Creative Outlier One Plus: Good and Affordable Headphones for Athletes?

The Outlier One Plus headphones are a better version of the successful Outlier One, according to Creative. Two new features are added with an integrated MP3 player and Bluetooth 4.2. But are the headphones really an improvement on their predecessors? That’s what we want to find out in our test.

Data and Facts

The Outlier One Plus In-Ears are offered in only one colour. Besides some orange accents the no longer available expensive headphones are completely black.

To the technical details:

Scope of Delivery

In addition to the headphones, the delivery includes a charger/transmitter cable, various adapters, a clip and a small carrying bag.

At first glance, all parts are cleanly processed. The cables are flat and appear stable. There are no special reinforcements between the elements and thus between possible fractures.

Operation and Pairing

To pair the in-ear headphones with a suitable device, press and hold the center orange button. If a pairing has already been performed, the devices connect automatically when the handset is started.

In the test, the coupling with various Android and iOS devices worked quickly and without problems. All following tests with the headphones were done with an iPhone XR.

In everyday life the operation is not optimal. Especially when changing the volume, the necessary control element has to be found. The feedback on printing is okay with all keys. However, the functionality behind the operation worked error-free during the test period. Not only the volume can be changed, but also music tracks can be skipped or calls accepted.

Sound Quality

To judge the sound quality, several pieces from different genres were listened to on Spotify at the highest quality (320 kb/s). In addition, some songs with the same quality were tested in MP3 mode. The headphone shares the same technical base as its predecessor. The sound quality should therefore be identical.

The tone of the One Plus looks washed-out and dull. The very bass-heavy tuning drown out details. It seems as if the songs are played back with 64 kb/s. It is also noticeable that a very low noise is noticeable at low volume and quiet passages – but only in Bluetooth mode. If playback is paused, it disappears after a few seconds.

On the subject of volume: The gradation is okay. The in-ears are loud enough at high volume. However, the lowest level could be even lower.

Microphone

Like its predecessor, the One Plus features a microphone. In the test the speech quality was ok and is therefore ok for short telephone calls. However, if you want to use it more often and for longer periods of time, you should inquire about alternatives.

Integrated MP3 Player

The main feature of the Outlier One Plus is the integrated MP3 player. In order to transfer music to the device, it must be connected to a PC via USB. Under Windows 10, it was recognized directly as a USB memory device. Of the promised 4 GB, approx. 3.55 GB are available.

The transfer of music files is relatively slow: a transfer rate of just 1.3-1.6 MB/s is achieved. This means that at least half an hour passes when the complete memory is to be written.

However, everyday use of the MP3 mode works as expected and without problems.

Wearing Comfort

The wearing comfort is important for in-ears. It should be noted that the wearing comfort varies from person to person. The challenge with headphones for athletes is the correct and firm hold. Even minimal slippage of the adapters results in a distorted sound. But how is the Outlier One Plus doing here?

The safety tips on the earpiece ensure that the headphones stay in the ear surprisingly well. These do not fall out of the ear even during faster activities. In the test, there were no problems with sports or everyday activities.

Range

If you train in a circle and don’t want to take your smartphone with you to every device, you often leave it nearby. Even at home you sometimes want to listen to music and not necessarily take your mobile phone with you every time you go out.

In the practical test, the range of the Bluetooth headphones was convincing. Distance of approx. 5-10 meters, even through thin doors or walls, are no problem.

But not everyone wants their smartphone to be part of the sport. No wonder: In times when 6.5 inch phablets belong to the normality it becomes more and more difficult to stow them – especially in sports. The Outlier One Plus offers a good solution for precisely this application. With the integrated MP3 mode, the range of course doesn’t matter and the smartphone doesn’t have to be there when listening to music.

Battery

When connecting Outlier One Plus to a current iOS device, the battery status can be displayed via the battery widget. However, this is an orientation rather than an exact value. For example, the same percentage was displayed over a longer period of time.

In the test, the headset in Bluetooth mode could approximately reach the promised 7 hours at medium volume. It can be assumed that the promised runtime will also be achieved in MP3 mode. It should be emphasized that the Bluetooth mode offers almost 30% less battery life compared to its predecessor. The MP3 mode and integrated memory probably require additional space at the expense of battery capacity.

The One Plus can be charged using any micro-USB cable. Complete charging takes 2-3 hours.

Conclusion on Creative Outlier One Plus Test

At the end there is the question: Is Outlier One Plus a worthy successor to Outlier One? In summary, it is an Outlier One with MP3 function and less battery life in Bluetooth mode. The operation and the sound quality can be improved. However, the wearing comfort is good and can therefore also be used for sporting activities.

The Outlier One Plus is therefore only recommended if someone is looking for a cheap and noise resistant headphone with MP3 function, without great demands on sound quality. If no MP3 function is required, the Outlier One could still be a good choice. But if you value good sound quality, you have to look elsewhere. However, a larger budget will then also be needed.