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What we think
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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're primarily focused on high-quality sound for music and critical listening in a quiet environment, the AKG K712 Pro headphones would be an excellent choice; however, they are open-backed, meaning they won't isolate noise well and they are not portable. On the other hand, if you need something for casual use, such as making calls, some exercises, and listening on the go, the Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds offer good sound and features like wireless design and active noise cancelling at a budget-friendly price, yet wouldn't compare in sound quality or comfort for longer sessions like the AKGs. 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 AKG K712 Pro
- Good for music
- Good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Creative Labs Zen Air
- Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.7
6.8
The AKG K712 Pro is good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
7.0
5.1
The AKG K712 Pro is good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8
5.4
The AKG K712 Pro is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
TV and Video
8.4
5.6
The AKG K712 Pro is very good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the AKG K712 Pro is poor.
Battery
N/A
5.0 Hours
The AKG K712 Pro does not have a battery. The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$659
$20
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The AKG K712 Pro has a price of $659 and the Creative Labs Zen Air costs $20.
Build Quality
8.5
9.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the AKG K712 Pro has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
4.9
5.1
The Creative Labs Zen Air and AKG K712 Pro are both poor for phone calls.
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How the AKG K712 Pro and the Creative Labs Zen Air compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| AKG K712 Pro | Creative Labs Zen Air |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$659 | $20 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | AKG | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2013 | December 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.8/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.9/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.5/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 12 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 235 Grams | 5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Shopping
AKG K712 Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
Headfonics
Michael | October 2013
"AKG has created a mini-masterpiece in my opinion. I enjoy this headphone a great deal and it will become my go-to reference headphone for the time being. She is slick, sexy, well-balanced, and crazy comfortable."
Creative Labs Zen Air
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Headphone Check
Maike Paeßens | February 2023
"The Creative Zen Air’s weak points are its low battery life and rather short Bluetooth range. On the other hand, the strengths of these weatherproof True Wireless in-Ears are the sound and the wide attenuation of the Active Noise Cancellation. Considering the price range, the speech intelligibility during calls is also exceptionally good."
Get a great deal on the AKG K712 Pro or the Creative Labs Zen Air
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.
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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.
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