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Creative Unveils Three New Aurvana Series Headsets

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Creative Technology Ltd today announced an entirely new range of premium Creative Aurvana headsets - the flagship Creative Aurvana Platinum, the Creative Aurvana Gold, and the Creative Aurvana Live!2 - the second generation of the award-winning Aurvana Live! headset. This new lineup of three audiophile-grade headsets will be unveiled at IFA Berlin at the Creative exhibit 110 in Hall 3.2, Messe Berlin from September 6-11.

The Aurvana brand represents Creative's premium headsets that deliver true-to-life high performance sound. On top of pristine audio reproduction, the Creative Aurvana Platinum and the Creative Aurvana Gold come loaded with a dazzling array of groundbreaking technological features.





Top of the list is the all-new ShareMe technology. This advanced technology allows two listeners of ShareMe-enabled Creative wireless headsets to easily link the two headsets wirelessly to a single smart device, and share their audio simultaneously -- ideal for simultaneous listening to a podcast or audio book, or watching a movie together during a long commute.

The Creative Aurvana Platinum and Aurvana Gold headsets also incorporate other impressive features such as Tap & Play Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity, Active Noise Cancellation, Creative Multipoint connectivity (for simultaneous connections to two smart devices, such as to a smartphone and tablet) and support for advanced Bluetooth codecs, making them two of the most feature-packed headsets in the market.

"When we first launched the Aurvana line of headsets, we focused on delivering the truest audiophile-grade sound with minimum processing, so users could hear exactly what was recorded in the studio. We've continued this legacy in our new Aurvana lineup, but we've also gone the extra mile to utilize a full range of groundbreaking technologies that will make this brand a favorite among audiophiles and tech enthusiasts alike. We are very excited to introduce these new creations that integrate both the best technologies of today and the best of tomorrow's," said Mac Aw, Director of Worldwide Marketing of Creative.

Stunningly Elegant Design
The new Aurvana headsets also sport a distinctively elegant design. A stunningly clear visual contrast is immediately noticeable between the hard materials that make up the headset's solid structure and sleek angled lines adorning the ear cups, and the soft materials that provide users with outstanding levels of comfort.

Competitive Price for Premium Features
Despite their amazing audio quality and impressive range of features, the premium headsets are competitively priced -- similar premium headsets without some of these compelling proprietary technologies are priced higher than the three headsets in the Aurvana lineup.

Creative Aurvana Platinum -- Flagship Premium Wireless ANC Headset
The new flagship of the Creative headset range, the Aurvana Platinum, represents the most feature-rich headset among the Aurvana lineup and possibly among other headsets in the market. Powerful and precise 50 mm drivers deliver stunning bass, pristine highs and remarkably clear vocals while premium memory foam ear cushions bask the listener in musical indulgence.

Steeped in technology including Tri-Mode Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and advanced Bluetooth technology with aptX and AAC high-definition audio codec support, the Aurvana Platinum makes the ideal travel companion for the jet-setting executive who demands the best. The Aurvana Platinum's Tri-Mode Active Noise Cancellation employs advanced noise reduction feed-forward and feedback controls with four dedicated microphones to reduce environmental noise by up to 90 percent in addition to offering the choice of optimized plane, train, or indoor settings.

The Aurvana Platinum also introduces world's first Creative ShareMe technology for simultaneous audio sharing between two headsets. The headset also utilizes Tap & Play NFC technology for simple, one-touch Bluetooth pairing. In addition, with Creative Multipoint, the Aurvana Platinum can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously; allowing user the flexibility to answer urgent phone calls from a smartphone while watching a movie on a tablet. When a phone call comes in, the built-in microphones enable crystal-clear conversations via the ClearSpeech enhanced engine.

Creative Aurvana Platinum Key Features
  • Tap & Play NFC technology and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity
  • Advanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) reduces environmental noise by up to 90 percent with quad microphones
  • Tri-Mode ANC features optimized settings for airplane, outdoor and indoor usage
  • Precise 50 mm studio-grade Neodymium drivers
  • Multipoint Connectivity -- Pairs and connects to two wireless devices at the same time
  • Creative ShareMe enables wireless audio sharing with another ShareMe-enabled Creative wireless headset from a single wireless device
  • ClearSpeech Engine for enhanced voice calls
  • HD Voice-ready -- Delivers more life-like conversations
  • Ergonomic over-ear design with comfortable memory foam padding
  • Extensive high quality wireless audio codec support: aptX, AAC and FastStream
  • Voice announcements for connectivity and battery level statuses
  • Works even when the battery is flat via the bundled audio cable
  • Includes durable travel pouch, USB charging cable and airplane adapter

Creative Aurvana Gold -- Best-in-Class Premium Wireless ANC Headset

Geared toward the discerning music listener who seeks outstanding audio quality, comfort and a strong design statement, the Creative Aurvana Gold features an over-ear design with 40mm drivers that deliver excellent audio performance. The Aurvana Gold features ShareMe technology, NFC and advanced Bluetooth wireless capabilities, while delivering Active Noise Cancellation that reduces environmental noise by up to 85 percent with two noise reduction microphones. An embedded microphone in the headset enables use for phone calls without compromising the compact convenience of a headphone.

Creative Aurvana Gold Key Features
  • Tap & Play NFC technology and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity
  • Advanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) reduces environmental noise by up to 85 percent with dual microphones
  • Superb lively-tuned 40 mm Neodymium drivers
  • Multipoint Connectivity -- Pairs and connects to two wireless devices at the same time
  • Creative ShareMe enables wireless audio sharing with another ShareMe-enabled Creative wireless headset from a single wireless device
  • ClearSpeech Engine for enhanced voice calls
  • HD Voice-ready -- Delivers more life-like conversations
  • Ergonomic over-ear design with comfortable memory foam padding
  • Extensive high quality wireless audio codec support: aptX, AAC and FastStream
  • Voice announcements for connectivity and battery level statuses
  • Works even when the battery is flat via the bundled audio cable
  • Includes durable travel pouch, USB charging cable and airplane adapter

Creative Aurvana Live!2

The Creative Aurvana Live!2 headsets improve upon the wildly popular Aurvana Live! headsets, which established a cult following for their outstanding audio performance produced by their high quality bio-cellulose drivers. A bio-cellulose diaphragm is an ideal headphone driver material as it delivers the same sound velocity as an aluminum or titanium diaphragm along with the warmth and delicate sound of a paper diaphragm. The Aurvana Live!2 renders a natural and faithful audio experience akin to a live performance with its highly accurate 40 mm Neodymium magnet with bio-cellulose diaphragm drivers that deliver tighter bass tones and exceptional audio dynamics. To add to the musical escape, the premium soft protein leatherette ear pads and headband immerse the listener in comfort even for long periods of listening. As compared to its predecessor, the Aurvana Live!2 is equipped with an inline microphone for calls.

Creative Aurvana Live!2 Key Features
  • Accurate 40 mm Neodymium drivers with composite bio-cellulose diaphragm for faithful and dynamic playback
  • Premium supple protein leatherette ear pads provide an excellent seal against external noise while offering unmatched comfort
  • Lightweight over-ear design with metal alloy headband for increased durability
  • Includes detachable tangle-free audio cable with in-line microphone and volume controls, and a soft microfiber pouch
  • Flat-fold ear cups for portability
  • Available in two different colors - Black with dark chrome highlights
Black with dark red chrome highlights

Pricing and Availability
Despite the full range of built-in advanced technological features, the new lineup of Aurvana headsets is competitively priced at the following suggested retail prices. They are slated for availability in October 2013.

  • Creative Aurvana Platinum headset US$299.99
  • Creative Aurvana Gold headset US$199.99
  • Creative Aurvana Live!2 headset US$129.99

For more information, visit us.creative.com/new/headphones.

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Fantastic looking.
 
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Here's to hoping they live up to their predecessor, which has served me well so far.
 
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I hope the Live 2 is as good as the first one.
 
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Sure, Creative. I wait and wait and wait for you to release a set with the new csr chipsets (csr8645 and 8670 for those that care) and nothing. I buy Bluedio R+'s (50mm driver cans that use 8645, highly recommended for their ~$100 btw) and THEN you announce something. Aargh.

Just to throw out a couple thoughts:

These look rad, and the aurvana series has a great rep, but consider a couple things:

The fact the evo zxr was announced in June, was later moved to September, there were whispers of October, and now has pretty much disappeared into the ether. Who knows when these things will actually come out...granted they are different markets.

Creative has very hit-or-miss construction quality, which I can attest to across multiple headsets and headphones, perhaps from the fact at least some of their designs appear heavily borrowed, if not outsourced to or from other Chinese manufacturers (look at the new Evo sets vs Syllable g18 for example...look familiar?). I would at least consider people look around at the time these come out if there is a comparable set from a lesser-known Chinese company...some are doing amazing things and finally getting their products into the worldwide channel without bigger-name rebrands or 'collaborations'.

FWIW, it will be interesting to see the 8670 chipset in action, which other than driver size is the the difference in products (csr even suggests companies split their headphone stack like this on their website, but everyone is using the 8645). I don't know anything else that uses it yet. The key differentiation is that it can use up to 6 (six!) microphones hence this product having four...which is insane...vs 2 on 8645, and the ability to allow for capacative touch (think Parrot Zik). There should be some really cool/overkill headsets coming based on this chip beyond these even.

In short, these may be great...if they come out soon before they are matched by the competition...are reasonably priced vs the competition (which creative usually has a nice 10-30% markup vs their worth going up their stack, granted often discounted at places like amazon), and live up to the aurvana legacy.

TLDR: Bluetooth headphones/headsets are finally going to have their day very soon. Audio quality over aptx is pretty great (and doesn't have noticeable media latency), noise-cancellation for both audio and voice can now be good if not great, battery life with bt3/4 is great (well beyond a day's use), and companies are finally starting to put decent-to-high-end components (and amps) in their sets. Yay.
 
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