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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize wireless convenience and battery life for long usage sessions, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is the better choice, as it's wireless with a longer battery life and has a case that supports wireless charging. It's also suited for exercise with sweatproof certification. On the other hand, the Moondrop Chu offers better overall sound quality and mic quality, which makes it superior for calls and meetings, and has higher build quality. It's wired, which means you don't need to worry about charging, but it may not be as suitable for exercise due to lack of sweatproofing and lower use during exercise score. Both pairs have a closed enclosure type for passive noise isolation, but neither features active noise cancelling. 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 Moondrop Chu
- Good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.7
7.9
The Moondrop Chu is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
8.0
The Moondrop Chu is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
8.8
The Moondrop Chu is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
7.6
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Moondrop Chu is good.
TV and Video
5.4
7.5
The Moondrop Chu is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
6.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Moondrop Chu are both only fair for noise reduction, though the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is somewhat better.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Moondrop Chu does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$22
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Moondrop Chu costs $22.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has excellent build quality, while the Moondrop Chu has very good build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Moondrop Chu compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Moondrop Chu |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $22 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Moondrop | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | April 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 8.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.4/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
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 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | In-Line | |
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."
Moondrop Chu
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Sound Guys
Jasper Lastoria | September 2022
"These budget buds put the pressure on those premium priced in-ear monitors to really justify the cost disparity. Offering excellent sound quality at any price, the Moondrop Chu is both a perfect entry into the audio enthusiast hobby, and an all around good pick for music fans."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the Moondrop Chu
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 Moondrop
Moondrop is a Chinese brand of smart audio equipment, portable audio players, earbuds and headphones started in 2015. During the last few years they have become one of the major players in what is lovingly referred to as the Chi-fi market, the bulk of Chinese companies that have managed to actually compete with the western manufacturers in both prices and superior quality. Products such as the Blessing II, Chu and Kato are among the most popular offerings of the brand, more popular among those users that wish for good quality audio that won't break the bank. Besides audio, the brand also works in what they call the ACGN field (Animation, Comics, Games and Short Novels).
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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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