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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize top-notch noise cancellation for travel and high-quality calls, the Bose 700 are excellent with additional comforts like an app equalizer and over-ear design. However, they're much pricier and not suitable for exercise. The Creative Labs Zen Air is budget-friendly, has decent sound, is sweatproof for workouts, and supports wireless charging, but it might lack the immersive sound and comfort of the Bose and isn't great for TV or gaming due to poor soundstage quality. Choose Bose 700 for overall quality and noise cancellation or Zen Air for casual listening and exercise on a budget. 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 Bose 700
- Good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Best in class for air travel
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Creative Labs Zen Air
- The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the Bose 700.
Key differences
Music
7.5
6.8
The Bose 700 is good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Phone Calls
8.3
5.1
The Bose 700 is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8
5.4
The Bose 700 is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1
7.0
The Bose 700 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Battery
20.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Bose 700 has 20 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$299
$30
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Bose 700 has a price of $299 and the Creative Labs Zen Air costs $30.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.3
5.1
The Bose 700 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Bose 700 are both poor for TV and video.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Bose 700 and Creative Labs Zen Air both have excellent build quality.
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How the Bose 700 and the Creative Labs Zen Air compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose 700 | Creative Labs Zen Air |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2019 | December 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.3/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 5.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 20 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 12 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 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 | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 263 Grams | 5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bose 700
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Adam Molina | June 2023
"Bose took active noise canceling and made it mainstream but eventually, the market caught up. Well, it seems like Bose was listening, because the Noise Canceling Headphones 700 is a complete redesign of its iconic product. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have a new design, improved sound quality, a touch-sensitive gesture pad for playback controls, and even USB-C charging."
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."
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About Bose
Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.
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
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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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