The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro earbuds are wireless with active noise cancelling and a long battery life, making them suited for travel and exercise, plus they have a built-in microphone for calls. However, they may not be the best for gaming or watching TV due to latencies. Koss Porta Pro headphones, on the other hand, offer better sound quality and an open design that's comfortable for extended listening at home, but they lack a microphone and are wired, making them less portable and not ideal for exercise or noisy environments. If you prioritize convenience and are often on-the-move, Creative Labs might be the better choice; but for at-home use and superior sound quality, consider Koss Porta Pro. 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 Koss Porta Pro
Very good for music
Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.9/10
8.2/10
The Koss Porta Pro is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
5.3/10
6.4/10
The Koss Porta Pro is only fair for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Phone Calls
8.3/10
4.3/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Koss Porta Pro is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9/10
6.8/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Koss Porta Pro is only fair.
TV and Video
5.5/10
7.6/10
The Koss Porta Pro is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
2.5/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The Koss Porta Pro does not have a battery.
Build Quality
9.0/10
6.0/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has excellent build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro has only fair build quality.
"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."
"It’s clear to see why these have been such a popular choice amongst listeners for nearly four decades. It’s a charming pair of headphones that delivers a truly enjoyable listening experience and one that I think punches well above its weight."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Pro or the Koss Porta Pro
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 Koss
Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
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.
By the numbers
108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,900
Recommendations made
18,435
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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.
Luis Torres
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.