When Gaming Meets Hi-Fi

This year, Sivga expanded its unique IEM lineup with models like the Que and Nightingale Pro. Now, it enters the gaming arena with the SM100. Housed in a glossy zinc alloy shell with a new sapphire-like ceramic dynamic driver, the SM100 is tuned for a competent sound with holographic spatial positioning and crystal-clear detail for pinpoint accuracy. As the lines between gamers and audiophiles blur, the M100 aims to unite both worlds by offering high performance sound that will satisfy both sides. Can it succeed in this ever growing market? We shall find out.

A huge shout-out to Sivga Lily for the sample pair of the all new M10p for us to have an honest take. We are not affiliated nor taken any form of monetary exchange for this review and this review is solely an honest view of the product.

Functions & Specifications

Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the new SM100 taken from their site;

Transducer: 10 mm Sapphire-like ceramic dynamic driver

• Shell type: Zinc alloy
• Sensitivity: 107 dB
• Impedance: 27 0+/-10%
• Frequency response: 20 Hz 40 kHz
• Headphone Jack: 0.78 mm, 2-pin
• Cable length: 1.2 m
• Connector: 3.5 mm single-ended

The Sivga M100 can be purchased directly from their website and many other platforms around the globe

SM100

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010425585295.html

Packaging & Accessories

The packaging here comes in a small box with a simple and professional theme. Upon opening we are greeted with the shiny IEM head and below houses 3 pairs of silicone eartips and a silver plated oxygen free copper cable with microphone functions. Sadly there aren’t any cases or pouches included.

Design

The design here is a unique, original design that actually looks like a golf club head and they have a small form factor with great ergonomics. The small size makes fitting easier for those with small ear conchas and lessening fatigue for extended listening sessions. Though being casted from zinc alloy, the weight here is actually light with a minor heft that gives a confident, high quality feel. There is a gold plated screw on the inside part of the shell that gives some character to the design. The faceplate has their branding laser etched to each side and overall the design is clean, simple and premium.

At the heart of the SM100 is a newly developed 10mm dynamic driver with a sapphire like ceramic dome with dual chamber built into it. This jew type of material has a great rigidity balance and possesses natural dampening properties to give fast and accurate response. It is tuned for a higher sensitivity and a wide dynamic range to pick up minute sound with great accuracy. The nozzle looks like it’s made from some sort of brass material and they have a maximum of 6mm diameter at the tip. They are fitted with a metal mesh to prevent moisture and dust from entering.

There are 2 vents on the inner side of the shell of the IEM where 1 is nearer to the nozzle to provide pressure relief and another to provide some breathing room for the dynamic drivers. No flex is present which is great as they are a well vented IEM.

The SM100 has a recessed 0.78mm 2 pin connection that is slightly tight that is slightly deeper than Moondrop’s type and similar to the Twistura Woodnote.

Cable provided is a high quality  silver plated oxygen free copper in 2 cores. The cable is soft and pliable which makes them a practical cable suitable for everyday use. It is a well built cable with metal parts that has low profile connectors and there is only a 3.5mm microphone type available which is useful for gaming usage as they have zero latency issues.

Gears Used for Comparisons

Songs list

Tone and Presentation

The sound presentation here is actually surprising as the usual tuning of gaming IEMs that I have tested possesses a V shaped sound that has boosted highs and lows but the SM100 has a rather neutral balanced tuning that doesn’t majorly emphasize on any region. They have a neutral bright sound that has amazing clarity and details across the spectrum while having a mild focus on the upper mids that gives a brilliance into the sound without harshness. Technicalities here are on point with their asking price and possibly punches above their asking price. They have great imaging capabilities with a highly resolving sound that is quite revealing making them a good candidate even for monitoring. Musicalities here are average and they do lean towards a clinical sound but aren’t overly cold that gives a rather boring, lifeless overall sound.

Soundstage

The soundstage here is expansive with a decent width and height that is highly competent in their price range. The M10p possesses a 3D holographic spatial soundstage that has great accuracy which makes it perfect for gaming and movies as the sound placements are accurate and sound directions are easy to distinguish. Immersion here is decent but it is not their strength with a minor diffuse sound field that gives a well balanced sound of being intimate while still having an open sound signature with a decent headroom that isn’t boxy by any means.

Separation and Timbre

Separation here is great and they have good separation of sound that gives a wide stereo sound with no crosstalk issues that has the ability to scale up better with a balanced setup. The here is cohesive that has no issues which is typical of a good single dynamic driver setup. Timbre here is rich, brassy and piercy which has a natural sound although it is a little bright and they have great energy especially in the high range. They are able to sound almost colourless in the midrange which contributes to accuracy but they tend to lack vividness in a small margin.

Drivability

Rated at 27 ohms with a 107db sensitivity, they are easily driven by any source as they don’t need much power to sound great with adequate amount of loudness. The M100 does tend to pick up noise for their higher sensitivity making them a good pair for analyzing sound for monitoring or gaming. Scalability here is average but they do perform better with a good matching especially with a warmer source but matching with some bright source will actually make the treble a little too aggressive that gives fatigue in the long run. The M100 is slightly revealing and they are able to show some flaws in the recording, thus a good mastered track or higher bitrates files will actually give a cleaner sound but marginally. They are able to pass as a monitoring IEM but there are plenty of better options that are specifically targeted for that.

 The Bass (Low)

The bass has a flat type of signature and they are a neutral presentation that has sound pure and accurate while still having the authority when called upon staying true to a dynamic driver bass. The amount of bass here is correct without any addition and the mid bass although having a flat profile, have an apparent slam that is tight and defined but that being said, these aren’t for those or bassheads who seek an extra strong, thumpy bass response. The bass possesses a fast and nimble bass that is able to keep up with busy tracks with no issues. Details and clarity here is superb with layers of bass well defined with great texture that is free of bloat, muddiness and bleed. The bass is also highly resolving with a clean, vivid bass decay alongside a transparent bass that plays the sound as intended. Sub-bass here is rather low in amount and they do lack a hard hitting rumble, therefore immersion here is just average but they still have the presence to give some depth that doesn’t bring a hollow bass feel.

The Mids

Midrange here has a mostly neutral flat sound with a mild forwardness that gives a tad of intimacy that has sufficient space while also gives an accurate sound direction suiting their gaming lineage. Clarity here is superb as they are able to give a clean and a crystal clear sound that is resolvingly vivid with no coloration. Details here perform well in macro and micro details that show minute sound with ease which is rarely seen in this price range. The body here is rather average with a slightly thin sound but they are able to steer away from being too sterile, instead the mids here have a mild warmth to them that balances well of being clinical and euphonic. There is a healthy peak of upper midrange that gives the M100 a brighter overall sound with a good amount of brilliance that provides a lively yet energetic sound signature that has no major harshness. Female vocals here perform audibly better than males as the upper mids push of brilliance gives female vocals a sweeter tinge and although male vocals do sound clean, they tend to lack depth and body in certain deep male voices. Instruments like strings, flutes and any high staccato sound excels while drums and bass do lack depth but in a small margin.

The Highs

The high range here is the dominant part on the M100 and they have a lively, energetic high range that is strong and refined without being overly aggressive. They are relatively neutral but have a mild boosted sound profile to them that transition well from the upper mids and extends beyond the 10khz region providing an airy high range that has a good energetic feel. Although being strong here, there are no major peaks that causes fatigue, playing a fine line of bordering a sibilant sound. Details here are really good with an ability to show high range nuances clearly almost on par with balanced armature drivers without the unnatural timbre, instead, the timbre here is decently done with a clean, crisp sound that is lively. Sparkle here is clean and with their crispness they are able to give a zestful high range experience. Treble here is a tad intense with a good amount of energy that has some kick to them and this actually contributes to the overall clarity present in the M100. Treble sensitive or users who are looking for a laid-back sound may find the treble here a tad too aggressive or strong but preferentially, I find the treble here to be exciting with a quality overall high range that punch above their price range.

Comparisons

VS Simgot EG289

The EG280 by Simgot China is one of their first gaming IEM that houses a single dynamic and a micro planar with a typical V shaped sound profile that excels in immersion. Their highs and lows are definitely boosted that gives a superb energetic sound but in the expanse of a mildly recessed midrange. Their technicalities here are pretty good as they are a detailed, clean and clear pair of IEM to listen to. They do cost slightly more than the SM100 but the EG280 does come with a USB C DSP cable, a 1.5 meter cable and a hard case. Built on the M100 is more robust and solid with their zinc alloy shell but the EG280 is lighter.

High range on the M100 produces a more livelier sparkle, with a crisper sparkle. Timbre on the SM100 is more natural with more air present but the EG280 has the better energy. The EG280 does have the edge in resolving as some high pitch does sound a tad more vivid but the overall high range is quite similar in amount.

Midrange on the EG280is slightly thicker and lusher with a dash of colouration present that has better musicalities but lacks the accuracy like on the M100 and the M100 does have a more detailed presentation. There is a bigger upper midrange focus on the M100 that gives them a brighter sound signature. Due to the slightly recessed mids on the EG280, they are a tad more spacious.

Bass quantity here has a bigger presence on the EG280 with their boosted lows and a deeper sub-bass that gives better immersion. Details are similar but the M100 bass does sound cleaner with better texture and accuracy.

The soundstage on both has similar width and height the M100 does sound a little airier and spacious in their headroom.

Verdict: The technicalities, accuracy and detailed presentation of the M100 is a winner but for better immersion, the EG280 is the better candidate.

Vs Soratune YI01

The dual dynamic driver from the sister company of Letshuoer, the Soratune YI01 is a capable gaming IEM that is priced pretty similarly to the M100 but with a better package that includes a hard case and wider selection of eartips. Both are metal based IEM but the zinc alloy for me is the better choice as they are robust and resist scratches better. The YI01 does have a mild V shaped sound that has better dynamic range due to their dual dynamic setup but technicalities aren’t on par with the M100.

The high range on both are similar in a neutral sound but the YI01 has smoother profile while the M100 is crisper and the sparkle is livelier with better energy. Details and clarity are similar with the M100 possessing more air and extension. The treble amount on the M100 has more intensity, sound and energy while the YI01 has a more balanced treble.

Midrange on the M100 has a clearer midrange with better details and clarity while the YI01 has a warmer mids and thicker body. The mids of the M100 is more accurate and clinical while the YI01 has better musicalities with a deeper lower mids. The M100 has better brilliance in the upper midrange.

Bass on the YI01 has a more apparent mid-bass lift with more immersion but isn’t as clean and accurate. The sub-bass amount is also bigger on the YI01 but overall details and clarity does go to the M100

The soundstage on the M100 is wider and taller but the YI01 possesses more air due to the semi open back design but only marginally.

Verdict: The M100 again excels in their sheer technicalities but lacks immersion like on the YI01. The YI01 also isn’t as accurate in terms of spatial positioning.

Synergy

Synergy wise the M100  is a good match for warm or balanced sources from the likes of AKM, Circus Logic and Burr Brown to give some extra musicalities and add some body to their mids. On the other hand, bright sources may not match them well and for certain Sabre based sources, they will incur too much energy on the higher range and fatigue will set in pretty quickly.

Good matching: IFI Diablo, 7HZ Artemis39, EPZ TP35, Qudelix T71, Hiby FC6, Cayin RU7, Questyle M15, Hidizs S8 Pro.

Not so good matching: FiiO Q7, FiiO KA5, EPZ TP30.

Who Is It For?

Suitable genres: EDM, jazz, hip-hop, classicals, pop, rock, acoustics

Suitable usage: Gaming, monitoring, stage, trebleheads

Not suitable genres: Jpop, metal, ACG

Not so suitable usage: Movies, bassheads, treble sensitive users

Final words

The Sivga M100 shatters expectations for an entry-level gaming IEM. Its superb neutral-bright sound delivers top-class clarity and detail, pleasing both gamers and audiophiles. The new ceramic driver provides lightning-fast transients and a clean, accurate timbre. While the bass is lean and lower mids lack some body, these are minor nitpicks. The accessories are sparse, but justified by the low price and excellent build.Overall, the Sivga M100 is a might be overlooked but there is no doubt that they offer perhaps the best performance-to-value in the entire Sigva’s IEM lineup. Highly recommended.

I would rate this product a 4 and a half over 5 stars.

Pros

• Superb technicalities
• Great build, design, fit and finishing
• Clinical without sounding too sterile
• Superb separation, imaging with a wide dynamic range
• Natural, brassy, breathy timbre
• Wide, tall and airy soundstage with pinpoint accuracy
• Amazing overall clarity and details
• Resolving and transparent sound
• Accurate, clean bass with natural sub-bass amount
• Accurate, colourless mids with a focus on upper mids
• Energetic, extended highs that is crisp and lively
• Superb details and clarity in the high region
• Intense treble with some aggression
• Easy to drive
• Sound value

Cons

• Barebone accessories
• Not for bassheads, not for treble sensitive users
• Not a highly musical type
• Mids does lack body
• Bass and sub-bass a little lean that lacks immersion
• Treble might get hot with bright source