Creative Labs' Aurvana Ace Mimi xMEMS IEMs launch for $130
Like smartphones, new innovations in portable audio have seemed to plateau as of late, tempering expectations for something new - at least across mainstream brands. Last year however, things changed in the audio world with a new portable speaker technology called xMEMS - named per their inventor, xMEMS Labs. Creative was the first to jump on the wagon with their first Aurvana earbuds back in 2023.
The Aurvana Ace Mimi earbuds are the latest in Creative's iterative lineup - the distinguishing feature here is sound personalization (and though unchanged from the last generation, a dual-driver architecture which is notable for richer sound). Similar to how the Apple EarPods and other flagship 'buds offer a 'sound personalization test' to adjust certain frequencies for your own hearing response, the Mimis also come with this feature. The tech is mostly commonplace in other brands' products, but it is refreshing to see it in combination with a set that uses the new xMEMS drivers. It is thanks to all that why the new earphones promise to offer crystal-clear sound, especially in tracks that have a lot of instruments or detail to reproduce. A dynamic driver complements the xMEMS, offering up the low-end for deep bass.
The Ace Mimi earbuds promise a 7-hour playtime per charge, and up to 28 hours when incorporating the usual battery case recharges between listening sessions. Triple microphones are present, like other products in this midrange price segment. Welcome though is their higher IPX5 rating - more than the latest from Apple, so they should resist a little more than just sweat if needed. Google Assistant and Siri compatibility are available as you would expect for this price, and the battery case is Qi-compatible for wireless charging. Audio codecs available are LDAC, LC3, AAC and SBC; while it is nice to see LDAC present, it's puzzling to see AptX absent here. Thankfully, most mid- to upper-range phones today offer LDAC support, promising high fidelity audio. The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3 with LE audio, support low-latency mode and Auracast for audio sharing.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and ambient sound modes are onboard, as are touch controls. The frequency response covers 5-40000Hz - remarkable for IEMs at this cost, if true. The Aurvana Ace Mimi is available now from Creative's website and various retailers.
