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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is a pair of stemless, closed earbuds with active noise cancelling and a higher overall sound quality score compared to the Koss Porta Pro. If you're often in noisy environments, the Outlier Pro's active noise cancelling feature and better noise isolation may be beneficial. Additionally, these earbuds are sweatproof, making them suitable for exercise. They also have a longer battery life, which includes a charging case that supports wireless charging, and they are optimized for use with both Android and Apple devices. The Koss Porta Pro headphones, on the other hand, are on-ear, open headphones that lack noise cancellation and sweatproofing, and they don't come with a wireless charging option or a battery case. They do, however, offer a more open sound, which can enhance the sense of space when listening to music, and they are foldable, which enhances their portability. Despite their more vintage style, they do not have an app for equalizer or control customization, which the Outlier Pro features. In summary, if you prefer earbuds with modern features like active noise cancelling and are planning to use them in various conditions including during workouts, the Creative Labs Outlier Pro would be more appropriate, but if you prioritize a more natural and open listening experience and don't need the extra features, the Koss Porta Pro could be more appealing. 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 (with mic)
Very good for music
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.9/10
8.2/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
5.3/10
8.2/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Phone Calls
8.3/10
6.1/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is only fair.
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 (with mic) is only fair.
TV and Video
5.5/10
7.6/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) 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 (with mic) is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) does not have a battery.
Cost
$45
$60
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has a price of $45 and the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) costs $60.
Build Quality
9.0/10
6.0/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has excellent build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) 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 (with mic)
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.
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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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