Creative Outlier ONE Plus
In previous weekend, I saw the headline of an article stating “MP3 is Dead“, and without checking it some cool memories of me using an MP3 Player long ago arisen. This nostalgia motivated me to look again upon this convenient device which let me store innumerable of my favorite songs and play them at my will without the need of having a smartphone.
To this day, there’s still something unique, traditional, yet classic about MP3 Players. On top of that symbolic layer of the once-trendy gadget, Creative seems to have embedded successfully modern applicability to it through Creative Outlier ONE Plus, an ingenious, still competent pair of wireless earphones with MP3 that can store up to 4 GB of music – that is nearly 1000 MP3 tracks or up to 250 FLAC files.
I didn’t know what to think of the earphones produced by the same company of audio equipments that created the exceedingly popular gaming headset Sound BlasterX. But in a price segment of around $50, these earphones with Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity seem like a steal, and pack a ton of features you would be grateful for, the most interesting one being the integrated MP3 which comes in handy.
Overview
The Creative Outlier ONE Plus is an affordable pair of modern earphones with MP3, Bluetooth connectivity, integrated microphone, and energetic sound with rich and defined bass. They are primarily designed for sport but have proved to be great all-around.
Key Features
- Good and in my opinion very neutral sound
- Large frequency spectrum range
- Valuable processing
- Very good price / performance ratio
Creative Outlier ONE Plus Review
Out of the vast array of wireless earphones for sport with MP3, I found this product to be of the highest value, and frankly, the reviews left by customers made them seem too good to be true, so I got intrigued and decided to try them.
I did not expect this from a product this low priced, but overall I’m impressed by the sound quality that feels rounded, very clean and has subtle details that secure a vibrant sound reproduction. Ignoring the fact these earphones have built-in MP3, 4.2 Bluetooth wireless technology and IPX4 which make them resistant to sweat, the sound alone makes it feel as you could use them off its limits, and not treat them just as plain earphones for running. You can use the MP3 Player with an individual application that has a simple interface or more conveniently through the remote controller.
The in-line remote control is not that intuitive and has four buttons unpleasantly withdrawn, and the microphone located on the side. As with Outlier One, Outlier ONE Plus has no connection problem when switching a song or listening to music when running or doing something erratic movements. There are some different combinations that you can use with these buttons to provide you with full control over your calls, music, volume, change tracks and pause a conversation, but you’ll get the hang of it after several tries.
Details
Brand
Creative
Model
Outlier ONE Plus
Specialization
Sport, Casual listening
Package
1 Pair of S, M, L size silicone earbuds, Micro USB cable, 2 Types of secure tips, 1 Clip, Compact carry pouch
The fantastic cheap wireless earbuds ensure an excellent stereophonic rendering through the 6mm neodymium drivers. On further analysis, these provide an incredibly broad audio spectrum between 20 Hz and 20.000 Hz, excelling in the lower range with a bright, but thick bass reproduction.
The sound signature could best be described as a “V” shape. Since this is the case, the mids feel accurate and well placed, the lows along with the highs are much forward, broadly extended and sharp as opposed to the midrange. And with this going, the soundstage has a nice sense of width but rather vertically centered imaging with limited depth. Overall, it has a nice soundstage and proper left to right imaging, the only shortcoming being the music that lacks complexity and is aligned inside a minimal amount of row.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Creative Outlier ONE Plus
Outlier ONE Plus comes inside a beautiful package with a diverse set of features and accessories, among them the material used into its build with IPX4 water protection grade, and the tips that can secure a tight fit to your ears and are some of the most beneficial characteristics that make them a great contender for sport. The battery lasts a moderate amount of time for a piece of headphones in this price range, with up to 7h with Bluetooth and 10h with MP3 I feel satisfied even on the longest roads I take on the car.
The Creative Outlier One had a rather irritating problem of sound because of the overly leading bass that occasionally would take over the spectrum and veil the other frequencies. The tonal balance is more upward this time, with a bit of brighter sound and more precise frequencies.
- Highly valuable and versatile
- Built-in Microphone and MP3
- IPX4 Water resistant
- Great autonomy and robust build
- Remote control not so intuitive
- Heavy bass
Conclusion
The versatility of the wireless in-ears Outlier ONE Plus can satisfy a wider extent of needs. The simple design, materials, and the functions of these earphones are worthy. Beyond that, it provides a much fuller and complete audio experience with improved rendering than its predecessor, which were also deemed as highly valuable regarding the scope of supply, production, and manufacturing quality.
It manages to get a hold of a lot of utilities, and so the Creative Outlier ONE Plus offers ear tips with great fit plus IPX4 water resistance which is essential. Some Bluetooth in-ears for sport might not have a dedicated MP3 Player incorporated or a decent, intelligible microphone which comes in as a nice addition on top of the dynamic sound.
