Digital Trends

Creative Aurvana Live

April 1st, 2008 | by Mike Kobrin

Sound Quality 

On our listening tests, we used an iPod Touch and songs encoded in Apple Lossless format. The Aurvana Live has an impedance of 32 ohms, making it fairly easy for most portable players to drive without having to turn the volume up all the way, draining the player's battery. We generally kept our iPod at three-quarters volume for testing, and when we swapped the Aurvana Live out for the Bose TriPort, we didn't have to adjust.

John Coltrane's instrumental jazz classic Blue Train sparkled like a gem, with sizzling highs, clear mids, and punchy bass. Ella Fitzgerald's gorgeous duet with guitarist Joe Pass I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues benefits from the crystal-clear highs -- you can hear every fret buzz and creaking seat in the room. The Aurvana's overall balance put horns and vocals in a more prominent spot in the mix than the TriPorts, which we prefer, though Bose's roomier earcups give a more spacious sound.

Eric B. and Rakim's Paid In Full and Bob Marley's Exodus have plenty of low-end thump without sounding bloated or muddy, and it doesn't overpower the rest of the music. We had similar experiences with genres from world music and classical to rock and R&B, and the overall clarity kept our ears from getting fatigued during long listening sessions.

Conclusion

In addition to pitting them against the TriPorts, we compared the Aurvana Live to less-expensive models like the Sennheiser HD280 Pro (originally $199.95 USD but usually found online for around $100) and the Sony MDR-V6 ($75 USD); the Aurvana came out favorably against the V6, but Sennheisers' deep, prominent bass and lush comfort are hard to beat. Both the Sony and Sennheiser models fold up for better portability, as well, making them better for stuffing into a backpack. Still, the Aurvana Live are worthy cans, with very good comfort and well-balanced tone at a reasonable price. 


Pros:

• Well-balanced sound with robust bass
• Comfortable padding
• Blocks some noise and keeps most sound from leaking out 


Cons:

• Bulky, non-folding design
• Ears get hot during long listens