For these of us who can’t cease listening to music on the go, the previous decade has been a whirlwind. We’ve seen the rise of AirPods—and the related lack of the headphone jack—along with a vast array of microphone, noise-canceling, and different characteristic enhancements that make listening on the go extra handy. One factor we haven’t actually seen? An enormous soar in audio high quality.

With its new solid-state drivers, California-based xMems has lastly supplied us an actual leap in how earbuds generate sound. Using the identical know-how pioneered for producing microchips, these silicon earbud drivers present a flatter, cleaner total signature, along with considerably added robustness when in comparison with earlier know-how.

We first tested xMems’ tech inside a ludicrously costly (and awesome-sounding) pair of milled titanium earbuds from Singularity Industries, however that felt akin to attempting a new eco fuel inside a Ferrari. With two new pairs of earbuds (confusingly named the Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2, regardless of simultaneous releases), the oldsters at Creative Audio have made this brand-new tech accessible to all. In basically the identical type issue, and for a similar value as Apple’s normal AirPods, now you can hear the drivers of the long run. When it involves audio high quality for the cash, there is no such thing as a contest: Solid state is the long run.

Twinsies

Both pairs of Creative’s new earbuds seem nearly an identical from the surface, sporting acquainted elephant-trunked designs in black with copper-gold accents on the surface of every bud. You can inform which pair is which from the charging case. The normal Ace include an opaque black shell, whereas the Ace 2 include a see-through grey that reveals a shiny gold inside to the clamshell.

Under the floor, they each get the identical xMems driver know-how, however the Ace 2 get higher processing. The Ace 2 additionally assist lossless Bluetooth audio and include adaptive noise canceling fairly than the non-adaptive, non-lossless know-how contained in the common Ace. Both rounded circumstances provide 18 hours of battery reserve and Qi wi-fi or USB-C charging, along with the six hours of playback contained in the buds. For the needs of the remainder of the assessment, I’ll deal with the Ace 2, which have the identical drivers because the Ace however have the aforementioned higher-end chipset. At simply $20 extra (MSRP), they’re a greater purchase.

Touch Type

Touch controls on the surface of every bud assist you to faucet twice to play or pause music, or maintain the surface of every bud to extend or lower quantity (the left facet turns it down, proper turns it up). These buttons weren’t straightforward to make use of; I tended to make use of Creative’s headphone app and my cellphone’s controls to mess with the buds once I wanted to, which labored effective.

One factor I do like is their easy, easy-to-understand code for telling how a lot battery is left within the charging case. A purple gentle means 0 to 30 p.c, yellow 31 to 70 p.c, and inexperienced 71 to 99 p.c. It’s easy, and it’s useful for these of us who depart buds in baggage for health club time and infrequently take them to the charger.

Speaking of health club time, you’ll haven’t any drawback breaking a sweat in these, or not less than I didn’t, because of an included IPX5 rating for water resistance. I used them for a lot of journeys to my health club and even a while within the sauna with no points.