Creative Outlier Air V2 | Review
We are testing the Creative Outliers Air V2 for a few weeks; let's find out if the new True Wireless earphones from the Singapore company will repeat the success of their predecessor.
How they are made
The headphones and case are metallic midnight blue, with some parts black. The case is solid and well made: the external part is made of metal, on one side we find the USB-C port for charging and three status LEDs that inform us about the battery charge of the headphones and the case itself. The opening is sliding and allows you to easily access and extract the Outlier Air V2. The dimensions are equal to 82 x 44 x 27 mm; they are not the smallest and you will struggle to keep the case in your pocket, especially if you are wearing tight jeans.The actual earphones are well built and have a normal size, neither too big nor too small (34 x 15 x 18 mm). In the lower area we find the hole for the unidirectional microphone, while the external part is delimited by a circular LED and integrates the touch controls with which to carry out the main operations.
Unlike what we see on higher-end models (and much higher cost) here we do not have a bone sensor that detects when the headset is inserted or removed from the ear; simply, when we go to open the case, the headphones turn on and, once extracted, they automatically pair with the device we have associated them with.
The Controls
As mentioned, the touch controls of the Creative Outlier V2 are located on the outside of the two earphones, sensitive to the touch. The commands you can give change depending on whether you interact with the left or right earphone.Music playback Pause Voice call Command Left earphone Right earphone Left earphone Right earphone Left earphone Right earphone 2 taps Start / Pause Start / pause Start / pause Start / pause Answer / hang up Answer / hang up 3 taps Previous track Next track Siri / Google Assistant Siri / Google Assistant - - Long press Reduce volume Increase volume Pairing mode (6 seconds) Pairing mode (6 seconds) Reject call (3 seconds) Reject call (3 seconds)
Audio quality
Like any self-respecting in-ear headset, the Creative Outlier Air v2 also provide three different sizes of rubber pads (S, M, L), so to perfectly adapt the headphones to your ear canal. The earphones are also IPX5 certified, so they resist splashes, rain and sweat without any particular difficulty, but they are not suitable for prolonged immersions, so avoid using them in the pool or in the shower.The audio quality is excellent, especially if we think about the type of product we are talking about. The mid-low frequencies are emphasized, a feature that works in our favor when we use these headphones outdoors while exercising or on public transport: the Creative Outlier Air V2 are not equipped with ANC and the isolation is guaranteed exclusively by the rubber pads that block the ear canal, having accentuated medium-low frequencies allows you to hear the music well even in the case of strong background noises.
Even on calls, the quality is excellent, our interlocutors have never had problems to hear us, a sign that the microphones are of good quality.
We do not express any judgments on listening with Super X-Fi technology: the dedicated application does not yet allow you to select the Outlier Air V2, so we could not test the proper functioning of technology. However, we can warn you that, to take advantage of the technology, you will be forced to keep the music saved locally on your smartphone and play it through the dedicated Creative application.
Autonomy
Using the Creative Outliers Air V2 to listen to music and watch videos, we measured about 12 hours of autonomy, an excellent result. The case obviously integrates a battery and recharges the earphones, allowing approximately 34 hours of total autonomy to be reached.Unfortunately, any type of fast charging is missing, both for the case and for the headphones. The case charges the Outlier Air V2 to 100% in 2-3 hours, but we do not believe that such a long time is a problem: given the autonomy guaranteed by the earphones you will hardly find yourself having them completely discharged, consequently the case will never take. so long to charge.
Verdict
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are True Wireless headphones that have convinced us in many ways. The autonomy is excellent and the audio quality is good, superior to that of other TWS headphones that we find in this price range.These are earphones designed especially for those who play sports, as evidenced by the IPX5 certification. They do not have the classic headband that anchors them to the back of the ear, but in our experience of use the headphones fit well and we never had the feeling of losing them, even during a run. The isolation provided by the earphones is very good, but it is quite a subjective aspect: in our case the ear tips were going to fit well in the ear canal, but they might not be like that for everyone.
The Creative Outliers Air v2 have a list price of 79.99 euros, but at the launch there will be a promotion that will allow you to take them home for 69.99 euros. This is an attractive and aggressive price, which makes them cheaper than products with a similar quality, such as the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air V2 or the Soundcore Liberty V2 Pro, TWS which cost 100 and 120 euros respectively.
Given the audio quality, battery life and price, the Creative Outlier Air V2 deserve our Award. If you are looking for a pair of True Wireless headphones with an excellent quality / price ratio and are planning to use them for physical activity as well, these headphones are perfect for you. Too bad only for the size of the case, which makes it difficult to keep in your pocket.
