Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones

Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Part number: PN 51MZ0315AA002

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$199.99 - $298.99 at 2 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones are a good option for bass-loving frequent fliers who have the money to spend and don't mind others eavesdropping on their listening experience.

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The Right Technology. Right Away.	Rate this store See store profile		Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$298.99 Shop now as of 10/07/2008
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CNET editors' review

Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones

price range: $199.99 - $298.99

Reviewed by: Jasmine France
Reviewed on: 09/14/2007

The good: The Creative Aurvana X-Fi offers advanced sound enhancement features not found in other headphones and those features work as advertised. These headphones also offer great sound quality and noise cancellation, and they come with some handy extras.

The bad: The Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones are expensive, the design isn't that portable, and quite a bit of sound bleeds out for all to hear.

The bottom line: The Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones are a good option for bass-loving frequent fliers who have the money to spend and don't mind others eavesdropping on their listening experience.

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There's no shortage of noise-canceling headphones on the market, but only one pair features Creative's sound-enhancing X-Fi technology: the Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones. These headphones offer good sound quality and a comfortable fit, but it'll cost you--about $300, to be exact.

The Aurvana X-Fi's design is somewhat counterintuitive, in that the main use for the X-Fi technology is improving lossy formats (more on this shortly), which are coming from an MP3 player a lot of the time. Yet an MP3 player is portable, and these headphones aren't compact. The padded headband--which has a somewhat cheap feel to it--terminates in two full-size earcups that easily surround the entire ear with their thick, cushy padding. These fold in so that the headphones can lie flat, but that's as small as things get. However, Creative does include a hard-shell carrying case and an airplane adapter, which imparts a certain air of portability that should please frequent fliers. And it must be said that these 'phones are quite comfy for extended wear (on long flights, for example)--so long as you're not wearing large earrings. Also, Creative doesn't ignore the headphones' usefulness for sedentary listening: A removable 5-foot cable--combined with a 5-foot extender--is more than adequate for most at-home applications (and you get a quarter-inch adapter, as well).

On first glance, the Aurvana X-Fi earcups appear to be fully closed, but closer inspection reveals that these headphones are actually somewhat open. Two screened openings--which look rather like miniature speakers themselves--adorn either cup and allow air to enter, which helps to create a listening experience more akin to speakers. Of course, the holes also allow sound to escape, so your neighbors can easily discern your listening tastes. The left earcup also houses a slot for two AAA batteries, while the right contains controls for the various sound-enhancement options. There's an on/off switch and three buttons: one to activate the noise-cancellation feature, one to turn on the X-Fi Crystallizer, and one to turn on the X-Fi CMSS 3D.

The stars of the show here are--of course--the various sound-enhancement capabilities. At the most basic level, you have active noise cancellation; nothing new here. You turn it on, and the Aurvana X-Fi produces some white noise to cancel out low-end hums, such as those of an airplane engine or air-conditioning unit. The feature worked well in our tests, successfully blocking out the AC and a server unit nearby. But it's the X-Fi technology that sets these headphones apart, and before we go into the performance results of that, a little background is in order.

In these headphones, X-Fi consists of two parts: the Crystallizer and the CMSS 3D. The former works by first identifying the components of an audio track that have been damaged or cut off during the compression process. Then, it selectively fills in the gaps, which are found mostly in the high and low ends of the track. The result is clearer, more sparkly details and more thumping bass. The 3D feature works just how you'd expect: by moving the sound away from your ears and into the space around you, thus simulating surround sound speakers. (For plentiful details on both of these sound effects, read our Creative XMod review.)

Without the X-Fi effects activated, the Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones offer sound quality on par with the Bose QuietComfort 2s, which is to say: great. Still, we don't really see any reason to listen to them without at least the Crystallizer activated--it does a fantastic job of filling in the low end, especially in bass-heavy tracks, which really shine. The high-end enhancement is quite subtle and hard to pick out. If anything, it boosts the level of the highs somewhat, but we didn't notice a considerable improvement. The 3D effect is a matter of preference. It's certainly successful at taking the sound away from the head, but these test listeners actually found sound to be more encompassing with this function kept off. However, we should note that we were testing with music, and this feature is better-suited to games and movies, so if you're looking for headphones for a variety of media, these will fit the bill. We also feel compelled to mention that the X-Fi effects will not fix every problem with a compressed file. Background hiss, for example, may even become slightly magnified.

On the whole, we're pretty impressed with the Aurvana X-Fi's sound quality. Highs are crystal clear, mids are rich (and not affected by the sound-enhancement features, by the way), and lows are thumping. We're also glad to see technological advancements of this sort being made in headphones, and although these 'phones don't quite match the enhancement ability of the XMod, it's nice to have X-Fi in a more portable form.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

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3 stars

Not worth the cost

by shawnchua on August 10, 2008

Pros: Good noise cancellation

Cons: Poor construction and design

Summary: Picked up a set at an electronics show, wish i did more research now. Noise cancellation is good, but bass boost is average for headphones this cost. Prefer my old ...

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Summary: Picked up a set at an electronics show, wish i did more research now. Noise cancellation is good, but bass boost is average for headphones this cost. Prefer my old Bose set. The construction is rather shoddy, feels quite cheap once you actually have it in your hands - the wire to the headphone is loose after a couple months, so sound cuts out sometimes. It is comfortable to wear but, stylistically quite ugly. Better to wear at home when no one is around. Would be 'average' rating, but for the cost would expect more.

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8 stars

Excellent Headphones

by mannie08 on April 25, 2008

Pros: Great Noise Reduction & Very, Very Good Sound

Cons: Expensive, but worth the "dough"

Summary: Much, much better than either of the Bose NC headphones!

Summary: Much, much better than either of the Bose NC headphones!
10 stars

The headphones are terfic

by wsidell on April 7, 2008

Pros: Good base, noise cancelling, audio quality

Cons: others can hear your music

Summary: I have compared these heaphones directly to the bose quietcomfort 3(my brother owns them), i can say the audio and noise cancelling sounds much better on this, the only ...

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Summary: I have compared these heaphones directly to the bose quietcomfort 3(my brother owns them), i can say the audio and noise cancelling sounds much better on this, the only main difference between the two is that the bose are smaller and i would say not as good audio quality

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4 stars

Much better available

by mkovalcson on September 23, 2007

Pros: Doesn't require an amplifier

Cons: Active noise cancelation is a gimmick

Summary: A set of full ear sealed studio headphones can be had for ~$200 that will block out more noise than any noise cancelation headphones on the market and your neighbors ...

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Summary: A set of full ear sealed studio headphones can be had for ~$200 that will block out more noise than any noise cancelation headphones on the market and your neighbors won't hear what you are listening to. Consider a set of AKG 271S. When you pull them off your head they switch off so no one ever hears a bit of what you are listening to.

Active noise cancellation is a high tech gimmick that sells too well. What they've done is take money away from making the headphones sound great and dumped it into "high tech" electronics to make headphones seem cool.

With the extra $100 you saved get a BitHead headphone amplifier, or for something amazing get the $150 Total BitHead that runs off the USB power of your computer and uses it's own D/A and amplifier for really clean sound.

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1 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 stars

Bass response is pathetic

by aparyani on February 22, 2008

Pros: Comfortable and noise cancellation works well

Cons: Bose QC2 is a better choice

Summary: I bought these after reading C-net's review. Don't believe the comments about the bass. The low frequency response is unacceptable for a $300 pair of headphones

After comparing

...

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Summary: I bought these after reading C-net's review. Don't believe the comments about the bass. The low frequency response is unacceptable for a $300 pair of headphones

After comparing these to a friend's Bose QC2, there is no comparison in bass. I am returning thse and getting the Bose QC2

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0 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc.
Part number: PN 51MZ0315AA002
Description: Introducing the Creative Aurvana X-Fi Headphones, noise-canceling headphones equipped with X-Fi technology. The noise-cancellation feature lets you enjoy your music without unnecessary distraction and together with the X-Fi technology, gets you set for more thrilling tunes. Change the way you listen to your music, movies and games with the Aurvana X-Fi headphones today.

General
Recommended Use The noise canceling feature blocks the din on buses and airplanes. Plus, they are portable for easy transport. Active noise canceling technology makes these ear-cup headphones ideal for commuting and air travel.
Product Type Headphones
Additional Features Gold-plated plug
Headphones
Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
Headphones Form Factor Ear-cup
Connectivity Technology Wired
Sound Output Mode Stereo
Active Noise Canceling Yes
Diaphragm 1.6 in
Magnet Material Neodymium
Connections
Connector Type 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )

Miscellaneous
Cables Included 1 x Headphones cable - Integrated
Included Accessories 6.3 mm (1/4") stereo adapter
Power
Power Device None
Battery None
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 1 year warranty

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