Review: Creative Aurvana Ace

Creative has long been known for their audio products, but hasn’t made much of a name for itself on the earbud front. With Aurvana Ace, they focus on a completely new driver technology in the form of so-called MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) drivers. These are said to have an advantage over conventional dynamic drivers by being much faster in the high frequencies.

In addition to MEMS, which are primarily designed to provide lightning-fast response in the treble, each earpiece also has a traditional dynamic driver measuring a full 10 mm. Designed to deliver a powerful and rich bass response.

In addition, Aurvana Ace features active noise cancellation with two modes, ambient sound so you can let outside sounds in, and extra low latency with aptX Adaptive. Essential when gaming on your mobile phone.

Through the Creative app, you also have access to an advanced multi-band parametric equaliser. This means you can choose exactly which frequency to tune, how wide a frequency range to adjust and how much.

Good noise cancellation and speech clarity

Active noise cancellation is surprisingly effective considering the price range. In particular, more low-frequent noise is attenuated well, such as background noise and engine sounds. Some treble noise gets through, but the overall impression is good.

The ambient mode also works as intended. It lets in ambient sounds in a natural way, making it comfortable to talk to others or hear the traffic around you.

Finally, the low gaming latency of less than 50 ms in aptX Adaptive mode makes Aurvana Aces an excellent feature. It allows you to experience games, video and interaction with others in real-time without any noticeable lag. That’s rare in the budget class!

The sound of Creative Aurvana Ace

Aurvana Ace immediately impresses with their deep and controlled bass response, open and natural treble and fine midrange balance. Both male and female voices are reproduced well.

Even in flat EQ mode, the balance sounds well thought out, with the exception of a slight increase in the lower bass response that could benefit from a little dampening. Doing so while giving the midrange a little boost by increasing the 1 kHz range gives you an even better and more transparent sound signature.

Treble and overtones sound controlled and natural. Instruments with a lot of overtones, such as cymbals and brass instruments, are reproduced with a nice lustre and good dynamics.

Whether the new MEMS drivers are the reason for the great sound remains to be seen as more models with the same technology hit the market. But there’s definitely something to it.

Conclusion

Creative Aurvana Ace is a pair of earbuds with exciting driver technology that will be interesting to follow in the future. You get a lot for your money here. With excellent sound, good noise cancellation and a number of smart features that are usually reserved for more expensive hearing aids. Highly recommended!