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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize wireless convenience and active noise canceling for busy environments like air travel, the Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds are a good choice; they also offer a decent battery life and support wireless charging. However, for a tighter budget, the Sony MDR-ZX110 headphones, while lacking modern features like Bluetooth, active noise canceling, and a built-in mic, provide a wired option with a focus on music listening. They're foldable for easy storage but less suitable for exercise and travel due to their on-ear design and lack of noise isolation. 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 Sony MDR-ZX110
- Good for music
Key differences
Music
6.8
7.6
The Sony MDR-ZX110 is good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
5.1
5.9
The Sony MDR-ZX110 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming, though the Sony MDR-ZX110 is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
5.1
3.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Sony MDR-ZX110 are both poor for phone calls, though the Creative Labs Zen Air is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
4.3
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Sony MDR-ZX110 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Creative Labs Zen Air is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.6
6.9
The Sony MDR-ZX110 is only fair 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 Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Sony MDR-ZX110 does not have a battery.
Cost
$19
$10
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $19 and the Sony MDR-ZX110 costs $10.
Build Quality
9.0
6.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 has only fair build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Sony MDR-ZX110 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Sony MDR-ZX110 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$19 | $10 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | July 1, 2015 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 3.9/10 | |
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 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 6/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 119.9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
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."
Sony MDR-ZX110
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Dig into reviews and images
Audio.org
Audio.org | December 2022
"My opinion about Sony MDR ZX110 is they are the best budget headphones of Sony with top-class sound. Clear vocals, great bass, and balanced sound with low sound distortion. The treble could be sharper, but it's ok. 30 mm neodymium dynamic drivers give clear and precise audio, and an inline remote with a mic give decent call quality. Closed-Back Design also helps to improve sound performance."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Sony MDR-ZX110
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 Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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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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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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