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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're on a strict budget and are looking for earbuds that provide good comfort, excellent build quality, and are sweatproof with active noise canceling for air travel or exercise, the Creative Labs Zen Air could be a great choice. However, the JBL Live Free NC+ offers very good overall sound quality, better mic quality for calls, and sweatproof certification as well, with the addition of a longer battery life, wireless charging capability, and support for better app customizations. For more robust features and sound quality during various activities including calls, if you’re willing to spend more, consider the JBL Live Free NC+. 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
- The Creative Labs Zen Air has no clear advantages over the JBL Live Free NC+.
Advantages of the JBL Live Free NC+
- Good for phone calls
- Good for exercise
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.8
5.8
The Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair for music, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
7.6
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
8.4
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Cost
$30
$60
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the JBL Live Free NC+ costs $60.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Free NC+ has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.1
5.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for TV and video.
Noise Reduction
7.0
7.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air and JBL Live Free NC+ are both good for noise reduction.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the JBL Live Free NC+ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | JBL Live Free NC+ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | March 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.1 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | 18 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
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 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 7 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."
JBL Live Free NC+
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Dig into reviews and images
HeadphoneCheck
Maike Paeßens | 2020
"JBL has added great-sounding, rock-solid all-rounders with a pleasant, warm sound character to their range. They are equipped with a high level of functionality that can be customised via the app. Some compromises have to be made with the active noise cancellation, which has a discreet effect, while the ambient mode and the Talkthru function proved to be powerful despite a perceptible background noise."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the JBL Live Free NC+
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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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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