Creative Aurvana X-Fi Noise-Canceling Headphones Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I compared these headphones to the Bose QC2 headphones for about a week.I was trying to decide which ones to keep.I tried them at home, in an airplane, in busy streets, everywhere I could.It was a tough choice.
I had read other reviews online touting the Aurvana XF-I headphones as the best, and that they blew away the Bose.To my ears, that's not true.The XF-I technology DOES improve the sound of compressed audio, but teh Bose headphones also sound excellent without the XF-I technology.I also read that the Aurvana cans were louder as well; however, my experience was that the Bose were a lot louder -- and I just couldn't get the Aurvanas loud enough to really rock out.

In any case, the XF-I function really does work, and the sound was excellent (with the power turned on).I didn't think they were that special with the power turned off.So as far as sound quality, the Bose and the Creative were close, with the Creative slightly beating the Bose in quality, but the Bose beating the Creative in volume.Both the Bose and the Creative sound excellent, though.
Sound quality Winner: Toss-up with an advantage to the Aurvanas.

In comparing comfort, I found the Aurvana headphones to be bulkier and heavier.The Bose were so much lighter and more comfortable to wear.
Comfort Winner: Bose.

Sound leakage: My major complaint about the Aurvanas is that when turned up, people sitting near you can hear your music.You risk disturbing a fellow passenger with the Aurvanas.I found the Bose QC2 to be much quieter on the outside, keeping the sound in your ears, and not out into the world.Since I sometimeslike to crank it up, this was an important consideration.
Sound Leakage Winner: Bose

Finally, I omapared the noise-canceling quality.Both headphones performed admirably, and it was tough to get a read on it, even after switching back and forth 10 or 20 times.The Aurvana headphones did seem a little more quiet in certain situations, but I'm not sure if that was my imagination or not.But on the airplane, it was definitely a toss up.Both headphones did an outstanding job of noise canceling.You may hear a slight hiss with the Aurvanas as they emit the counter-frequency, but it's not annoying at all and very slight.You won't be able to hear it with music playing.
Noise canceling Winner: Toss-up

Conclusion:Since these headphones are so comparable in quality and in noise-canceling ability, I had to base my decision on comfort and noise leakage.I returned the Aurvanas and kept the Bose.

This was a tough call, since the Aurvanas are excellent headphones.I think it comes down to a matter of what's important to you.
If you do love these headphones but find they can't get loud enough either, then I recommend going on ebay and getting a CMOY headphone amplifier.They're around $35 and they will crank up your volume.they are home-made in Altoids tins but very professional.They'll make your Aurvanas louder, but remember that the person sitting next to you will definitely hear everything.

Afterthought: Battery Life.The Bose QC2 uses just 1 AAA battery that is supposed to last for 35 hours.The Creative Aurvana XF-I requires 2 AAA batteries which are supposed to last 9 hours.However, the Aurvanas can still be used without batteries (quality is decreased), while the QC2 headphones will not operate without a charged battery.You decide....

Happy shopping!

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Product Description:
Creative Aurvana X-Fi Headphones are the world's first noise-canceling headphones equipped with X-Fi technology. The noise-cancellation feature lets you enjoy your music without unnecessary distraction. X-Fi technology breathes life into your songs by restoring detail and expanding your music and movies to surround sound. X-Fi Crystalizer technology restores the detail and vibrancy to your compressed music and movies. All the highs and lows are intelligently enhanced, ensuring you hear everything in crystal clear clarity. X-Fi CMSS-3D technology expands your stereo MP3s and digital movies into virtual surround sound over the headphones. Voices are centered in front of you and ambient sounds are moved all around you. The noise-cancellation technology significantly reduces background and environment noise by up to 90 percent. You can even detach the audio cable and continue using the headphones to block out noise while you sleep. Large 40mm drivers are acoustically tuned to produce an accurate and linear response, be it for music or movie enjoyment. You can now connect your headphones to the seat socket of the airplane, your home entertainment system, MP3 players, iPod and even the iPhone. You can easily place the phones and all the bundled accessories into the included travel case and bring it along with you wherever you go.

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