What I find funny is that people will buy an analytical headphone or something of that sort and plug it into a tube amp. The final result is pretty much a warm headphone, so thereâs my argument.
If someone wants a warm headphone, there arenât too many high-end options, so the Peacock can stand its ground for those people.
Also, people will probably get these for their comfort and feel on the head.
As a Sivga Phoenix owner I am intrigued by these. I would love to audition a set and see how they do. The more I look at them the more I realize (though hard to really tell from pictures) the build is really good on these. Seemingly better than the Phoenix and they are built very well. It has a great stock cable, and they are using that great case too. So⊠not so bad! 
I hope for a hype train and later many remorseful buyers that try to liquidate them so I can try them on the cheap XD
In IEMs, yes. Headphones, not even close? Donât jump on the hype train because it has a cool looking cable and is made of wood
People spend 6000 on susvaras, but hifiman isnât your typical flashy looking Chi-fi.
Regarding tuning, having been in the IEM world recently, I just realised how much of mess the tuning of headphones are. It is way harder to tune a headphone than to tune an IEM. In IEMs you got loads of harman tuned, diffuse field tuned, harman with subbass boost or well tuned V shape.
i believe everyone should get into IEM and their precise tuning to figure out what they like so they dont waste money trying headphones with random freq response and get hyped with buzz words like âlush warmâ for headphones . If you buy a tuned IEM get 4 different ones and decide which one you like and than get a headphone with a similar tune. yes the freq response isnt everything so it will still sound different more or less detailed and different textures and transience and sound stage but you can at least know if you like bright or dark or bass or treble or both and can avoid wasting more money. they cannot help with everything like sound stage so thats a different matter not for IEMS.
Oh wow, I had no idea Susvaras were that much. I know so little when it comes to headphones! There is a lot out there. So far I feel like I have made pretty good choices but it wasnât easy.
SENDY AUDIO PEACOCK
In my opinion, the most important part of a headphone review, is to first understand the sound preferences of the reviewer. All descriptions of a headphone are irrelevant unless you have a reference point for the reviewer. What headphone(s) does the reviewer like and prefer? And what qualities of a headphone does the reviewer value?
WHATâS YOUR (P) REFERENCE
So before I talk about Sendy Audioâs current flagship headphone, the Peacock, I want to talk a little bit about the ZMF Verite (open). The Verite is my reference and preference headphone.
The Verite is my favorite headphone of all time, at any price. It has this uncanny ability to, simultaneously, sound highly detailed and smooth at the same time. In my opinion, this is a supremely difficult formula to master.
It also has a fairly wide and holographic soundstage. And although itâs not the widest that Iâve heard, it can make it sound like sounds are popping out from behind your head. I love that soundstage effect.
Of course anyone who has ever seen a ZMF product knows theyâre gorgeous to look at and are built impeccably by hand. Theyâre also very comfortable due to a fantastic headband system. So to me, they represent the total package. So those are the qualities in a headphone that make me smile. By the way, I fully acknowledge that the Verite is not a âneutralâ headphone.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE
In general, I prefer headphones that donât stray too far from neutral, but lean more towards the smoother end of the spectrum, as I am moderately sensitive to upper mids and treble harshness. That said, I donât want a headphone that lacks detail and resolution (appropriate for its price point). For example, I love the detail, resolution, and soundstage of the Sennheiser 800S, but itâs too fatiguing for me to listen to for a prolonged period of time. So that being said, you know Iâm not going to like the tuning of many Beyerdynamics, Grados, or Ultrasones.
WHAT DID YOU USE
So for my review, most of my listening was done with the Singxer SA-1 amplifier in low gain and Modius DAC. I mainly listened to the Peacock balanced, since the Singxer is a balanced amp. I chose the SA-1 so that I could quickly switch between the Verite (XLR) and Peacock (4.4mm) while both were running balanced.
WHATâS THE COMFORT AND BUILD LIKE
The build quality is simply excellent for its price. The Peacock is made almost entirely of wood, metal, and high quality leather. It absolutely shames the flimsy, plastic build of the Hifiman Arya. And in spite of the use of premium materials, itâs still very comfortable to wear. The earcups allow some swivel and the clamping force is light-moderate.
Compared to something that costs more than it, like the HEDDphone, it still comes out on top. While the HEDDphone is made fairly well, it uses a lot more plastic, is much heavier in weight, and has a much higher clamping force. As a former owner of the HEDDphone, I can personally say that its lack of comfort was a deal breaker. For all the premium materials of the Peacock, itâs still much lighter and much more comfortable.
I think itâs built better than the entire Audeze LCD 2,3, and 4(since theyâre all built the same). Audeze does use premium materials but I have had too many problems with their headband system. For some unknown reason, Audeze doesnât create enough space between the headband and comfort strap. So when worn, the comfort strap will come into contact with the metal headband, which will quickly create a hot spot. I had no such issue with the Peacock and I had the headband at full extension. I also find it inexcusable that Audeze uses glued on earpads for their entire LCD line, including the 4 and 4Z, that retail for $4000! The Peacock is nearly 1/3 that cost so they get a pass to use any method they like to mount their earpads. Serious question though: why canât more companies use super, user-friendly magnetic earpad attachments like Abyss, Meze, and Ultrasone?
WHAT ABOUT THE BASS
The bass is fairly solid and definitely not lacking. The sub bass is present and doesnât sound like thereâs much roll off down to 20hz. The mid bass sounds just a little north of neutral by maybe 3 or 4 dbâs, which I like. To my ears, completely neutral bass just doesnât give music enough body and soul.
I think the quantity of the mid bass is just about perfect, but it sounds a just a tad spongy. I would prefer it to be tighter, but Iâll take a little spongy over anemic every day of the week. It doesnât hit quite as hard as the Verite or decay as fast, but at half the price, itâs no slouch! Iâd say the bass quantity sits between the Verite and Auteur.
On some tracks, the mid bass can sound a little subdued, even though I said earlier that it has sufficient quantity. But I think that is more of a tuning issue of the mids, rather than the amount of bass. Iâll talk more about this next.
WHAT ABOUT THE MIDS
The mids are where I have a little issue with the Peacock. There is a broad elevation somewhere in the neighborhood of 900hz - 2khz. And then it is followed by an upper mid recession, and a toned-down treble region as well.
This presents a small problem because it throws off the tonal balance and higher order harmonics. I think this tuning makes it harder to pick out finer details. We all know that a higher volume will bring out more mid bass impact as well as treble detail, due to the Fletcher-Munson curve.
But the Peacock already has extra energy in the low-mids, so if you try to turn up the volume to bring out more of the bass and treble, then the mids can become a little shouty. I actually donât think the Peacock lacks detail for its price point, but the stock tuning can make it seem that way. In my opinion, the balance amongst the lower mids, upper mids, and treble needs a little work.
WHAT ABOUT THE TREBLE
The treble of the Peacock is on the more relaxed and smooth side. As someone who does not like bright headphones, I tend to prefer this type of tuning. However, this has to be balanced with the rest of the frequency spectrum or music can sound dull and lifeless.
Again, I think the treble quantity is actually sufficient for detail, if the lower mids werenât so elevated and the upper mids werenât so recessed. But based on the tuning as it is, I feel the Peacock could use a tad more treble energy. But then that opens up another can of worms, because if you EQ more treble, then youâre going to have to EQ more bass. In my opinion, Sendy Audio would have covered a multitude of sins if they simply had a flatter tuning of the mids.
AT THE END OF THE DAY
At the end of the day, I really enjoyed the Sendy Audio Peacock. In general, it is tuned more towards my preference, as I donât like bright headphones. It is built well, comfortable to wear, includes a high quality cable, and has an exceptional soundstage. Itâs ability to create âambienceâ might be its greatest strength. Itâs certainly my favorite part of it.
In all honesty, the Peacock reminds me of the Audeze house sound, but with a better stock tuning (even though it could also use a little EQ), and a significantly wider soundstage. From a pure enjoyment standpoint, Iâd take it over the entire LCD line except the LCD 4. Itâs just a more enjoyable listen.
However, I do have to say that I think Sendy took it just a smidge too far towards the smooth and relaxed end of the spectrum.
Compared to the Verite, the Peacock lacks a little refinement and articulation. Since itâs a planar and the Verite is a dynamic, youâd expect more snap in the transients or leading edges of notes. But that is not the case. Sounds from the Peacock have a little extra butter on them. I guess Iâm saying some may find the Peacock smooth to a fault.
I like the extra body in the lower mids, because it prevents the mids from sounding lean or anemic. But you need to balance that extra energy out with the upper mids and treble for clarity.
But what it lacks in refinement, it makes up for with âatmosphereâ. With the right recording, the Peacock can make a normal track almost sound binaural. It just has such great width to its soundstage that it can âpaintâ music with a large canvas. So ambient and electronic music sound downright majestic on it. Actually, anything mixed to take advantage of soundstage sounds great with these; think Hans Zimmer for example.
Itâs smooth tonal balance does also mean itâs very forgiving of poor recordings. I really think the Peacock strikes a nice balance between technical and fun. It extracts sufficient detail for its price point without ever sounding sterile.
In terms of only technical proficiency, it neither competes with the summit-fi offerings from Abyss or Hifiman, nor does itâs price stake that claim anyway. But I do place it at the top end of mid-fi. But when you factor in the total package of build quality, cable quality, accessories, comfort, and staging ability, it extends closer to summit-fi than many other headphones in its pricing hierarchy.
FOR WHOM DO YOU RECOMMEND
I recommend the Peacock to anyone who likes the Audeze LCD house sound but has always wanted more soundstage than they offer. If you prefer headphones that are on the smoother and more forgiving side, then these are for you.
If you prefer a bright and analytical sound like the Hifiman HEK line, Abyss Diana Phi, Sennheiser hd 800, Beyerdynamic T1, etc., then these are not for you.
If you liked the trippy soundstage of the Hifiman Arya, but wished they werenât so etchy and bright in the upper mids and treble, then you need to audition these. The soundstage of the Peacock is not as tall as the Arya, but itâs even wider.
If you like the ZMF Verite but canât afford it, these may make you smile for half the price.
If you like the tuning of the ZMF Auteur but find it just a tad too neutral, you may want to try these.
If you like the more relaxed sound of the Sennheiser HD650, and are looking for an upgrade path with a similar tonality, then put these on your list.
If you love the staging capability of the Sennheiser 800S, but want more bass, less brightness, more soul, and donât mind sacrificing a little detail and technical proficiency, then take these for a ride.
If all you care about is technical performance, you are not impressed by soundstage and ambience, and you always want your coffee black and never with cream or sugar, then sashay away from these.
i want that review in video form lol
I knew you were gonna say that⊠
Thank you for this. Really nice work. My level of intrigue has increased. I wish there was a place you could go and try these kinds of things out. But I can kinda feel where these are going to deliver the sound based off of your description. Sounds like something I would personally enjoy.
Though the Phoenix is most likely about 2 levels down from these performance wise, A lot of the materials and presentation are very similar. I really like using the Phoenix and I feel like these would provide just as nice of a user experience.
Excellent.
Just got these in today⊠these are different from some of my other headphones (LCD-X, Focal Clear MG, just to name a few) but in an interesting way. They have a decent amount of soundstage with weight to the music. I havenât tried them with watching movies yet⊠but would bet these would do really well there. They are really fun so far⊠but I do need to spend more time with them.
I am currently running them off of D90se > Burson Soloist 3x. Which is giving them a bit more depth and width as well.
Also, I had to bend them in a little to get them to clamp a bit better on my head. So if you have a small head they could be a bit of trouble there.
The clamp issue for you is the opposite for me. I wear them completely extended and have never been told I have a large head, ha.
So I was trying a few amp/dacs here that I have on hand. Since Zeos was a believer of using these with any combo. So other than my D90se > Burson Soloist 3X, I have a few budget options on my desk.
Schiit Hel
On the Schiit Hel it drove them ok. There was enough but they were not as resolving and it lost a bit of that special âholographicâ sound that I was hearing before.
iFi Zen Dac v2/Zen Can
I really did not like them on this setup. They were kind of a mess⊠just really loud. This would be the first headphone that was strange on that setup. Something I tried to do was use Peace EQ APO and saw that for whatever reason these headphones âappearingâ to clip. I had the âprevent clippingâ box check and watch while it turn it all the way down to 30db. When I switch over to the Schiit Hel, I didnât see this. I donât know if maybe the Zen Dac is the issue or what is going on there⊠really strange.
I have a Topping D50s I might hook up later to the Zen can and see if that still occurs⊠but anyway⊠what I will say none of the lower budget options are really ideal IMO.
I think using something like the Singxer SA-1 or the Burson Soloist are better in that either one enhances what is better experience in terms of staging and resolution.
EDIT: (9/5/2021)
I was initially using the Amazon Music app and was selecting the device from itâs UI, but here is the thing. It seems to use Peace APO properly I needed to make sure to set the default device in windows and use it this way for best results. Also (not that I was doing this) but make sure you DONâT turn on exclusive mode in the Amazon application in order to use Peace APO. With this set correctly I was not longer seeing the issues I mentioned previously in this post. This also makes sense since the Schiit Hel was the default device when I was testing both.
Yet another case of Zeos loves them but Resolve hates them. Hmm, wonder what the communitiesâ consensus will be
Do you mean DMS? When did Resolve talk about them?
I think Resolve has mentioned them in live-streams. But yeah, to my knowledge itâs DMS that hates them.
No, I mean resolve. On a livestream when asked to name headphones that are the worst performing in their price range he said sendy peacock
Okay, I knew heâd mentioned them, but I hadnât caught all of last weekâs stream and none of the UT12 giveaway. But it makes sense he doesnât like them, given what I know of his preferences and what people have said about the Peacocks.