A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize premium sound quality and are willing to pay for it, the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 offer an immersive experience with higher build quality and active noise cancelling. However, for budget-conscious customers, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 delivers respectable sound quality with excellent battery life at a lower cost. The PI7 also provides low latency performance for gaming and TV, while the Outlier Air V3 is more suited for calls, meetings, and exercise with good durability and sweatproof features. Neither option, though, is tailored specifically for Android or Apple, allowing flexibility across devices. 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 PI7
- Very good for gaming
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
6.8
5.7
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is only fair for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
8.1
5.1
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
7.6
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.8
8.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is poor.
TV and Video
6.8
5.4
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is only fair for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
6.5
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair.
Battery
3.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 has 3 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life.
Cost
$399
$30
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 has a price of $399 and the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 costs $30.
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Key similarities
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 PI7 has very good build quality.
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How the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 and the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bowers and Wilkins PI7 | Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$399 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bowers and Wilkins | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2021 | June 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.2/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.2/10 | 5.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 6.9/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 5.8/10 | 8/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 3 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.7 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 20 | 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 | 8.5/10 | 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) | 7 Grams | 5.2 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bowers and Wilkins PI7
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Chase Bernath | April 2022
"The primary selling point of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 is the charging case that can transmit audio from any analog source to the earbuds. If you have a very specific and clear need for that feature, then the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 is for you."
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 Bowers and Wilkins PI7 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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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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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.
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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.
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