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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize wireless convenience and need a pair that can withstand some sweat during workouts, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is the better option due to its wireless design and sweatproof certification. It also offers longer battery life and comes with active noise cancelling, features that may enhance your experience during travel or in noisy environments. However, if sound quality, especially the richness and openness of music, is more important to you, then the Koss Porta Pro with its open enclosure type might be the preferable choice. Keep in mind that the Koss Porta Pro is a wired, on-ear headphone which may not be as suitable for working out or for situations where wireless freedom is desired. 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 Koss Porta Pro
- Very good for music
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.7
8.2
The Koss Porta Pro is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
6.4
The Koss Porta Pro 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 Koss Porta Pro is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
6.8
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Koss Porta Pro is only fair.
TV and Video
5.4
7.6
The Koss Porta Pro is 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 Koss Porta Pro is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Koss Porta Pro does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$49
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Koss Porta Pro costs $49.
Build Quality
9.0
6.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has excellent build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro has only fair build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Koss Porta Pro compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Koss Porta Pro |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $49 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Koss | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | January 1, 1984 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 4.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 6.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 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 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 6/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 63.5 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."
Koss Porta Pro
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Headphones.com
Sebastian Taboada | February 2022
"It’s clear to see why these have been such a popular choice amongst listeners for nearly four decades. It’s a charming pair of headphones that delivers a truly enjoyable listening experience and one that I think punches well above its weight."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the Koss Porta Pro
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 Koss
Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.
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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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