Aastii
VIP Member
I picked up a set of these a few days ago and am seriously impressed. Getting them for £50, I wasn't expecting the worlds greatest headphones, but the quality you get is outstanding considering the price.
Primarily, I am a gamer, however listen to a hell of a lot of music, and it was that which was my priority, not the games. Due to the time spent on my computer daily, comfort was of great importance, and with my system being in a place with a lot of background noise, and with other people to potentially disturb, isolation was another major point. The Aurvana managed to deliver on every front.
Sound Quality
My first thoughts when I got them on and tried was BASS!!! For a budget set of headphones, they have phenomenal sound and quality at the lower end. This meant in all games, explosions sounded as harsh as you would imagine they should be, they make you feel the shock of it and makes them sound extremely vivid. This was a huge bonus to immersion for me, especially in FPS and RTS games where there are explosions going on left right and centre. It also helps to bring out the sound of the gunfire, and even manages to make the sounds of spells and abilities in League of Legends something to behold, which is something you really wouldn't expect given the sounds are almost the lowest priority.
For music, I have listened to a lot of different genres, and found that the headphones, not surprisingly, do an amazing job of electronic, dance and R&B music where there is a heavy bass line. The mid range isn't quite as amazing, making music focussing heavily on these ranges good, but not superb. It does not lead to these sounds being underwhelming though
It should be noted they have only had probably 20 hours of a burn in at most, so the sound I have seen so far will only improve
Comfort
As most of you on the forums will know, or could have guessed, I spend a relatively large amount of time on my computer, which means wearing the headphones for potentially several hours straight, which leads to the next point - comfort.
I can not fault them. They do not cling to your head like a vice as some other headphones do, rather simply sit there almost perfectly thanks to the headphones being very light. The size of the pads isn't quite perfect for my ears, meaning though they do fit around the ears for the main part, they do partially sit on them, so after a few hours of use, my ears begin to hurt a little, but for those of you with smaller ears (I am not exactly dumbo as it is), this is some what of a non-issue. However, I have only had one or two occurances of this, because it takes so long for it to happen, and simply taking the headphones off for 10-15 mins sorts this problem out pretty well. They really are supremely comfortable, and the cicumaural design works to perfection
Isolation
Helped out a lot by the cups and closed back, very little sound escapes, and very little background noise gets in. Even over the dull roar of a TV and people in the background, one of which being a small child, I hear absolutely nothing, even if I have music playing just quietly.
I am also able to sit with my music fairly loud and have only the faintest sound escaping. Only when very loud does it become a problem for those around me. This leads to another good point - even at higher volumes, the headphones manage to maintain their sound quality, almost to perfection. There is some distortion when extremely loud, however this is to be expected, and isn't major in comparison to other headphones I have tried in the same price range, and even for more expensive sets.
Build Quality, Packaging and Extras
The casing of the headphones is made of plastic, as is the headband, with metal running through the middle for the adjustable size. Though not quite as high quality as you will get from premium headphones which will be made of another material, usually aluminium, they feel extremely well made and strong. Though it hasn't happened yet, I can see myself sitting on them accidentally a few times an them withstanding it no problem. The only downside is the plastic casing manages to show up every finger print and bit of dirt extremely easily, though this really isn't a problem at all unless you wear your headphones whilst stood in front of a mirror, or would rather look at them than use them as intended. They aren't really portable though, as they can not fold smaller.
The pads and a small strip over the headband are made from synthetic leather, with fabric covering the casing inside of the pads.
The wires, though unfortunately they have 2 entrances rather than the ideal one, are of good quality. They are not extremely thin as others in a similar price range offer. The 2.5mm jack is gold plated, as is the extension cable which comes as an extra. At 1.5m it is also a decent length for most people.
The packaging was as you would expect. The headphones were in a plastic casing, which was in a plastic insert. This was then inside of a box, which was then in a plastic bag. All in all, everything felt to be of decent quality, and as you would expect.
Along with the headphones themselves, you also receive a 3.5mm to 6.3mm Jack adapter, an extension cable as mentioned before, a cloth bag to put the headphones in, and all paper work you would expect, such as warranty information and user guide. I should point out that the extension, though gold plated, is extremely thin, and if I weren't forced to use it wouldn't bother.
Conclusion
Sound Quality: 8/10
I really can not stress enough how excellent the low end sounds on these. All other ranges sound good, however we are let down a little for mid range. This is something burn in will probably manage to improve on, which would lead to a well rounded, warm sound, with excellent bass
Comfort: 8/10
Unless you plan on wearing them for hours at a time, you really will not have a problem. Your ears stay sufficiently cool, the headphones are not tight at all, though will get uncomfortable after a few hours.
Build Quality: 8/10
Excellent build quality, though can't be given perfect, because of the casing being made of plastic, and synthetic leather being used. The very thin cable used for the extension also leaves a lot to be desired
Isolation: 7/10
Even at very low volume, little sound gets in. However, if you are fond of having your volume turned right up, it isn't amazing at keeping the sound in.
Value: 10/10
For the price, you will not be finding any better. For £50, you are getting excellent sound quality, outstanding comfort, good build quality and good isolation. Though not the greatest headphones made, for the price, you can not complain
Overall: 8/10
Even with the few shortcomings, the price point makes them as perfect as any headphone gets at the moment, and would lead me to highly recommend them to anyone looking for some budget headphones
Primarily, I am a gamer, however listen to a hell of a lot of music, and it was that which was my priority, not the games. Due to the time spent on my computer daily, comfort was of great importance, and with my system being in a place with a lot of background noise, and with other people to potentially disturb, isolation was another major point. The Aurvana managed to deliver on every front.
Sound Quality
My first thoughts when I got them on and tried was BASS!!! For a budget set of headphones, they have phenomenal sound and quality at the lower end. This meant in all games, explosions sounded as harsh as you would imagine they should be, they make you feel the shock of it and makes them sound extremely vivid. This was a huge bonus to immersion for me, especially in FPS and RTS games where there are explosions going on left right and centre. It also helps to bring out the sound of the gunfire, and even manages to make the sounds of spells and abilities in League of Legends something to behold, which is something you really wouldn't expect given the sounds are almost the lowest priority.
For music, I have listened to a lot of different genres, and found that the headphones, not surprisingly, do an amazing job of electronic, dance and R&B music where there is a heavy bass line. The mid range isn't quite as amazing, making music focussing heavily on these ranges good, but not superb. It does not lead to these sounds being underwhelming though
It should be noted they have only had probably 20 hours of a burn in at most, so the sound I have seen so far will only improve
Comfort
As most of you on the forums will know, or could have guessed, I spend a relatively large amount of time on my computer, which means wearing the headphones for potentially several hours straight, which leads to the next point - comfort.
I can not fault them. They do not cling to your head like a vice as some other headphones do, rather simply sit there almost perfectly thanks to the headphones being very light. The size of the pads isn't quite perfect for my ears, meaning though they do fit around the ears for the main part, they do partially sit on them, so after a few hours of use, my ears begin to hurt a little, but for those of you with smaller ears (I am not exactly dumbo as it is), this is some what of a non-issue. However, I have only had one or two occurances of this, because it takes so long for it to happen, and simply taking the headphones off for 10-15 mins sorts this problem out pretty well. They really are supremely comfortable, and the cicumaural design works to perfection
Isolation
Helped out a lot by the cups and closed back, very little sound escapes, and very little background noise gets in. Even over the dull roar of a TV and people in the background, one of which being a small child, I hear absolutely nothing, even if I have music playing just quietly.
I am also able to sit with my music fairly loud and have only the faintest sound escaping. Only when very loud does it become a problem for those around me. This leads to another good point - even at higher volumes, the headphones manage to maintain their sound quality, almost to perfection. There is some distortion when extremely loud, however this is to be expected, and isn't major in comparison to other headphones I have tried in the same price range, and even for more expensive sets.
Build Quality, Packaging and Extras
The casing of the headphones is made of plastic, as is the headband, with metal running through the middle for the adjustable size. Though not quite as high quality as you will get from premium headphones which will be made of another material, usually aluminium, they feel extremely well made and strong. Though it hasn't happened yet, I can see myself sitting on them accidentally a few times an them withstanding it no problem. The only downside is the plastic casing manages to show up every finger print and bit of dirt extremely easily, though this really isn't a problem at all unless you wear your headphones whilst stood in front of a mirror, or would rather look at them than use them as intended. They aren't really portable though, as they can not fold smaller.
The pads and a small strip over the headband are made from synthetic leather, with fabric covering the casing inside of the pads.
The wires, though unfortunately they have 2 entrances rather than the ideal one, are of good quality. They are not extremely thin as others in a similar price range offer. The 2.5mm jack is gold plated, as is the extension cable which comes as an extra. At 1.5m it is also a decent length for most people.
The packaging was as you would expect. The headphones were in a plastic casing, which was in a plastic insert. This was then inside of a box, which was then in a plastic bag. All in all, everything felt to be of decent quality, and as you would expect.
Along with the headphones themselves, you also receive a 3.5mm to 6.3mm Jack adapter, an extension cable as mentioned before, a cloth bag to put the headphones in, and all paper work you would expect, such as warranty information and user guide. I should point out that the extension, though gold plated, is extremely thin, and if I weren't forced to use it wouldn't bother.
Conclusion
Sound Quality: 8/10
I really can not stress enough how excellent the low end sounds on these. All other ranges sound good, however we are let down a little for mid range. This is something burn in will probably manage to improve on, which would lead to a well rounded, warm sound, with excellent bass
Comfort: 8/10
Unless you plan on wearing them for hours at a time, you really will not have a problem. Your ears stay sufficiently cool, the headphones are not tight at all, though will get uncomfortable after a few hours.
Build Quality: 8/10
Excellent build quality, though can't be given perfect, because of the casing being made of plastic, and synthetic leather being used. The very thin cable used for the extension also leaves a lot to be desired
Isolation: 7/10
Even at very low volume, little sound gets in. However, if you are fond of having your volume turned right up, it isn't amazing at keeping the sound in.
Value: 10/10
For the price, you will not be finding any better. For £50, you are getting excellent sound quality, outstanding comfort, good build quality and good isolation. Though not the greatest headphones made, for the price, you can not complain
Overall: 8/10
Even with the few shortcomings, the price point makes them as perfect as any headphone gets at the moment, and would lead me to highly recommend them to anyone looking for some budget headphones
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