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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're on a budget, Creative Labs Zen Air is more affordable while still offering good overall sound quality and excellent build quality. They are suited for air travel and casual use but not ideal for calls, meetings, gaming, or TV due to poor scoring in those areas, although they are sweatproof and have active noise canceling for noisy environments. JBL Live Flex 3 costs more but provides a very good sound experience, larger earbud size that may affect comfort, and features like app customization, a smart charging case with a touch display for controls, LDAC for high-quality audio streaming, and longer battery life. They're optimized for both Android and Apple, making them a versatile choice for users with either platform. Suitable for exercise and casual listening, JBL's lower scores for gaming, calls, and TV viewing should be noted if those are your primary uses. 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 JBL Live Flex 3
- Very good for music
- Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
6.8
8.0
The JBL Live Flex 3 is very good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
5.9
The JBL Live Flex 3 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the JBL Live Flex 3 is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
7.0
8.3
The JBL Live Flex 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Flex 3 has 10 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$216
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the JBL Live Flex 3 costs $216.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Flex 3 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.1
5.5
The JBL Live Flex 3 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.1
5.2
The JBL Live Flex 3 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for phone calls.
TV and Video
5.6
5.7
The JBL Live Flex 3 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the JBL Live Flex 3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | JBL Live Flex 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $216 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | June 1, 2024 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 5.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 8.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.3 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | 40 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 8.8 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."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the JBL Live Flex 3
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 JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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