This has already been a strong year here for headphones and devices to drive them with, including a plethora of reviews, benchmarks, and more, surrounding some of the latest models to hit the market. Stories that cover everything from consumer models to solutions for live production, recording, and more. Now, we take a moment to observe another model coming from Creative, the company behind the Super X-Fi amp that took Best of CES last month. This round we are focusing on their Aurvana SE over-ear headphones.
These headphones actually come with the Super X-Fi Amp–at least for the early adopters (buyers), until they run out of stock. They seem to be a custom variation of their Aurvana Live! headphones, including an all-black (logo as well) design, and of course, Super X-Fi certified. They are not available by themselves unless you find someone selling them on 3rd party auction/market sites like eBay, and they are estimated as being valued at around $99.
Their design features an all-plastic approach outside of the metal band inside, and they are incredibly lightweight. They remind me of some of Bose’s simpler models like the QC15 weight-wise, but the frequency range of something like a $99-150 pair of Sennheiser headphones. As mentioned, they have an all-black design, including the logo on the muffs, with gold print on both sides of the band to reflect right and left, as well as the Super X-Fi Certified logo.
The padding on both the muffs and under the band is also quite comfortable. Between the padding and the weight, you could easily find yourself getting lost in these for long periods at a time. There doesn’t seem to be a single issue with comfort (as long as you are blasting your ears out with volume).
The cable is permanent (not removable/replaceable), and there is no in-line remote or microphone. You won’t be using these for taking calls or anything. Just good old fashion audio listening. They also don’t come with a 1/4-inch adapter, so you may have to find one on your own if you plan to match these against an AVR (receiver), amp, or anything else requiring such a connection.
Leaning to more of a balance between a pair of flat response headphones mixed with an enhanced bass presence that seems well-balanced, these seem to be focused on a wide market of consumers. Their highs are incredibly crisp and filled with detail. The price tag places them in a good spot for what they sound like and they sound good for both movies and music listening. They don’t fall within the audiophile range, but they would compete with a number of Sennheiser over-ear options.
Clearly, they are highlighted as being something you want to pair with the Super X-Fi Amp. The amp can really drive these with a lot of volume and oomph, and of course, the virtual surround experience that the amp has to offer in Super X-Fi mode. However, they also sound damn good on their own without any amp to aid them. So you do have a lot of flexibility when it comes to how or where you want to use them (meaning you aren’t limited to USB sources that the amp requires).
We did find that in Super X-Fi mode, certain tracks (ie, we found this could happen once in a while with DTS or IMAX channel tests) found their way into a little bit of distortion within the lower frequencies. Thankfully, this only seemed to happen with those few media sources, and everything else sounds fantastic. Not as good as their audiophile lineup, but then you would be spending so much more if you wanted that kind of performance. Hopefully, we will have a chance soon to bring you some insight into that department as well if we can get some additional hands-on with something like their E-MU Teak headphones, which we briefly got a chance to experience at CES 2019.
Outside of a small document surround their warranty, these headphones don’t come with a darn thing outside of themselves. A simple headphone solution, at a simple price (well, an estimated value at least), as well as no accessories. You can tell these were only meant to be a bonus item to help push their amp (since they do a good job of showing it off).
As a final note, you can also play around with the Super X-Fi app by bouncing between headphone profiles to see how these perform. Certain options like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x can also bring out certain qualities in these headphones. So it will heavily depend on your own personal preferences when it comes to which profile you choose. Clearly, the Aurvana SE profile in the app was designed specifically for these, but feel free to have fun playing around with the other options. You might be surprised what your ears will hear.
Our Conclusion
These headphones are only available for a limited time if you buy their Super X-Fi amp (until they run out of these). They aren’t available to buy outside of second-hand sources. So you would have to act quickly if you wanted a chance at them. They are great headphones for their estimated value, and they are incredibly light in weight and comfortable. They have a nice range to them, including detailed highs and a great balance of bass, making them great for videos and music. We liked these a lot.
| Buy with Amp via Creative | Find the headphones on eBay | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $99 Value |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
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