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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're looking for earbuds that offer better noise isolation and are optimized for exercise and air travel, the Beats Fit Pro would be the better choice, especially if you use an Apple device as they’re powered by the H1 chip for improved audio features. They also offer adaptive sound, noise handling, spatial audio, and low latency which is beneficial for Apple users. However, if budget is a concern and you're looking for a more wallet-friendly option, the Creative Labs Zen Air provides good sound quality and app equalizer features at a typically much less expensive price point. The Creative Labs Zen Air also supports wireless charging, which the Beats Fit Pro does not, but they lack the optimized fit accessories and advanced Apple-specific features the Beats Fit Pro offers. 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 Beats Fit Pro
Good for exercise
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Creative Labs Zen Air
The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the Beats Fit Pro.
Key differences
Phone Calls
6.3/10
5.1/10
The Beats Fit Pro is only fair for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.6/10
5.4/10
The Beats Fit Pro is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
7.0/10
The Beats Fit Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Cost
$179
$30
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Beats Fit Pro has a price of $179 and the Creative Labs Zen Air costs $30.
Build Quality
8.5/10
9.0/10
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Beats Fit Pro has very good build quality.
"The Beats Fit Pro is just as easy to use with an Android device as it is with an iPhone. It seems Apple-owned Beats is trying to appeal to a wider market, and it works. The Fit Pro fits like a pro with the ear tip fit test and multiple ear tips. Sound quality is sure to please most athletes, but the Fit Pro is just at home in the office as it is in the gym. The main factor holding the Beats Fit Pro back from gold is the price."
"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 Beats Fit Pro or the Creative Labs Zen Air
About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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