Creative’s Outlier wireless headphones are known for their excellent battery life and affordable price. The latest Creative Outlier Pro offers good active noise cancellation (ANC) and further improves the battery life. However, these improvements seem to come at a price. The Pro is larger and heavier than the previous model, and the headphones’ default audio signature is not our cup of tea. However, for its feature set and performance, the Pro is still a good deal at a price of just over S$100. Compared to the previous Outlier Air V3, the Outlier Pro is bulkier and heavier.
The headphones protrude further from our ears and are less comfortable to use. However, the bulky design of the Pro results in a larger surface area for the touch controls, making it easier for users to touch them. You can also customize the controls using the Creative app (for iOS and Android). This is especially important to me, as the default volume controls require a long tap. But most of the time, this action ends up pushing the headphones deeper into my ear.
By default, double-tapping the left earcup switches to noise control. The hybrid ANC, which uses the integrated forward and rear microphones in each earcup, is one of the most effective applications we have tested in this price range. It reduces background noise considerably and is a significant upgrade over the Air V3’s noise cancellation. However, you have to expect some pressure on the ears when ANC is activated. On the other hand, we are not a fan of the ambient mode, which uses microphones to pick up sounds from the surroundings. We can hear whistling when the ambient mode is enabled. The collected sounds also sound artificial and louder than expected.
Design
The Creative Outlier Pro wireless headphones are certainly not lacking in style. Perhaps the most striking feature at first glance is the metallic ombre finish, which is chic but also helps them stand out from similarly priced headphones. The design of the stainless headphones themselves may not be that unique (it looks like that of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro), but they exude a rather pleasant sheen and the build quality is excellent for the price. As mentioned earlier, the charging case is not that perfect. The metallic finish is appealing, but the build quality is pretty poor.
There are no additional color options or details that make them special. A heavy, thick frame doesn’t help them in the display department either. If there’s one positive about the design, it’s the build quality. The plastic casing and IPX5 certification protect the buds from hard concrete stains, excessive sweat, and water splashes.
Comfort
The gold “Super X-Fi Ready” lettering and LED lights on both the headphones and the case are sweet touches. But it’s the sliding mechanism that steals the show, smoothly extending the case to nicely display the headphones in the charging slots. The bulky size makes the fit loose and uncomfortable. Adjustments are required every so often to maintain in-ear stability. The cavity is also not well supported in the socket, resulting in fatigue after about an hour of use, and the audio port felt like it was digging into the canal. Comply Foam Tips could offer tighter grip control around the ears, but it’s unknown if the accessory manufacturer will create tips for this model.
Connectivity
We tested connecting the headphones to various devices, including a smartphone and a games console. Pairing via Bluetooth 5.2 was fast and effortless in every scenario. After that initial pairing, the buds will automatically connect to the paired device when they are moved from the charging case to your ears. However, we were slightly disappointed by the relatively long time it takes for the buds to connect.
On average, it only takes a few seconds longer than other earphones, but if you have used Bluetooth earphones with faster pairing in the past, this will be noticeable. Once connected, however, there were no issues in terms of continuous connectivity. Not once did the connection drop or was randomly interrupted due to background noise. So, you can be sure that you will be able to listen to your favorite music and podcasts without interruption with the Creative Outlier Pro wireless headphones.
Noise cancelling
Creative’s hybrid active noise cancellation meets these needs. The technology adapts to the environment and uses feedback microphones to suppress random noise – at least most of it. With five levels of noise cancellation in the Creative app, users have full control over how much noise they want to block out. The slider makes it easy to adjust ANC, and selecting the Max level gives you the best noise cancellation. It also consumes power quickly.
As someone who is constantly changing his work environment, we couldn’t be happier with the number of external sounds these buds silenced. Indoors, the ANC clears the soundscape of any low and mid-frequency noise, specifically loud conversations and any chatter coming out of the laundry room, which is located next to the living room.
Using the Outlier Pro ANC outdoors was equally satisfactory. The planes flying over the house went unnoticed, along with the landscaping work that took place at both ends of the house. The wreath-throwing in the backyard was peaceful, with technology putting a gag on the sounds of the dribble and the result of the noise of the air balls hitting the garage door.
Audio Performance
Finally, we come to the most topical question, and rightly so. When Creative calls its latest TWS “Outlier Pro”, many people expect another progressive improvement over the Outlier Air series. After all, Creative is using larger 10 mm graphene-coated drivers compared to the 5.6 mm in the Outlier Air V2. Based on my listening evaluation, it appears that the Outlier Pro’s setup is intentionally different.
We find that the treble is dramatically reduced in brightness compared to the Outlier Air V2. As for the bass, it is turned up to be fuller, more sustained, meatier, the bass kicks are softer. The midrange has the warmth and detail without being too fuzzy, given the tamed treble and soft bass. Despite the tuning, the Outlier Pro has a narrower soundstage, the bass is relatively more prominent. While raising the treble, the Outlier Air V2 is clean but less forward, so less harsh compared to the EQ version above.
Call Performance
This is a decent handset for making calls. All indoor calls were satisfactory, although some complained about slight attenuation. The microphones picked up a lot of background noise, so it was difficult for others to hear me outside, especially in busy areas. We are still shocked that my wife could hear cars passing in front of the house as she took her call from the backyard. That’s a testament to Creative’s powerful microphone array.
Battery life
The battery life of Creative Outlier Pro is excellent for the price. With ANC disabled, you’ll get around 15 hours on a single charge, with the charging case providing up to an additional 45 hours, meaning 60 hours of total playtime before the case itself needs topping up. Enabling ANC reduces those hours to 10 hours on a single charge and 40 hours provided by the charging case, but that’s still pretty impressive for a relatively affordable pair of headphones.
In our tests, we found that the headphones charged quite quickly when placed in the charging case. After about 10-15 minutes of charging, we achieved just under 2 hours of listening time with ANC turned off. Creative’s website boldly claims that the average user will only need to charge the case twice a month.
Conclusion
The Outlier Pro ANC has some exciting features, highlighted by a warm and vibrant sound profile that can be adjusted through a variety of well-designed EQs. The noise cancellation is among the best in its class. Add to that the incredibly long battery life (40-60 hours is fantastic). However, it’s obvious that Creative went overboard with the specs and packed as much as they could into these headphones without improving certain features.
There are not many companies out there that attempt 3D sound at such a low price. As much as we applaud Creative’s effort, the limitations and unsatisfactory performance of the Super X-Fi will push audiophiles towards other spatial audio platforms. Other flaws, such as superficial controls and unflattering design, also prevent the Outlier Pro ANC from establishing a place among the truly wireless upper echelons.
