Creative Technology Establishes New Benchmarks in True Wireless In-Ears with New Creative Outlier Air

April 26 2019, 00:55
Creative Technology has been investing considerably in new classes of personal audio products and now they announced the launch of its first true wireless in-ear headphones, the Creative Outlier Air. These combine long-lasting battery life, boasting a playtime of up to 30 hours with the charging case, a 5.6 mm graphene driver diaphragm and a Bluetooth 5.0 implementation with aptX and AAC audio support. The Outlier Air is also certified IPX5 water-resistant with a comfortable fit for all-day wear. All at an irresistible price of $119.


Among the features confirmed by Creative, the outstanding battery life is certainly a good reason to consider it. According to the Singapore-based company, the Outlier Air provides 10 hours on a single charge, and its compact and lightweight charging case stores a total of 30 hours. Creative says this is due to the use of the latest Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity in the latest Qualcomm QCC302x series chip, that allows for low-energy transmission, and also the fact that the Outlier Air earbuds draw minimal power in standard use thanks to its lightweight driver.

The Outlier Air earbuds use a high-performance graphene driver diaphragm that is acoustically optimized and generates very low distortion and vibrations due to graphene's properties of feather-like weight and amazing strength. "To achieve audio excellence, we have incorporated a top-quality 5.6mm graphene driver diaphragm. 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," they say.

The low power Bluetooth 5.0 implementation with the Qualcomm QCC302x series chip also ensures better connectivity, faster pairing and uninterrupted audio streaming, and other advanced features such as Qualcomm aptX audio and Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus. Together with AAC codec support, users can expect robust sound quality. But Creative also allows the superior call quality.

"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," the company explains. Both earbuds are fitted with built-in mic for calls and smart assistant functions, and users can assign the preferred side as the main unit control. The secondary earbud will then be automatically paired — no extra steps required.
 

The Creative Outlier Air earbuds come in a stylish and premium aluminum housing that weighs a mere 54g (1.9 oz), but still able to hold extended battery capacity. Users can choose to use just one of the earbuds, while the other one is in the charging case. The unit in use will automatically assume the main unit controls with play/pause, calls and smart assistant functions. To switch off, users just have to place the earbuds back into the charging case and they will switch off automatically. The case is also rechargeable via USB Type-C charging port, which supports fast charging. Creative supplies a USB Type-C cable to a Type-A.

In recent years we have been impressed with Creative's powerful X-Fi Sonic Carrier soundbar and the all-new technology for headphones called Super X-Fi, which recreates the listening experience of a high-end multi-speaker system in headphones and uses Artificial Intelligence to generate a custom audio profile based on a person's unique anthropometry. Super X-Fi has won multiple accolades worldwide, including an unprecedented 15 awards at CES 2019.

With the launch of its first true wireless in-ear headphones, Creative now offers a very competitive TWS solution, with excellent design, suited for travelers, commuters, and fitness enthusiasts. For now (in the US), the Creative Outlier Air earbuds are available at an irresistible price of USD 79.99 at Creative.com.
creative.com/outlierair
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About Joao Martins
Since 2013, Joao Martins leads audioXpress as editor-in-chief of the US-based magazine and website, the leading audio electronics, audio product development and design publication, working also as international editor for Voice Coil, the leading periodical for... Read more

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