The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize supreme noise isolation for air travel and an immersive TV and gaming experience, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones could be worth the extra cost, also providing the benefit of both wireless and wired connectivity. However, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option that also offers very good call quality, portability, and is sweatproof for exercise, the Creative Labs Outlier Pro earbuds would serve you well. Keep in mind, the Outlier Pro is better suited for audio content like books and podcasts and has a longer battery life, while the Bose excels in comfort and build quality. 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 Pro
Very good for phone calls
Very good for exercise
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
8.3/10
5.9/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
9.3/10
5.3/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Phone Calls
5.3/10
8.3/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0/10
8.9/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is only fair.
TV and Video
9.0/10
5.5/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1/10
8.3/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good.
Battery
29.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life.
Cost
$429
$50
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has a price of $429 and the Creative Labs Outlier Pro costs $50.
"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."
"If you listen to music for extended periods such as commuting and work, and you hate having to pause to charge, give the Creative Outlier Pro wireless earbuds a try. You should be able to enjoy your tunes all day, or longer, without interruption."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones or the Creative Labs Outlier Pro
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
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.
By the numbers
108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
128,300
Recommendations made
19,245
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
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.
Luis Torres
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.