Creative Outlier Air V3 – Review

Intro

The Creative company, with its new Outlier series, tries to offer Bluetooth headset enthusiasts a product that provides good active noise reduction and wireless charging that has always been in demand in recent years by those with multiple compatible devices. An interesting biocellulose audio driver and an especially well-designed App support bring the Outlier Air V3s to life, but will they be a best buy as advertised?

If you are looking for earbuds, we recommend our article: Best Bluetooth Earbuds.

Package

Before taking a look at the design and technical features of these wireless headphones, it is interesting to take a look inside the packaging. The Creative Outlier Air V3s, unlike so many products in the same price range, feature a compact but extremely durable packaging, in fact, the cardboard of the packaging is particularly strong and has a quick and extremely effective opening.

Excluding the purely constructive aspect of the box, its contents should be emphasized. The package offers inside, in addition to the Air V3 headphones, the charging case, a quick manual and a set of grommets made of soft silicone, precisely in sizes S, M and L, size M is already placed on the headphones. In addition to these items, there is also a very small USB-C/USB-A cable with a length of 24 cm, including the USB jacks, so it is appropriate to consider it much shorter.

Design

The first impact one has with these earphones is overwhelmingly positive, although they are very similar to the past generation Outlier Air model, they provide greater versatility: both the section that is applied to the inside of the ear and the more tapered and slimmer shape allow for a much less obtrusive and more comfortable.

Although aesthetically they are in-ear Bluetooth headphones that evoke a not-so-original style, the presence of a sizeable audio driver also characterizes their shape, which is slightly elongated at the top. While the headphones themselves do not offer interesting design cues, their packaging takes up all the slack. The charging base, although it provides a good number of charges during the day, is particularly large, both in width and length, making it less than excellent in portability. However, it must be emphasized that the aesthetics and materials of the charging base itself are still a strength, considering also the simplified opening system.

Specifications

The technical qualities of this device are in line with what are the standards in this price range, but they offer certainly excellent value for money. Specifically, they are presented with:

DIMENSIONS	3 x 1.8 x 1.2 cm Earphones
WEIGHT	Buds 5.2g, Case 68.8g
BATTERY LIFE	10 Hours Music & 40 Hours with Case
RECHARGE TIME	2 to 3 Hours
EARPLUGS	3 S,M,L
BUTTONS	Touch Control
POSITIONING	In-ear
CONNECTION	Wireless, Bluetooth 5.2

Taking a look at what the technical specifications are, it is evident that these earphones present excellent potential without, however, excelling in any specific feature.

Certainly the weight of 5.2 grams makes it perfectly clear how comfortable they are in daily use, but considering that the charging base will affect this parameter more. The four microphones also make for good calls, but it should be noted that while the high tones are very accurate, the low tones are slightly lacking when noise cancellation is activated. This condition is given by the frequency response of omnidirectional microphones being between 100-10000Hz, mainly favoring the highs and slightly neglecting the lows.

As the size of the product suggests, the installed audio driver is definitely a star of these earbud headphones, a good 6 mm occupying almost the entire surface area of the earbuds, making them actually taller than the standards you are used to. Specifically, the audio driver is made of biocellulose and allows for a frequency response from 20-20000 Hz, testifying to the fact that even the bass in this case is not completely neglected as in microphones.

Bluetooth 5.2 and a battery with good potential provide some reliability, which clashes with the size of the case. The latter, although it increases battery life up to 40 hours, is still the real weak point of the Creative Outlier Air V3.

Ultimo aggiornamento 2023-09-29 / Link di affiliazione / Immagini da Amazon Product Advertising API

Features

An absolutely valuable data sheet does not always equate to an equally valuable software compartment as well. Indeed, so much is always expected from Creative in terms of optimization of the official application and custom functions.

The third version of the Air headset headphones insert for the first time a dedicated app that allows for good customization, both on Android and iOS operating systems. Among the features most requested in recent years by fans of Creative products is equalization, which in this case has been developed to customize almost every aspect of headphone listening. The equalizer is already preset for the choice of 10 different bands, providing the listener with both manual and automated editing based on the genre of music being played.

Creative also wanted to include equalization aimed at gamers to ensure greater immersiveness during gaming sessions.

But in addition to the dedicated EQ application, the Air V3s feature an excellent noise control system and particularly responsive touch controls, even for those not used to using them on a daily basis. They certainly do not come across as top-of-the-line features, but they provide excellent reduction of ambient sounds and excellent isolation for the price range.

Function that make these wireless headphones an interesting solution is 7.1 surround simulation by taking advantage of SXFI-Ready certification.

Ultimo aggiornamento 2023-09-29 / Link di affiliazione / Immagini da Amazon Product Advertising API

Verdict – Pros & Cons

When design is combined with excellent performance.

What We Like	What We Don’t Like
MANICURED AESTHETICS	ANC
AUDIO QUALITY	BASS TOO SHALLOW
SMART FUNCTIONS.
AUTONOMY
PRICE

Autonomy

From the data sheet, Creative claims 10 hours of use for the Air V3 on a single charge, up to 40 hours by also taking advantage of the charging case. As much as companies always tend to exaggerate with actual values, in our tests we found about 8 hours of actual use with noise reduction on and room mode set to ON.

Considering the internal charge of the Bluetooth earbuds and that of the case, it is not difficult to use them 4-5 days with an average of 8 hours daily without finding the need to charge them.

The big difference with the previous generation lies in wireless charging, which is also compatible with Qi technology. Charging will also be possible with a compatible wireless device of at least 5W power. There is no fast charging; therefore, 2-3 hours of charging should be considered to take the device from 0-100 %.

Comfort

The Air V3s are made of good materials that ensure they are lightweight and never obtrusive to the ears. The mere 5.2 grams greatly affect their comfort, ensuring daily use for many hours without feeling the need to store them in the case.

The ergonomics are there and are evident after a few hours of use, but they extend not only to the shape and lightness, but especially to the convenience of the touch controls. Through the different combinations, you can start the main functions and make the experience much faster and more pleasant. The commands are also perceived accurately due to the presence of an LED light that periodically checks the pairing of the two earbuds and indicates the charging status.

Comfort is also provided by IPX5 certification, which counteracts both rain and sweat with good results, preventing the Bluetooth headphones from inadvertently slipping out of the ear. The weight of the 6 mm audio driver is perfectly balanced of rubber grommets that can be adjusted with auxiliary elements in packages. Grommet sizes S, M and L allow a good variety of sizes.

Audio quality

When you need to choose a pair of wireless headphones, in addition to evaluating cost and aesthetics, you should consider what the overall audio quality is. From this point of view, the Air V3s, thanks to their 6 mm biocellulose audio driver, provide definitely above-average quality, considering the price range. Those without a significant budget can opt for this solution without feeling the need to change in the short term.

As much as right out of the box they are set by default as the Air V2s, the presence of a dedicated equalizer makes customization much broader. As the technical specifications highlight, on high notes the headphones show no wavering, while on low notes they allow a good though not wonderful result. The microphone, like all devices in this price range, could have been taken care of more, but the sound is always airy and you won’t get that bad feeling of being closed off during use.

However, the implementation of the function for 7.1 surround sound is a highlight that should not be underestimated, especially for music listeners.

Cost

Buying Creative Outlier V3s at the list price is equivalent to investing 69.99 euros, but in most cases they can be found around 49.99 euros if not even less during promotional periods. Considering the functions available and to the quality of the materials, it is undeniable that this is a product to be recommended with one’s eyes closed, especially for those who have no problem using a particularly oversized charging case.

Qualitatively worse products cost more and do not offer good audio quality or even ambient noise reduction. The software equalizer and 7.1 surround sound feature alone are worth the cost of the device. Certainly Creative is targeting more of an audience of users who prefer to listen to music but without dwelling too much on the bass, as much as gamers who will benefit from a dedicated gaming preset.

Ultimo aggiornamento 2023-09-29 / Link di affiliazione / Immagini da Amazon Product Advertising API

Conclusions

Creative with the third generation of the Air series has created a marked improvement without affecting the list price too much. Although they cannot be considered absolute top-notch Bluetooth headsets, considering the price range these Air V3s are an excellent solution for those who do not want to spend too much.

The presence of software equalization and good battery life make this device useful for both work and entertainment activities. certainly expected a little more from theANC, but you cannot expect to get the same performance as a high-end model from a product that costs less than 50 euros. Too bad about the bulky case, but for many it might be the right compromise for more range.