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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're looking for earbuds that can handle calls and meetings well, and need a longer battery life for extended use, the Creative Labs Outlier Pro would be a better choice, despite being more expensive. They also have a higher mic quality and provide more effective noise isolation, which is beneficial for air travel. However, if you're on a tighter budget and still want a good overall sound quality for casual listening without prioritizing features like noise cancellation or battery life, the Creative Labs Zen Air would be more cost-effective, as they are less expensive while also offering wireless charging. Keep in mind, the Zen Air has a shorter battery life which may require more frequent charging intervals. 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 Pro
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Creative Labs Zen Air
- The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the Creative Labs Outlier Pro.
Key differences
Music
5.9
6.8
The Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Phone Calls
8.3
5.1
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
5.4
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
7.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$30
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has a price of $50 and the Creative Labs Zen Air costs $30.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.3
5.1
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.5
5.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Creative Labs Outlier Pro are both poor for TV and video.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro and Creative Labs Zen Air both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Pro and the Creative Labs Zen Air compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Pro | Creative Labs Zen Air |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Creative Labs | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | December 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.3/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 6.9/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 45 | 12 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7.2 Grams | 5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Creative Labs Outlier Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
Forbes
Brad Moon | September 2022
"If you listen to music for extended periods such as commuting and work, and you hate having to pause to charge, give the Creative Outlier Pro wireless earbuds a try. You should be able to enjoy your tunes all day, or longer, without interruption."
Creative Labs Zen Air
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphone Check
Maike Paeßens | February 2023
"The Creative Zen Air’s weak points are its low battery life and rather short Bluetooth range. On the other hand, the strengths of these weatherproof True Wireless in-Ears are the sound and the wide attenuation of the Active Noise Cancellation. Considering the price range, the speech intelligibility during calls is also exceptionally good."
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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.
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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
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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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