Review: Creative Aurvana In-Ear 2 Earphones
Don Bradbury upgrades an MP3 player's audio performance
| Product | Aurvana In-Ear 2 earphones |
|---|---|
| Company | Creative |
| Web | www.creative-aurvana.com |
| Price | £89.99 |
| We like | Extended range of musical dynamic and frequency response; good noise blockage and cancellation; range of ear cushion sizes; carry case and toolkit. |
| We don't like | For us, the ear cushions tended to let the 'phones slip out of position. |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Requirements |
The typical mid-price MP3 player will generally come with an adequate but non-optimal set of earphones, though such compromises are generally considered acceptable in order to bring the player's price within market expectations. There are exceptions, of course, but the more demanding user will often have to upgrade to better earphones if he is to have the best listening experience.
Creative Technology offer the Aurvana In-Ear 2 earphones to fill this market slot, so we took a look at them and compared performance with the standard 'phones that came with their own Zen X-Fi Style MP3 player which we have also reviewed, and also our erstwhile favourite, the Samsung YP-Z5 MP3 player and the 'phones that came with that.
With their solid construction, plus gold plated plug and oxygen-free copper cables, we found the Aurvana In-Ear 2 earphones gave us an immediate change of musical experience from those of the Zen X-Fi's own 'phones. In general, the brighter tone was evident immediately. Both sets of 'phones were described as offering 15Hz to 16KHz frequency response, but be that as it may, we discovered the brighter tone, better musical dynamics in general, and an overall improvement in listening experience using these Aurvava 'phones.
Potential downsides
Apart from the cost involved, which is substantial, the downsides of the Aurvana 'phones were potentially two. We found that although they came with a package of replacement ear socket adapters to suit different shapes and sizes of ear, we, personally, could not find an adapter size that would hold the 'phones in position while out walking (ie during listening periods involving movement). They tended to slip out of position, and of course that lead to a deterioration in the quality of sound; the tone shifted to a less bright, duller sound as you'd expect, and of course the volume was reduced. A more sedentary position while listening could, of course, modify this experience.
That brings us on to the second potential downside. Replacing either of our test 'phones with the Aurvana In-Ear 2 reduced the listening volume by a fair margin; we had to crank up the MP3 player's amplifier quite a lot, and that naturally spells reduced battery life and time between recharges as the amount of current required from the battery to drive the amplifier was increased.
The depth with which the Aurvana 'phones had to be planted into the ear canal also meant that users had better watch out for the consequences of the adjacency with which the sound output was placed to the ear drum, particularly when sudden large increases in volume were involved. As the instructions for the ZEN X-Fi player itself point out:
"Do not listen to audio on your earbuds or headphones at high volume for prolonged periods of time as hearing loss may result".
We'd also add to that, sudden large increases in volume level. The phenomenal dynamics of the Aurvana In-Ear 2 'phones were quite capable of this.
We compared both of these Creative 'phones with those that came packaged with our Samsung YP-Z5 MP3 player, using the Zen X-Fi Style MP3 player to play the tracks. We have to say that, in terms of balanced performance, the Samsung phones were preferred. Their shape meant they stayed in position better than the Aurvana In-Ear 2, and the listening experience was more balanced, with overall tone improvement. The higher volume at a set position of the player's amplifier, relative to the Aurvana In-Ear 2, was also better. The venerable Samsung player was, however, considerably more expensive than the Creative offering, we should hasten to add.
The Aurvana In-Ear 2 'phones, apart from the changeable ear socket adapters, also came with a neat little case in which to mount and transport the 'phones. There was also a cleaning tool, wherewith to extract any accumulation of ear wax from the 'phones. Finally, there was a noise reduction device included, and that could be used in noisy environments such as air flights. Many users would value those points.
In conclusion
Admitting that the fit of these phones could well be a personal problem, and the cost of the potential upgrade would have been previously considered, plus the possibly reduced time between charges accepted, in terms of sheer listening experience, and the better dynamics and apparent frequency response from the Aurvana In-Ear 2 compared with those of the Zen X-Fi players 'phones, we think the upgrade could be found worthwhile. That would depend on the player itself, of course. Some players come with perfectly adequate 'phones but, in general, many users would discover a much better listening experience from a 'phones upgrade such as these. See our review of the Zen X-Fi Style MP3 player.
