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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
The Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds are wireless with active noise cancelling and support AAC codec which is good for Apple device users, making them suitable for air travel and daily commuting. They also feature integrated mic and wireless charging, but have less impressive sound quality for critical listening and gaming compared to the KZ ZSN Pro. The KZ ZSN Pro earbuds, while wired and without noise cancellation, boast a very good sound quality, particularly for gaming and TV, and they include detachable cables. However, they lack the convenience of wireless functionality and aren't optimized for exercise due to lack of sweatproof certification. If you prioritize wireless convenience and noise cancellation for travel and everyday use, go for Creative Labs Zen Air. If sound quality for gaming and TV is more important, and you're okay with wires, choose KZ ZSN Pro. 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 KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic)
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
6.8
7.7
The KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) is good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
5.1
8.0
The KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
4.9
The Creative Labs Zen Air and KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Creative Labs Zen Air is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.6
7.4
The KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
5.3
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$24
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) costs $24.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.1
5.1
The KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air and KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $24 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | KZ | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | March 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 4.3/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
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 | In-Line | |
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."
KZ ZSN Pro (with Mic)
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Dig into reviews and images
PrimeAudio
David Becker | 2019
"Undoubtedly the focus and the star of the show, the ZSN Pro’s bass is big, bold and bangin’. The amount of gusto in the low end should satisfy anyone who likes a large lick of bass and even certified bassheads will probably get a kick out of this."
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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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