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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you are on a budget, Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds would be more cost-effective and are suitable for exercise with their sweatproof certification and wireless design. However, for longer listening periods with better battery life, JBL Tune 660NC headphones may be more appropriate, and they offer active noise cancelling which the Zen Air lacks, which can be great for air travel or noisy environments. The JBLs are also foldable, enhancing their portability, despite being heavier. The Zen Air's stem form factor and dynamic driver type provide a fair music experience, but the JBL offers good comfort and soundstage. If you need better call clarity, the JBL may fall short but has a longer battery life for extended use and is optimized for both Android and Apple devices, whereas Zen Air is more limited in its optimization. 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 Tune 660NC
- The JBL Tune 660NC has no clear advantages over the Creative Labs Zen Air.
Key differences
Music
6.8
6.1
The Creative Labs Zen Air and JBL Tune 660NC are both only fair for music, though the Creative Labs Zen Air is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
7.0
6.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the JBL Tune 660NC is only fair.
Battery
5.0 Hours
42.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The JBL Tune 660NC has 42 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$50
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the JBL Tune 660NC costs $50.
Build Quality
9.0
8.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the JBL Tune 660NC has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.1
5.4
The JBL Tune 660NC and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.1
5.1
The JBL Tune 660NC and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
5.7
The JBL Tune 660NC and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks.
TV and Video
5.6
5.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air and JBL Tune 660NC are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the JBL Tune 660NC compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | JBL Tune 660NC |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | February 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 6.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 5.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 6/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 42 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 172 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 Tune 660NC
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Dig into reviews and images
SoundGuys
Chase Bernath | April 2023
"The JBL Tune 660NC is the best value you can get from a set of on-ear headphones. There's no companion app so you don't get many additional features, but everything the JBL Tune 660NC sets out to do, it does well. At this price, the JBL Tune 660NC is an easy recommendation for on-ear headphone lovers"
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the JBL Tune 660NC
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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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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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