At first we would like to thank Creative for offering us a sample of their Outlier Air Wireless Sweatproof In-Ear Headphones for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About Creative:

 

“Creative is the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Founded in Singapore in 1981, Creative started with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs.

 

Famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions, premium wireless speakers, high performance earphone products and portable media devices. The company's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services enable consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

 

Since launching the phenomenally successful Sound Blaster sound cards and setting the de-facto standard for PC audio in 1989, Creative has been able to leverage on its leading-edge audio technology, a huge user base of 400 million, and strong brand name to expand into the exciting lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) market.

 

Creative is now well recognized as a global leader for product innovation in the audio and PDE segments, offering consumers a complete, high quality digital entertainment experience through Creative's hardware, software applications and services. Finding the perfect balance between form and function, Creative strives for every product to be a sensory feast for the eyes and ears.

 

Today, Creative is spearheading new product categories with its groundbreaking Sound BlasterAxx audio enhancement devices and solutions, highly-acclaimed Creative D5xm Signature Series of modular Bluetooth wireless speakers, Aurvana premium headsets, Sound Blaster wireless gaming headsets, and cross-platform Sound Blaster Recon3D for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC or Mac.

 

These products and solutions are marketed to consumers and system integrators through a worldwide distribution network that includes traditional marketing channels, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the Internet.

 

Moving forward, Creative's mission is to expand its leadership role in the lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment market, using groundbreaking technology and leading-edge designs for not just the technically-savvy consumers, but for everyone who enjoys entertainment. With strong focus on user-friendly interface, multiple features and cool industrial designs, the Creative brand is synonymous with lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment.

 

Creative's global corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. It has regional business units in the US (Milpitas, California), Europe (Dublin, Ireland) and Asia (Singapore).

 

Creative is a public listed company on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) since June 1994.”

 

10 Hours

 

Out of the box, Outlier Air has a jaw-dropping battery life of up to 10 hours. True wireless headphones in the market typically ranges from 3 to 6 hours of battery life, we took that and doubled it - all while saving you the hassle of having to constantly recharge your headphones.

 

2 Times the Power

 

The charging case provides up to 2 times of recharge on both earbuds — that's 20 hours!

30HRS

 

30 HOURS TOTAL PLAYTIME

 

In total, the incredibly long-lasting battery life provides a total playtime of up to 30 hours. That's enough playtime for the longest flight route in the world!

 

2x More Power

 

Constructed in a premium aluminum housing, the sleek charging case weighs a mere 54g (1.9 oz) that is small and easy to carry around. Simply pop your earbuds back into the case for storage when you are done with your listening session, and the case automatically charges it back to 100% for your next sesh. The case is also rechargeable via an included USB Type-C cable to a Type-A charging port.

 

Graphene Driver Diaphragm

 

To achieve audio excellence, we have incorporated a top-quality 5.6mm graphene driver diaphragm — the world's thinnest and hardest nano-material that is lighter than paper, stronger than steel, and a better conductor of electricity than copper. The graphene diaphragm consumes minimal energy while providing superior audio quality, so Outlier Air can optimize power to drive excellent audio reproduction for detailed highs, well-balanced mids, and immersive bass.

 

Stay motivated with the powerful beats and ride the momentum of your playlist as you take on the toughest gym grind!

 

Bluetooth® 5.0 Low Energy with aptX® and AAC

 

Outlier Air features the latest Bluetooth 5.0 that is capable of performing at twice the speed of Bluetooth 4.2 while consuming lesser energy than the latter. Together with the supported aptX and AAC audio codecs, you can expect rich, enhanced sound quality over smoother and uninterrupted audio streaming for the ultimate listening experience.

 

Dual-voice Calls with Smart Assistants

 

One major flaw of existing true wireless headphones is that they only allow for calls in mono, where audio is only heard from one side, and is usually restricted to the right earbud. With Outlier Air, you can hear audio out of both earbuds while on a call and also have direct access to Siri or Google Assistant!

 

Both earbuds are fitted with built-in mic for calls and smart assistant functions. All you need to do is to assign your preferred side as the main unit control. The secondary earbud will then be automatically paired — no extra steps required!

 

Hassle-free Convenience

 

Use just one side of the earbuds to stay in check with the surrounding while on your coffee run! When you place a single earbud back into the charging case, the unit that is still in use will automatically assume the main unit controls with play/pause, calls and smart assistant functions.

 

To switch off, simply place the earbuds back into the charging case and they will switch off automatically.

 

Take your workout to the next level, better yet, break your personal best! Certified IPX5 water-resistant, Creative Outlier Air can handle all that hard-earned sweat, accidental splashes, and even rain.

 

All-day Comfort and Secure Fit

 

Absolutely wire-free, Creative Outlier Air stays put no matter what you do. Extensive tests were carried out just to achieve the perfect fit that stays in place for all kinds of activities. These earbuds are extremely comfortable and ergonomically designed with soft silicone ear tips, suitable for all-day wear and perfect for enhanced sound quality.

 

Simply place the buds in your ear and twist it gently to achieve a secure fit — you're ready to block out any noises from your surroundings and get truly immersed in your music!

 

Interface

USB Type-C (Charging), Bluetooth 5.0

 

Product Type

True Wireless Headphones

 

Weight

Earbuds: 10g (0.35 oz), Charging Case: 54g (1.90 oz)

 

Color

Black

 

Frequency Response

20 Hz ~ 20 kHz

 

Driver

5.6 mm graphene driver diaphragm

 

Battery Type and Life

Battery in Earbuds: 2 X Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery 60 mAh(Battery in Charging Case: 1 x Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery 380 mAh)

 

Charging Time

1 to 2 hours

 

Connector Type

Bluetooth 5.0

 

Bluetooth Operating Frequency

2.4 GHz

 

Audio Codec

aptX, AAC, SBC

 

Operating Range

Up to 10m / 33 ft

 

Wearing Style

In-ear, True Wireless

 

Microphone

Frequency Response: 100 Hz ~ 10 kHz

Sensitivity: - 42 dBV / Pa

Type: Omni-directional

 

Operating Temperature

0°C to 45°C

 

Built in microphone

Yes

 

Music playback and calls control

Yes

 

The market is currently filled with very interesting in-ear headphones for users that are frequently on-the-go. Creative had to fill the true wireless category as well and launched the Outlier Air just for this reason, but not without a few surprises such as an affordable price, IPX5 water resistance, a comfortable shape for prolonged use, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX and AAC CODECS but also long battery life. From a full change, we can expect up to 10 hours of playback time, while the included case does provide two full charges.

 

The product was shipped inside a very compact cardboard enclosure, which shows a photo of the main product, along with its name:

 

 

 

On one of the box sides, Creative does highlight the “Endurance / Performance” terms:

 

 

On the back of the box, we will learn of the main product highlights, but also how to contact the support team. The inside contents are listed here as well:

 

 

After unsealing the box, it is very easy to lift up the top cover; this operation will reveal the charging case, along with the headphones:

 

 

Besides the mentioned elements, we will also receive an USB Type-C charging cable for the case:

 

 

Documentation is also provided with the product, including the Safety and Regulatory Information / World Wide Warranty leaflets:

 

 

The manual will explain all the operation modes, but also how to work with the interfaces; this document can be also checked out in electronic format, via Creative’s website:

 

 

The headphones are built in such way so they would fit inside your ears without falling off when exercising; the outer area of the chassis presents itself with a LED-enabled ring but also a central button, used for pairing but also for accessing multimedia controls, taking calls or working with the assistants:

 

 

On the opposite side, we will find the marking with the Stereo channel but also the silicone ear tips:

 

 

 

 

Creative does also offer a secondary set of ear tips of a different size:

 

 

 

The Creative logo is present on the side of the chassis as well; speaking of the headphone itself, it includes a 5.6mm graphene driver diaphragm. This type of implementation does save battery power but also provides optimal quality sound:

 

 

 

The right channel headphone is pretty much identical in terms of build:

 

 

 

 

In the vicinity of the ear tips, we will find the electrical contacts, but also a small magnet for a snuggle fit inside the charging case:

 

 

 

After pressing onto the outer circular button, the LED ring will start blinking red/blue, signaling that the device has entered pairing mode:

 

 

 

 

The charging case is of premium quality as well; the cover is made of thin aluminum, in a dark grey color and with a black manufacturer logo in the middle:

 

 

 

The interior and the sides are made of plastic; on the left we do have the LED indicators for the L/R headphones, the power indicator for the internal battery of the case, but also the LED which lights up when the case is charging up; further down we do have the USB Type -C connector:

 

 

 

The opposite side does not have any extra interfaces:

 

 

 

After sliding out the assembly, we will find the compartments where the headphones will sit, along with the electrical contacts and the small magnets:

 

 

 

It is recommended to always place the headphones in the charging case when not used, because this way they will be charged optimally and this is also the procedure to shut them down (they cannot be shut down from the dedicated button, for ease of use). The light ring will start pulsating while the charging takes place:

 

 

 

We will know what is exactly happening even with the charging case closed, thanks to the external status LEDs:

 

 

 

After getting the Outlier Air outside of the charging case, it is really easy to get them paired and fitted in order to start listening to different multimedia content; our trusty P30 Huawei smartphone has confirmed support for the aptX CODEC and we have started playing different YouTube music clips, some short movies, product reviews but also vlogs. Surprisingly, the audio quality nears an on-ear mainstream to high-end headset and we were surprised to see how much bass these small drivers can deliver. At the same time, the highs and mids did remain clear and the voices were easy understandable in all the content we did listen.

 

After correctly pairing the headphones, they will show like this in your Bluetooth menu:

 

 

 

We can either listen with both headphones for a full Stereo experience or use a single one and leave the other one in the charging case; the units will succeed to connect one with the other seamlessly when both are used, but when one of the channels will go in the charging case, the other will become Master and we would be able to resume playing music.

 

The only negative point we could note about this particular set is that the buttons are not exactly easy to press when we are already wearing the headphones, so we would have preferred to have capacitive controls instead.

 

In terms of usage, our set has lasted about nine hours at low to medium volume levels, so very close to the advertised value. The set will charge from 0% to 100% in about two hours when placed into the case and given the fact that the case can do two full charges, we practically have battery life available for a full day.

 

The Outlier Air is currently in a promotion on the Creative website, and you can get it for just about 65 Euros!

Creative Outlier Air Wireless Sweatproof In-Ear Headphones are Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to Creative for making this review possible!