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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 would be the more economical choice and still offers good overall sound quality and battery life, along with wireless charging. However, if you value microphone quality for calls and better app-based customization, despite their higher cost, the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless could be worth the extra investment. The JBL buds are also sweatproof and dustproof, making them more suitable for exercise, while the Creative Labs are not. Both options provide a closed, in-ear design for passive noise isolation, but if active noise canceling is important to you, the Creative Labs Zen Air has that feature and the JBL does not. The JBL has a larger battery capacity for longer listening sessions, but this comes with a larger earbud size which may affect comfort. Consider your priorities, such as cost, use case scenarios, and specific features like active noise canceling, sweat resistance, and app controls when making your decision. 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 Vibe Beam True Wireless.
Advantages of the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless
- Good for phone calls
- Good for gaming
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Gaming
5.1
7.3
The JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless is good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
7.8
The JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless is good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
7.3
The JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
TV and Video
5.6
6.9
The JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless is only fair for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.3 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless has 8.3 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 Vibe Beam True Wireless costs $50.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.8
6.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air and JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless are both only fair for music.
Noise Reduction
7.0
6.5
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Creative Labs Zen Air to be good for noise reduction, while the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless is only fair.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 6/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 8.3 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1.1 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | 16 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
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."
JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphone Dungeon
LaFonda | April 2023
"The Vibe Beam earbuds may not be a sleek as other earbuds in the price range, such as the equally priced Vibe Buds, but they sound great, have a long battery life, and come with an equalizer. And if you just need a solid pair if earbuds to get you through your commute, these will do the trick. I have no complaints here."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless
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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