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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize comfort and are interested in using your headphones for gaming or watching TV and video, the Sony WH-CH520 would be a better choice as they are highly rated for comfort and perform well for these activities. On the other hand, if you need earbuds that are suitable for exercise and air travel, with features such as sweatproof certification, active noise cancelling, and better portability, then the Creative Labs Outlier Pro might be the preferable option. The Outlier Pro is also better optimized for calls and meetings. Both options have similar overall sound quality, but the Sony has somewhat longer battery life. Keep in mind that the Creative Labs Outlier Pro also supports wireless charging, which could be a convenient feature not present in the Sony WH-CH520. 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
Advantages of the Sony WH-CH520
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.9
7.6
The Sony WH-CH520 is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
5.3
8.8
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Phone Calls
8.3
6.7
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Sony WH-CH520 is only fair.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
8.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro and Sony WH-CH520 are both very good for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.5
8.2
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
4.6
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Sony WH-CH520 is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
52.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-CH520 has 52 hours of battery life.
Cost
$45
$40
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has a price of $45 and the Sony WH-CH520 costs $40.
Build Quality
9.0
7.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has excellent build quality, while the Sony WH-CH520 has good build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Pro and the Sony WH-CH520 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Pro | Sony WH-CH520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$45 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | April 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.3/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 8.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | 52 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 1.9 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
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 | 4.6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7.2 Grams | 147.41 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."
Sony WH-CH520
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | September 2023
"If you’re looking for headphones that simply do what you ask them to: the Sony WH-CH520 is a decent option, even if it isn’t very exciting. Sony’s WH-CHXXX line fits this role quite well, and the WH-CH520 offers a decent raft of quality-of-life updates over its predecessor that should keep listeners happy. If the Sony WH-CH520 were a car, it’d be the boring-but-safe commuter compact."
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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.
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.
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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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