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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're on a tight budget, the Creative Labs Zen Air will give you good quality sound and build at a more affordable price, though they may not perform as well for calls and meetings or provide the most immersive gaming and TV experience. The Sony WF1000XM3, while more expensive, offers better performance for calls and a more immersive sound quality, especially for music and podcasts, plus active noise cancelling to block out external noise, which is great for air travel or noisy environments. The Sony earbuds also have a longer battery life, app customization with equalizer settings, and are optimized for both Android and Apple devices. If you prioritize sound quality, noise cancellation, and feature richness, the Sony WF1000XM3 might be the better choice, but if cost is a major factor for you, the Creative Labs Zen Air could suffice. 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 Sony WF1000XM3.
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM3
- Good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.8
7.5
The Sony WF1000XM3 is good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
Gaming
5.1
5.6
The Sony WF1000XM3 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for gaming, though the Sony WF1000XM3 is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
5.1
8.2
The Sony WF1000XM3 is very good for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
8.7
The Sony WF1000XM3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
8.3
The Sony WF1000XM3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is good.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Sony WF1000XM3 has 6 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$180
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the Sony WF1000XM3 costs $180.
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Key similarities
TV and Video
5.6
5.7
The Sony WF1000XM3 and Creative Labs Zen Air are both poor for TV and video.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Zen Air and Sony WF1000XM3 both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Sony WF1000XM3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Sony WF1000XM3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $180 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | August 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 8.2/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 12 | 24 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 9 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."
Sony WF1000XM3
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Sound Guys
Lily Katz | November 2022
"Wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen, and the Sony WF-1000XM3 makes it easy to justify the cost. The design and comfort are good, and the connection strength is consistent. While the lack of aptX or LDAC support is a big drawback, DSEE HX processing improves low-quality audio files. If you want stylish active noise canceling (ANC) earbuds, the WF-1000XM3 needs to be at the top of your list."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Sony WF1000XM3
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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