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Updated April 11, 2024·
If budget is a key concern and you’re looking for something less expensive, the Creative Labs Zen Air would be the better choice. The Zen Air also offers better noise isolation, and if you have an Android device, they are optimized for your platform. However, if you tend to use earbuds for exercise, the Jlab Go Air Sport could be more suitable due to their sweatproof certification and secure fit with ear hooks. The Jlab’s battery life is longer both for the earbuds and the charging case, which could be important if you're often on the go or if you travel frequently. Both offer wireless charging, so convenience in recharging is comparable. Choose Zen Air for a budget-friendly option with decent noise isolation and Android optimization or Go Air Sport for longer battery life and a secure fit during workouts. 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 Jlab Go Air Sport.
Advantages of the Jlab Go Air Sport
Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
6.8/10
5.6/10
The Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair for music, while the Jlab Go Air Sport is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
6.0/10
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the Jlab Go Air Sport is only fair.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Jlab Go Air Sport has 8 hours of battery life.
Cost
$19
$30
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $19 and the Jlab Go Air Sport costs $30.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.0/10
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Jlab Go Air Sport has very good build quality.
"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."
"If you want seriously bass-forward earphones for the gym, you'll be hard-pressed to find a pair more affordable than the JLab Go Air Sport. We like their long battery life and solid water-resistance rating, though we aren’t fans of their finicky on-ear controls and the case’s hardwired charging cable."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Jlab Go Air Sport
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.
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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
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.
Jason Lew
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.