SENDY AUDIO APOLLO HEADPHONE REVIEW 

John Scott spends some time with Sendy Audio’s Apollo open-backed headphones, launched today and retailing at £429.

The Sendy Audio Apollo Headphones come well packaged and with good ancillaries.

As I already own a pair of Sendy Audio’s Aiva headphones, when I was offered the opportunity to review their new Apollo headphones, I was keen to give them a listen.

In his review of the Aiva, Stuart Smith provided a bit of background to Sendy Audio but in short, Sendy Audio is a Chinese company specialising in a small range of traditionally hand-crafted headphones and IEMs. This level of craftsmanship is amply demonstrated in both the Apollo and the Aiva which feature turned wooden ear cups and a high-quality level of finishing throughout. Stuart also reviewed their range-topping Peacock headphones.

The new Apollo is, like the Aiva, planar magnetic in design but comes at a cheaper price point. 

UNBOXING 

The Apollo shares the same packaging as the Aiva so no costs have been cut here. A sturdy brown box, with the Sendy audio logo, a graphic visualisation of the headphones and the word Apollo in English and Chinese printed on the close-fitting lid, opens to reveal a foam-filled interior which in itself would be sufficient to protect its contents. Sendy goes a step further though; inside this box is a rigid, zippered black leather carry case. This is a really nice touch as I’m sure many manufacturers would have been content with just the outer box. The Apollo headphones sit snugly within this case along with a branded hemp drawstring bag that contains the headphone cable. So far, so good: a good quality and attractive package that gives an impression of value for money from the get-go.

BUILD QUALITY AND COMFORT 

So, if no money has been saved on the packaging, are the savings to be seen in the build quality?  At 395g, the Apollo are lighter than the Aiva’s 420g but not greatly so. There is more wood used in the Aiva’s oval-shaped cups than in the Apollo’s circular cups and it is possible that the Apollo’s lacquered rosewood may be of a lesser quality than the more naturally finished zebra wood of the Aiva. Equally though, that may not actually be the case and I may just be trying to identify cost savings where none exist. Certainly, much of the remainder of the external construction appears to be almost identical to the Aiva and in fact, I prefer the padded headband of the Apollo to the unpadded Aiva.

Sendy’s Apollo Headphones close up.

Aside from the circular, lacquered cups, which although different from the Aiva are highly attractive in their own right, the main design difference is in the cup’s side panels. In the Aiva these are a fish-scale design that has an Art Deco look that I absolutely love. The Apollo replaces this with a sunburst design which is equally attractive and more suited to the cups’ circular form. Despite the appeal of the carry case, these headphones really deserve to be out on display rather than hidden away.

The headphone cable is 6N single crystal copper and appears to be of identical quality to the cable supplied with the Aiva although where the Aiva’s accoutrements are wood, the Apollo’s are metal and the terminations on the Apollo (4.4mm plug with 3.5 adapter) are less ornate and seem to be of a lighter build than the Aiva. Stu mentioned in his review that the non-inclusion of a ¼” adapter ought to be rectified, and as one has not been included here either, I can only concur.

If no money has been saved on packaging and no substantial savings are evident in the build, are we going to feel a difference in comfort levels?  Well, where the weight difference between the Aiva and the Apollo is fairly negligible, it is noticeable, particularly where wearing each for any substantial period of time.  The earpads on the Apollo are simpler and I do think that some money may have been saved here but ironically I actually found the Apollo’s earpads to be more comfortable with extended use.

Sendy Audio use what they describe as “Quad Former Technology” in the Apollo’s drivers which they claim results in high efficiency and low distortion and I experienced no aural fatigue during long listening sessions.

Sendy Audio Apollo Headphones side view showing padded headband.

SOUND QUALITY 

Okay, no savings on the packaging; negligible savings in build or cable quality; improved comfort levels; how will the Apollo shape up on sound quality? Colin Yang from Sendy recommended that I give the Apollo 100 hours of run-in time before reviewing. Obviously, I completely ignored this advice and got stuck right in; the Apollo sounded pretty horrible; shrill and constrained.

Let the run in commence.

Coming back to the Apollo after a couple of days showed a massive improvement. I wasn’t sure that I had the patience to wait the full 100 hours before giving them a good listen but equally, it would have been unfair to compare them to the Aiva before then. On their own though, I was beginning to like what I was hearing.

Finally, the time came (I may have been half an hour short). For the purposes of both the run-in and the actual review I used the Chord Anni headphone amp which has the facility to attach two pairs of headphones at the same time – really useful for making comparisons.

Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain opens with a distinctive four-string bass thrum by Klaus Voormann. Both sets of headphones articulated this well but there was just a touch more high-end detail with the Apollo. Once the whole band came in though, the Aiva proved itself to be just that bit more refined across the board. That top-end detail was still there but Jim Gordon’s cymbals were a little tizzy compared to the Aiva.

A good looking planar headphone at a very attractive price.

Switching to Willie Nelson’s duet with Sinead O’Connor on their version of Peter Gabriel’s Don’t Give Up from Willie’s Across The Borderline album, a similar story emerged.  The Apollo sounded fine on its own terms but ultimately the Aiva provided a more satisfying listen. It was evident that the Aiva needed a bit more volume than the Apollo to get going but once it did, it sang a sweeter tune, albeit with a more relaxed presentation.

While a direct comparison between the sound of the Apollo and the sound of the Aiva was instructive, I really felt that the Apollo deserved to be judged on its own merits. Setting aside comparisons and settling down with the Apollo to enjoy music was very easy to do. From Mike Rutherford’s thundering bass pedals on Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway to Sean Shibe’s delicate acoustic guitar on his arrangement of Bach lute suites, the Apollo delivered a thoroughly enjoyable experience that put me at the centre of the music. Lee Perry’s smokey, swampy dub and Jean Sibelius’ icy orchestrations were both presented in a  sympathetic soundscape.

I had secretly hoped that the Apollo would be a bit of a giant beater that would put its bigger brother in its place. While this didn’t quite prove to be the case, I did need to bear in mind that there was more than £100 of a price difference between them.  £429 and under will buy any one of a number of generic-looking mass-produced headphones; some of them may even sound as good as the Apollo. But will £429 buy the combination of quality workmanship, musical presentation, comfort and visual appeal that the Apollo offers?  I think you would have to look very hard indeed to find a pair of open-backed planer headphones that does.

CONCLUSION 

Sendy Audio’s Apollo headphones are an attractive product, built to a high standard and very comfortable to wear over an extended period of time.

Taken on its own terms, the Apollo offers lots of detail and drive and offers an ideal opportunity to purchase a quality set of headphones at a very reasonable price.

While I felt that they didn’t quite match up to their bigger brother, they do produce a livelier listen and depending on personal taste, I can easily understand how some people might prefer them.

If your budget maxes out at around £450, they are definitely worth considering and they get a four hearts award from me.

AT A GLANCE

Sound Quality: 

Detailed and dynamic

Open soundstage

Lively presentation

Easy to drive

Lacks absolute refinement in the upper frequencies

Build and Comfort: 

Loved the packaging

Excellent build quality

Visually very appealing

Look and feel more expensive than they are

Value for Money: 

As an overall package, these offer tremendous value

We Loved: 

The feeling that this is a little bit of luxury for remarkably little money

Lively presentation

Very comfortable to wear

We Didn’t Love So Much: 

Slight lack of refinement in the upper frequencies

Price: £429/€499/$499

Elevator Pitch: The Apollo open-backed planer headphones from Sendy Audio offer a first-class build and visual appeal at an economy price. Their lively, detailed sound coupled with comfortable ear pads provide pleasure over extended listening sessions. The Apollo falters slightly at higher frequencies but is a real contender in its price range.

SUPPLIED BY SENDY AUDIO

John Scott