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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 budget-friendly choice known for its solid build quality and good battery life, making it suitable for extended use during exercise or air travel, with decent sound for music and calls. However, the Soundcore Space A40, despite being more expensive, offers better overall sound quality, superior noise isolation for quieter environments, and a lighter, more compact design, which is great for portability. Furthermore, the A40 supports a high-quality LDAC codec for enhanced audio over Bluetooth, which the Outlier Air V3 lacks, providing an advantage for those keen on audio fidelity. 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 podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Soundcore Space A40
- Good for music
Key differences
Music
5.7
7.7
The Soundcore Space A40 is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
4.8
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Soundcore Space A40 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
4.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore Space A40 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
9.1
The Soundcore Space A40 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is only fair.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Soundcore Space A40 has 8 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$80
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Soundcore Space A40 costs $80.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has excellent build quality, while the Soundcore Space A40 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.1
4.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Soundcore Space A40 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.4
5.3
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Soundcore Space A40 are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Soundcore Space A40 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Soundcore Space A40 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $80 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Soundcore | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | August 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 4.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 6.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 0.8 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 40 | 32 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.8/10 | 6/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 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."
Soundcore Space A40
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Sound Guys
Sam Smart | May 2023
"The Anker Soundcore Space A40 is an excellent deal if you want affordable noise canceling earbuds with great sound. The baseline frequency response is enjoyable, and the many EQ presets to choose from plus the ability to customize your sound profile makes it good for pretty much anyone. The noise canceling is quite good, and the many ear tips to choose from ensure a good fit for the noise canceling and isolation to do its job."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the Soundcore Space A40
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 Soundcore
Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.
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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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