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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 earbuds are a budget-friendly wireless option with a decent overall sound quality that serves well for music, calls, and exercise due to their configuration, long battery life, and sweatproof design; they also have good built-in controls and a portable size suitable for travel. In contrast, the Focal Elex headphones have superior overall sound quality, particularly excelling in soundstage and music listening experiences, but they come at a higher price and lack wireless capabilities, making them less portable and more suitable for home use with a focus on critical music listening or TV and video enjoyment. The Elex headphones' open-back design offers a more natural and wider sound but does not isolate noise as effectively as the Outlier Air V3 earbuds, potentially making them less ideal for loud environments or air travel. 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 Focal Elex
- Good for music
- Very good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.7
7.7
The Focal Elex is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
6.9
The Focal Elex is only fair for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
4.3
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
7.1
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Elex is good.
TV and Video
5.4
8.3
The Focal Elex is very good 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 Focal Elex is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Focal Elex does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$749
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Focal Elex costs $749.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Focal Elex both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Focal Elex compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Focal Elex |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $749 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Focal | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | December 1, 2017 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 4.4/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 6.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.3/10 | |
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 | No | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 450 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
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."
Focal Elex
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Dig into reviews and images
Golden Sound
Golden Sound | October 2021
"The Focal Elex are an excellent pair of headphones for the money and a great all-rounder that will suit many tastes. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, well built, that looks good, and will work with just about any genre."
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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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