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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If noise cancellation and comfort are your top priorities, especially for long flights or commutes, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones are superior. They are over-ear, typically offer better noise isolation, and have a premium build. However, they come at a higher cost. For regular workouts or if you're looking for something more affordable, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 earbuds might be a better fit; they're sweatproof, have a good fit for exercise, and are much less expensive. Both do well with music, but the Bose's sound quality and comfort are better suited for TV, while the Creative Labs is better suited for calls and offers a longer battery life. If you game or watch a lot of videos, be mindful of the Bose's low latency capability, which can be crucial for syncing audio to visuals. 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 Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
- Very good for music
- Excellent for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
- Best in class for air travel
Advantages of the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
- Good for phone calls
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
8.3
5.7
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
9.3
5.1
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
5.3
7.6
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
8.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is only fair.
TV and Video
9.0
5.4
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1
6.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair.
Battery
29.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life.
Cost
$429
$30
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has a price of $429 and the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 costs $30.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 both have excellent build quality.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones | Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$429 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | June 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.3/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.3/10 | 5.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 8/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 29 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 40 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 255 Grams | 5.2 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
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Dig into reviews and images
SoundGuys
Christian Thomas | January 2024
"The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a credible step up from previous Bose ANC headphones, and they're built to hang tough with the competition for years into the future. No waterproofing is a bit of a letdown, but these headphones have the technical chops to make most quite happy."
Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
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Trusted Reviews
Kob Monney | July 2022
"The V3 present the best version of the Outlier Air series yet. The new features such as Active Noise Reduction and Ambient mode are integrated well; the performance of both is as good as you’ll get below £100. The design is less bulky and more comfortable thanks to being smaller and lighter, and the Outlier Air V3 eke out more clarity, detail and definition from music."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones or the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
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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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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