Creative Zen Hybrid review 2024: great sound quality

Creative has expanded their headphone product line with the introduction of the Zen Hybrid, a pair of closed, circumaural Bluetooth headphones that come equipped with a number of unique and interesting features. An ambient mode is included in the package in addition to active noise cancellation, which is abbreviated as ANC for “active noise cancellation.”

In addition, when used in conjunction with the SXFI app provided by the manufacturer, the Zen Hybrid ought to make it possible to have a listening experience that is reproduced by a virtual multi-speaker system. We investigated if the Zen Hybrid truly deserves to be called “Zen.”

Creative Zen Hybrid SPECIFICATIONS

Creative Zen Hybrid review: Design

The Creative Zen Hybrid is a very pretty over-ear headphone. It comes in a color called “matt white.” The ear pads are a light gray color, which sets them apart and makes a nice contrast. The letters on the sides, in the ear cups, and on the ANC button are all written in a shiny gold color. Already, that looks very stylish. A design that saves space was also given a lot of thought. Both of the ear cups can be folded in, making the headphones only 130 mm tall. You can buy this headphone from its official website.

Creative Zen Hybrid review: Style and Comfort

Let’s start with something we don’t usually talk about: opening the box. The Creative Zen Hybrid headphones come with a great microfibre travel bag. It’s a small thing, but it’s a nice touch for a pair of headphones that Creative clearly wants you to take with you when you travel. The headphones are folded up nicely in the bag, so you can put them away for a trip or for your daily commute. In this way, the Zen Hybrid is a great choice. It has a small size (we’re not talking about a gaming headset here) and weighs 271g (9.55oz).

Creative Zen Hybrid review: Connectivity and Controls

When ANC is turned off, the Zen Hybrid headphones can play for up to 37 hours. When ANC is turned on, the headphones only last for 27 hours. Both of these numbers are great, and the fact that the headphones can play for more than a day with ANC on is great news for people who will use them to travel. The headphones can be fully charged in two to three hours, but if you use the fast-charge feature, you can get five hours of playback from a quick five-minute charge. USB Type-C is used for charging, and a charging cable is included in the box.

Creative Zen Hybrid review: Sound quality

As you might expect from a brand like Creative, the Zen Hybrid sounds great and has great audio clarity across the board. They sound crisp and clear, and the 40mm Neodymium drivers do a good job of covering most of the range.

We say “most” because sometimes we feel like the Zen Hybrid headphones don’t have enough bass. This is something that’s noticeable in a wide range of genres. There is bass, but the out-of-the-box experience isn’t as good as it could be.

Creative Zen Hybrid review: Noise Cancellation

The Zen Hybrid headphones have a comfortable fit, efficient noise cancellation, and clear, balanced audio; however, due to their limited feature set, it can be difficult for them to stand out in the ever-expanding market for ANC headphones. Despite their strong points, the Zen Hybrid headphones struggle to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Final Words

At £100, the Creative Zen Hybrid is a good deal. The music is usually well-balanced, and the noise cancellation works well in most situations. Because they have soft padding and a long battery life, you can listen to music for long periods of time without getting tired. Their shape also makes them easy to carry around. There are over-ear headphones with better bass and more features, but, as with most things, you’ll have to pay more if you want everything.

Creative Zen Hybrid review: THE GOOD AND THE BAD

FAQS

What is hybrid noise cancelling?

Active noise cancellation is a type of Hybrid ANC. Hybrid ANC doesn’t just use microphones on the outside or inside of the ear buds. Instead, it uses microphones on both the outside and inside of the ear buds to find and cancel out background noises.

How does active noise cancellation work?

The system is based on microphones that “listen” to the sounds outside and inside the earphone, an ANC chipset that flips the soundwaves, and a speaker inside the earphone that cancels the outside sound by using the neutralising soundwaves. A bit like taking +2 outside and adding -2 inside to make zero.

Does a hybrid make noise?

When a hybrid backs up, it also uses the electric motor to get it moving until the gas engine kicks in. Because of this, the car’s exhaust doesn’t make any noise, which could be dangerous for dogs, people, or small children.