Creative Labs Zen Air
Creative Labs Zen Air
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MUSIC: Fair—6.8/10
CALLS: Poor—5.1/10
GAMING: Poor—5.1/10
TV: Poor—5.6/10
PODCASTS & AUDIOBOOKS: Poor—5.4/10
EXERCISE: Fair—6.8/10
AIR TRAVEL: Very Good—8.2/10
NOISE REDUCTION: Good—7.0/10
BUILD QUALITY: Excellent—9.0/10
BATTERY: Good—7.0/10
The Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds are a budget-friendly option known for their stemmed design and closed enclosure, providing a degree of passive noise isolation. They're wireless with active noise canceling, which is a bonus for minimizing ambient sounds. The earbuds support AAC codec for better sound quality on Apple devices and are sweatproof certified, making them suitable for exercise. However, the overall sound and build quality, comfort, and microphone quality are rated as poor, so they might not be the best choice for critical listening or long calls. For those who travel, these earbuds offer good portability and a modest battery life of 5 hours, extendable to 17 hours with the charging case, which also supports wireless charging. Despite lower scores in most categories, they could still be a good entry-level option for casual listening, especially for users who prioritize affordability and active noise cancelling. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Integrated microphone
- Closed design for isolation
- Stemmed design for fit
Cons
- Poor noise isolation
- Average battery life
- No waterproof rating
- Limited sound quality
Ratings by Category
Air Travel:4.5
This score evaluates the product for use on airplanes and other similar kinds of travel. It takes into account noise reduction and portability, including case shape, case size, and weight. It also incorporates the battery life of the product, long-haul comfort, noise reduction (both active and passive), and sound quality. We generally consider wireless products to be more suitable for air travel.
Battery Life:4.0
The Battery Life rating is based on hours of typical, actual usage.
Music:3.9
This evaluates the product when used solely to listen to music. It takes into account the sound quality, whether or not they support high quality codecs, their ability to reproduce soundstage, and whether or not it has any virtual surround capabilities.
Exercise:3.9
This score evaluates the product when used for exercise and physical activity. It mainly takes into account comfort, whether or not the products are sweatproof and how secure are the earbuds or headphones while wearing them. We also consider products with wireless capabilities to be more suitable for this particular scenario
Portability:3.0
The Portability score is based on an overall assessment that includes volume and maximum dimension of the product (and case, if relevant), and its weight. Special features like foldability for headphones are also taken into account.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $20 | ||
Brand | Creative Labs | ||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | ||
Form Factor | Earbuds | ||
Connectivity | Wireless | ||
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score  | 6.9/10 | ||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | ||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | ||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | ||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | ||
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | 5 Hours | ||
Wireless charging | Yes | ||
Charging time | 2 Hours | ||
Bluetooth version | 5 | ||
Case Battery Life | 12 | ||
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | ||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | ||
Virtual Surround | Yes | ||
Android App | Yes | ||
iOS App | Yes | ||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | ||
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | 9/10 | ||
Comfort score | 7/10 | ||
Size | Medium | ||
Weight of single earbud | 5 Grams | ||
Microphone style | Integrated | ||
Shopping
Creative Labs Zen Air
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphone Check
Maike Paeßens | February 2023
"The Creative Zen Air’s weak points are its low battery life and rather short Bluetooth range. On the other hand, the strengths of these weatherproof True Wireless in-Ears are the sound and the wide attenuation of the Active Noise Cancellation. Considering the price range, the speech intelligibility during calls is also exceptionally good."
Comparison charts
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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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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