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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 is a more budget-friendly option with a closed enclosure providing better noise isolation, and it's sweatproof, making it suitable for exercise. They offer a longer battery life compared to the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick, and also support wireless charging. On the other hand, the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick, while slightly pricier, has a higher overall sound quality and superior mic quality, which could be important for calls. It features a low latency mode that might be desirable for gaming and watching TV. However, the Ear Stick's open design may allow more ambient noise to seep in, making them less ideal for noisy environments. Both have companion apps for customization and are optimized for both Android and Apple devices. Choose the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 for extended use and exercise, or the "Nothing" Ear Stick for better sound quality and call performance in quieter settings. 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
Advantages of the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Gaming
5.1
8.1
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
8.6
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
8.4
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick are both very good for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.4
7.5
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick 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 "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$108
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick costs $108.
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Key similarities
Music
5.7
6.1
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick to be only fair for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $108 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | "Nothing" Brand | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | November 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 8.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 1.2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 40 | 22 | |
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 | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
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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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."
"Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
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Sound Guys
Jasper Lastoria | December 2022
"If the Ear (stick) fits your ears, its light weight means you can easily wear it until the unimpressive battery life totally drains. The IP54 rating of the buds lends some confidence that it’ll survive some light abuse too. Finally, for the person who only wears earbuds at their desk, the Nothing Ear (stick) with its decent microphone could offer a reasonable Zoom meeting solution."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
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.
By the numbers
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Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
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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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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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