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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize overall sound quality and use during exercise, the Beats Studiobuds might be a better option since they offer very good sound and are sweatproof. However, they are at a higher price point, and their performance for gaming and TV is poor. On the other hand, the Creative Labs Zen Air is more budget-friendly and provides good microphone quality and excellent build quality. The Zen Air also comes with wireless charging and a longer battery life for the case, but they have a weaker performance for music and aren't well-optimized for exercise, travel, or noise isolation. While the Studiobuds do not have wireless charging, they are optimized for both Android and Apple devices, have active noise cancelling, and a more portable design. Consider what you'll primarily use them for and which features you value most before making your decision. 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 Studiobuds
- Good for music
- Good for phone calls
- Good for exercise
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Creative Labs Zen Air
- The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the Beats Studiobuds.
Key differences
Phone Calls
7.0
5.1
The Beats Studiobuds is good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0
5.4
The Beats Studiobuds is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Beats Studiobuds has 6 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$80
$30
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Beats Studiobuds has a price of $80 and the Creative Labs Zen Air costs $30.
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Key similarities
Music
7.2
6.8
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Beats Studiobuds to be good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
5.2
5.1
The Beats Studiobuds and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Beats Studiobuds are both poor for TV and video.
Noise Reduction
6.5
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Creative Labs Zen Air to be good for noise reduction, while the Beats Studiobuds is only fair.
Build Quality
8.8
9.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Creative Labs Zen Air to have excellent build quality, while the Beats Studiobuds has very good build quality.
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How the Beats Studiobuds and the Creative Labs Zen Air compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Beats Studiobuds | Creative Labs Zen Air |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$80 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Beats | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | December 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.2/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 5.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 7.7/10 | 6.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.9 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 24 | 12 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.8/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.9/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Beats Studiobuds
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Chase Bernath | May 2023
"For less than the price of the AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds delivers a good fit, great sound, and active noise cancellation. This is also the first set of Apple-owned Beats earbuds to feature quick pairing with Android devices, albeit at the expense of some key features for Apple users."
Creative Labs Zen Air
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Dig into reviews and images
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."
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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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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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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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