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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're looking for budget-friendly earbuds, the Creative Labs Zen Air is lighter and more suitable for exercise, with good noise isolation and convenient features like ear detection and wireless charging. They are optimized for both Android and Apple devices. However, if you prioritize sound quality and comfort for longer sessions, and prefer over-ear features like active noise cancelling for air travel and a foldable design for portability, Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones have a longer battery life and come with a detachable cable, providing very good overall sound and noise isolation. Keep in mind that while the Zen Air has a lower price, the Hesh ANC may offer a more immersive listening experience for a higher price point. 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 Hesh ANC.
Advantages of the Skullcandy Hesh ANC
- Excellent for air travel
Key differences
Gaming
5.1
5.6
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming, though the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
6.0
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
8.7
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Battery
5.0 Hours
23.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has 23 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$135
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the Skullcandy Hesh ANC costs $135.
Build Quality
9.0
7.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.8
6.7
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Skullcandy Hesh ANC are both only fair for music.
Phone Calls
5.1
5.3
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for phone calls.
TV and Video
5.6
5.8
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Skullcandy Hesh ANC compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Skullcandy Hesh ANC |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $135 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Skullcandy | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | December 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 6.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 23 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1.6 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | No | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 226.7 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 Hesh ANC
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonecheck
Maike Paeßens | 2021
"Skullcandy’s Hesh ANC are compact, wireless over-ears for everyday use that are tuned for bass and designed to suppress or amplify ambient noise as required. In addition to Bluetooth 5.0, optional tracking via the Tile app is supported so that these headphones can be found if they get lost."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Skullcandy Hesh ANC
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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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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