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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Creative Aurvana Platinum Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Reviewed Apr 04, 2016 at 01:37 pm
Latest change: Test bench update Aug 10, 2017 at 11:33 am
Creative Aurvana Platinum Wireless Picture
6.4
Mixed Usage
6.0
Critical Listening
6.8
Commute/Travel
6.1
Sports/Fitness
6.7
Office
5.4
Home Theater

The Creative Aurvana Platinum Wireless are sturdy headphones with capable noise isolation. Unfortunately, audio reproduction is unbalanced and exceedingly bass heavy. They also leak a lot of sound and may distract the people around you at high volumes.

Our Verdict

6.4 Mixed Usage

The Aurvana Platinum are below-average everyday headphones. They have a lot of features, but they're bulky and leak a lot. This prevents them from being sufficiently well-rounded for everyday casual use.

Pros
  • Good noise isolation.
  • Solid build quality.
Cons
  • Leaky headphones.
  • Stiff and uncomfortable.
  • Overwhelming bass.
6.0 Critical Listening

Not suitable for critical listening. Their audio reproduction is too bass heavy and the closed back design limits their sound stage. They're also uncomfortably tight.

6.8 Commute/Travel

Average for commuting. They're wireless and have a somewhat competent control scheme. Their noise-cancelling is also efficient enough for noisy commutes. However, they get uncomfortable on your head relatively fast.

6.1 Sports/Fitness

Too bulky for sports. They're tight on your head, but the big ear cups are unstable. They're too cumbersome for most physical activities.

6.7 Office

Average for the office. They do block a fair amount of ambient noise but leak a little too much for office use.

5.4 Home Theater

Below-average for home theater use. They have a bit too much latency for watching videos and movies even with aptX enabled.

  • 6.4 Mixed Usage
  • 6.0 Critical Listening
  • 6.8 Commute/Travel
  • 6.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.7 Office
  • 5.4 Home Theater
  1. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  2. Updated Apr 04, 2016: Review published.
  3. Updated Apr 02, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  4. Updated Mar 22, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Mic Yes

The Aurvana Platinum has the same design as the Aurvana Gold but a different two-tone silver and brown color scheme and a few tweaks in the button layout. They are still a little bulky, but the visually pleasing color accents and plush padding make them stylish enough to wear in public.

5.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.76 lbs
Clamping Force
1.62 lbs

The pressure the Aurvana platinum exerts on the head is uncomfortable, especially after long listening sessions. The padding is relatively soft and the ear cups are large enough to encompass most ears well, but unfortunately the rigid frame has a lot of tension. This will be unpleasant for most and even worse for larger heads.

7.8
Design
Controls
Ease of use Subpar
Feedback Mediocre
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Noise Canceling Control Adjustable
Talk-Through Adjustable
Additional Buttons No

Button layout and functionality is decent but not great. The functionality and control options offered are above average; call/music, track skipping, volume and noise cancelling modes can all be found on the right ear cup. Unfortunately, some of the buttons do not provide much tactile feedback and are harder to use intuitively.

5.5
Design
Stability

These headphones are not stable. The bulky and heavy ear cups of the Aurvana Platinum sway as you tilt your head. The tight fit can maintain the headphones in place during casual use, but they will quickly fall off your head during any physical activity. On the upside, they are wireless and will not be pulled off your head because the audio cable got stuck on something.

5.6
Design
Portability
L 8.27"
W 8.27"
H 2.36"
Volume 161.51 in³
Stand required N/A

The Aurvana Platinum, like the Aurvana Gold, that share the same design are bulky headphones that are hard to carry around. Fortunately, the ear cups lay flat to take up less space. Sadly they don't fold up into a more compact format, which makes them cumbersome and occupy a lot of space in a backpack. They won't comfortably fit in handbags are way too big for pockets even larger jacket pockets.

5.5
Design
Case
Type Pouch

Comes with a soft pouch that does not add much bulk to the headphones and protects them from scratches but not from falls.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

Build quality is solid. The frame is made out of dense plastic that feels durable and robust enough to handle a fair amount of physical stress. The ear cups are also dense enough to not crack after a few drops.

5.6
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 7.85 °C

Design
Cable
Detachable Yes
Length 0 ft
Connection 1/16"TRRS

Comes with two cables; a 1/8"TRS-1/16"TRS audio cable and USB charging cable.

Design
Front

Design
Angled

Design
Side

Design
Rear

Design
Top

Design
In The Box

  • Creative Aurvana Platinum
  • Carrying pouch
  • Flight adapter
  • Audio cable
  • USB cable
  • Manual

Sound
6.7
Sound
Bass
Std. Err.
4.77 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
26.7 Hz
Low-Bass
0.57 dB
Bass
4.71 dB
High-Bass
7.18 dB

6.0
Sound
Mid
Std. Err.
5.27 dB
Low-Mid
6.9 dB
Mid
-0.74 dB
High-Mid
-3.87 dB

5.4
Sound
Treble
Std. Err.
5.59 dB
Low-Treble
-7.1 dB
Treble
-2.91 dB
High-Treble
-3.01 dB

8.6
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.28 dB

4.7
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Error
6 dB
Openness
3.3
Acoustic Space Excitation
2.5
Correlated Crosstalk
0 dB

6.2
Sound
Imaging
Phase Error
73.44°
Driver Mismatch (Amplitude)
1.44 dB
Driver Mismatch (Frequency)
3.5 dB
Driver Mismatch (Phase)
28.98°

6.7
Sound
Total Harmonic Distortion
Weighted THD @ 90
5.337
Weighted THD @ 100
5.01

Isolation
7.8
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Overall Attenuation
-20.67 dB
Noise-Cancelling Yes
Bass
-7.36 dB
Mid
-19.44 dB
Treble
-38.15 dB
Self-Noise
12.96 dB

Average isolation. The Aurvana Platinum come with three different noise cancelling modes. Based on our tests, the difference between the modes is small and mostly in the mid-range. The results shown here are from Mode I, which scores better than the other two. Also, this seems to the same algorithm used in the Aurvana Gold, since the results are virtually the same. The passive isolation is very good and effective down to 600Hz. The ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) kicks in at around 600Hz and performs decently in cancelling lower-frequency noise.

7.5
Isolation
Leakage
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
36.73 dB

Poor leakage. The leakage is virtually identical to the Aurvana Gold's. It covers almost the entire mid-range, and is loud.

Active Features
7.1
Active Features
Wireless
Type
Bluetooth 3.0
Obstructed Range
26 ft
Line of Sight Range
79 ft
NFC
Yes

The Aurvana Platinum have a short, disappointing wireless range, especially, for full-sized headphones. They perform worst than the Gold model and barely reach more than 25 ft when the Bluetooth source was obstructed. This may be due to the density of the ear cups obstructing the receiver. On the upside, they offer NFC and dual device pairing, which makes them relatively easy to pair and to switch between you most used devices.

2.9
Active Features
Latency
Base Latency
190 ms
aptX Latency
166 ms
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A

7.6
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Battery Life
14.3 hrs
Charge Time
1.9 hrs
Auto-off
No
Audio while charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No

The Aurvana Platinum have an average battery life that will last around half a day of continuous playback. They charge relatively fast and can continue streaming audio at the same time. However, they don't have an auto-off timer, so your battery will keep being drained even when you're not using them.

0
Active Features
App Support

No compatible app.