Had these for a month and I thought I would write a review on them, since there isn't much info on them other than ClieOS' great review
. I will try to be quick and to the point.
Starting off with
comfort and fit, these have pretty small housings so it is easy and highly recommended to insert them deep. I like to insert very deep, almost etymotic deep to get the best sound. I don't like using the stock tips though. I much prefer using Soundmagic/Brainwavz bi-flanges, and I had to make an adapter to use them by cutting off the stem of a pair of the stock tips. They can be worn comfortably over-the-ear.
Build is good for the most part. Metal housings, plug, y-split, and chin slider with a no-frills design. Looks classy. The only thing that concerns me is the cable as it is starting to harden with use. For reference it feels like the same material that is used on the Panasonic HJE900's cable.
Now to the
sound (Disclaimer - im not very confident with how I describe sound, but will try my best) : with the stock tips it is a somewhat mid-focused iem. Bass has a surprising amount of impact and plenty of body for a BA but it isn't the highlight of the phone. To my ears the bass is above neutral, with abit more quantity than a GR07, for example. Mids are "full and dominant" to quote ClieOS and are clear and detailed, with vocals often pushed forward with good texture. Treble was not to my liking at first; it was smooth without much sparkle and made the Aurvanas sound abit too warm and dull overall. That changed once I stuck the biflanges on. They allowed for deeper insertion and with the bigger bore, highs were bumped up abit and out came the sparkle along with more detail. Soundstage is average in size, imaging and separation are pretty solid.
Something to note - I do prefer the sound of a v-shaped FR, so I often bump the bass and treble up on the EQ with these, and they respond well. (
edit 3/2012 - I seem to have adjusted to the signature of these after such a long time with them, and never really feel the need to EQ off the bat any more
)
Overall im very satisfied with the Aurvana, especially at the price I paid. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them at $80 either, which is the price I see them going for using google product search. I feel they stack up pretty well with the Etymotic HF2/HF5. I havent heard any similar single BA iems around the same price range, but would love to compare them with the Aurvanas; namely the Meelec A151 and Phonak PFE 022
I hope you enjoyed reading my review, and I hope this prompts more people to pick up and enjoy these very nice IEMs
edit 3-12-2012 - Well, after close to year the cable on my Aurvanas finally gave out. I went ahead and tore the old cable out and replaced it with a donor cable that came off a black Meelec M6, and all is well. Strangely enough, I think the cable change affected the Aurvana in a positive way. Could just be my mind playing tricks on me, but it sounds like the upper mids are abit more prominent, and the treble extends out abit further.