Overall and Final Verdict
As someone who has stuck with their tried and true wired earbud options for years for listening to my music, the move to wireless earbuds was put off for as long as I could. Once I finally ended up with a phone that didn’t have a headphone jack I even considered just sticking with the type-C dongle or even getting a new set of wired earbuds that has a Type-C connection. The truth is though, is that wireless is the direction it is moving so I have been trying out different options getting a feel for the market for a while now. So getting the chance to check out Creatives option with the Outlier Golds was only natural considering how many PCs and even a TV that I have running some sort of Creative audio solution. Not surprisingly, the Outlier Golds do sound good. I didn’t have any issues with too little or too much bass, distortion, and everything was clear and defined. My wife loved the gold color, which is more of a rose gold than normal gold. I also was very happy that Creative stuck with a Type-C connection when it came to charging. Its amazing how many new products are sticking with the older micro-USB when just about all phones use Type-C. Not only is it easier to plug in, but having it match your phone makes it a lot easier to charge.
Without a doubt though, the best feature that the Outlier Golds have going is their battery life. Each earbud will last 14 hours and the case holds enough to recharge them both back up for another 5 and a half hours for a total of 39 hours of battery life or 19 and a half if you use them both together. That is enough life for keeping them in all day, last through even the longest flight, or nearly make it through a full work week if you only use one at a time.
The downside to the battery life is that the Outlier Golds are a touch large and they stick out of your ears a little bit. The size/weight also can be uncomfortable on really extended use for some people. I also felt the included charging case felt a little cheap, especially when compared to the Jaybird Vistas with their magnetic clasp keeping the case closed. But that’s a small issue in my opinion. Beyond the battery life, the Outlier Gold's other big feature over the Outlier Air’s is Creatives Super X-Fi software and while it was cool, only being able to get the sound benefits when using the MP3 player built-in really made that feature not useful for my personal use.
Which actually brings me to the big question. The Outliers do sound good and work well but in the end are the Outlier Golds a better buy than Creatives other option, the Outlier Airs? If you need the extra 4 hours of battery life that each Outlier Gold earbud gets yes. The Outlier Gold costs $99.99 while the Airs are $79.99. I think that at those prices, given the audio performance, both options are a good value. But the Outlier Air is a great buy and the option I would go with if I was buying them. Only because that extra battery life doesn’t fit what I personally use them for and the 10 hours of the Airs is still better than a lot of other options. In the end, both are a good option for a lot less than some of the big names will run you while stick sticking with a name you should know and solid performance.
Live Pricing: HERE