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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 offers premium features such as great noise isolation, quality build, and active noise cancelling, making them suitable for air travel and crowded environments. They also have a better microphone quality, which is beneficial during calls. However, they're more expensive and potentially not the best for music listening given their overall sound quality. The Creative Labs Zen Air, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly and has an excellent build quality. However, they don't feature active noise cancelling and have lower sound quality overall, which might not be ideal in noisy situations or for discerning audiophiles. If price is a major concern and you desire a decent pair of earbuds for casual use, the Zen Air could be a good choice, but if you're after higher-end features and frequent noisy environments or prioritize call quality, the PI7 might be worth the investment. 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 Zen Air
- The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the Bowers and Wilkins PI7.
Key differences
Gaming
8.1
5.1
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.8
5.4
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Bowers and Wilkins PI7 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Creative Labs Zen Air is somewhat better.
TV and Video
6.8
5.6
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is only fair for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
7.0
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Battery
3.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 has 3 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 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 Zen Air costs $30.
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Key similarities
Music
6.8
6.8
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both only fair for music.
Phone Calls
5.1
5.1
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.9
9.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Creative Labs Zen Air 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 Zen Air compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bowers and Wilkins PI7 | Creative Labs Zen Air |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$399 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bowers and Wilkins | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2021 | December 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.2/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.2/10 | 5.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 6.9/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 5.8/10 | 6.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 3 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.7 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 20 | 12 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
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 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 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."
Get a great deal on the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 or the Creative Labs Zen Air
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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