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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
The Creative Labs Zen Air might suit you well if you're on a budget and looking for earbuds that are good for casual music listening and air travel, with sweatproof certification and active noise cancelling. However, they have limitations for calls, gaming, and TV watching due to poor performance in those areas. On the other hand, the Marshall Major IV headphones offer excellent sound quality and are particularly strong for calls with their excellent mic quality, but lack active noise cancelling and are not the best for portability or exercise due to their on-ear design. If you need a long battery life and the ability to wirelessly charge, the Marshall Major IV stands out. Choose Creative Labs Zen Air for a budget-friendly, travel, and exercise companion, or the Marshall Major IV if you prioritize sound quality, call clarity, and longer listening sessions without worrying about charging frequently. 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 Marshall Major IV.
Advantages of the Marshall Major IV
- The Marshall Major IV has no clear advantages over the Creative Labs Zen Air.
Key differences
Phone Calls
5.1
5.8
The Marshall Major IV and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for phone calls, though the Marshall Major IV is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
6.1
The Marshall Major IV is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
5.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the Marshall Major IV is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
80.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Marshall Major IV has 80 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$100
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the Marshall Major IV costs $100.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Marshall Major IV has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.8
6.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Marshall Major IV are both only fair for music.
Gaming
5.1
5.4
The Marshall Major IV and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.7
The Marshall Major IV and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Marshall Major IV compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Marshall Major IV |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $100 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Marshall | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 5.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 6.3/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 80 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
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 | 5.7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | No | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 165 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."
Marshall Major IV
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Jasper Lastoria | September 2023
"The Marshall Major IV shares quite a bit in common with its predecessor, but a key upgrade appears to be softer ear cushions. They make upgrading worth it. As a set of basic wired or wireless headphones the Major IV ticks most boxes by remaining easy to use, and fairly comfortable (at least, as on-ear headphones go)."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Marshall Major IV
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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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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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.
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