TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
4.5 STARS - The Creative Outlier Pro combines solid active noise cancelling with a world-class battery life of 15 hours per charge - a unique deal in the overcrowded world of wireless earphones.
Creative Outlier Pro specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC and SBC codec
IPX5 waterproof (rain and sweat proof)
11 - 15 hours battery life on single charge (ANC on/ off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 3 different ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$80 - Check price on Amazon US
Below this Creative Outlier Pro review, you will find comparisons of the Creative Outlier Pro vs Edifier NeoBuds Pro, Soundcore Life P3, and 1more ComfoBuds Pro.
All reviews on Scarbir.com are unsponsored and honest. Please support my research by buying via the links on this site. You can also support me via PayPal.
Design, comfort and battery life
The Outlier Pro is Creative's next iteration of the Outlier wireless earbuds, after the Creative Outlier and the Creative Outlier V2. The company held on to the form factor of its predecessors, which means that the new Creative Outlier Pro has one of the biggest charging cases in the entire wireless earbuds market. No matter how fancy the metallic finish looks, this is not a TWS you'll take with you in a jeans pocket. In fact, it's even heavier and bigger than its predecessors!
It's not a coincidence that the case looks and feels like a power bank. It has the capacity of one! The case can provide the earbuds with a whopping 60 hours of total playtime - about twice as much as normal.
But the earbuds themselves are the star of the show. Creative promises up to 15 hours of playtime on a single charge with active noise cancelling turned off. In reality, it will probably last even longer. After nearly 7 hours of continuous use with watching videos and playing music, switching between ANC on and off, the Outlier Pro still displayed 70% battery life on the iPhone!
You really, really have to do your best to get these empty in a day. These earbuds can outlast your phone's battery.
Creative improved these new Outliers on more aspects. Next to USB-C, you can now also charge the case wirelessly. The earbuds are still big and feel like they fill up your ears entirely, but a bump in the middle gives them grip and comfort - so you may actually be able to wear them for 6-7 hours without discomfort. The IPX5 waterproof rating makes them resistant to sweat and rain too.
With its insane battery life, the Creative Outlier Pro is a unique proposition in the TWS market. It's worth the heavy case.
Controls and connectivity
You can change controls via the app, but not add extra commands
The Creative Outlier Pro houses touch panels in the circular part of the outside of the earbuds. You'll have to get used to its required speed; the earbuds only pick up multiple taps if you do them very quickly.
The control scheme also takes getting used to:
Double-tap R to play/pause music
Double-tap L to switch between ANC on/ Transparency mode/ ANC off
Triple-tap R to skip a song
Triple-tap L to activate the voice assistant
Hold R to increase the volume
Hold L to decrease the volume
Hold L or R without playing music to drop the current Bluetooth connection
That's right: when you're not playing music, you can easily drop the current Bluetooth connection, so you can quickly connect to another phone or pc. It's no multipoint connectivity that switches automatically to another device when you receive a phone call, but it saves you from putting the earbuds in the case and dropping the Bluetooth connection on your last device manually.
It works well - except when you're also using the Creative app on your iPhone or Android, which wants to keep connected to the earbuds.
For instance, switching from the iPhone to the Mac becomes tricky while also using the app. The right earbud dropped its connection repeatedly - lost in translation between the devices. Even a Master Reset (hold both earbuds 5 seconds when they're in the case) doesn't always re-pair the two earbuds. It can take several attempts to restore the connection - and afterward, your Bluetooth connections have to be reinstated to work again - and the app may still not recognize that you use BOTH earbuds again.
The older Outliers had connectivity issues between both earbuds. By most regular use, you shouldn't encounter them on the Pro, but it's sad Creative still hasn't tackled all the issues.
Calls, movies and Games
It's doable to take a phone call with the Outlier Pro, even outside. Sudden background sounds like accelerating or braking vehicles come through in the call and can be a bit sharp, but your loud and normal-sounding voice overrules most sounds. Wind noise is handled quite well too.
The same goes for video calls. Background noise is reduced well in favour of your voice, which comes through clear and full, with plenty of volume. However, the volume output of the ones in your call could be louder.
Like other new earphones, watching videos is a breeze, with perfect synchronization between audio and video. Even though the Creative app offers a low-latency mode to speed up game sound effects, you may not even need it to have good audio synchronization in games. With the function on, the delay is further reduced. Besides, the Outlier Pro also locates sounds well on your left and right in a game like Call of Duty Mobile - it even has game EQ in the app!
Creative app review
The free Creative app for iPhone and Android makes a nice addition to the Outlier Pro. The app doesn't require an account and too many permissions and has multiple welcome features:
See the remaining battery status of the left and right earbuds
Update the firmware
(De)activate the low-latency mode
Reach consumer support
Select the ANC strength
Select the Transparency mode strength
Change the controls
Change from standard equalizers, or make your own and save changes
Change between the standard sound and your EQ setups
The app is easy to understand
Hidden! Tap the EQ name to enter…
… the extensive list of EQ presets, including game EQ's!
As you'll read in the sound part of this review, especially the manual equalizer option is welcome. Being able to change the controls is nice too - as you can kick out the voice assistant for the previous track option, for instance.
ANC Noise cancelling test of Outlier Pro
When you take the Outlier Pro out of the case, ANC is turned off by standard. It may seem strange for active noise cancelling earbuds, but it makes sense, as the big earbuds already fill up your ears and already block noise well. What changes when you double-tap the left earbud to switch to ANC on and Transparency mode?
ANC quality: Like all wireless earbuds, Creative's newest ANC TWS doesn't really remove sounds from your surroundings, but it does reduce quite a lot of them in volume.
Especially lower tones are countered successfully, with bassy sounds and static humming (like fridges or plane engines) moved to the background. Higher constant sounds, like distant traffic, are also reduced in volume. Mid-tones and inconsistent highs, like nearby chatter or a radio or tv playing, are still audible, although they are also properly toned down. The Outlier Pro shows a very subtle white noise effect with ANC turned on, but not to an annoying level. Take the earbuds out again, and you'll immediately notice how well the Outlier Pro's ANC works - even without playing music.
Transparency mode quality: The Transparency or Ambient mode on the Outlier Pro emphasizes brighter tones so you could potentially pick up conversations or locate traffic around you. It doesn't work that well in reality - the most effective part of the effect is that it reduces the music volume as well. It is still not doable to eavesdrop on chatter, or locate traffic around you. The effect also sounds rather metallic.
Wind noise reduction: The ANC mode only lets in a bit of wind noise when you're walking, running, or cycling with the earbuds. If you want to get rid of the wind entirely, it's always possible to switch to ANC off on the earbuds itself. In this case, the Outlier Pro doesn't let any wind noise interfere with your music - it really blocks it well.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Creative Outlier Pro
The Creative Outlier Pro has a laidback, warm sound, that can be finetuned easily via the app.
Out of the box, the Outlier Pro presents a smooth sound with a warm tonality. There's a subtle emphasis on lower mid-tones, elevating drums and darker electronic tones, but it's even more noticeable in the higher mid-tones. Typical mid-instruments like guitar and piano play, and brighter instruments like violins and cymbals, dive into the darker and warmer tones easier than the crisp, high ones.
Vocals are just as comfortable on this battery beast. Both female and male vocals are well-rounded. They aren't very forward - meaning they don't stand out very much from the rest of the music - and have more weight in the lower tones than the brighter ones. The Outlier Pro never offends you with treble; you won't find a harsh or sharp note on it, and high volume peaks also don't occur. At the same time, voices do have enough body to sound clear. They don't drown in the music either.
The bass is as friendly as the rest of the sound. There's a steady, non-overpowering mid-bass slam, and the sub-bass [the deepest, darkest bass tones you can feel as much as hear] can rumble a bit, but it has more fullness than it has depth. It won't shake or stab your ears, it's comfortably full, but not very deep or textured.
A result of this warmer, lower-mid approach and laidback vocals on the Outlier Pro, is that music can sound a little closed-in. You won't find a big soundstage here, although some drums and electronic details can come from your left and right. Positioning stops here, yet happily, there's enough separation between instruments.
You can alter the sound somewhat via the Creative app, by selecting from standard equalizers or creating own your own. By reducing the lower-mids and upping the upper-mids, it's easy to increase clarity and bring vocals a tad more forward. In trade for a bit of warmth, the Creative Outlier Pro then also proves to be a more balanced earphone - while never forgetting its friendly, smooth approach.
Creative Outlier Pro comparisons
Creative Outlier Pro vs Edifier NeoBuds Pro
The Edifier NeoBuds Pro has a more detailed, open sound than the Creative Outlier Pro, with more prominent and pronounced vocals, clearer highs and both a fuller and more textured bass. If music is your main priority, the Edifier should be your top choice, even though the vocals can strike a bit more metallic.
When it comes to functionality, you could make another choice. While call quality is good on both TWS, and both models enjoy solid app support with various convenient features, they vary on other aspects. The NeoBuds Pro is more comfortable, has even stronger ANC and a more effective Transparency mode; the Creative is in another league when it comes to the battery - more than doubling the battery life with ANC on.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro review ($130)
Creative Outlier Pro vs Soundcore Life P3
As one of the most popular ANC TWS under $100, the Soundcore Life P3 will be an alternative to the Creative Outlier Pro for many. Once again the Creative wins big time on its battery life - delivering about twice the playtime on a single charge of the P3. It's also better in handling video calls, giving your voice more clarity and volume.
The Soundcore seduces with a brilliant app instead, delivering plenty of equalizers, customization options, and even a sleep mode with adjustable relaxing sounds. The smaller earpiece is more comfortable, although the bigger Creative bud blocks more noise, even passively. The Soundcore has a more outspoken sound - even with the default equalizer. While more metallic in the upper mids, vocals are clearer and mid-instruments like guitars and violins sound more natural. The Life P3 bass is punchier as well, although the Creative bass and overall sound is fuller and warmer.
Soundcore Life P3 review ($80)
Creative Outlier Pro vs 1more ComfoBuds Pro
The 1more ComfoBuds Pro held the crown for possibly the best sub-$100 wireless earbuds with great ANC and great call quality, but sees a strong competitor in the Creative. Here too, the Outlier Pro beats the battery life of the ComfoBuds Pro by a more than double score.
The Outlier Pro has a much warmer sound and pushes lower-mids way more forward when it comes to music. The 1more has more air and separation in the top end; higher-pitched vocals are more forward and sound clearer; mid-instruments are more natural, while still providing the bass enough thump. The Creative has a more soothing sound with a fuller bass.
Verdict
The Creative Outlier Pro is a bit of a sensation, with its seemingly neverending battery life, combined with solid ANC and call quality. It may not be an audiophile pair of wireless earbuds, but it's a joyful allrounder.
4.5 stars - Great
Buy Creative Outlier Pro/ check price:
I received the Creative Outlier Pro from the manufacturer to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
Also read:
Leaderboard: All rated wireless earphones
