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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're on a tight budget, the Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds offer good sound quality and active noise cancelling at a lower price, making them suited for noisy environments like air travel. However, they lack the adaptive audio feature, low latency mode for gaming, and the secure fit accessories that come with the Google Pixel Buds A Series, which are more versatile for calls, meetings, and exercise due to their very good microphone quality and the inclusion of silicone fins for better stability in the ear. If you frequently switch between different activities and can invest a bit more, the Google Pixel Buds may be a better fit. Additionally, the Pixel Buds are optimized for both Android and Apple, include wireless charging, and have a longer battery life in the case. 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 Zen Air
- Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Google Pixel Buds A Series
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
- Good for exercise
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Gaming
5.1
8.6
The Google Pixel Buds A Series is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
8.5
The Google Pixel Buds A Series is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
8.4
The Google Pixel Buds A Series is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
TV and Video
5.6
7.8
The Google Pixel Buds A Series is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
4.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the Google Pixel Buds A Series is poor.
Cost
$30
$58
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the Google Pixel Buds A Series costs $58.
Build Quality
9.0
7.4
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Google Pixel Buds A Series has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.8
6.4
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Google Pixel Buds A Series are both only fair for music.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Google Pixel Buds A Series has 5 hours of battery life.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Google Pixel Buds A Series compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Google Pixel Buds A Series |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $58 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | June 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 8.7/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | 24 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 4.6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 5.1 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | 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."
Google Pixel Buds A Series
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Jasper Lastoria | October 2022
"For the person who doesn’t want to think about their earphones while using them, Google has created the Pixel Buds A-Series. For a reasonable price, Google packs in a bevy of features like touch controls and a good fit into this Android-friendly set of earbuds to make productivity and life easier."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Google Pixel Buds A Series
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 Google
Mainly known as the most popular search engine on the planet, Google is a multinational technology company that also offers a variety of audio-oriented products. Beside their smart speakers under the Nest product line, Google offers several models of true wireless earbuds under the Pixel line, some of which happen to be an affordable but very powerful option for those already in the Android ecosystem.
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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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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.
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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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