Creative Aurvana In-Ear Headphones Reviews

• pmtski34

  
  By AOT6DMYKBR4CL on 2007-12-18
  I've had these headphones for about six months and I didn't realize how good they were till a couple of days ago. I bought them for my forth deployment to Iraq/Afganistan and now they are history. Of all things do do them in, a field mouse. The little furball chewed them up and ruined them forever. Since I have very little choice but to buy something here(which is next to nothing), I got a $10 pair of Sony cheapies and now i know what I paid for. Yes the Creative had their quirks but based on what I have now, they were more than worth the extra money. solid bass(when fitted properly, you really need to do this), clear mids and highs. It did take a little to get use to them being in my ear, but after that everything was fine. Durability was not a problem. After a couple of training exercises and around three months in this less than perfect area to live in, they held up very well. If you are a little more serious about what you listen to and how you listen to it, these are a good starting point before entering the world of $200.00 to $500.00 sets of earphones.
  
  

• Tremendous Value

  
  By A2O8OE08KQ234C on 2007-12-24
  I have now purchased and listened to the two most expensive Shure Earbuds. They are great, but very costly and kind of big. I have the Denon 700, the Sennheiser CX 300(also an unparalleled bargain), the Audio Technica CK7, Ultimate Ear (as of yet, not listened to), and the Bose earbuds(I hate them. They are uncomfortable with muddy base and indistinct sound).
  
  I think that I enjoy the Creative Zen the best over all with the possible exception of the Shure 4c. The Creative has a very clear sound that allows you to hear instruments with incredible clarity and presence. The upper end is sparkling and fun. The bass is very clear and a little punchy. These phones will never have the full bass of an excellent over the ear headphone. The sound seems richer than the Sennheiser 300. The sound might be ever so slightly colored compared to the Denon which seem very nuetral. The Audio Technica also seems to have a very neutral presentation.
  
  I have to agree with what many of the reviewers have said when they express great disappointment that the sound is tinny or small sounding. It really is all in the fit. When I first bought the Shure 4c, I spent $300.00. I purchased them from an audiophile stereo shop. I paid full price. When I purchased them, I think that I got caught up with the thought that I was buying "the best" because they were so expensive. The salesman really did not explain how to use them properly and he used these foam rings around them to test them. I suspect that it was for hygene reasons and that they would throw out the foam rings. At home, I did not spend the time necessary to establish a good fit on the Shures. At the time, I thought that I had made a bad choice. Now that I know what I am doing putting them in, I do so much better. I think the Shures are wonderful.
  
  The reason that I believe the Creative Zen Arvana's are so good really is the fit. Like the Shures, they are slightly angled,i.e the body is at an angle from the portion that extends into the ear canal. This allows you to really put the earphones deep into your ears and for the earphone to hang out of your ear in a comfortable manner. I have also found that they work better if you put the earphone in your hear by wrapping the cord over the back of your ear and inserting them from the top of the ear rather that just to stick them directly in your ear canal with the wire simply hanging down. It allows you to adjust the sliding piece so as to make the whole apparatus to fit reasonable snugly which is good if you are using them in the gym.
  
  Lastly, unlike the Denon, Audio Technica, or Sennheiser earphones, they come with a little case that allows you to protect the earphones so that you might get year out of them without breaking them (if you do not lose them first). I have been using old cufflink boxes to put the Denon, Audio Technica, and Sennheiser earbuds into to protect them.
  
  

• Better then I expected

  
  By A12BL1STBMHDJL on 2007-04-20
  I had to replace the stock earphones that shipped with my Creative ZEN Vision M. After alot of looking around I found the Aurvana ZEN earphones and ordered a set.
  I am very happy with the performance for the size of these earphones and they block outside noise well.
  If you are looking for great BASS performance get some good to great Headphones because earphones just aren't big enough to pull off great BASS responce and never will be.
  With listening devices size can matter alot.
  If you want something that works well with a portable like an MP3 player or a laptop I would consider these to be a good choice.
  
  

• Great sound

  
  By A1CTWAL2VIVBQO on 2007-05-03
  When I first tried these, I thought they were "tinny" as the first reviewer indicates. However, that is because they were not put in properly. For in-ear headphones like these, there has to be a good seal between the earbud and your ear. Once I inserted them properly, they sounded terrific.
  
  The carrying case for it is nice. The headphones fit well and it is hard for better protection. My only complaint with it is that the travel adapter that comes with the headphones doesn't fit inside it.
  
  My only other complaint is that there are no finger grips for inserting/removing the jack. The finger hold is very small and smooth (no grip pattern) and it can be difficult to insert or remove from some jacks.
  
  

• Absoluely amazing...

  
  By ANPIELRQWLR54 on 2007-06-06
  I like to consider myself an audiophile on a medium budget. I bought the V-MODA Bass Boost earbuds a few months ago (and they were fantastic), but on a trip to Italy over Spring Break they were utterly destroyed over nearly a month's ownership. The Creative Aurvanas had withstood 3 months of tireless use and have shown no damage or crackling since I bought them. Because they are so light, these headphones are almost impossible to find: when you are wearing them! The bass is a little underwelming, but you EQ should be able to fix that. The highs are stunning and listening to a pianist play is almost breath-taking.
  
  Looks: 5
  Bass: 4
  Weight: 5
  Shape: 3
  + 3.5" jack
  + Gold-plated connectors, oxygen-free copper wire
  + The shiny black casing is vey shexy!
  
  5 is an understatement!
  
  
• Great sound, but require some getting used to
  By A1P3UBV3IKZ7BW on 2008-05-28
  These work very well and sound great. They also do a very good job screening out the ambient noise: I've used them while working out and not been bothered by all of the noise in the gym and even been able to listen to the music I chose instead of the stuff the gym was piping in. I've even been able to listen to music while mowing the lawn and not have the music drowned out by the mower engine. Wonderful!
  
  I've had some small difficulty getting used to them. They're described as "in-ear" headphones, which is quite accurate: instead of traditional headphones which sit outside of your ear, these are actually inserted into your ears. That felt strange to me at first -- it still feels a little strange. If you're uncomfortable sticking something down into your ear canal, you might be happier with more traditional headphones. But I think the sound and quality of these headphones are worth working through the initial discomfort.
  
  
• Very disappointed
  By AIWBG9D87NZ3Q on 2007-04-10
  These are small, light and comfortable. That's the good part. They also sound very tinny and thin. Very little bass. I've put them away and chalked them up as a total loss. I'm using my old phones. They're a bit bigger and heavier, but they sound much better.
  
  If you like flat frequency response, look elsewhere. If you're only listening to voice, these might be just fine.
  
  
• defective earbuds
  By A1JH0YSW40A9CA on 2008-09-16
  Creative ZEN AURVANA In-Ear Earphones - Headphones ( ear-bud ) - noise canceling - glossy blackDo not purchase.This is my third pair.The left channel has gone out on all three.The last set I sent back to creative and they sent me back someones broken earbuds.Their India technical support is useless.Good luck If you decide to purchase.I bought the first pair in November 2007.
  
  
• Save your money; buy the EP-630's
  By A2NWENKLEFBZZT on 2008-10-01
  I bought these as a replacement for my Creative EP-630's after the left earbud stopped producing sound. I decided to spring for a more expensive pair of Creative earphones, since I liked the EP-630's sound and wanted to hear what a expensive Creative earphones would sound like. So far, I've been disappointed by their sound and overall quality- they sound no better than the EP-630's, but cost twice as much. Also, the cord is made out of the material Creative uses for its basic headphones, which is not as reliable as the other cord material.
  On the bright side, the headphones do offer better insulation than the EP-630's, and they don't sound bad, but certainly should sound better considering their price.
  
  
• Are You Folks Listening to the Same 'Phones?!
  By A1KV5L85IJAT6Q on 2007-06-21
  Guys, come on now. I'm by no means an audiophile, but when headphones that cost $120+ (CAD) start distorting at moderate volumes on a piano concerto, there isn't much room for argument. These headphones are among the worst quality I've ever heard, especially for their price range. The bass is muddy and seems detached from the music, as at higher volumes, the bass comes out as almost background noise. The high end is shrill and overpowering, I actually got a mild headache from using these headphones.
  
  I used these for a day at work (office setting), listening to various genres of music including classical, hip hop, heavy metal, progressive rock, etc. The only genre that these did nicely in is techno, and even then I didn't get the bass response needed. After that day of work, I returned them (the same day I bought them). Piffle.
  
  DO NOT BUY these, look elsewhere for high-end earbuds.
  
  
• creative zen aurvana
  By A18368UYZED48P on 2007-09-23
  i have had many headphone especially in ears and for the money these are the best of them all the lows could be lower but the highs are there i would definately recoomend these headphones to anyone willing to spend the money for them
  
  
• Great sound
  By A2XEXGRS8XIAIU on 2007-11-04
  I bought these prior to a long international flight. They worked great and are very comfortable. They fit in the ear canal so need to be sure you have them in far enough to get good bass effects. they also give you an adapter to use with the jacks on the plane and this made using the plane entertainment system much better. They give you a case but it wont hold the adapter jack, cleaning stick or spare ear pieces. that would be helpful. also there is not a seperate volume adjustment and that would be helpful as well. however, overall i rate these very good for sound quality and they do a good job of blocking out the background noise.
  
  
• Expensive but excellent
  By A3ASZ2P01CWR75 on 2008-01-12
  Excellent sound and very good noise cancellation- stereo separation and bass are also very good
  
  
• Good sound quality but fragile
  By APZ7SQU8JYEUJ on 2008-02-02
  These earbuds fit nice and snug helping to eliminate ambient noise. They need to be broken in to sound their best, fresh out of the box they can sound a bit tinny and don't expect a thumping bass. I was fairly happy with the way they sounded after the break in period, the sound was fairly clear, the mid range was decent as was the top end.
  
  Downside, these things are fragile. Mine malfunctioned after only moderate use due likely to frayed wiring and the thin cables pass on external noise from rubbing and movement. So make sure you buy these from a reputable dealer with a good return policy.
  
  
• Not Good for Running
  By A2LN3D26WQ9JY6 on 2008-02-09
  The Creative Zen Aurvana In-Ear Headphones is a good product, but it doesn't work when I run. If I'm using the stairmaster they work just fine, and even walking on the treadmill is fine. The problem is running either on the treadmill or outdoors - I can hear the pounding of my feet that reverberates through the body in my ears. I don't have that issue with earphones that fit over the ear. The product comes with different size ear molds - that's great because I had to play with the different sizes until I found a combination that works for me. Overall, I'm not sure this product was worth the price.
  
  
• Excellent
  By A31Y9YNTTGPJNI on 2008-03-06
  Great earphones. i had the Bose before these although the Bose had a little deeper base overall sound these are much better. They go great with my Zen.
  
  
  
• Creative Aurvana In-Ear Headphones
  By AFOLF1SDWRL8X on 2008-08-26
  The earphones are a snug fit, easy to insert and sound marvelous. Great choice and well worth the money.
  
  
• hurts ears bad sound for the price
  By AMEHOO7D95ASM on 2008-08-28
  ok... these headphones are ok.but u cant return them and they hurt ears do yourself a favor and do not buy these
  
  
• Kept giving me a headache
  By A3LMILRM9OC3SA on 2008-09-05
  These phones keep giving me a headache.
  Rather buy the SONY MDR-EX81LP.
  
  I don't know if it is the fit of these Zen phones or if they're just to squeeky, but they hurt my ears and give me a headache.
  AWFUL.
  
  
• Awesome
  By A1LT5YMXSB0YR8 on 2008-09-29
  The sound clarity is amazing with these. Perhaps not the best base, but if it's clear sound you want these are hard to beat.
  
  

• 3-Year Extended Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $0-$200 - Repair
• Creative Zen Vision 30 GB Multimedia Player Black
• Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black)
• Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Green)
• Skullcandy SC-SBP3.5 Smokin Bud (Pink)

• Creative Zen 4 GB Portable Media Player (Black)
• Creative Screen Protector for Zen (Clear)
• Creative Power Adapter for Zen Players (White)
• Creative Leather Case for Zen (Black)
• Zen Armband