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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 are a budget-friendly choice and offer superior build quality, and are sweatproof which makes them excellent for exercise. They also boast a significantly longer battery life, making them ideal for extended use without frequent charges. However, if soundstage is important to you, the Sony Linkbuds provide a more spacious and immersive listening experience due to their open design, but this also means they offer less noise isolation and are not as suitable for noisy environments. The Linkbuds are also optimized for Android and Apple devices, and feature ear detection, virtual surround, and a more compact size which may be useful for portability and convenience. 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 Sony Linkbuds
- The Sony Linkbuds has no clear advantages over the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3.
Key differences
Music
5.7
6.6
The Sony Linkbuds is only fair for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
6.8
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Sony Linkbuds is only fair.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
7.8
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony Linkbuds is good.
Noise Reduction
6.5
2.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Sony Linkbuds has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$178
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Sony Linkbuds costs $178.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.1
5.5
The Sony Linkbuds and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.4
5.4
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for TV and video.
Build Quality
9.0
9.3
The Sony Linkbuds and Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Sony Linkbuds compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Sony Linkbuds |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $178 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 40 | 17.5 | |
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 | Yes | |
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 | 9.3/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 4.5 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."
Sony Linkbuds
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Sound Guys
Sam Moore | February 2022
"The Sony LinkBuds is definitely the most unique audio product to release so far in 2022, and it largely executes well on it's unoccluded design. However, it's hamstrung by all the same things as other unsealed earbuds."
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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 Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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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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CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
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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