The Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless are the second generation of the Creative Outlier Air Truly Wireless. Their ear tips have changed slightly compared to their predecessor, which forms a better seal to help isolate noise around you. Also, they're compatible with the SXFI app, which gives you access to a graphic EQ for sound customization. Their Super X-FI head mapping technology is advertised as creating a more immersive, studio-quality sound, but we don't test for this.
Our Verdict
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are okay for neutral sound. Their balanced mid-range can reproduce voices clearly and accurately. However, fans of a more neutral sound may find their excited, V-shaped sound profile to be a bit boomy or piercing. Fortunately, there's a graphic EQ in their companion app to help you customize their sound.
- Graphic EQ.
- Terrible passive soundstage.
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are very good for commute and travel. Their comfortable, portable design is ideal for long days on-the-go. With a continuous battery life of over 10 hours, they should last through most international flights, and you can recharge them in their charging case. However, they struggle to block out bass-heavy background noises like bus and plane engines.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Portable design.
- Struggle to isolate against bass-heavy background noises.
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are impressive for sports use. These headphones have a comfortable, stable fit, so they shouldn't fall out of your ears during low-intensity workouts. Their portable design makes it easy to bring them on-the-go, and they have an IPX5 rating for water resistance, though we don't test for this. However, if you like high-intensity workouts, they may fall out of your ears during more intense shakes.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Portable design.
- Not as stable as in-ears with stability fins.
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are decent for office use. They're comfortable, and they don't leak a lot of noise, so you can crank up the volume without bothering nearby coworkers. Their over 10-hour continuous battery life should last through your 9-5 workday, and their charging case offers additional charges. They can block out the sounds of people chatting around you, but they can struggle with bass-heavy ambient noise.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Struggle to isolate against bass-heavy background noises.
The Creative Outlier Air V2 aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4. While they can be used with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, their latency is likely too high to be suitable for gaming.
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are wireless headphones that can't be used with a wired connection.
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are fair for phone calls. Their integrated microphone has a decent recording quality, and your voice sounds full-bodied but also a bit unnatural. The mic also struggles to separate your voice from background noises, so they're better-suited for calls from quiet settings. They have decent noise isolation, but you may be distracted during your calls by bass-heavy background noises.
- Decent mic recording quality.
- Struggle to isolate against bass-heavy background noises.
Changelog
- Updated Jan 13, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Jan 14, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Jan 11, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Dec 16, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Creative Outlier Air V2 come in one color variant: 'Blue'. You can see the label for the model we tested here. If you come across another variant, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Note 02/03/2021: We have updated this box to better reflect the color variants available.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Creative Outlier Air V2 are budget-friendly truly wireless headphones. They're the latest version of the Creative Outlier Air Truly Wireless, and thanks to their touch-sensitive control scheme, they have a more comfortable fit than their predecessor. They're also compatible with the SXFI App, which gives you access to a graphic EQ and the Super X-FI head mapping surround support. See also our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds under $100, and the best earbuds for bass.
The Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless have a similar overall performance to the FIIL T1X True Wireless, so you may prefer one over the other. The FIIL have a more neutral sound profile out of the box, and they have a more stable fit. However, the Creative's integrated microphone has a better recording quality. Also, they have a graphic EQ, while the FIIL offer EQ presets.
The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless and the Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless are similarly performing headphones, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. Out of the box, the Anker have a more neutral sound profile, so they're better for neutral sound. They also have better noise isolation. However, the Creative are more comfortable, with a longer continuous battery life and a companion app that offers a graphic EQ and surround support.
The Jaybird Tarah Wireless and the Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless are similarly-performing headphones, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Jaybird have a more stable fit, and their sound profile is more neutral and balanced out of the box. However, the Creative are more comfortable, and their continuous battery life is longer. Both headphones offer lots of sound customization options in their companion app, which is nice.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ are better headphones than the Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless. The Samsung have a more stable fit and a longer continuous battery life. Also, their default sound profile is more neutral than the Creative's V-shaped sound. However, the Creative come with a full graphic EQ for sound customization, and they have better noise isolation.
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Test Results
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