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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 are budget-priced, truly wireless earbuds with decent overall sound quality, and they're versatile enough for use during exercise or travel due to their wireless design, sweatproof feature, and relatively long battery life. They have moderate sound isolation but no active noise cancellation, which could be a limitation in noisy environments. The EPOS PC38X, on the other hand, are midrange-priced headphones designed for an immersive gaming and audio experience, as indicated by their excellent scores in those areas, and high comfort levels. They feature an open-back design with a boom mic for superior calls and meetings quality. The PC38X are not wireless and have lower portability, making them less suited for use on the go. If budget and versatility are your key considerations, go with the Outlier Air V3. For the highest audio fidelity, particularly for gaming or critical listening at home, the PC38X would be the better choice, despite their higher price. 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 Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the EPOS PC38X
- Best in class for music
- Best in class for phone calls
- Best in class for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.7
9.5
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
10.0
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
10.0
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
7.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the EPOS PC38X is good.
TV and Video
5.4
9.0
The EPOS PC38X is excellent for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
2.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair for noise reduction, while the EPOS PC38X is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The EPOS PC38X does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$125
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the EPOS PC38X costs $125.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has excellent build quality, while the EPOS PC38X has very good build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the EPOS PC38X compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | EPOS PC38X |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $125 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | EPOS | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | September 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 10/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 40 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.8/10 | 10/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 249.4 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
Shopping
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."
EPOS PC38X
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Dig into reviews and images
Everyday Listening
Ryan Soo | November 2021
"Lightweight and comfortable design, Mic arm with mute, Excellent tuning, Highly natural midrange voicing, Clean and separated bass, Solid soundstage dimensions. Combining all day comfort and integrated coms with a balanced and spacious sound from essentially any source, it is hard to deny the versatility and value provided by the PC38X."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the EPOS PC38X
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.
About EPOS
EPOS is a relatively new company with a very long heritage. Previously known as Sennheiser Communications, EPOS is the result of the joint venture between the German headphone manufacturer Sennheiser and the Danish Demant that sought to develop premium audio communication solutions. They specialize in two main product groups, enterprise communications and gaming communication headsets and processing devices.
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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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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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