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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro earbuds are budget-friendly and suitable for exercise with sweatproof certification, and they offer good noise isolation for air travel. They're wireless with decent battery life, include app customization, and work well for calls and meetings. The Focal Elex headphones, while more expensive, deliver superior sound quality and a wide soundstage which is great for an immersive music experience and TV viewing, but are less portable and have no microphone or wireless capabilities. The Outlier Pro may be more versatile for everyday use, while the Elex focus on high-fidelity sound for dedicated listening sessions at home or in a studio. 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 air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Focal Elex
- Good for music
- Very good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.9
7.7
The Focal Elex is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
5.3
6.9
The Focal Elex is only fair for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Phone Calls
8.3
4.3
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
7.1
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Elex is good.
TV and Video
5.5
8.3
The Focal Elex is very good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
2.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The Focal Elex does not have a battery.
Cost
$50
$749
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has a price of $50 and the Focal Elex costs $749.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro and Focal Elex both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Pro and the Focal Elex compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Pro | Focal Elex |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $749 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Focal | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | December 1, 2017 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.3/10 | 4.4/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.3/10 | |
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 | 45 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7.2 Grams | 450 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
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."
Focal Elex
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Dig into reviews and images
Golden Sound
Golden Sound | October 2021
"The Focal Elex are an excellent pair of headphones for the money and a great all-rounder that will suit many tastes. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, well built, that looks good, and will work with just about any genre."
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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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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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