Creative Outlier Pro, premium features under €90

We tested Creative's new headphones, the Outlier Pro model that for less than €90 they offer us functions reserved for much more expensive models.

Creative offers us its new Outlier Pro with hybrid active noise cancellation, autonomy of up to 60 hours, wireless charging, IPX5 certification and a very balanced sound equalize it. If we put all these functions together and add that each and every one of them performs with a high note, it is hard to believe that its price is below €90, but luckily, that is the truth. We have tried them and we give you our opinion.

Features

When opening the box, the first thing we see is the charging case that also serves to keep the headphones stored and always these to be used. The case has a metallic finish that gives it a different look than the usual plastic cargo boxes. The touch feeling is very good and although it is a larger case than most, its rounded and elongated design makes it easy to carry in a pocket.

Outside it has three LEDs that do not indicate the charging status of the headphones and case. While the headphones only go from red (charging) to green (full charge), the central LED that refers to the case has three colors (green, orange and red) that indicate the remaining battery in it. When charging the case, the red color indicates charging and the green color indicates that the charge is complete. To see the LEDs you just have to open the case, which slides to the side showing the headphones.

In the box we also have two sets of silicone tips (plus those that already come in the headphones) to use the ones that best fit our ears. The charging cable (USB-A to USB-C) is also included, the only thing we miss is the charger, but we can use any that we have at home or a port on our computer.

All the specs of these in-ear headphones are really amazing considering their price:

  • Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity
  • AAC Codec
  • Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation
  • Ambient mode
  • Touch controls
  • 60 hours of total autonomy (40 hours with active noise cancellation)
  • 15 hours on a single charge (10 hours with active noise cancellation)
  • Wireless charging
  • six mics
  • Graphene coated drivers
  • IPX5 certification

Hybrid noise cancellation

Until now you may have heard of two types of noise cancellation: active and passive. The passive is achieved through physical isolation from the outside, either with the use of headphones that completely cover your ear or through silicone plugs that isolate the ear canal. Active cancellation is achieved by microphones located in the headset that pick up external noise and cancel it out. These microphones can be on the outside of the earpiece, which provides better cancellation but usually affects the sound you hear, or inside, which usually offers better sound but the cancellation is not as good.

La Hybrid noise cancellation is achieved by combining microphones on the outside and inside, with which you combine the best of both options. In addition, we must add the passive cancellation thanks to the silicone plugs. The end result is good noise cancellation, not the best on the market, but yes the best I have tried in headphones of that segment, and above all what I like the most is that the sound you hear is barely affected by activating or deactivating the cancellation, something that usually happens in headphones in this price range when they include active cancellation (something unusual at the moment).

Transparency mode is less satisfactory than noise cancellation. The sound quality you receive from the outside is not crystal clear, and even setting it to the maximum level sometimes makes it hard to hear well if someone is talking to you. You can toggle between the three modes (transparency, cancellation, normal) using the touch controls that is on the outer surface of the headphones. And you can regulate the levels of transparency mode and active noise cancellation from the application that there is for Android y iOS.

A very complete application

The Creative app for iOS allows you to customize many features of the headphones. It's also not very common for headphones at this price point to have so many levels of customization. You can modify the equalization of the sound, to give more relevance to the bass or just the opposite. You can also modify the noise cancellation levels and the transparency mode, as we have already told you.

Other customization options include touch controls. With different options for the right and left earphone, we can turn the volume up and down, activate noise cancellation or transparency mode, pause or resume playback, or launch the virtual assistant (Siri on iPhone and Google Assistant on Android). There are many options to configure the controls, and that is very much appreciated.

Sound quality

The most important point of a headset, and these Creative Outlier Pro get a good grade. Without touching any of the equalization, the sound is noticeable with a predominance of the basses, it is nothing very exaggerated, but they are quite evident. If you don't like it, you can modify the equalization, or if you think they are still scarce, then you have room to increase them. I personally like the sound it offers by default, it has a good volume level, and the instruments and voices are quite well differentiated. Its sound approaches the quality of other headphones that cost more than twice.

Creative offers us the sound Holographic SXFi, something that we could equate to “Dolby Atmos” of Apple Music with the AirPods Pro. For this we have a specific application that we have to download (link), and also go through a somewhat cumbersome configuration process, but the end result is worth it. The pity is that it only works with music stored on your device, it is not compatible with streaming services, so its use in microphones is quite limited.

Editor's opinion

The Creative Outlier Pro stands out for its excellent autonomy, having a more than acceptable active noise cancellation and a fairly good sound for the price range in which we are moving. An application with many configuration options completes a set that for value for money is an excellent alternative for those looking for good headphones with premium functions below €90. You can buy it for €89,99 on the Creative website (link) and if you use the discount code OUTLIERPRO you will have a 25% discount with what is left at a spectacular price.

Creative Outlier Pro
  • Editor's rating
  • 4.5 star rating
89,99
  • 80%

  • Integrated
    Publisher: 80%
  • Sound
    Publisher: 90%
  • Cancellation
    Publisher: 80%
  • Price quality
    Publisher: 90%

Pros

  • Excellent autonomy
  • Good active noise cancellation
  • Application with customization options
  • Good sound quality
  • Wireless charging

Cons

  • No ear detection that pauses playback when removed


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