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What we think
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Updated April 11, 2024·
If price is a major concern for you and you're looking for an affordable, portable option, the Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds are a good choice. They offer good sound quality, built-in wireless features, and are great for air travel. However, for the ultimate audio experience, especially with music and TV, the HifiMan Edition XS headphones are superior, with excellent sound quality and an open-back design for a wide soundstage, but keep in mind they are not wireless, are more cumbersome for travel, and may require an amplifier for best performance. The HifiMan headphones lack a microphone, which might be an issue for call quality, and they are not suited for exercise or outdoor activities, unlike the Creative Labs earbuds which are sweatproof and have better portability. 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 HifiMan Edition XS
- Very good for music
- Good for gaming
- Best in class for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.8
8.8
The HifiMan Edition XS is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
5.1
7.4
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
7.9
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
TV and Video
5.6
9.5
The HifiMan Edition XS is best in class for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
2.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Edition XS is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The HifiMan Edition XS does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$269
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the HifiMan Edition XS costs $269.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the HifiMan Edition XS has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.1
5.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air and HifiMan Edition XS are both poor for phone calls.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the HifiMan Edition XS compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | HifiMan Edition XS |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $269 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | HifiMan | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | December 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 4.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 421 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Creative Labs Zen Air
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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."
HifiMan Edition XS
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Headphonesty
Eric D Hieger | January 2023
"The Edition XS easily compete with headphones in their price range with a very high price-to-performance ratio. The XS are an amazing value and offer performance not far off from headphones more than twice their cost. These will be a mind-blowing revelation for enthusiasts and music lovers who have only heard standard big-brand mainstream headphones."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the HifiMan Edition XS
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 HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
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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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