# Creative AURVANA Live!



## Aastii

I picked up a set of these a few days ago and am seriously impressed. Getting them for £50, I wasn't expecting the worlds greatest headphones, but the quality you get is outstanding considering the price.

Primarily, I am a gamer, however listen to a hell of a lot of music, and it was that which was my priority, not the games. Due to the time spent on my computer daily, comfort was of great importance, and with my system being in a place with a lot of background noise, and with other people to potentially disturb, isolation was another major point. The Aurvana managed to deliver on every front. 

*Sound Quality*

My first thoughts when I got them on and tried was BASS!!! For a budget set of headphones, they have phenomenal sound and quality at the lower end. This meant in all games, explosions sounded as harsh as you would imagine they should be, they make you feel the shock of it and makes them sound extremely vivid. This was a huge bonus to immersion for me, especially in FPS and RTS games where there are explosions going on left right and centre. It also helps to bring out the sound of the gunfire, and even manages to make the sounds of spells and abilities in League of Legends something to behold, which is something you really wouldn't expect given the sounds are almost the lowest priority.

For music, I have listened to a lot of different genres, and found that the headphones, not surprisingly, do an amazing job of electronic, dance and R&B music where there is a heavy bass line. The mid range isn't quite as amazing, making music focussing heavily on these ranges good, but not superb. It does not lead to these sounds being underwhelming though

It should be noted they have only had probably 20 hours of a burn in at most, so the sound I have seen so far will only improve

*Comfort*

As most of you on the forums will know, or could have guessed, I spend a relatively large amount of time on my computer, which means wearing the headphones for potentially several hours straight, which leads to the next point - comfort.

I can not fault them. They do not cling to your head like a vice as some other headphones do, rather simply sit there almost perfectly thanks to the headphones being very light. The size of the pads isn't quite perfect for my ears, meaning though they do fit around the ears for the main part, they do partially sit on them, so after a few hours of use, my ears begin to hurt a little, but for those of you with smaller ears (I am not exactly dumbo as it is), this is some what of a non-issue. However, I have only had one or two occurances of this, because it takes so long for it to happen, and simply taking the headphones off for 10-15 mins sorts this problem out pretty well. They really are supremely comfortable, and the cicumaural design works to perfection

*Isolation*

Helped out a lot by the cups and closed back, very little sound escapes, and very little background noise gets in. Even over the dull roar of a TV and people in the background, one of which being a small child, I hear absolutely nothing, even if I have music playing just quietly.

I am also able to sit with my music fairly loud and have only the faintest sound escaping. Only when very loud does it become a problem for those around me. This leads to another good point - even at higher volumes, the headphones manage to maintain their sound quality, almost to perfection. There is some distortion when extremely loud, however this is to be expected, and isn't major in comparison to other headphones I have tried in the same price range, and even for more expensive sets.

*Build Quality, Packaging and Extras*

The casing of the headphones is made of plastic, as is the headband, with metal running through the middle for the adjustable size. Though not quite as high quality as you will get from premium headphones which will be made of another material, usually aluminium, they feel extremely well made and strong. Though it hasn't happened yet, I can see myself sitting on them accidentally a few times an them withstanding it no problem. The only downside is the plastic casing manages to show up every finger print and bit of dirt extremely easily, though this really isn't a problem at all unless you wear your headphones whilst stood in front of a mirror, or would rather look at them than use them as intended. They aren't really portable though, as they can not fold smaller.

The pads and a small strip over the headband are made from synthetic leather, with fabric covering the casing inside of the pads.

The wires, though unfortunately they have 2 entrances rather than the ideal one, are of good quality. They are not extremely thin as others in a similar price range offer. The 2.5mm jack is gold plated, as is the extension cable which comes as an extra. At 1.5m it is also a decent length for most people.

The packaging was as you would expect. The headphones were in a plastic casing, which was in a plastic insert. This was then inside of a box, which was then in a plastic bag. All in all, everything felt to be of decent quality, and as you would expect.

Along with the headphones themselves, you also receive a 3.5mm to 6.3mm Jack adapter, an extension cable as mentioned before, a cloth bag to put the headphones in, and all paper work you would expect, such as warranty information and user guide. I should point out that the extension, though gold plated, is extremely thin, and if I weren't forced to use it wouldn't bother.

*Conclusion*

Sound Quality: 8/10

I really can not stress enough how excellent the low end sounds on these. All other ranges sound good, however we are let down a little for mid range. This is something burn in will probably manage to improve on, which would lead to a well rounded, warm sound, with excellent bass 

Comfort: 8/10

Unless you plan on wearing them for hours at a time, you really will not have a problem. Your ears stay sufficiently cool, the headphones are not tight at all, though will get uncomfortable after a few hours.

Build Quality: 8/10

Excellent build quality, though can't be given perfect, because of the casing being made of plastic, and synthetic leather being used. The very thin cable used for the extension also leaves a lot to be desired

Isolation: 7/10

Even at very low volume, little sound gets in. However, if you are fond of having your volume turned right up, it isn't amazing at keeping the sound in.

Value: 10/10

For the price, you will not be finding any better. For £50, you are getting excellent sound quality, outstanding comfort, good build quality and good isolation. Though not the greatest headphones made, for the price, you can not complain

Overall: 8/10

Even with the few shortcomings, the price point makes them as perfect as any headphone gets at the moment, and would lead me to highly recommend them to anyone looking for some budget headphones


----------



## mihir

Review- Nicely done.

*Sound Quality*
Just one question How does Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon sound wearing those? 

*Comfort*
Being Lightweight is nice,but I like headphones covering my ears.But for the price not many headphones of comparable sound quality do that.

*Isolation*
Impressed.  :good:

*Build Quality,Packaging and Extras*
1.5M . I would rather 3M


----------



## Aastii

mihir said:


> Review- Nicely done.
> 
> *Sound Quality*
> Just one question How does Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon sound wearing those?
> 
> *Comfort*
> Being Lightweight is nice,but I like headphones covering my ears.But for the price not many headphones of comparable sound quality do that.
> 
> *Isolation*
> Impressed.  :good:
> 
> *Build Quality,Packaging and Extras*
> 1.5M . I would rather 3M



Dark Side of the Moon on them is just phenomenal. I waited until I was the only one up so I could turn it way up, and I promise you, there was 0 loss of quality, it was just perfection. I've got a lot of songs that Brit Floyd did live, and it was like when I was there watching them, which is like being there watching Pink Floyd anyway

They do over your ears, that is how the pads are designed, they are circumaural

And I was a little miffed with the length of the cable. I wouldn't be all that bothered if my sound card had a front panel connector, but as it doesn't I'm using the extension. I have to say, for as much as the extension cable is very thin, there is virtually no noticeable loss of quality with it

These + my sound card are the best £100 I have spent in a long, long time


----------



## CdnAudiophile

Aastii said:


> Dark Side of the Moon on them is just phenomenal. I waited until I was the only one up so I could turn it way up, and I promise you, there was 0 loss of quality, it was just perfection. I've got a lot of songs that Brit Floyd did live, and it was like when I was there watching them, which is like being there watching Pink Floyd anyway
> 
> They do over your ears, that is how the pads are designed, they are circumaural
> 
> And I was a little miffed with the length of the cable. I wouldn't be all that bothered if my sound card had a front panel connector, but as it doesn't I'm using the extension. I have to say, for as much as the extension cable is very thin, there is virtually no noticeable loss of quality with it
> 
> These + my sound card are the best £100 I have spent in a long, long time



What other headphones have you tried?

BTW Grado SR60i's are the best bang for headphone period. ($79US/£55)


----------



## Aastii

THERMAL-REACTOR said:


> What other headphones have you tried?
> 
> BTW Grado SR60i's are the best bang for headphone period. ($79US/£55)



For around the price of the Creatives, Razer Orca, Corsair HS1, JVC HA-RX900 and 700 (700's considerably cheaper though, however little difference) and Aerial7 Chopper2, which are just rebrands of Panasonic HTX7's, therefore sound rubbish and are seriously uncomfortable. You are talking, on the Arial7, ~£45 for what would be £25 if you got the Panasonics instead

I didn't use them as extensively as I did the Creatives, with the exception of the RX700's, I don't own them I have used them through friends and the such. The 700's I had a pair, and although they were good, didn't last long. To give you an idea of how "not long", I made a thread on here not even a year ago about them. My little sister would use em from time to time, and let's just say 6 year olds and headphones don't mix well 

Headphones are a lot, lot more expensive over here too. You are talking whatever your price in dollars is, that is the price in £. The Grado's are £75-85 here, so at least one and half times the price, considerable enough to take them out of the price range if you are looking for a set around £50

=EDIT=

oh, I tried a set of Sony MDR-V6 a couple years back at a house we were watching whilst friends of my aunt and uncle where away, and they were amazing, especially given the price. If I could have pushed the extra £10 this time, I'd have got myself a set


----------



## CdnAudiophile

Aastii said:


> For around the price of the Creatives, Razer Orca, Corsair HS1, JVC HA-RX900 and 700 (700's considerably cheaper though, however little difference) and Aerial7 Chopper2, which are just rebrands of Panasonic HTX7's, therefore sound rubbish and are seriously uncomfortable. You are talking, on the Arial7, ~£45 for what would be £25 if you got the Panasonics instead
> 
> I didn't use them as extensively as I did the Creatives, with the exception of the RX700's, I don't own them I have used them through friends and the such. The 700's I had a pair, and although they were good, didn't last long. To give you an idea of how "not long", I made a thread on here not even a year ago about them. My little sister would use em from time to time, and let's just say 6 year olds and headphones don't mix well
> 
> Headphones are a lot, lot more expensive over here too. You are talking whatever your price in dollars is, that is the price in £. The Grado's are £75-85 here, so at least one and half times the price, considerable enough to take them out of the price range if you are looking for a set around £50



Thats unfortunate that the Grado's are so expensive. They are a slight bit on the uncomfortable side but make up for it in great sound.

Have you ever had a chance to listen to some of the higher end Sennheisers/AKG's/Denons/Audio Technica's or the like?

If you have the ability to I think maybe extending your price range a bit more may pay off greatly for you. I would suggest trying the new Sennheiser HD598's. You probably wouldn't need to buy another pair for a long time after hearing them.


----------



## Aastii

Well mine now are Denon AH-D1001's, the only difference is the casing, and the Creatives, apparently, give better bass than the Denons do. I can't say from experience because I haven't used them.

So far as other brands go, unfortunately no, the only Sennheisers I have used are my step-dad's HD201's, which sound like crap, but what do you expect from such cheap headphones, and my MXL 60 earphones, which is the best purchase I have ever made. I picked them up for £5, and they aren't a whole lot worse than the Creative headphones are, and for a tenth of the price!! The only downside is my Zune seems to not like the right earphone for most music. I have yet to use any earphones that sounds as clear as they do. The only downside is when you have very heavy bass and you have it even at "average" volume, there is quite severe distortion

I know I could stretch more, but I'm trying to save, and it isn't going well . Was supposed to be saving for suits for work starting in September, for new mobo + CPU + video card, and then for saving a lot so I can get a down payment on a house, or at least have money there for the first few months rent on a new house/appartment for when I get a proper job, hopefully with in the next 12 months. I think you can see how blowing £100 on a sound card + headphones doesn't help all of that 

I was getting a bit pissed off though truth be told, going playing music and it sounding empty was getting me down. The straw that broke the camels back was when I had my system rigged up to the speakers we usually have for the TV (Logitech something or other, I can't remember right now), and to get told it doesn't sound right. I knew it didn't, because the integrated made it sound like crap.

Though a set back for other plans, I don't regret putting the money out one bit, but I wouldn't spend much more, because of other commitments


----------



## CdnAudiophile

I'm a big headphone junky. I have recently gone and purchased a few to round out my collection a bit more. I love music and if there is something that can make me enjoy that experience even more I am all for it. The cool thing with headphones unlike speakers is that you can have multiple pairs and enjoy a variety of "flavors" without breaking the bank and taking a whole lot of room up.

If you enjoy music and have the hearing to discern the diffrences I can't suggest enough to you to try something like the HD598. They are a great investment once in are in the position to do so. Music on this level is an entirely different experience.

Good luck on your new position!


----------



## Aastii

Honestly, I am relatively new to all this. Up until I got my sound card last month, I had always been on integrated, and up until I had these, I had always been on cheap headphones or, directly before having these, my earphones, and the difference in quality is worlds apart. The only time I ever used "quality" headphones (I am talking in comparison to what I had) was at LAN parties and such, and I'm sure we can both agree the quality you get for your money with gaming headsets is not justified at all.

I can honestly say to anyone still using integrated, or still on cheaper headphones/speakers, or anyone using low bandwidth music, convert your collection and invest in some audio equipment, because it is 100% worth it


----------



## CdnAudiophile

I have slowly built a collection of nice low-mid level headphone ($100- $500 cans) and my next big headphone purchase is this: Audeze LCD-2 They will be my first true "high end" headphone. I got the chance to listen to them at a local hifi shop and I was blown away on how they sound. 

I just recently purchased this DAC/AMP combo so I have been having fun re listening to all my music. It is much easier now too to really hear the characteristics of the headphones as the DACMINI is very neutral sounding. 

A good resource if you are interested is Headfi.org  Great reviews and has a ton of members.

[YT]afkYRJU0Dlw[/YT]


----------



## Aastii

That is too much on headphones for me, ever. Only if I fell into a hell of a lot of money would I consider them.

I also love Head Fi. Though the site isn't exactly the clearest, the people there know their stuff


----------



## mihir

Would you say it is the best you can get for the price?


----------



## Aastii

mihir said:


> Would you say it is the best you can get for the price?



without a doubt


----------



## mihir

Aastii said:


> without a doubt



Done 
If I even manage to get a sound-card this will be my next purchase


----------

