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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for earbuds that are budget-friendly and suited for a more active lifestyle with wireless convenience, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 could be a better fit, as they are less expensive, feature wireless connectivity, sweatproof certification, a built-in mic with decent quality, longer battery life in a single charge, and they also come with a charging case that supports wireless charging. However, if sound quality is your priority and you're okay with a wired connection, the Etymotic ER2SE offers superior overall sound quality and excellent noise isolation, although they lack a microphone and the convenience of wireless features, so they're not as versatile for calls or exercise. 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
- Good for phone calls
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Etymotic ER2SE
- Very good for music
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.7
8.8
The Etymotic ER2SE is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
6.2
The Etymotic ER2SE is only fair for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
4.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Etymotic ER2SE is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
7.6
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Etymotic ER2SE is good.
TV and Video
5.4
7.8
The Etymotic ER2SE is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
9.1
The Etymotic ER2SE is excellent for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Etymotic ER2SE does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$100
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Etymotic ER2SE costs $100.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Etymotic ER2SE both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Etymotic ER2SE compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Etymotic ER2SE |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $100 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Etymotic | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | February 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 6.3/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.2/10 | |
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 | 9.1/10 | |
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 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 4 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
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."
Etymotic ER2SE
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Sound Guys
Lily Katz | April 2022
"Etymotic isn’t playing around: it takes audio seriously and has mastered the art of the noise-isolation earphone. Sure, the fit of the earbuds looks silly but it’s a signature Etymotic thing and could be considered charming by some. If you’re looking for best-in-class audio for a realistic price, the ER2SE is it."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the Etymotic ER2SE
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 Etymotic
Etymotic Research is an American based research, development and manufacturing company founded in 1983. They invented the first insert earphones that were used for the diagnosis and research of hearing loss and other auditory disorders. They went on to pioneer the market of high fidelity, isolating, in-ear earphones.
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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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