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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If your priority is superior sound quality and active noise cancelling for varied environments like air travel and exercise, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are an excellent choice, albeit at a premium price. Although they perform poorly for calls and meetings, they offer very good overall sound, comfort, build quality, and battery life. Conversely, the Creative Labs Zen Air provides a budget-friendly option with good mic quality for calls, but they fall short in most other areas, particularly for music listening and noise isolation. They are also not recommended for TV and video due to latency issues, but they do support wireless charging, which Bose lacks. Consider your primary use case and how much you're willing to invest when 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 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
- Very good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Very good for exercise
Advantages of the Creative Labs Zen Air
- The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
Key differences
Music
8.6
6.8
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
8.8
5.1
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
5.4
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
TV and Video
8.1
5.6
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.9
7.0
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$249
$30
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds has a price of $249 and the Creative Labs Zen Air costs $30.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.1
5.1
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Creative Labs Zen Air both have excellent build quality.
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How the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and the Creative Labs Zen Air compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds | Creative Labs Zen Air |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$249 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | December 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.7/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.8/10 | 5.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.2/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 6.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 21 | 12 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.9/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.2/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7.7 Grams | 5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
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Dig into reviews and images
Soundguys
Christian Thomas | October 2023
"Bose put the time in to fix the major issues with the previous earbuds, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are very befitting of its price point. While you might be tempted to save a few bucks and go with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II on sale, fight the urge. There are enough upgrades here to justify the newer model."
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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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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