for the people of The past decade has been a whirlwind for those of us who can't stop listening to music on the go. We've seen the rise of AirPods and the accompanying loss of the headphone jack, as well as significant improvements in microphones, noise cancellation, and other features that make listening on the go more convenient. One thing we haven't really seen? Audio quality has improved significantly.
California-based xMems has made a huge leap forward in the way earbuds produce sound with new solid-state drivers. Using the same technology pioneered in microchip manufacturing, these silicone earbud drivers are significantly more robust compared to previous technology, as well as a flatter, cleaner overall design. provides unique features.
We first tested the xMems technology inside Singularity Industries' ridiculously expensive (and great-sounding) machined titanium earbuds, akin to trying out a new eco-fuel inside a Ferrari. It felt like that. The folks at Creative Audio have made this brand new technology available to everyone with two new earbuds (confusingly named Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2, despite being released at the same time). In essentially the same form factor as Apple's standard AirPods, and at the same price, you can listen to the drivers of the future. When it comes to audio quality for the price, there's no competition. Solid state is the future.
twinsies
Both of Creative's new earbuds look almost identical from the outside. Featuring the familiar elephant trunk design in black, each earbud has copper and gold accents on the outside. You can tell which pair is which by looking at the charging case. The standard Ace comes with an opaque black shell, while the Ace 2 comes with a see-through gray that reveals the clamshell's shiny gold interior.
Both use ostensibly the same xMems driver technology, but the Ace 2 has more processing power. The Ace 2 also supports lossless Bluetooth audio and features adaptive noise cancellation rather than the regular Ace's non-adaptive, non-lossless technology. Both round cases offer 6 hours of playback inside the earbuds, plus 18 hours of battery reserve and Qi wireless or USB-C charging. The rest of the review will focus on the Ace 2, which has the same drivers as the Ace, but with the aforementioned high-end chipset. Just $20 more (MSRP) makes it a better buy.
touch type
Touch controls on the outside of each bud allow you to double-tap to play or pause music, or press and hold the outside of each bud to increase or decrease volume (on the left for volume down and (raise it on the right). These buttons were not easy to use. I tended to use Creative's headphone app and my phone's controls to fiddle with the buds as needed, and it worked just fine.
One thing I like about it is the simple, easy-to-understand code that tells you how much battery is left in the charging case. A red light means 0 to 30 percent, yellow means 31 to 70 percent, and green means 71 to 99 percent. This is simple and useful for people who leave their earbuds in their bag during gym time and rarely bring their chargers with them.
Speaking of gym time, it's okay to wear these and sweat, at least I didn't. Thanks to his included IPX5 rated water resistance. I've used it many times for trips to the gym and in the sauna with no issues.