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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're on a budget, the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 offers good value with solid build quality and control features, plus it's suited for exercise with its sweatproof certification. However, the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) delivers higher overall sound quality and better microphone performance, which may be more appealing for calls, meetings, and an immersive gaming and TV experience due to its low latency. The "Nothing" earbuds also have active noise cancelling, better battery life, and are more compact and lighter, making them ideal for air travel and portability, although they are more expensive. 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
Advantages of the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2)
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
5.7
7.0
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
8.5
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
TV and Video
5.4
8.0
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is very good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
8.0
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.7 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) has 6.7 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$149
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) costs $149.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
7.6
7.9
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 are both good for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
9.1
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) to be excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $149 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | "Nothing" Brand | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 6.7 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 1 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 | 8/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 4.4 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."
"Nothing" Brand Ear (2)
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Sound Guys
Jasper Lastoria | March 2023
"For the price the Nothing Ear (2) is pretty good. It fits well, and the IP54 rating (and IP55 with case) is durable enough for daily life. Most of its unique features are found in the Nothing X app, such as personalized frequency responses, and personalized, adjustable ANC."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2)
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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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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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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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