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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize comfort and a higher quality microphone for better call clarity, the Creative Labs Zen Air is your choice, also offering an app with equalizer settings to customize your listening experience and longer battery life for extended use. The Skullcandy Dime, however, is more compact for portability, and if an ultra-fast charging time and slightly better durability are important to you, it might suit your needs better. Both are sweatproof and have good overall sound quality, but neither is well-suited for gaming or TV due to poor soundstage. Neither supports lossless audio codecs, so if high-fidelity sound is crucial, you may want to look elsewhere. 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 Skullcandy Dime.
Advantages of the Skullcandy Dime
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.8
5.7
The Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair for music, while the Skullcandy Dime is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
6.2
The Skullcandy Dime is only fair for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
7.1
The Skullcandy Dime is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Skullcandy Dime has 3.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$16
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the Skullcandy Dime costs $16.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Skullcandy Dime has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.1
4.8
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Skullcandy Dime are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.3
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Skullcandy Dime are both poor for TV and video.
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 Skullcandy Dime is only fair.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Skullcandy Dime compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Skullcandy Dime |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $16 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Skullcandy | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | March 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 4.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 6.6/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | 12 | |
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 | No | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | No | |
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 | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 4.5 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."
Skullcandy Dime
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Dig into reviews and images
PC Magazine
Tim Gideon | April 2021
"For $25, the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless Earbuds deliver a powerful, balanced, rich, and bright sound signature. There’s really not much else to talk about, but the audio is better than you would expect for the price."
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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.
About Skullcandy
Skullcandy is an American, consumer-oriented, earbuds and headphones manufacturer with 20 years of market experience. They sell a wide variety of, budget-friendly and unique, wired and wireless products that are sure to please the vast majority of users. Among their most popular offerings, the Crusher headphones, includes a pair of actual subwoofers inside the cups which makes the bass extra prominent for a unique and extra fun sound.
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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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