Shoutout to Creative Labs for sending the Ace 2 over for demo! Technical specs and photo gallery will be at the very end.
I am not being compensated in any way for this review, but Creative is allowing me to keep the earbuds in exchange for an honest review.
Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!
Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
By now it’s no secret that I’ve been on the hunt for a really good Bluetooth IEM for the gym, so when Creative reached out about the Ace 2, you can imagine my excitement.
Most of what I’ve tried doesn’t quite make the cut and leaves me a bit grim, and out of all the ones I’ve listened to, there are maybe 1 or 2 I’d buy with my own money.
- Recommended: 17 Bluetooth Headphones & IEMS Ranked Worst To First
Enter the Aurvana Ace 2.
Would I purchase it? Should you?
In this review, we’ll evaluate its sound, ease of use, overall package, and more.
By the time you’re done reading this, you’ll know if it’s worth a purchase for sure.
So let’s dive in!
Starting with build, the Ace 2 feels substantial enough, but both the case and buds are rather light. That said, it doesn’t feel cheap.
Creative is a company I have a lot of respect for, as they make solid products that withstand the test of time. Their G6 is a fine example of a product I use and have recommended since they sent it over in 2020.
In any event, the Ace 2 comes in a small box and includes the earbuds, 3 sets of tips (2 extra), a USB-C charging cable, and a quick start guide.
The bottom reveals the Charging Case LED indicator, the USB-C charging port, and a Multifunction button for manual Bluetooth pairing or Master Reset.
With both earbuds placed in the open charging case, press and hold the multifunction button for 8 seconds to perform the reset. The charging case’s LED indicator will flash blue upon completion.
Speaking of Blue, pairing with your phone is a breeze. Open the lid, keeping the buds inside and they will automatically initiate Bluetooth pairing.
Just open your phone’s BT settings and wait (iPhone) or search (Android). It will come up as “Aurvana Ace 2.”
Controls
- Power Off: Hold for 6 seconds
- Power On: Hold for 3 seconds
Call Mode
- Answer Call: Tap right or left bud 2 times
- Reject Call: Hold right or left bud for 2 Seconds
- End Call: Tap right or left bud 2 times
Playback Mode
- Play/Pause: Tap right bud 2 times.
- Next Track: Tap right or left bud 3 times.
- Decrease Volume: Hold left bud for 2 seconds
- Increase Volume: Hold right bud for 2 seconds
- Ambient Mode/ANC: Tap left bud 2 times to cycle
- Google/Siri Assistant: Tap left bud 3 times.
Battery Life
The Ace 2 has a pretty hefty life. Since receiving the unit, I haven’t had to charge it. I work out 4x a week for about an hour and listen sporadically outside of that. It’s advertised as 6 but I feel like I’ve gotten significantly more than that.
Out of all the buds I’ve used, I think the Ace 2 has one of the best batteries.
To check the status, head to the underside of the case where the small LED is. For it to display, you may have to plug the USB-C cable in and out if it’s not showing up:
- Flashing Red: 0-30%
- Flashing Yellow: 31-70%
- Flashing Green: 71-90%
- Green: 100%
Comfort
is pretty good, but like most earbuds, they don’t stay in quite as well as I’d like. That said, they haven’t fallen out yet and I go pretty hard in the gyme.
The stem design certainly helps with this, as it kind of balances out the weight and allows them to rest a bit better inside your ear canals.
Sound
First off, the Ace 2 utilizes the xMEM, a driver technology in earbuds that employs a micro-electro-mechanical system to deliver precise sound reproduction.
By employing microscopic components, it enhances audio clarity and detail, offering users an immersive listening experience with accurate sound across various frequencies.
This technology aims to optimize audio performance in compact earbud designs, catering to audiophiles and casual listeners alike.
Bass
Despite all this, it pains me to have to say that the bass is too pronounced.
This is the case with 99% of general consumer-type earbuds, and unfortunately, Creative falls victim to the curse as well.
I have been complaining about this issue for what seems like forever, and not a single company ever listens to feedback.
I will say that here it’s not nearly as bad as some others, but the problem remains.
It’s certainly the first thing that jumps out at you, but it feels like Creative at least tried not to make it sound like you’re listening to music underwater.
Still, the bass pretty much overshadows the rest of the sound signature and comes across as too in-your-face and thumpy.
In other words, instead of hearing bass notes, they kind of still just attempt to rattle your brain. What we’re aiming for is texture and articulation, not a migraine.
The mid and high bass needs to come down by at least 2-3 dB, but I’m completely fine with the flat-ish nature of the sub-regions and think more companies should consider not rolling these areas off quite so much.
Still,
the problem, as a whole, is that the bass still tries to be front and center, and whether you enjoy this or not depends entirely on preference.
Think of this bass as something like a Porta Pro turned up a couple of extra notches.
Mid-Range
The mids, by contrast, are surprisingly even for the most part and sound rather good.
In other words, resolution is above average and you’ll be able to pick apart songs with relative ease – depending on how they were recorded of course.
I think the xMEM comes into play here, as I was noticing a lot of subtle details lost in other consumer products. For that, I give Creative a great big Bravo.
For instance, around 2:26 of the Buck ‘Em Down Instrumental, I’m hearing some interesting stuff way in the background that I haven’t heard previously.
In other words, micro detail is also very good and a joy to listen to.
That said, please don’t buy these expecting the technology to result in unicorns puking rainbows into your ears.
It’s subtle, and for the most part, isn’t going to elevate the earbuds to an astronomical price bracket or anything.
Treble
Outside of the peak around 7-8kHz, the treble is mostly in line and doesn’t sound sibilant.
I wouldn’t say there’s a ton of sparkle, but it also doesn’t sound veiled or pushed back.
In other words, I think the treble strikes a decent middle ground and will satisfy the majority of users.
Hi-hats sound crisp, crashes are rendered nicely, and overall you can expect a perfectly satisfactory experience.
Overall
That said, the bass kind of ruins this sound signature; one that would otherwise be rather excellent.
No, the resolution isn’t going to blow you away, but it’s also better than average, and, if not for the bass, would be a slam-dunk purchase based on this factor alone.
As it stands now, I’m not sure I can wholeheartedly recommend it, but given its strong points, it’ll definitely find its way into my top 5.
- Recommended: 17 Bluetooth Headphones & IEMS Ranked Worst To First
So yeah, you could do way worse.
This is a pretty good IEM that could stand to be EQd, so if you’re considering a purchase, I’d plan on taming the mid/high bass area for maximum max meat enjoyment.
That or you could try the small tips which help with the bass but also renders the sound kind of raspy and disjointed.
In other words, with the small tips, there’s an air of artificiality/metallic weirdness going on.
With these tips, the mid-range doesn’t sound as pushed back, but the buds get a little exposed for not sounding as professional as some audiophile-type headphones in the mid-fi or above category.
The large tips?
You can well imagine they exacerbate the bass issue, so not recommended as far as I’m concerned.
As it stands now, the rise across 100-400Hz should instead be a subtle bump at 100 or 200, coming back down to neutral as it moves into the low mid-range.
Keeping the bass elevated into the low mids is just asking for bloat/haze/fuzz; something I can’t quite reconcile even though for the most part I think this is a pretty decent IEM.
Plan to use them for most genres, with the obvious standouts being anything with deeper bass: Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B, EDM, etc.
Soundstage is also slightly above average, but don’t expect these to sound significantly out of your head. The image, while having good separation between voices and instruments, is fairly closed in for the most part.
Final Verdict
I think Creative has a good product on its hands that could use some tweaks. With the above-mentioned changes in mind, future iterations of the Ace 2 have the potential to top my list of best Bluetooth products I’ve personally tried.
Stay tuned for future updates to this article as I gather more impressions! For now, these are my thoughts.
Well that’s about it for today my friend. I do hope you’ve enjoyed this Creative Aurvana Ace 2 Review, and came away with some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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So would you consider investing in these IEMs? I would love to hear from you. Until next time..
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
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Technical Specs
Headphone Drivers
- xMEMS with 10mm Dynamic Drivers (per earbud)
- Frequency Response: 5-40,000 Hz
- Audio Codecs: LC3, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC, SBC
- Bluetooth Version: 5.3
- Bluetooth Operating Frequency: 2402-2480 MHz
- Wireless Operating Range: Up to 10m/33 ft. measured in open space. Walls and structures may affect the range of the device.
- Maximum RF Output Power: 8dBm
- IP Rating: IPX5 (Earbuds Only). This is based on a moderate volume level with ANC off. Actual battery life will vary with use, settings, songs, and environmental conditions.
- Operating Temperature: 0-45° C
- Playtime: Up to 6 hours per charge, up to 24 hours of total playtime.
- Battery: Lithium-ion button battery: 3.7V 52mAh 0.192 Wh
- Battery Charging Case: Lithium-ion polymer battery: 3.7V 470 mAh 1.739 Wh
- Charging Time: <2 Hours
- Charging Interface: Qi-compatible wireless charging, USB-C (Charging only)\
- Input Rating: 5V 1A
- Voice Assistant Support: Siri, Google Assistant
Photo Gallery
