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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're on a budget, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 offers good comfort, excellent build quality, and is suitable for music, exercise, and travel, though sound quality and soundstage are less immersive. For a premium, JBL Live Buds 3 provide very good overall sound and noise isolation, longer battery life, a smart charging case with an LED touch display, and features like wireless charging and virtual surround, perfect for users seeking high-tech convenience and a robust listening experience. Both are stemless and sweatproof, but the JBL's active noise cancelling and LDAC support may justify the higher price for discerning listeners and frequent travelers. 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 podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live Buds 3
- Good for music
Key differences
Music
5.7
7.8
The JBL Live Buds 3 is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
5.2
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
5.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
8.3
The JBL Live Buds 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair.
Cost
$30
$216
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the JBL Live Buds 3 costs $216.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Buds 3 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.1
5.4
The JBL Live Buds 3 and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.4
5.6
The JBL Live Buds 3 and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 are both poor for TV and video.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Buds 3 has 10 hours of battery life.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the JBL Live Buds 3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | JBL Live Buds 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $216 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | June 1, 2024 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 5.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.3 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 40 | 30 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 8.8 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the JBL Live Buds 3
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 JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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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
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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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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