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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 offers superior overall sound quality, better noise isolation, and active noise cancelling, making them better suited for air travel and noisy environments; they also have a higher build quality but are pricier. On the other hand, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 provides great value with longer battery life, suitable mic quality, and is quite good for calls, meetings, and exercise due to being sweatproof. If you prioritize sound quality and noise isolation and don't mind the higher cost, go with Bowers and Wilkins; if battery life and value are more important, Creative Labs is the better option. 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 Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2
- The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 has no clear advantages over the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3.
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
6.7
5.7
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is only fair for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
5.0
7.6
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.6
8.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
6.5
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 has 5 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life.
Cost
$181
$30
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 has a price of $181 and the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 costs $30.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.3
5.1
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.4
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 are both poor for TV and video.
Build Quality
8.9
9.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 to have excellent build quality, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 has very good build quality.
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How the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 and the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 | Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$181 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bowers and Wilkins | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | June 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.8/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.3/10 | 5.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.75 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 19 | 40 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 6 Grams | 5.2 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2
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Dig into reviews and images
Major HiFi
Chris Golembeski | January 2023
"Bowers and Wilkins isn’t looking to make an obscure, premium wireless bud catered specifically towards audiophiles. Instead, it seems apparent that they’re going for the crown: a cool and popular look, an easy and comfortable fit, and an engaging stage with a great balance that is perfectly suited for mainstream listeners and audiophiles alike."
Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 or the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
About Bowers and Wilkins
Bowers and Wilkins is a British audio equipment manufacturer with a focus on innovation and product development. It was founded by a couple of real-life James Bonds, the co-founders John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, who met while working for MI6 during World War II. The company keeps being favored by enthusiasts due to their sound quality, craftsmanship and signature aesthetics.
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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