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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 wireless earbud with an overall balanced sound quality and better suited for use during exercise, thanks to their sweatproof certification and a secure fit. They also have a remarkable battery life which could be beneficial for long listening sessions without frequent charging. These are often a less expensive option with a good balance of features, especially if you prioritize wireless convenience and long battery life. On the other hand, the Steelseries TUSQ, while slightly more expensive, provides better microphone quality, making it a stronger choice for calls and meetings. It's a wired earbud with a boom microphone, which tends to be beneficial for gaming due to the low latency caused by the wired connection. Additionally, the TUSQ offers impressive sound quality for gaming scenarios and better soundstage, which can enhance the overall experience for gamers or for those watching TV and videos. Ultimately, your decision should hinge on whether you need the wireless functionality and exercise-readiness of the Outlier Air V3 or the superior microphone and gaming-focused performance of the TUSQ. 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 Steelseries TUSQ
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.7
7.6
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
5.2
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
4.7
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
TV and Video
5.4
7.3
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
6.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Steelseries TUSQ are both only fair for noise reduction, though the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is somewhat better.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Steelseries TUSQ does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$55
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $55.
Build Quality
9.0
8.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has excellent build quality, while the Steelseries TUSQ has very good build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $55 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.7/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
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."
Steelseries TUSQ
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
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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 Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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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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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