Overview

Sendy Audio is a Chinese headphone manufacturer established in 2015 as a subsidiary brand of Sivga Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. The company specializes in handcrafted wooden planar magnetic headphones as their main product line, offering models such as the AIVA, Apollo, and Peacock. They are known for their beautiful aesthetics using natural wood materials like zebrawood and rosewood, combined with traditional craftsmanship techniques, garnering a certain level of support among audiophile communities.

Scientific Validity

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Sendy Audio products suffer from serious measurement performance issues. The flagship AIVA’s actual measurement data shows an overall THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) of 0.4%, which is close to the problematic level for headphones (0.5% or higher), with particularly severe distortion reaching up to 10% in the 20-70Hz low-frequency range. Additionally, the left-right channel output difference reaches up to 5dB, causing a fatal impact on stereo imaging. These measurement results deviate substantially from the transparent level and create scientifically audible degradation.

Technology Level

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The adoption of planar magnetic technology and a double magnet, double coil configuration represents industry-standard level technology. While certain technical considerations are evident in the acoustic design of wooden enclosures and CNC machining of aircraft-grade aluminum, these do not sufficiently contribute to improved measurement performance. The use of large 88mm drivers provides a physical advantage, but the resulting performance does not justify the technological investment. This represents an average industry-level technology.

Cost-Performance

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To assess the company’s overall cost-performance, we evaluate its representative products, the AIVA and Peacock. First, the AIVA (599 USD) can be compared to the HiFiMAN HE400SE (149 USD), which offers equivalent or superior performance. This yields a CP of 149 ÷ 599 = 0.248. Next, the Peacock (1,499 USD) can be compared to the HiFiMAN Edition XS (499 USD), which is more affordable and has better measured performance, resulting in a CP of 499 ÷ 1499 = 0.332. The average of these two CP values is 0.29, which, when rounded, results in a score of 0.3.

Reliability & Support

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The company provides a 12-month product warranty and maintains quality control systems based on handcrafted manufacturing. Reviews mention “zero defects” and “perfect attention to detail,” indicating good physical manufacturing quality. However, challenges include a limited track record as an emerging manufacturer and production volume constraints due to complex manufacturing processes. The support system operates at an industry-average standard.

Rationality of Design Philosophy

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The approach of emphasizing aesthetics through wooden enclosures has irrational aspects from a pure sound quality improvement perspective. The practice of setting high prices without resolving measurement performance issues demonstrates an insufficient commitment to scientific sound quality improvement. While the company possesses basic acoustic knowledge, such as adopting planar magnetic technology, its attempt to balance aesthetics and sound quality ultimately sacrifices acoustic performance.

Advice

Purchasing Sendy Audio products is not recommended. While the company’s strength in beautiful handcrafted aesthetics is certainly appealing, they face clear problems in sound quality and fail to provide performance commensurate with their pricing. Abundant alternatives exist in the 150 USD to 500 USD price range, such as the HiFiMAN HE400SE, Sundara, or Edition XS, which offer equivalent or superior sound quality at a much lower price. Particularly, the 10% harmonic distortion in the low frequencies of the AIVA represents a clearly audible level of degradation in music listening. Even for those who prioritize aesthetics, we recommend first establishing a solid sound quality standard with scientifically excellent products before considering those with primarily decorative value.

(2025.7.28)