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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If your priority is gaming and TV, the Audeze Maxwell with its excellent sound quality and low latency would be superior. However, they are less portable and at a premium price. The Creative Labs Zen Air is more budget-friendly, sweatproof, and suited for exercise. It offers good noise isolation and is optimized for general use, but it's not suitable for high-quality TV or gaming audio experiences due to lower performance in sound quality and latency. The choice hinges on whether you value higher-end audio and gaming compatibility over cost and exercise suitability. 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 Audeze Maxwell
- Very good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Excellent for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Creative Labs Zen Air
- The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the Audeze Maxwell.
Key differences
Music
8.4
6.8
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
9.0
5.1
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Phone Calls
8.7
5.1
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.4
5.4
The Audeze Maxwell is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
TV and Video
8.9
5.6
The Audeze Maxwell is very good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.0
7.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the Audeze Maxwell is only fair.
Battery
78.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Audeze Maxwell has 78 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$299
$30
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Audeze Maxwell has a price of $299 and the Creative Labs Zen Air costs $30.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Audeze Maxwell and Creative Labs Zen Air both have excellent build quality.
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How the Audeze Maxwell and the Creative Labs Zen Air compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Audeze Maxwell | Creative Labs Zen Air |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Audeze | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | December 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.9/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 6.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 78 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 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 | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 498.9 Grams | 5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | Integrated | |
Shopping
Audeze Maxwell
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | August 2023
"Despite a few caveats, the Audeze Maxwell is one of the best-performing gaming headsets on the market and should top the ranks for a few buyers — provided the budget (and neck strength) is there. Gaming headsets have their work cut out for them, and their audience is historically unkind to performance flaws. If you’re an older gamer with some cash to blow, you should be pleased with the Audeze Maxwell."
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 Audeze Maxwell or the Creative Labs Zen Air
About Audeze
Audeze is an, award-winning, American premium headphone manufacturer based in California. Founded in 2008, their products are developed around aerospace materials technology first used by NASA and are widely used by enthusiasts and professionals alike, not only in the fields of music and sound engineering but also in e-sports and the health industry.
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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Why trust us
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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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.
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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.
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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.
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