The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Creative calls up noise-cancelling cans

They look a little like Bose 'phones

Agentless Backup is Not a Myth

IFA 07 If you like to listen to your music - and we mean really listen - then Creative claims its new Aurvana X-Fi cans offer superior sound quality to standard 'phones. They can also be used as an expensive pair of earplugs.

Creative_Aurvana_1
Creative's Aurvana X-Fi: rather like a pair of Bose 'phones

The Aurvana X-Fi headphones also incorporate Creative's technology that, it claims, restores the details and vibrancy that can be lost when music is compressed - like when you rip a CD to MP3.

Creative also said that the headphones position vocals and instruments around the listener to create what it reckons is a more natural and immersive experience, much like the effect of surround-sound speakers, but in a pair of headphones.

Active noise cancellation is built-in to help block out background noises of up to 20dB - pretty much standard fare for this kind of thing. For example, Sony's MDR-NC6 noise-cancelling headphones perform the same effect, but only up to 10dB, while Etymotic's ER-6i earphones reduce background noise by up to 35dB.

A handy feature though is that this feature can be enabled when not listening to any music, so the Creative headphones can be used to, say, block out the kids' play or the husband/wife's nagging. A switch for the noise-cancellation function, as well as volume controls, are built into side of each headphone – making them look very similar to Bose's QuietComfort 2 headphones.

Creative_Aurvana_2
Creative's Aurvana: handily placed controls

The cable connecting the cans to your music source is also an oxygen-free copper cable, and the connector plugs are gold-plated, to "deliver a pristine sound quality without interference".

A release date or retail price for the Creative Aurvana X-Fi headphones has not yet been announced.

Customer Success Testimonial: Recovery is Everything

Latest Comments

I like the sound..

...of these little puppies... although did you do a write up on the one's with the higher decibel noise cancellation? I would dearly love to give that feature a try! Hell maybe i could cook the lamb in its Mother's milk, and get the missus to buy it for me as a X-Mas pressy!

0
0

More from The Register

 breaking news
Curtain drops on Apple Store ahead of WWDC: What lies behind?
Steve Jobs watching from on high. No pressure, lads
 breaking news
Cold, dead hands of Steve Jobs slip from iPhones: The Cult of Ive is upon us
Billionaire biz baron's death clears way for uber-shiny iOS 7
First look: iOS 7 for iPad
No, Apple hasn't released it yet, but that doesn't stop intrepid devs
Airbus imagines suitcases that find themselves
Point your mobe at your smalls to track their every move
Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Proof the pen is mightier?
Sammy’s iPad Mini killer has a stylus to stab other rivals too
Surprise! Intel smartphone trounces ARM in power trials
Tests show equal performance while sipping significantly less juice
Apple said to be 'exploring' 5.7-inch iPhone
Who's the copycat this time, Mr. Cook?
Google Chromebooks now in over 6,600 stores
Major, worldwide retail push begins this summer
Samsung plans LTE Advanced version of Galaxy S4
1Gbps download capability could stiffen drooping S4 sales forecasts
Review: Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock
Missing Mac ports reunited, for a price