Creative Outlier Gold
Hello / Greetings To Everyone, So Today I am going to put my true views on Creative Outlier Gold Review.
Creative Outlier Gold is the legendary manufacturer’s attempt to make the perfect TWS headphones. The novelty boasts excellent battery life and support for Super X-Fi technology.
Small, wireless, with very good autonomy, extra batteries in the charging case and high-quality sound, this is how I would describe the Creative Outlier Gold headphones. Now let’s get down to the details.
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In this review, I tried to reveal both the positive and negative points so that everyone can understand if the headphones are suitable for them or not.
Most people start choosing headphones by determining the maximum amount they can spend. Creative Outlier Gold are completely wireless earbuds with a charging case, their price is about 100 dollars.
Packaging and equipment : Creative Outlier Gold
Creative Outlier Gold packaging looks high quality and solid. There is a lot of information on it: the main features of the model are described, the operating time without recharging is mentioned several times – 14 hours, and the Super X-Fi technology is briefly described.
Contents of delivery:
- Headphones Creative Outlier Gold
- Signature case for charging and storage
- Extra ear pads (3 pairs, 2 sizes)
- USB to USB Type C cable for charging the case
- Documentation
Case Design : Creative Outlier Gold
It is quite difficult to make an original case for storing and charging wireless headphones, everything has long been invented. But the designers and engineers at Creative don’t get their money in vain. The Outlier Gold case looks and feels like a monolithic “keg”, it is made of aluminum painted in gold. Compact dimensions: 78x27x44 mm. Weight without headphones is only 54 grams.
On the left side there are all the important elements: a USB Type-C connector for charging the case and four indicator lights. The extreme indicators inform about the connection of the left and right earbuds to charging, and the other two show the charging mode and the level of the remaining charge of the case. If the LED is blue, then the charge is still more than 30%, if it is red, then less than 30%, with a full discharge, the indicator goes out.
Attention is drawn to the mechanism for opening the case and installing headphones in it. Unlike most other manufacturers, Creative has made a sliding mechanism. We cannot judge how durable it is, but it is very convenient to use. It closes reliably, unintentional opening is excluded.
The headphones inside the case are firmly fixed with magnets.
Headphones Design: Creative Outlier Gold
The first impression of the headphones is that they are too big! But this impression is deceiving. Although the Creative Outlier Gold looks large, it does not feel so in daily use. They sit securely in the ear, do not fall out when walking and running. Each earphone weighs only 5 grams and measures approximately 20 x 20 mm.
The design is restrained, it differs from Outlier Air only in the color of the plastic case. Each earbud also carries the letters L and R, as well as small pictograms. In the upper part of the case there is a button around which a backlight is placed in a ring. The ring glows red when charging, and blue when pairing and working.
There is a built-in microphone in each earpiece, as evidenced by the small holes. When using Outlier Gold as a headset, you will be able to select the desired earpiece.
The ear cushions are difficult to remove so that they do not accidentally remain in your ears during use. The set comes in two sizes – S and M. The first are very small, the second a little larger. In our opinion, one more size is missing, a little larger.
Next to the speakers there are small charging contacts, and between them a magnet, which ensures a secure fit in the case.
Bluetooth Connection
Pairing TWS earbuds is not much different from connecting via Bluetooth to any other wireless device. Just turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone, hold down the button on any of the headphones for a few seconds, thereby putting it into pairing mode, and wait for a new device to appear in the list. After connecting the first earbud, the second one is automatically paired. Once connected, the backlight on both earbuds pulses blue.
Headphones use Bluetooth 5.0 to connect, ideally you need to use a smartphone with the same or later version of the interface. All testing took place with the OPPO smartphone, which supports Bluetooth 5.0, while there were no problems with the stability of the connection, the sound was without interruptions and delays. But for the experiment, we connected the Outlier Gold to an older smartphone with Bluetooth 4.1. In this case, the connection was not perfect, and rare short interruptions of no more than a second began to appear. You can use it, but the impression spoils a little.
Control is reduced to pressing just one button on the earphone. Short press – pause, double press – switch the track forward / backward (depending on the earphone), long press – volume control. All commands are described in detail in the user manual, so there will be no problems with this.
Technology Or Functions Of Creative Outlier Gold
So there are few technology or functions which i will be discussing below in brief which are as follows:-
Super X-Fi technology
Creative Outlier Gold has also not been without modern software. This is the proprietary Super X-Fi sound processing technology, which is designed to make the sound quality more cinematic. This technology is not the first time Creative has used this technology and has received many awards from a variety of resources.
In fact, for the average user, Super X-Fi is an add-on over the standard smartphone player that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store. Then the fun begins. First, you have to register, which may already scare someone, but then – more. After registration, you need to take photographs of your head in various projections: left, right and frontal view. This is necessary in order for the application, based on its smart algorithms, to select exactly those sound settings that are most suitable for you. Agree, a serious approach!
Then I just pair the headphones with the smartphone and have fun. Music control now comes from the Super X-Fi app. You can enable or disable processing using the button in the lower left part of the screen.
What changes when using this technology itself? The sound becomes as natural as possible, sonorous, we would call it “concert”. There is a persistent feeling that you are in the same room with the playing musicians. When you turn it on for the first time, it becomes even a little uncomfortable, but gradually you get used to this sound. It is difficult to say whether this is a good or bad change in sound, rather it is “for the amateur” and is suitable mainly for instrumental music.
Waterproof
An absolutely must-have feature for anyone looking for headphones to use while exercising. After all, even if the rain doesn’t hit you, the equipment is likely to be wet with sweat in hot conditions.
According to the manufacturer, Outlier Gold is IPX5 rated, which means it should theoretically not be damaged by our sweat during intense workouts, or even a decent rainstorm. Unfortunately, we haven’t had a shower lately, although I can confirm that after long hours of running, I and the headphones were always completely wet.
Passive noise cancellation
Of course, the Creative Outlier Gold headphones don’t have active noise canceling. Fortunately, the silicone tips do their best to separate us from the surrounding noise in the best possible way. And it works really well.
But, this will not always be an advantage – for example, when running in busy places, you should understand what is happening around. Therefore, if for other situations, good passive suppression of external sounds is a priority in the city, this can lead to sad consequences.
COMFORT : Creative Outlier Gold
Let’s talk about comfort. The earbuds do fit perfectly in your ears, but it’s important to get the right ear pads in the right size and get used to them. When installed correctly, good noise isolation and rich sound are achieved. The headphone housing is fully in contact with the ear surface and is securely fixed inside. Accidental loss is excluded.
The Outlier Gold size is also an advantage, we can easily put on a tight hat, and we will not feel any discomfort. After inserting the device into my ears and docking them correctly, I have nothing to complain about. The headphones themselves are lightweight (10 g) and do not overload the ears. Despite the absence of any additional pads, it sticks surprisingly well in the ears.
Perhaps, I would not perform coups in them, but even during dynamic running or home exercises, there was never a situation when I had to correct. I only reached for them when I used the control buttons or when I pulled the headset out of my ears after training. Unfortunately, there is one less pleasant control-related detail here.
I was happier if the Outlier Gold had more rubber inside instead of hard plastic. Although there were no problems with about a maximum of 2 hours of use, the earbuds would probably start to feel unpleasant in the ears after a longer time.
Sound Quality
And finally, about the sound. I had a rough idea of what to expect from Outlier Gold, because I had previously visited the previous model of this line. Expectations were fully justified – this is one of the best sounding models in the price segment under 100$.
Creative Outlier Gold is a versatile headphone that sounds good both in classics and in electronic compositions. There is balance and volume in the sound. The low frequencies are powerful, but do not interrupt the overall picture of the composition, the middle and high frequencies are pronounced, sound quite believable. The manufacturer managed to achieve such sound thanks to the use of modern codecs, including Aptx, which provides high stability of communication and quality comparable to CD, as well as first-class 5.6 mm graphene diaphragms. These diaphragms optimize driver power for superb sound reproduction with detailed highs and well-balanced mids and rich bass.
The volume reserve of these headphones is more than enough. Thanks to good noise isolation, even on the street or in the subway, you are unlikely to set the sound above 70%.
However, Outlier Gold is very versatile in sound. Despite the strong emphasis on bass, the mid and high tones are also well pronounced, so listening to music is the most enjoyable experience. You just need to choose the right earpieces and place the headphones correctly in your ears – otherwise you will get the impression of a very muffled sound. However, lovers of sharp and ultra-clear sound here may be a little disappointed – the characteristics are quite soft and warm.
Microphone
You can use one earphone as a headset, the microphone quality is just acceptable. My interlocutors had no particular problems understanding me, although I did not hear any praise for the quality of the connection. In really noisy places, things are a little worse – the microphone picks up all the sounds of the environment. You will be able to talk, although it will take some effort.
On the other hand, the possible delay, for example, when watching a video, either does not exist, or I could not notice it. However, just in case, I will add that according to the opinions of some people from the Internet, it is here.
Battery
I am glad that the body is mostly aluminum and rigid. For example, I had no problem throwing a gadget in my travel luggage without hesitation. Maybe not premium packaging, but it’s sturdy.
Outlier Gold has an efficient power supply. The manufacturer claims that the equipment will be able to withstand up to 14 hours without recharging. With my listening mode and at almost maximum volume, this result was reduced to 3-4 hours.
The case is able to add about 25 declared hours of autonomy, that is, less than 2 full charge cycles. A nice bonus is USB-C power recharge. A USB-A to USB-C cable is included.
CONCLUSION
So lastly,Creative Outlier Gold are headphones that definitely deserve your attention. It can be seen that the manufacturer was betting heavily on this product. Quality is felt here literally in everything, from the original case to branded “chips” like Super X-Fi technology.
Who are these headphones made for?
In my opinion, they are as versatile as possible. With IPX5 protection and a very secure fit, they are suitable for athletes and cycling enthusiasts. Noise isolation will appeal to those who spend a lot of time in noisy transport or on the street. Well, the sound quality will not disappoint to the best of the demanding music lover. They sound really great. In the price range of TWS headphones up to 100$, finding the best combination of convenience and sound is unlikely to work.
Pros:
- Excellent sound quality
- Very long battery life
- Supports proprietary Super X-Fi technology
- Comfortable fit
- Waterproof and splash proof IPX5
- Convenient charging case
Cons:
- Only two sizes of ear cushions included
- Intermittent sound interruptions on smartphones with outdated Bluetooth version.
Thank You!!!
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