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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If your primary concern is budget and portability for on-the-go use, the Creative Labs Zen Air earbuds might be the better choice, especially considering that they're wireless, have a decent battery life, and support wireless charging. However, if you plan on using them for gaming or calls and meetings, the Turtle Beach Recon 70 headphones would be more suitable due to their superior mic quality and performance in these areas, despite being wired and less portable. Keep in mind the Recon 70 lacks active noise cancelling and isn't as suited for exercise or travel due to their size and form. 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 Turtle Beach Recon 70
- Good for music
- Best in class for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Gaming
5.1
8.4
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is very good for gaming, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
9.6
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is best in class for phone calls, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.4
7.6
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
TV and Video
5.6
7.5
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
5.6
The Creative Labs Zen Air is good for noise reduction, while the Turtle Beach Recon 70 is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Zen Air has 5 hours of battery life. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$40
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Creative Labs Zen Air has a price of $30 and the Turtle Beach Recon 70 costs $40.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Creative Labs Zen Air has excellent build quality, while the Turtle Beach Recon 70 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.8
7.1
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Turtle Beach Recon 70 to be good for music, while the Creative Labs Zen Air is only fair.
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How the Creative Labs Zen Air and the Turtle Beach Recon 70 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Zen Air | Turtle Beach Recon 70 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | Turtle Beach | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | May 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.9/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.1/10 | 8.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.9/10 | 4.3/10 | |
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 | 5.7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 309 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."
Turtle Beach Recon 70
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Sound Guys
Sam Moore | September 2022
"There aren’t many considerations to make here. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 sounds decent, offers solid chat audio, feels good to wear over long periods, and it works everywhere. If you’re in the market for a simple plug-and-play option, you could do a whole lot worse (and spend a whole lot more money). Regardless, if getting something cheap that works well is the only thing you care about, this is a great option."
Get a great deal on the Creative Labs Zen Air or the Turtle Beach Recon 70
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.
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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
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.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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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