After I published my review of the wireless neckband earphones, Sudio Elva, Creative quickly jumped in and also requested me to review the neckband earphones. The Creative Aurvana Trio Wireless is retailing at only S$149, which is S$50 cheaper than the wired version. Plus, the wireless version supports Super X-Fi, the audio holographic feature that transforms the way you listen to music.
Unboxing
The Aurvana Trio Wireless comes with 3 pairs of silicone ear tips, 3 pairs of foam tips, a long hard case, and micro USB cable. It’s hard to fathom why a device made in 2020 is still using micro USB port, but I reckon it must really be a lot cheaper. The other possible factor is that USB-C connectors are larger, so using micro USB port may make a bit more sense. While the carrying case is larger than usual, I still find it challenging to curl up the neckband and fit it in, and would have preferred a cloth bag.
Actually, I won’t have a need for a carrying case anyway, because I always wear it around my neck if I am going out with them. The earbuds have magnets so that they stick together and don’t swing around violently when walking. The ear tips offer good noise isolation, and the powerful sound drowns out most ambient noises anyway. Supporting aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX, AAC and SBC, I get excellent lag-free audio response especially when I use it with the Creative BT-W3 USB Bluetooth adapter.
The Aurvana Trio Family
The original Aurvana Trio received rave reviews, myself included. The cable can be detached and swapped with any MMCX cable. The second version is a USB-C version (SXFI Trio) with an integrated SXFI chip. The Aurvana Trio Wireless is the third iteration of the series, and the most affordable, inheriting the best triple hybrid drivers with wireless Bluetooth audio connectivity. The aptX HD codec further guarantees higher audio quality than most other wireless earphones.
Operations
The Aurvana Trio Wireless comes with three round buttons located on the right side of the neckband. Press-hold the volume buttons will change tracks. The wireless earphones automatically goes into pairing mode when no previously-paired devices are found. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.0, pairing is a lot more convenient. They support multipoint connectivity, allowing you to connect two devices at the same time and auto-switching to the device with audio output.
Even though these earphones are not water-rated, I still wear them for runs, no issue. But if you perspire a lot, maybe you should wear the Creative Outlier Gold. Note that the micro USB silicone cover is rather loose and could come undone easily.
Audio Quality
Being the third version of the Aurvana Trio series, I am all too familiar with the sound signature. They deliver excellent treble clarity and excitement supported by enjoyable roomy bass impact, with clean midrange, slightly under-powered against the bass. There are no unbearable sibilance to be found, the sound staging is comfortable to spread the musical energy so it doesn’t sound too packed nor noisy. These earphones sound great with anything: pop-chart genres, Classical tracks, Jazz and Instrumentals.
Compared to the other Aurvana Trio series, the original wired edition still achieves the best overall resolution and details. The treble is clearer, more transparent, more extended, while the bass character is similar. The SXFI Trio delivers the brightest treble, though slightly too cooked for my liking. The Aurvana Trio Wireless delivers the best balance, and coupled with the convenient neckband form, is my favourite among the three.
Compared to the Sudio Elva, the Creative delivers a clearer sound, while the Elva is more fuller. The Creative is a more premium audio product with triple hybrid driver and aptX HD codec, while Elva only supports SBC. The Creative neckband also sounds a lot louder. Between the two, the Aurvana Trio Wireless would be a safer bet that is easier to be liked. Sudio Elva would work for listeners who prefer a little tamer treble and who works out heavily to need IP-rating earphones.
For Super X-Fi, it only supports music played through the SXFI app and not from other music apps, so the usage is limited. The audio quality is also not as good because it’s software decoding compared to SXFI Trio.
For call quality, the Aurvana Trio Wireless is not very bright-sounding. I thought it was a tad muffled, but with good volume. Under windy conditions, the aggressive wind-cancellation means the voice cannot be picked up unless you speak really loud to overpower the wind.
Verdict
The Aurvana Trio Wireless is probably the most affordable premium neckband from an audio specialist brand (The closest competitor would be 1MORE). Its sound signature easily turns any music genres into great sounding tracks. In a home-office situation, using a neckband is more convenient than wearing true wireless or standard wired earphones. It allows me to hang them around my neck the whole day and pick up calls when needed. It can last 20 hours non-stop, and can be left on standby for days. If you need very low latency performance, like gaming, pair it with Creative BT-W3 and toggle to aptX LL, the result is almost as good as wired.
