[Techno Kid]

As you can see I'm new but have been getting info here for years and have quite a few IEM's ranging from $50 to $400 and the Aurvana 3 is a really nice mid-tier set.  I don't know why I got them since I have the Shure 425 and Ortofon e-Q7 so I didn't need it but we all know how that goes and for only $104 on Amazon now I took a chance.
 
Now I'm not going to go into a big review but the over all sound signature is very appealing and for $100 is a steal at least to me it is.  Its smooth and a touch warm but has clean detail with a very cohesive soundstage.  They work well with all kinds of music and from my name you can see I listen to a lot of edm but I'm getting into some classical which sound very clean on these as does the electronica.
 
I know this might be a weird post to start with but something inside me compelled to do it as I thought its being over shadowed by the plethora of mid-tier IEM's out there.  I have other IEM's that are technically more proficient but I haven't seen many post about these and thought for their price more people should think about giving them a try. Also no I don't work or have any relationship with Creative and I'm not a fan boy just thought these were a good mid-tier people should know about.
 
I look forward to being a part of the forum and want to give big ups to joker as his reviews have been so very helpful for me over the past few years.

 

[Techno Kid]

I think I'll do a review in a bit to describe them more in detail because they really are a nice set in their price range.

 

[Techno Kid]

First of a little about the build quality, accessories and fit.  The Aurvana 3 to me is built very well, its a plastic housing but is well crafted and I like the metallic finish.  Has a good strain relief from the housing to the cable but I do wish it had a L shaped jack over the straight but it looks to be solid.  It comes with 6 pairs of tips and 2 Comply tips, an airplane adapter, cleaning tool and a very cool Travel pouch.  For me they fit great and I have a perfect seal with the stock tips, also their very comfortable and can be worn for hours no problem.  Ok thats that now on to the sound.
 
The bass is better than what I was expecting after reading some other reviews in that it has some nice weight to it with decent depth though it does start to role off at around 25 or 30Hz but still sound clean with good kick drum punch.  I like the mid-bass presentation to as its smooth and textured nicely.
 
Now the focal point of the sound in the lush liquidy mids (that statement really sums it up).  They are oh so smooth and lush but can be a bit dry in its presentation sometimes but over all I love the way they sound.  Vocals come across smooth and never shrill and guitars as well as other midrange melodies an such just sound so good for a $100 (even the $150 msrp) IEM and thats what I'm impressed about the most with them.
 
Highs like the bass is better than expected.  While there definitely not sounding like say the CK10 they still are present and have good detail though more veiled than the brighter duel BA's.  They extend quite good but start to roll off around 13kHz but I'm not missing anything in any of my tracks at all.
 
With the soundstage I feel its slightly above average and has good width with some out of the head moments.  Depth and separation are just as good and the whole presentation just flows really well, and the 3D imaging is also well done.
 
Well for my first review I just went over the main points and hope you get some sense of how the sound and again for $100 now these are a very good buy imo and hope some of you give them a listen.

 

 

[djalberthiphop]

thanks for sharing that review friend. i am curious if you can help me, i just bought the Shure SE 215 (dynamic), to replace my Ultimate ears super fi 3 (ba), and i only listen to hip hop. i am not liking the 215s, and thinking of selling them., everyone here seems to believe that my ear has been used to BA sound, and that i need to buy a ba iem. i am looking at these and i can also get them at 100 (euros though) from a local dealer. i am not sure if you can compare these to the 215s, or if you can tell me how they cope with hip hop music (i am not a basshead), i just like all my sounds to be there, and of course the adequate bass, but without losing from others.. do ba's need burn in? thank you, any reply would be appreciated.

 

[Techno Kid]

Well I don't own the SE215 but I've heard them and the only thing I would say they have over the Aurvana 3 is a little more bass quantity but I like the texture of the Creatives more.  Like you I tend to like the sound of BA's more than dynamics in most cases and I think the Aurvana 3 is quite good at its price point.  Their not bass monsters but they do have more than any single BA I've heard at and around its price and it has a very clean bass sound imo.  Over all they're a very clean an smooth IEM that also has good detail and a very good soundstage, for what they cost I think its a great buy.

 

[djalberthiphop]

thank you very much for your reply, well i would almos definately buy these, but i read some stuff i didn't like in this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-227-iems-compared-sony-xba-4sl-klipsch-x10-added-03-04-12#post_6492051 (search for 2B11 and it will take you to the aurvana review), could you elaborate on that review. i certainly like your input on them, i just don't really like the part that you said that 215 have a little more bass, i am not a basshead either, and like i said i absolutely love the sound that came out of the super fi 3's (single armature) and had enough bass and evertyhing for me, but the 215s really do not have enough (at lest for me, and they are also well burnt-in). so if you are saying that the aurvanas have less bass than 215, they might not be for me, although i like the part that "the texture is better". so maybe my sf3s do not really have good bass, but it's probably they way they sound to my ears (ba drivers) that make me think they have good bass? you think that's it? also, i NEED my headphones to be perfectly hidden within my ear body (i.e. not sticking out), i had no problem with the shures, but i can see the aurvanas may be a bit larger, may i ask, do you fit them in your ears without them sticking out (to make you understand: i will be wearing them with a full face helmet in the summer...) is that ok for that use?

 

[Techno Kid]

Its been awhile since I heard the 215 but I thought it had slightly more punch though I can say it has more than the UE fi 3's so maybe I really don't remember the 215 that well.  With my FiiO E6 the Creatives have plenty of punch and also good depth and since I listen to a lot of EDM I need bass and these sound very nice to me.  They definitely have more detail and an over all better sound than the 215 imo.
 
As for joker's review I agreed with a lot of what he says about its sound signature I just think they sound better than the 8.6 he gave them, if I were to rate them from 1 to 10 I give them around a 9.  I have the GR07 which he gives a 9.1 and think the Aurvana 3 is much better but it all comes down to preference.
 
The fit of the Creatives is really good and they don't stick out at all, they fit nicely inside your ears and are quite comfortable to.  They have good isolation and the stock tips work just as good as Sony hybrids or other tips I have.
 
For the cost of $115 (thats what they are on Amazon now) I think the Aurvana 3 is well worth it and if you get it from a place with a policy like Amazon you can return them if you don't like them.
 
Check out the reviews on Headphones.com heres the link: http://www.headphones.com/Headphones/Creative-Aurvana-In-Ear-3-High-Performance-Dual-Balanced-Armature-Sound-Isolating-Earphone-Monitors-51EF0420AA002-68473.html

 

[djalberthiphop]

thank you friend, you are helping me a lot over here!!!
 
actually the vsonics are also one of my top choices, and it is very interesting that you find the aurvanas better. other headfiers tend to consider the vsonics as better sounding than the aurvanas.
 
i checked the website you sent me, i only found 2 good reviews, except that scared me a little bit: a little lacking on the bass
 
very appealing now that i know that they fit nicely inside the ears...
 
however, i will ONLY used them unamped, so do they also sound as well unamped?
 
do you really recommend those over the gr07 in general? what is your prefered genre of music? could you compare vsonic with aurvana in hip hop? do you think aurvanas have better bass?
 
pleeease help me choose....

 

[Techno Kid]

Compared to the GR07 the Aurvana believe it or not sound brighter to my ears with a better soundstage, while both have good width I think the Creative has better depth and a much better 3D presentation.  The lushness of the midrange just really makes vocal and all the mid sounds come alive and gives the music a very nice and cohesive feel.  The GR07 while it has good detail and instrument separation for a dynamic driver it just lacks in the wow factor and make certain music sound dull.  I will say this that the GR07 has very good bass with good punch and very good depth.
 
As for amp'ing they don't need it but my E6 just adds some warmth to the presentation but a bump in the low end on your EQ will make the bass sound better though its not needed for bass heavy tracks.
 
You might want to checkout the Yamaha EPH-100, I have thoughs also and they are really a good IEM with some of the cleanest bass and a nice neutral and detailed sound signature.  They can be had for like 78 pounds on Audio Affair.
 
Heres the thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/577712/yamaha-eph-100

 

[Techno Kid]

Heres the review that got me to take a hard look at these, http://www.head-fi.org/t/569884/creative-labs-introduces-a-new-audiophile-grade-earphone-which-wont-break-the-bank

 

[Azathoth]

So, Creative have really created an IEM worthy of consideration. Your comparisons with the GR07 (which I own) are intriguing. The GR07's midrange texture and spatial imaging along with a deep and clean sub-bass kick are amazing for its price though. I initially thought they were boring but after a month or two I grew to love their monitor-like presentation.

 

[Techno Kid]

I still like the GR07 with certain music like rock and it is good for the price but for music like EDM, hip hop or even pop (which is a lot of EDM these days) the Aurvana 3 has a very fun, warm yet detailed sound that I really like.  At the moment my 2 favorite IEM's I have are these and the EPH-100.
 
 

 

[Yggdrassilious]

Returned my Aurvana IE3 back to Amazon. The housing is so bulky! Also didn't notice any major sound upgrade from the Aurvana IE2. I loved the IE2, and they are great at $50.
 
I'm sure IE3 is a great deal at $104.99, but for me it was another $105 that I'd rather have in my pocket rather than having the IE3s.

 

[Techno Kid]

Yea I can see people with smaller ears having a problem with the fit but for me the sit nicely in my ears.  As for the IE2 I've read people that liked the 3's better and vice versa like I said it all comes down to preference.  I'm listening to them right now with some classic trance from the Platipus label and they just really sound good to me, I get as much enjoyment from these as I do my TF10 and W2.  When I first got them I thought with the laid back highs that I wouldn't like them but after I got use to them they are great for long listening sessions as their non fatiguing yet still with good detail in the highs.

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

Yea I can see people with smaller ears having a problem with the fit but for me the sit nicely in my ears.  As for the IE2 I've read people that liked the 3's better and vice versa like I said it all comes down to preference.  I'm listening to them right now with some classic trance from the Platipus label and they just really sound good to me, I get as much enjoyment from these as I do my TF10 and W2.  When I first got them I thought with the laid back highs that I wouldn't like them but after I got use to them they are great for long listening sessions as their non fatiguing yet still with good detail in the highs.

The second I saw that line, I closed the amazon tab I had open for the Aurvana 3.