- Sivga unveils M260 wired earphones with huge 14.2mm driver
- They come in USB-C or 3.5mm versions
- The fit is like the old Apple Earbuds design from before AirPods
It’s been 14 years since Apple discontinued its classic iPods earphones, which featured a circular speaker grill — making them the still-selling EarPods — but other brands still occasionally release earbuds in this style, and the latest takes advantage of the design to pack in a huge driver.
Audio company Sivga has unveiled a new pair of budget buds that share many design traits with the older earphones, apart from their clean white design and the large size of the driver involved.
It’s the Sivga M260, which recently went on sale in two iterations. There’s a version with a 3.5mm jack, which costs $44 / £33 / AU$62, and one that connects via USB-C, which costs $50 / £38 / AU$70.
We’ve mostly tested the brand’s over-ears, like the classic Sivga Oriole in wood or the Sivga Robin SV021 Pro, but it also sells plenty of earphones and in-ear monitors.
Budget knobs with a large driver
The Sivga M260 gets a 14.2 mm driver, which is on the large side for in-ear buds like this one. It uses a dynamic driver with neodymium magnet and copper composite diaphragm.
According to the brand, the tuning is aimed at a smooth and natural sound, with controlled bass.
In the box you get four different pairs of ear cushions, so you can make sure that the M260 locks in your ears and blocks out a little bit of ambient sound.
The cable is another element that sets this apart from the cheap earphones that came with your iPod. It’s a 4N silver-plated, oxygen-free copper cable, and it’s detachable from the studs, so you can replace the cable or studs if one or the other is damaged (or if you’re doing an upgrade).
There are some small differences between the two offer models. The USB-C version has a small control panel, with volume rocker and microphone, and it has a built-in DAC for high-resolution audio.
Considering how many products are ditching the headphone jack these days, I imagine most people will opt for USB-C… unless you’re one of those people who’s still holding on to your iPod and you want them to bring back that classic feel.
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