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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 earbuds offer good portability, are sweatproof for exercise, have a longer battery life, and can be charged wirelessly, making them suitable for on-the-go and active users. However, the Sennheiser HD 400S headphones provide a wider soundstage, better comfort, and significant improvements in mic quality, making them ideal for an immersive music listening experience and clearer calls. Sennheisers are also better for gaming due to their superior sound imaging but require a wired connection, which could limit mobility. The earbuds are generally less expensive, so if budget is a priority alongside wireless convenience, they might be the appropriate choice. 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 Sennheiser HD 400S
- Good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.7
7.1
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
8.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
8.2
The Sennheiser HD 400S 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 Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
TV and Video
5.4
7.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
5.3
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$50
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $50.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser HD 400S has very good build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Sennheiser HD 400S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Sennheiser HD 400S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | January 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 8.7/10 | |
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 | 5.3/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
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 | 8.4/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 213 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."
Sennheiser HD 400S
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Headphone Dungeon
Jim | August 2022
"Sennheiser has done it again. The HD 400S performs well beyond its price range and is one of the better budget model headphones I’ve tried. It has very few bells and whistles and offers a simple means of listening that still delivers amazing clarity and quality. If you need a good first pair of headphones or need something that you can take out of the house, then the HD 400S is definitely for you."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the Sennheiser HD 400S
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 Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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