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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If price is a major consideration, the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is the more affordable option. However, if you're looking for earbuds for calls and meetings, the Outlier Pro with its very good microphone quality excels over the JBL Tune Buds. For listening to music, the Outlier Pro may not be the best choice due to its poorer music score, so if music is your priority, consider the JBL Tune Buds. Both are suitable for exercise with their sweatproof certification, but only the JBL Tune Buds are dustproof. The JBL also offers active noise cancelling which is missing in the Outlier Pro, better for air travel and noisy environments. Choose based on your key activities—calls and general use lean towards the Outlier Pro; music, noise cancellation, and durability might lean towards the JBL Tune Buds. 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 JBL Tune Buds
- The JBL Tune Buds has no clear advantages over the Creative Labs Outlier Pro.
Key differences
Phone Calls
8.3
4.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
5.8
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
TV and Video
5.5
6.1
The JBL Tune Buds is only fair for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
6.7
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Cost
$50
$60
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has a price of $50 and the JBL Tune Buds costs $60.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has excellent build quality, while the JBL Tune Buds has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
5.9
6.2
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers JBL Tune Buds to be only fair for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
5.3
5.4
The JBL Tune Buds and Creative Labs Outlier Pro are both poor for gaming.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.4 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The JBL Tune Buds has 10.4 hours of battery life.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Pro and the JBL Tune Buds compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Pro | JBL Tune Buds |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.3/10 | 4.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 5.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 6.1/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 7.6/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 10.4 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.3 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 45 | 30 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7.2 Grams | 10.8 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."
JBL Tune Buds
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Dig into reviews and images
PC Mag
Tim Gideon | September 2023
"JBL’s Tune Buds stick with the company’s signature bass-heavy sound by default, but a quality in-app EQ lets you sculpt the audio to taste. These noise-cancelling true wireless earphones also mitigate environmental distractions fairly well for the price and offer good battery life. If you're specifically seeking bold, bass-tuned audio out of the box, the Tune Buds are worth a listen."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Pro or the JBL Tune Buds
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 JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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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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