These $149 In-ear monitors you probably haven’t heard of give Sennheiser a run for its money — they’re a must-have for audiophiles

If you want to listen to your favorite songs the way the artist intended, you need a pair of in-ear monitors (IEMs) — and you don’t need to spend an extortionate amount on them either. The Sivga Lyrebird are phenomenal IEMs, and at just under $150, they give Sennheiser a run for its money. Sound quality is 10/10 with great instrument separation, powerful bass, and airy treble, thanks to the quad-driver configuration.

In addition to that, the Lyrebird are mighty comfortable, making them perfect for all-day wear, and they’re built well, too. The only drawback is that these IEMs utilize a 4.4mm jack, so you’ll need either an adapter or a DAC/Amp.

To find out if these are the best wired headphones for you, read my full Sivga Lyrebird review.

Sivga Lyrebird review: Specs

Sivga Lyrebird review: Price & availability

If you want to stream hi-res audio, the Sivga Lyrebird are excellent in-ear monitors (IEMs) that don’t necessarily break the bank. They have a retail price of $149 at Amazon U.S. / £125 at Sivga Shop U.K.

This puts the Lyrebird in the same price range as the Sennheiser IE 200 ($149) and the Sony Inzone E9 ($149) — though the latter are gaming IEMs. If you’re on a tight budget, the Dunu Titan X ($39) are much cheaper than the Lyrebird, but their eartip replacement is finicky and they’re slightly heavier than the Lyrebird (more on that shortly).

Sivga Lyrebird review: Design

The Sivga Lyrebird are beautiful IEMs, and I was impressed with their design as soon as I unboxed them. Unlike the Sennheiser IE 200 and the Sony Inzone E9 — both of which are made of plastic — the Lyrebird are a sight for sore eyes. The Lyrebird’s earbuds feature wooden faceplates and CNC-machined aluminum housing (aviation-grade, according to Sivga) to give the IEMs a premium look.

In addition to looking great, the Lyrebird feel solid and well-built too. The Lyrebird’s braided cable features a tangle-free, flexible design, so you don’t need to worry about untangling every time you take them out of your pocket or their included case. They’re equipped with a detachable 0.78mm 2-pin cable, which means you can swap them with ease and increase the IEMs’ lifespan.

Weatherproofing

Wired earbuds and IEMs are rarely waterproof. Similar to the Dunu Titan X, the Sennheiser IE 200 and the Sony Inzone E9, the Lyrebird don’t have an official IP rating. I wouldn’t recommend wearing them in the rain or during workouts. You may want to consider a pair of the best wireless earbuds if you want waterproofing.

Comfort

Alongside their lovely design, the Lyrebird are exceptionally comfortable, and I’ve had no problem wearing them continuously for over five hours. Each earbud weighs 0.22oz and fits snugly in my ears. The Lyrebird are lighter than the Dunu Titan X (0.45oz each) but slightly heavier than the Sennheiser IE 200 (0.14oz each) — they hit the sweet spot, in my opinion.

Just like the Dunu Titan X and the Sennheiser IE 200, you wrap the cables emerging from the earbuds around your ears to ensure they don’t fall off — and they didn’t in my testing, even when I was headbanging. I used the default size of eartips that came fitted straight out of the box, and Sivga happily includes three extra pairs of hybrid silicone tips for a stable fit and balanced seal, plus three pairs of soft silicone tips for superior comfort.

I also appreciate how easy it is to replace the eartips on the Lyrebird. On the Dunu Titan X, it took me 30 minutes to get a pair of eartips onto the earpieces because the tips’ opening felt ridiculously tight and rigid. On the Lyrebird, it took me about 20 seconds to replace the eartips — quick and easy.

Controls

Similar to other IEMs I’ve tested, the Lyrebird don’t feature any in-line buttons to control playback, so you’ll need to whip out your phone or use your audio source to play and pause music.

Connectivity & drive

The Lyrebird are wired IEMs, so no wireless Bluetooth or 2.4GHz connectivity. That means they need to be powered (driven) by a power source.

They’re not difficult to drive, but the Lyrebird only have a 4.4mm balanced cable to connect to your audio source. The advantage of a 4.4mm jack is that it separates the audio into left and right channels to keep interference to a minimum.

The downside of a 4.4mm jack is that very few phones, laptops and tablets, if any, feature 4.4mm ports. Due to this, you’ll need to grab either a 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter, or a dedicated DAC/Amp — I recommend the latter as you won’t be sacrificing the balanced channels and will be able to enjoy your tunes fully. I used the FiiO K11 R2R ($175) to test the Lyrebird, and can’t recommend this DAC/Amp enough if you want to get the best out of your passive headphones or IEMs.

If you want to drive straight from your phone or laptop, the Dunu Titan X and the Sennheiser IE 200 are fitted with 3.5mm jacks.

Sivga Lyrebird review: Sound quality

Though they’re tiny, they’re mighty — and just like the Australian bird they’re named after, the Sivga Lyrebird truly sing. They’re fitted with quad-driver setups in each earpiece. Each earpiece utilizes a combination of 10mm dynamic, 9.2mm ceramic, balanced armature, and micro-planar drivers. Sounds like overkill, I know, but each driver has its purpose.

The dynamic drivers are there for reproducing deep, elastic bass; the balanced armatures deliver clear mids and details; the micro-planar drivers enable distortion-free treble; and the ceramic drivers act as super-tweeters to handle ultra-high frequencies. All of this is to say that the Lyrebird make music sound phenomenal. As I mentioned earlier, I tested the Lyrebird by plugging them into the FiiO K11, and listening to my mix of testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res audio.

The instrument separation and different atmospheric layers in Pink Floyd’s ‘Time’ jumped out as soon as I played the song. This is my favorite song of all time, and listening to it through the Lyrebird is the quintessential way. From the chiming clocks to the layered guitars and subtle keyboard textures, every element occupied its own distinct space while maintaining a cohesive melody. The track sounded and felt expansive and three-dimensional, while the vocals remained focused at the center.

Speaking of, ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac felt like an excellent showcase for the Lyrebird’s vocal presentation. The IEMs allowed each voice to remain distinct while blending seamlessly together. Lead vocals sounded expressive and packed plenty of detail, while the treble felt crisp and vibrant. Cymbals and acoustic guitar overtones had plenty of sparkle to them without coming across as fatiguing. I also appreciate that the sibilance remained smooth — “s” and “t” sounds weren’t harsh and didn’t sound like they were bleeding into one another.

Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans of Swing’ highlighted the Lyrebird’s ability to balance precision and musicality. The bassline sounded tight and articulate with plenty of oomph to it, and it provided a solid rhythmic foundation without overshadowing the rest of the mix. Every note plucked and the slides on Mark Knopfler’s guitar came through with exceptional clarity. The track sounded the most energetic it ever has, and I love that the Lyrebird successfully maintain the classic’s dynamic, engaging, and groovy energy.

I’ve also been impressed by the Lyrebird’s ability to remain distortion-free even when listening to music at high volumes (you shouldn’t be listening to music at 100% volume though as it can potentially damage your ears). Charli XCX’s electronic track ‘Von Dutch’ never sounded distorted at full volume, as the pounding kickdrums hit with authority and the bass remained tight and never bloated.

Listen along to my review with the Sivga Lyrebird testing playlist:

Sivga Lyrebird review: Verdict

The Sivga Lyrebird are simply outstanding. That’s it. That’s all you need to know; my job here is done.

No but really: the Lyrebird make music sound extremely detailed and like you’re in the recording studio with your favorite artist. With excellent instrument separation, deep and punchy bass, vibrant treble, and refined mids, the Lyrebird don’t give you lots to complain about.

They’re also extremely comfortable for all-day wear, and not only are they built well, they’re pleasing to look at, too. All of these qualities make the Lyrebird easy to recommend, especially if you need a pair of IEMs that doesn’t break the bank. Because these IEMs utilize a 4.4mm jack, you’ll need to get a DAC or an adapter — but that’s about the only drawback I can think of.