The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you're budget-conscious and prefer wired earbuds with a fairly well-rounded performance for calls, gaming, and TV, the Apple Earpods are your choice, especially if you often use them during quiet activities or in environments where noise isolation isn't crucial. They lack the features for exercise and air travel due to poor noise isolation and the open design could let ambient noise in. On the other hand, the Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 is pricier with better build quality, active noise cancelling aimed at noise-heavy environments, and a sweatproof design which is great for exercising. They offer wireless connectivity with a decent battery life, and advanced codecs like AptX Lossless for higher-quality audio, making them suitable for music enthusiasts who do not mind spending more for enhanced features. However, for calls, they might not be the best due to fair mic quality. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Earpods
Very good for phone calls
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2
Very good for music
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.8/10
8.4/10
The Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 is very good for music, while the Apple Earpods is good.
Phone Calls
8.0/10
4.9/10
The Apple Earpods is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.4/10
5.6/10
The Apple Earpods is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
7.0/10
The Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 is good for noise reduction, while the Apple Earpods is poor.
Battery
N/A
5.0 Hours
The Apple Earpods does not have a battery. The Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$20
$150
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Apple Earpods has a price of $20 and the Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 costs $150.
Build Quality
7.6/10
9.0/10
The Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2 has excellent build quality, while the Apple Earpods has good build quality.
"Apple’s wired buds sound just fine for the price, and their handy inline controls and clear microphone give them an edge on wireless earbuds that are much more expensive. Plus, you never have to worry about running out of battery — or worse, a stray earbud going missing."
"The Creative Aurvana Ace 2 earphones deliver robust, crisp audio thanks to their combination of xMEMS and dynamic drivers. We're fans of their extensive, high-quality codec options and highly customizable EQ."
Get a great deal on the Apple Earpods or the Creative Labs Aurvana Ace 2
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
About Creative Labs
Creative Labs is a Singaporean technology company specialized in the manufacture of multimedia products. They created the world-famous Soundblaster soundcard back in 1989 which was a staple of the gaming community for a long time. Nowadays, besides still marketing their discrete audio systems, they offer a wide array of headphones, gaming headsets and speakers that still preserve that same heritage.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
95,000
Recommendations made
14,250
Consumer hours saved
About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.