Sendy Peacock planar magnetic headphones
It’s so obvious once you’ve seen it, but it was three or four weeks before the light caught the Sendy Peacock’s outer earcup at just the right angle and it dawned on me that they looked like peacock tail feathers. Having initially found the name of these headphones rather challenging, suddenly, everything made sense, only later did I find this information on Sendy’s website. Sendy Audio is a sub-brand of SIVGA and is known by that name in certain markets. As part of my research into the background of SIVGA/Sendy Audio, I discovered that this is a small, artisan-type company formed by engineers with many years of experience in the headphone design industry. So far from being another ‘me too’ brand from China, they are a passionate group of people attempting to bring something a little different to the market. The company produces four models of headphones. This range of planar magnetic phones contains a pair of IEMs and three pairs of over-ear headphones; the Peacock is the top-of-the-range model, costing £1,599.
Grand design
The Peacock arrived in a luxurious, genuine leather carrying bag. A hemp bag contained the cables and adaptors. The headphones themselves are an open-back design, which often gives a more open and natural sound, but it does mean that everyone else in the room gets to enjoy a lightweight version of whatever you are listening to. Sendy describes the planar magnetic driver as a Quad-Former affair, as there are two coils on each side of the diaphragm, so four in total. Along with this, there are double-sided magnets, which are said to offer better control of the driver. The driver housing is made with aviation-grade aluminium and is CNC machined and care has been taken to ensure the holes allow a uniform frequency response. The driver cups are CNC carved from zebrawood and have a quality finish.
The outer grille of the headphones, the bit with the peacock tail feather effect, is said to have been tuned for sonic benefit. The headband and ear cups are made from goat skin, so despite being named after a bird, they might not be compatible with animal lovers, although I am assured that no zebras were harmed in the production process. Helpfully, there are left and right markings on the inside of the earcups to save users from getting the channels mixed up. The 4-pin XLR cable is described as 8-core 6N OCC and is braided Kimber style. The input side of the cable is terminated with a 4.4mm balanced connector, but adaptors for a 6.35mm jack and XLR 4 pin are provided. The cables appear to be of good quality and did not suffer from any annoying microphonic noise when handled. The headphones are quite loose fitting, which initially felt unnatural, but I soon became accustomed to this and did not find they moved around excessively while listening. Perhaps those with smaller heads may have issues, which should be considered. At 578g, the Peacock is not lightweight but feels comfortable to wear, even over longer listening sessions.
Is their beauty more than skin deep?
I wanted to ensure that I got the best out of the Peacocks and as I don’t have a dedicated headphone amp I contacted Toby Allen from TFT Distribution, who kindly agreed to loan me a Heed Audio Canalot III headphone amplifier. Although the Canalot does not have a balanced output, it powered the Peacock with ease and helped them deliver a more weighty, spacious, and dynamic sound than when connected directly to my Chord Hugo 2 DAC. When I did use the Hugo 2’s output, it was more than capable of driving the Peacock. The distributor who supplied these headphones told me that although they were well run in, I should use them for a few hours before critical listening.
I listened to the advice but completely ignored it as I was keen to see what these headphones could do. I knew they were my kind of headphones from the first few bars, if they had presented a bright and thin balance, then I would have removed them as soon as possible. The Peacock has the opposite balance; I would describe it as warm, with a mildly dark midrange, but with a nice, airy top end which may be due to a very slight lift of the highest frequencies. The bass is very full which underpins the music well, and it’s very well-balanced and can keep up with faster-paced music. The Peacock easily highlighted the differences between the Denafrips Ares 12th DAC reviewed recently and the Chord Hugo 2, with the Denafrips sounding more lush and the Chord a little drier, yet faster and with greater low-frequency dexterity.
Dynamics are not overly highlighted but are well-tracked by these headphones. They have an easy-going balance, which allows listeners to enjoy them over long periods without fatigue. They image very well and have a wide, three-dimensional soundstage. The Chord Hugo 2 accurately placed instruments within the soundstage, and the Peacock revealed this well. I value my hearing, so I don’t like headphones that need to be played loud before they begin to wake up and involve the listener. Again, the Peacock works well even at low to medium levels, doubtlessly helped by that full and weighty bass.
Towards the end of the review, I connected the Heed Canalot III and the Peacock to my main system, which notably includes a Melco N1 into a Moon 780D DAC. The Peacock had no trouble portraying the additional resolution and more natural balance. Lana Del Ray’s Video Games (24/48) sounded lush and expansive through the Peacock, with the vocals correctly presented centrally and well forward within the soundstage. This track and songs from Joni Mitchell’s Hejira (24/192) demonstrated the Peacock’s warm midrange delivers vocals with a strong sense of emotional connection.
An SACD rip of Dead Can Dance’s Into The Labyrinth allowed the Peacocks to demonstrate their ability to deliver a convincing sense of acoustic. Those familiar with this album will know it was recorded at Quivvy Studio in Co. Cavan, Ireland. The Peacock’s correctly described the acoustic of this fine sounding space.
Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters is a wonderful-sounding album from 1973, although my 24/96 downloaded file will likely be a more recent remaster. The low frequency capabilities of these headphones ensured Paul Jackson’s talents with the bass guitar did not go to waste. Here, the soundstage was deep and wide, which made the bongos on Sly, the third track on the album, particularly enjoyable as it appeared to swirl around the area well to the left of my head. Perhaps the music lacked a little dynamic impact compared to the best headphones I have experienced, but the overall effect was still satisfying.
Should you make a home for the Peacock?
These headphones should make a lot of friends. They are very well balanced and avoid the things that irritate me about certain other headphones in their class. While the Peacock does require a good source and amplifier, they are not the most demanding headphones to drive. The Chord Hugo 2 was more than capable of producing some great music with the Peacock, even without the additional help of the Heed Canalot, although they did sound airier and more expansive with it.
Perhaps they do not offer the last word in dynamic impact or excitement, but that is a trade-off that I think many would be happy to accept, considering their other qualities. Those with smaller heads may find the Peacock move around more than they would like, so if you are concerned about this, trying them prior to parting with the hard-earned would be a good idea. The Peacock is a well-built and luxurious pair of headphones at a competitive price which sound great, I am sure they will win many friends.