(December 14, 2023) Creative Technology has announced the release of its Creative Zen Air Pro and Creative Zen Air Plus, the newest additions to the Creative Zen Air family. These buds carry several interesting new technologies, so let's unpack what they have to offer.
Paving the way to the future of wireless audio, both models incorporate Bluetooth's Low Energy (LE) Audio for significantly lower bitrates. Typically, a designation such as "low bitrate" would indicate poor, or poorer, sound quality, but LE Audio promises something different. Using the Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3), LE Audio reduces bit rates by 50% over traditional SBC Bluetooth technology while maintaining or improving sound quality... or, at least, that's what Bluetooth claims. The benefit is lower power consumption for an extended battery life, or the ability to use smaller batteries (translating to smaller earbuds).
LE Audio also supports Auracast Broadcast (Broadcast), which gives consumers the ability to share audio from a source device to an unlimited number of compatible devices. Imagine sharing and enjoying tunes with a friend, or watching a movie on a phone, all the while wearing two different pairs of earbuds. That's exactly what Broadcast can do, making it an intriguing audio advancement.
Both the Creative Zen Air Pro and Creative Zen Air Plus utilize 10 mm custom-tuned dynamic drivers while also offering Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation and Ambient modes.
The Creative Zen Air Plus has an IPX4 rating, meaning it can handle a splash or two. It also offers up to 32 hours of total playtime. The Zen Air Pro takes durability up a notch with an IPX5 rating while boasting up to 33 hours of playtime. It also carries an Ultra-Low Latency Mode that's activated by the Creative app. This mode seamlessly synchronizes audio and video, significantly reducing latency to as low as ~20 ms for enhanced movie, gaming, and music experiences.
Additionally, the microphone configuration sets the Creative Zen Air Pro apart, boasting a total of six microphones—four for detecting and filtering background noise with ANC on and two for clear communications. Integrating advanced AI-powered Deep Neural Network (DNN) noise cancellation technology, the Zen Air Pro can eliminate unwanted background noise in real-time. The Zen Air Plus features six microphones (three on each side) with ENC technology, analyzing and eliminating unwanted background noise for a clearer voice call experience.
Priced at an incredibly affordable $59.99 and $69.99, the Zen Air Plus and Zen Air Pro can be purchased directly from Creative.com.
