By: Alford Xue (Guest Editor)
November 6, 2026
When I was in middle school, my dad gifted me his Sony Walkman NW-E394 8GB, and it was probably the biggest reason why I came to love listening to music. I am by no means a music buff, but I would spend hours after school pirating MP3 music files of classical, jazz, J-pop, and video game soundtracks. However, my relationship with wired earphones is a whole different story. Despite my best efforts, my earphones would always get tangled, the audio jack would have a loose wire, and would end up being discarded within half a year. For these reasons, I have always stuck with dirt-cheap, $2 to $10 earphones that you can probably find at your local convenience store. Eventually, I switched to entry-level Bluetooth headphones for my musical needs. It is not that I do not care about the quality of my earphones -- I can certainly notice the difference -- it is really a matter of budget. However, once I took on the opportunity to review the SIVGA M260, you can imagine my genuine surprise when I realized that $40 can take you this far. The M260 positions itself as budget-friendly, retro-inspired flat-head earbuds that deliver high-quality performance. Could the M260 single-handedly restore my broken relationship with wired earbuds? Read on to find out!
This small package, secured with clear packaging tape, contains the SIVGA M260. It was shipped from Dongguan, China to our APH Networks location in Calgary, Alberta. The SIVGA M260 arrived intact and free of any damage, although the sturdy cardboard package has a dent in one of its corners.
The SIVGA M260 earbuds have arrived in pristine condition, with a compact, sleek black, leather-grain box. I especially found the shiny, metallic, brass-like font as a great aesthetic choice for the presentation. The front of the box has a minimalist monochrome graphic that depicts the right earbud of the SIVGA M260 along with SIVGA's motto, "Created with Craftsman Spirit." The sides of the box also display the company logo and motto both in English and Chinese. On the back, we are provided the specifications of the earphones in both languages. The details provided are drivers, impedance, frequency response, and sensitivity along with the company's contact information.
Before moving forward with the review, here are the specifications from the manufacturer's website:
Specs
Transducer type: Dynamic driver
Transducer size: φ14.2 mm
Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 118 dB ± 3 dB
Impedance: 16 Ω ± 15%
Distortion: <1% @ 1 kHz
Microphone sensitivity: -42 ± 3 dB
Connector: φ 3.5 mm L-shaped or USB-C straight
Cable length: 1.2 m
Package
M260 Earphone: 1 pc
Ear Tip: 4 pairs
Oxford Fabric Carrying Case: 1 pc
User Manual: 1 pc
Out of the box, the SIVGA M260 was neatly contained within its protective gray case. It was snugly wrapped and secured with a removable Velcro tie. The M260 was ready to use right away, as it was already assembled with the hollow foam ear tips. Apart from the case, the box also includes a user manual, a quality certificate, and three other pairs of foam ear tips for a total of four pairs.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
