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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize wireless convenience and better noise isolation for air travel, go for the Creative Labs Outlier Pro, which offers superior overall noise isolation and active noise cancelling, plus wireless charging. However, if gaming is a major use case for you, the Steelseries TUSQ is the better choice due to its higher gaming score. For regular calls and meetings, and if you prefer earbuds with a built-in mic over in-line mics and don't mind a cable, again, the Steelseries TUSQ would suit you well. It all depends on your primary use; for a versatile option leaning towards everyday use and travel, the Outlier Pro is great, but for a more gaming-centric and price-conscious option, the TUSQ fits the bill. 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 Steelseries TUSQ
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.9
7.6
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Gaming
5.3
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Phone Calls
8.3
5.2
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for phone calls, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
4.7
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
TV and Video
5.5
7.3
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Pro is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
6.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Steelseries TUSQ is only fair.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has 10 hours of battery life. The Steelseries TUSQ does not have a battery.
Cost
$50
$55
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has a price of $50 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $55.
Build Quality
9.0
8.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Pro has excellent build quality, while the Steelseries TUSQ has very good build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Pro and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Pro | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $55 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.3/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | N/A | |
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 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7.2 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
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."
Steelseries TUSQ
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Outlier Pro or the Steelseries TUSQ
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 Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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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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.
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