When you think of solid-state technology, you might first think of computer storage, but you’ll be hearing a lot about it in earbuds from now on as companies consider switching from complicated speaker drivers to the best earbuds to those without. all the tricky parts.
One company that has been at the forefront of the race to develop a solid-state speaker driver system is xMEMS, a Californian company founded in 2018 by the former vice president of Knowles Corporation, which deals with advanced audio processing.
Thanks to a collaboration with audio brand Creative Labs, the technology has finally found its way into a number of real earplugs and, as we wrote earlier, to change the way we listen to sound in a resounding way.
I got a taste of the exciting new earbuds during a demo with Creative, and was immediately impressed by the increased power of the next-generation dual 10mm dynamic drivers. But you’re probably more interested in whether they sounded as good as the best wireless earbuds?
While it’s still too early to give a comprehensive review (and there are so many factors outside of driver technology that determine this), my first impressions are very positive. The sound reproduction was exceptionally clear when I tried them, with everything I listened to in the demo coming through exceptionally clear.
And soon, audio enthusiasts will be able to try out the Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2 earbuds for themselves, as they will be available for pre-order from November 10, 2023.
What are solid-state silicon drivers and how do they work?
As one of the first companies to produce a prototype for an audio speaker driver using this technology, xMEMS has apparently received a lot of attention from audio companies. Of the more than 30 brands working on prototype earbuds, Song Siow Hui, CEO of Creative Labs, says his company is the first to deliver the groundbreaking MEMS technology.
MEMS stands for micro-electromechanical system and consists of small microscopic components. There are a few different ways you can style this, but xMEMS has taken an all-silicon approach with its solid-state silicon driver.
Creative Labs explains that the solid-state silicon driver prototypes make sound by activating small flaps with electronic pulses to create a series of micro-sound waves, forgoing the traditional design of a cone with a magnet in the center to move air and create sound waves.
In Creative Labs’ own words: “These specialized drivers, expertly integrated into each earbud, showcase an innovative design with tiny flaps carefully mounted on silicon chips. What makes this technology so special is the way it replicates sound when these flaps respond quickly to short electrical signals. By doing this, these drivers can generate sound waves that closely match the way users naturally hear sounds in the world around them.”
Creative Labs says this technology enables the Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2 earbuds to deliver “a truly natural and lifelike sound experience,” resulting in an “audio experience that is not only pristine, but also remarkably lifelike, as if the artists are right next to the users,” which, let’s face it, is the ultimate end goal we’re all trying to achieve with entertainment technology. It’s about getting as close to the real thing as possible, allowing you to live new experiences in a fully immersive environment.
Lossless audio quality, surprisingly limited features and next-generation ANC features
First, let’s get all the usual wireless earbud specs we know out of the way for these Creative Buds. Both earbuds have a very acceptable 24-hour battery life and an IPX5 water resistance rating, wrapped in a sleek and comfortable appearance. Of the two colorways – stark black with a copper hint or translucent plastic with copper accents – I preferred the translucent look, which reminded me more of the Beats Studio Buds Plus rather than the Nothing ear (2).
Both earbuds also come with six built-in microphones, powering a noise-cancelling technology called cVc (Clear Voice Capture), which promises to “deliver crystal-clear calls even in noisy environments.” While I didn’t get to test this during the demo, I’m looking forward to seeing how it works in a more detailed review.
Despite supporting Qualcomm’s own aptX lossless Bluetooth codec at 24 bits/48 kHz, as well as SBC and AAC, it’s important to note that you don’t get true Hi-Res audio here either, as the earbuds offer CD quality of 16- bit support. /44.1kHz. But you get the expected smart features, like hybrid active noise cancellation and what Creative Labs calls ‘ambient mode’ to hear outside sounds.
The Aurvana Ace 2 is the premium offering of the two. It has Qualcomm’s Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) mode, which is similar to the Apple AirPods Pro 2’s Adaptive Awareness mode in that it uses machine learning to fine-tune noise cancellation levels in real time based on your outdoor environment .
Perhaps the best part is the price
Being a new technology, we didn’t really know what to expect from the price of the first solid-state buds, but Creative Labs has kept the price pretty reasonable and is positioning them in the mid-range of the market. The Creative Aurvana Ace costs $129 (about £105 / AU$200), while the Aurvana Ace 2 is slightly more expensive at $149 (about £120 / AU$285).
When we first started talking about how the world’s first solid-state speakers could transform earbuds, we considered the possibility of the earbuds being a lot smaller, but both the Aurvana Ace and the Aurvana Ace 2 are similar in size. size comparable to most earbuds on the market. that are currently on the market, so don’t expect the trend of tiny earbuds like the JLab JBuds Mini here.
Nevertheless, the buds are still exciting and we can’t wait to get our hands on a pair and really put them to the test.