be powder coated for duration, and so far, have
taken the abuse offered of three weeks of hard usage. The gold also
matches the copper color of the cable as well (gold & copper). That
cable is what has become to me the typical Sendy/Sivga color pattern and
weave. But this time the cable of 8-core, 6N OCC is 8-wire, and a bit
(slightly) looser of weave. Four each of copper color and four of
sheathed brown add to the elegance coming from the overall package. But,
to me the cable is a bit too long. It lays nicely, but I did find for
best usage, I had to drape a good bit of it across my lap, with the rest
hanging down. Due to the mini-XLR connectors though, the weight of the
cable was distributed well. Coming in the now mostly standard 4.4bal,
the unit also comes with two adapters including a 4.4bal to XLR; a nice
addition and hopefully others will catch on. Combine that with the hand
carved Y-splitter and cinch strap, and the cable is complete. Smooth of
touch, but not slippery of feel, the quality follows suit to the cable
and headphone.
The Peacock comes across as a TOTL should. It
fits, it is gorgeous at which to look, and the build is as expected of a
flagship. In other words, the Peacock can hold its own against those
markers from the other makers well.
Sound:
Summary: Going into
this, I knew that the Peacock would have a warm, rich signature, which
may not be to the liking of some. This thoughtfulness up front helped me
gain an understanding going in. I like warmth in signature as well as a
rich emotive sound emanating from whatever headphone I am listening to.
And the Peacock does not disappoint. This is a V-shaped signature,
which will turn off many (see previous Sivga iterations for the
“discomfort” those units have caused some in their reviews. But when
presented this way, you can go in expecting that darker signature and
meet it with a good mix of genre, which will suit that sound. Spanish
guitar work sounds deep, rich and bassy. Blues are to die for on this.
Male vocals are sublime in presentation, while female vocals do sound a
bit jaded or dark sue to that extra bit of rich character. Mids, as is
the case with many Sendy/Sivga models may well be the star, coming
across as precise, if not completely accurate due to the richer
tonality. You are enveloped in warmth, and there is a bit of bass bleed,
but it does not hinder the overall listening experience. Treble is
tuned to be a bit forward, matching the bass; but the sounds from upon
high are not too bright, thankfully. This is indeed a rich sound
signature, but to me this is not a one trick pony.
More:
With
an 88mm planar driver, there is no dispelling that the unit is big.
Combine all of that technology and you could rightly expect an expansive
sound. You would be correct as the soundstage
comes across as wide, deep and fairly high. For an open back, this is
probably slightly above the middle-rated stages, but not so expansive
that separation is decided by miles. Nothing
sounds so distant in the Peacock to leave you feeling vacant. All levels
tie together nicely. That said, the character is one of richness, and a
laid back sound, which you may or may not like.
Bass
comes out as more on the pleasant side, than deep reaching. Mind you it
is there in sufficient quantities and qualities to show fit, but this
is not a basshead model. Fairly deep of reach, it is the quality of the
bass that shines here. With a certain richness of sound, you expect
attack to be faster than decay, giving that sense of delay and a rich,
warmer tonality. This is true here, but never does the decay sound too
slow or molasses-like. I would use the descriptor of tight or taut to
describe the quality of the bass, adding in that there is little bleed
into the mids. There is a bit, but this further aids in the richness of
sound signature, without overshowing the mids.
Since this comes across as a V-shaped headphone, the mids are a bit withdrawn, but slightly lifted to me. On Bonnie Raitt’s classic Nick Of Time,
her lilting voice sounds sumptuous and sensuous. This treatment plays
nicely with the rich bass character, but without sounding muddy or slow
in response. The sound is definitely warmer, but not so syrupy that you
get bogged down. Laid back, definitely but with enough character to not
be overly boring.
To me, the treble
treatment falls a bit behind the bass, which gives us a leaning-V. I can
clearly hear the cymbal crashes, but they do not take center stage up
top. Pat Benatar is an excellent choice for gauging the treatment up
top, and here on songs such as Hell Is For Children, her
sumptuous voice comes across with distinct purpose, and fortitude; but
does so without being overly bright. Again, laid back comes to mind. I
do wish for a bit more (better?) treble treatment, which would give a
bit more excitement up top, but taken as a whole, this amount works and
plays well together (something I never got in school…).
Taken as a
whole, the Peacock does provide the listener with a rich, warmer sound;
which may not be for everyone but to me that laid-back character works
well across many genre.
Even with the fairly wide soundstage and the rich tonality, the separation of instruments and layering
are quite good, allowing the layers to play towards that slant of warm
texture. The instruments are allowed to play nicely across the width as
well, but there is a bit more present in the middle of the stage. This
is not necessarily a confuddling of too much going on there, just my
take on how the stage tends to compress a bit those instruments, which
normally reside in the middle. In other words, you could consider this
as an anchor of the soundstage, allowing the others to spread out as
needed, and done so nicely.
Comparison:
Sendy Audio Peacock ($1499) v Audeze LCD3 ($2100):
This
may seem a bit off base in comparison, but when you promote yourself
you should strive for moments above your level. See how far your
flagship can go in other words. The LCD3 is my go-to reference (and
favorite) for open backs, and I shant part with mine most likely for a
good long time. As such, I can gauge it critically for what it does well
and does less than well. Its bass is sublime in Audeze flair and
character. I have not heard many with bass treatment such as this save
maybe the HEDDphone and closed Kennerton Rögnir. But the rumble of an
Audeze bass is legendary, and I do love the LCD3 for that. The Peacock
cannot match that, nor is it tuned as such’ so this would not be taken
as a loss.
The mids to me are where the LCD3 shines. Such
treatment is a revelation to hear and feel. Natural, honest, as
intended, and organic in sound, the mids come across with a level had by
few again. But here, the slightly laid back but lifted sound from the
Peacock compares well. Mind you that richness of character shows through
on the Peacock, which shows less detail than the LCD3. As a result, the
clarity is better on the LCD3 (as it should, but again for comparative
purpose not too shabby of the Peacock). There is simply more energy up
top on the LCD3 as well, and the Peacock cannot (nor is it meant to)
compete up there. The tuning of the Peacock goes against that with the
rich texture, but that is the way it sounds.
Even though the
detail of the LCD3 shines, the Peacock can hold its head up with
confidence, due to the rich texture described above. Those that prefer a
certain rich, warm tonality might prefer the Peacock. But as stated,
this really is not a fair comparison, so look to reviews f similarly
priced headphones for more comparisons.
Finale:
Sivga/Sendy has gone through
much of late. Sivga has come out with a number of affordable
headphones, which are quite polarizing. I did have a good discussion on
HeadFi with a gent who did not rate the SV021 as highly as me. This
showed to me that civil discourse could indeed happen when two reviewers
have opposing opinions. I appreciated his take, even though I preferred
the sound more than he. I would gander that some of the same will be
true (unfortunately) with the Peacock. Some of the big reviewers have
come out with high marks for it, and I can agree with them. I can also
note that due to the sound signature of the Peacock, some will not like
it. Me? I prefer a darker, warmer, richer texture to the notes that
permeate my ear. Therefore, I do indeed like the Peacock. From the
fairly deep bass note to the warm, coddling mids; the Peacock comes
across as another example of that after work, single malt in hand (and
possibly a cigar) listen with which you can unwind. In this day and age
of go-go-go and self-care needed to make a day seem ordinary (are there
really any now?…) or at least give you that retreat from reality and a
certain level of enjoyment we all need.
Call the Peacock a
self-medication for sanity, for it can calm your edginess of a day and
commute with jazz to die for, bluegrass to keep you lifted and blues to
get to your inner-core self. And after all, isn’t that why we listen? To
steal away a certain moment of our time, for sanity’s sake. For that, I
can recommend the Peacock for it did give me notice to ponder larger
items than my day to day renderings of time. And for that, it was good.
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