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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you are on a budget and need something portable for listening to music and taking calls on the go, the Creative Labs Zen Air would be a good choice with their wireless design, good microphone quality, and support for AAC codec for better sound quality on Apple devices. However, they're not ideal for gaming or TV due to low scores in these areas. In contrast, if you're fine with spending more and prefer to use your headphones primarily at home for activities like gaming and watching TV, the Razer Kraken V3 with a boom microphone and virtual surround sound would suit you better, although they lack wireless capabilities and portability. Neither are optimal for exercise or dusty environments, but the Zen Airs are sweatproof and come with wireless charging, which the Krakens lack. 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 Razer Kraken V3
- Good for music
- Good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Gaming
5.1
7.3
The Razer Kraken V3 is good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
4.7
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Razer Kraken V3 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Creative Labs Zen Air is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.6
7.0
The Razer Kraken V3 is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
6.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the Razer Kraken V3 is only fair.
Battery
5.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Razer Kraken V3 does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$70
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the Razer Kraken V3 costs $70.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Razer Kraken V3 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.8
7.3
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Razer Kraken V3 to be good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Phone Calls
5.1
5.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Razer Kraken V3 are both poor for phone calls.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Razer Kraken V3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Razer Kraken V3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $70 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Razer | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | June 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 4.1/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | Yes | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 325 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
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."
Razer Kraken V3
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Dig into reviews and images
Soundguys
Sam Smart | November 2022
"This Razer Kraken V3 is a great headset for gamers who want comfort, surround sound, and software customization for a reasonable price. It's primarily a headset for PC gamers since THX Spatial audio is only supported on Windows. If you want something more multifaceted for multiple systems, this won't be an ideal headset for you. Luckily, there are plenty of competent Kraken V3 alternatives available to you."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Razer Kraken V3
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean hardware manufacturer aimed specifically toward the gaming market. They manufacture a very wide array of gaming laptops, tablets, phones, peripherals and, of course, headphones and earbuds both wired and wireless. Since 2016, Razer has owned the THX suite, aimed at quality assurance of audiovisual systems such as speaker sets, video game consoles and even movie theaters.
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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
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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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