The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're looking for wireless flexibility with a premium on call quality and exercise usage, go for the Creative Labs Outlier Pro as they offer very good mic quality and are sweatproof. They also have active noise cancelling for better focus in noisy environments. However, if budget is a priority and you prefer wired with no charging needed, the Sony MDR-ZX110 headphones are much less expensive and should suffice for basic music listening. Keep in mind, Sony's on-ear design may not be as comfortable for long periods compared to the in-ear Creative Labs, and they lack features like noise isolation and a microphone for calls. 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 Sony MDR-ZX110
Good for music
Key differences
Music
5.9/10
7.6/10
The Sony MDR-ZX110 is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
5.3/10
5.9/10
The Sony MDR-ZX110 and Creative Labs Outlier Pro are both poor for gaming, though the Sony MDR-ZX110 is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
8.3/10
3.0/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9/10
4.3/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
TV and Video
5.5/10
6.9/10
The Sony MDR-ZX110 is only fair for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
5.3/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The Sony MDR-ZX110 does not have a battery.
Cost
$50
$10
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has a price of $50 and the Sony MDR-ZX110 costs $10.
Build Quality
9.0/10
6.0/10
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has excellent build quality, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 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."
"My opinion about Sony MDR ZX110 is they are the best budget headphones of Sony with top-class sound. Clear vocals, great bass, and balanced sound with low sound distortion. The treble could be sharper, but it's ok. 30 mm neodymium dynamic drivers give clear and precise audio, and an inline remote with a mic give decent call quality. Closed-Back Design also helps to improve sound performance."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Pro or the Sony MDR-ZX110
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 Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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
123,800
Recommendations made
18,570
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.