Creative Sensemore Air Bluetooth 5.2 IPX5 ANC Earbuds

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Model: Creative Sensemore Air
Price: MSRP £69.99
Website: Amazon UK, Creative UK
Review Reference: RC101

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Creative
• Model: Sensemore Air
• Driver: 6mm Bio-cellulose drivers
• Chipset: Airoha AB1562F
• Mic: 4 mics with environmental noise reduction for calls
• ANC: Yes - Hybrid ANC (dB not specified)
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• App Support: Yes - Creative and Super X-Fi
• Multipoint: No
• Customisable Controls: Yes, via Creative app
• Gaming Mode: No
• Earbud Weight: 5.35g
• Earbud Dimensions: 23.8mm depth , 24.8mm height
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 47.06g
• Case Dimensions: 67mm (width) x 31.6mm (height) x 46.5mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh!
• Quick Charge: Yes - 2 hours playtime from 10 minutes
• Wireless Charging: Yes
• Charge Time: 90 minutes (buds), 120 minutes (buds and case)
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 10 hours (ANC off), Up to 7 hours (ANC on)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 35 hours (ANC off), Up to 25 hours (ANC on)
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C / Qi Charge Case
3 x Pair Silicone Eartips
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x Quick Guide
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Compliance Manual

YouTube Review:



Introduction

After spotting my review of the Outlier Pro, Creative very kindly got in touch and asked if I would be prepared to do the same for one of their newer releases, the Sensemore Air.

Keeping tabs on Creative's naming convention and release schedule, it appears the raison d'etre here is their outrageously strong ambient performance. It shares some similarities with the Outlier Pro in terms of specification, such as the Bluetooth version (5.2), the inclusion of ANC and Quick Charge, and the ability to customise controls courtesy of the Creative app, but there are some compromises - the Sensemore Air only feature 4 mics, the drivers have been scaled down to 6mm, and battery life has been cut to 10h/35h. However, one of the bones of contention with the Outlier Pro was the slightly chunky design and case - and that is something Creative have adjusted with this release, with a super lightweight, slimline in-ear design that will certainly attract an alternative buyer profile.

There's also the sound signature, which is very different, so read on for my thoughts on the Sensemore Air, and what you can come to expect from this mid-tier in ear TWS.

Unboxing



With a £69.99 MSRP, the Sensemore Air are definitely positioned slightly higher than the often-discounted Amazon-friendly brands such as Soundcore and SoundPEATS, and with a brand that is certainly better known and more established outside of the audio community, you are getting what you would expect - a fairly premium-feeling unboxing with an assortment of booklets, including a warranty card and instruction manual.

Even so, this feels a little less impressive than the Outlier Pro, with the initial user guide moved from the inside of the enclosure to a separate leaflet, and the leaflet itself is fairly slimline, with Creative taking the environmentally-friendly option of a QR code for offering multi-language support. When you follow the QR, you've got instructions in 17 different languages, with most of the major European, Slavic and Asian languages accounted for.

You're also getting a set of spare tips in Small and Large sizes, a USB-C cable to charge the case and buds, and a leaflet advertising the SXFI app, which is a separate application to the main Creative app and isn't part of the scope of this review as it is focused on the Asian market.

Charge Case



Creative charge cases have historically been very unique in their rectangular bar-style shape and hefty profile. I read and watched quite a few reviews that took umbrage with this design (although it wasn't something I really had an issue with) and as a result, Creative have gone with something a little more conventional. The dimensions are 6.7mm x 3.2mm x 4.7mm - this time comfortably fitting in the palm of your hand - and weighing in at 47g, it's about average in terms of portability when it comes to your typical TWS charge case enclosures. The buds, again, rest with the tips at the top rather than the bottom, so you have to turn them upside down when you put them back in the case - slightly counter-intuitive if you're not used to it, but nothing too inconvenient. Inside the case, you've got the Sensemore logo screen printed in the cockpit.



The case has a friction hinge, and it is actually pretty impressive - there's around 45 degrees worth of adjustment in it before it slams shut, and the hold on this adjustment is quite firm - it's unlikely it will slam shut unless you get a rather strong gust of wind. Creative have also retained the very useful charging LED configuration, that accounts for the charging status of the Left bud, Case and Right bud (from left to right). It uses the same traffic light configuration I talked about in the Outlier Pro review, which is not so useful for those that are colour blind, but there's also the display in the Creative app which has you covered.

The case construction is black matte and plastic, and for all the positive aspects it is a little cheap-feeling. You can't really use it single-handed due to the size and profile of the lip on the lid, and the shell itself is rather thin and has some slightly sharp edges. Even within the first week of use, the appearance is degraded, as we have often seen with cases of this design, with shiny patches appearing courtesy of contact with keys in your pocket, etc.

On a positive note, the case recharges the buds and additional three and a half cycles, and supports the same quick charge configuration as the Outlier Pro - when you plug it into a USB-C cable, ten minutes juice will give you two hours playtime. The case also supports Qi wireless charging, including reverse-charging from your mobile phone, which is impressive in this price category.

Ergonomics



The Sensemore Air are another release that has shunned the stem, favouring a traditional round profile, with a shallow insertion inside the ear canal that, combined with the slimline design, makes for an almost-flush fit in your ears. We've seen a bunch of manufacturers claim to be 'Mini', but Creative are probably the closest to achieving this tag, measuring in at a depth of around 23mm. Each earbud weighs around 5g, and whilst this isn't especially light, it feels feather-like in your ears.

The ring LED around the outer edge has been retained, only flashing when you do something significant such as pairing and connection. On the inside, you've got two slightly bevelled battery connectors and an ambient pickup mic. It's all pretty standard stuff.



You start to realise how slim the earbuds are when you compare them to others of a similar shape. Here we have the SoundPEATS Mini, Engine 4, Creative Outlier Pro, Creative Sensemore Air and QCY T17. The Sensemore Air is easily slimmer than the rest, and whilst the height is larger than the other brands, it fits the shape of the average ear much better. By spreading the electronics and battery longer, the earbuds wear better, are more stable and far more comfortable.



The design is a little generic in terms of look (it reminds me of the old Tronsmart earbuds from when I started these reviews) and there's certainly nothing fancy about it, but it is probably the most comfortable earbud of this design I own, and I've kept coming back to it when I've wanted something convenient for this very reason. Talking and chewing don't loosen the fit - at least not for me, which is handy because the 'Sensemore' ambient feature definitely encourages you to talk with these buds in without the need to remove them.

The buds are IPX5 water resistant, so absolutely fine for light rain and sweat. Personally, I don't like to exercise with in-ear earbuds because of the occlusion effect, but if that doesn't bother you then the Sensemore Air are a decent option here due to that enhanced stability. They fit so flush, you could probably wear them under a motorcycle or bike helmet, and they are even suitable for side sleepers - probably the only earbud of all of my 2023 reviews I could faithfully say this for.

You also get the same voice prompts telling you what is going on as the Outlier Pro - "Bluetooth turned on, now in pairing mode, waiting for connection"...etc.

Audio & Sound Signature



As mentioned in the intro, Creative have equipped the Sensemore Air with 6mm bio-fibre drivers as opposed to the 10mm units in the Outlier Pro, with a frequency response range of 20-20KHz and support for the AAC and SBC codecs.

The first thing to note from the graphs is how much Creative have deviated from the warm, bassy sound of the Outlier Pro, instead favouring a brighter, cleaner tuning, with a leaner bass and more open soundstage. This takes Creative back to their previous releases - the Outlier Air and Gold had a similar tuning, giving vocals a little more room to breath with decent tonality and a fresh feel that is pleasant and airy, and the Sensemore Air takes this and improves it, with marginally better detail retrieval and instrument separation.

The gentle rise in the upper mids gives a nice weighting to vocals and adds attack (perhaps too much) to percussion. The Sensemore Air also have a little more in the lower mids, and the balance favours males vocals too, without sounding too over-emphasized. The trebles are very crisp, and shakers and other percussive elements have plenty of texture, but on high volumes especially it can sound a little too expressive and you may find yourself dialing this back ever so slightly.

The uplift in the midbass between 100-300Hz means that you're getting a gentle but lush sound to your lower frequencies, although for bassheads it's likely to sound a little thin and detached - again, a minor adjustment via the EQ will resolve this.

The soundstage has plenty of width thanks to the airy profile, although there's not a great deal of depth as you would expect with a single 6mm dynamic driver. Overall, it's a pleasantly-tuned TWS that with some very minor adjustments is fun and enjoyable for casual listening.

ANC/Ambient Control

ANC is actually referred to as 'Ambient Control' by Creative, certainly in their app, and the app gives you lots of customisation, which is both useful and effective.

Let's start as Creative intended with Ambient Mode. There are two modes within Ambient - normal Ambient and Sensemore. Normal Ambient is pretty much as per the Outlier Pro - a little disappointing, certainly for conversations that are some distance away from you, but very natural. Sensemore is, as you might expect given their name, their secret weapon - their headline feature that is designed to boost surrounding sounds and amplify vocal range frequencies to levels you can't even imagine, and let me tell you, it doesn't disappoint.

There are five strength levels to all modes in Ambient Control. For normal Ambient Mode, I suspect you'll have it set to high permanently. For Sensemore Mode, unless you're hard of hearing I think the sweet spot is somewhere between Level 3 and 4. On Level 5, even eating a bag of crisps becomes an arduous experience as every crinkle of the wrapper and crunch of the crisp explodes in your ears. Move to Level 4 and you get a superb balance of the edge taken off the harsher sounds and ample amplification of everything else. Sure, your voice and even other voices sound a bit lispy, and it certainly isn't trying to be natural sounding, but if a very clear Ambient mode is critical to you then the Sensemore Air are absolutely unparalleled.

Active Noise Cancellation isn't too bad either. Unfortunately due to the shallow insertion style, it doesn't negate wind noise, and requires the largest sized tips to maximise effectiveness, which may detract slightly from optimal comfort, but, similar to the FIIL T1 Pro / T2 Pro, which suffer from the same form factor constraints, it does a decent job of nullifying the lowest frequency sounds, including air conditioning units and car engines, and does pretty well with conversations around you. On a walk around my local Aldi, I couldn't hear a great deal going on with no music playing, but when the cashier asked me if I was 'Cash or Card', I could hear him quite clearly. So it would be unfair to claim the ANC is top tier on the Sensemore Air, but it's a similar level of performance to others in that mid-tier price/performance category. ANC also has five levels, and you'll probably not deviate from Level 5.

One of the most impressive features of Ambient Control is the ability to set which mode you want it to stay on whilst on a call. It isn't something that I use, but I recall a user on reddit saying they pretty much swore by this feature, so if that floats your boat - well, Creative have got you covered there.

Call Quality

Calls on the Outlier Pro weren't their strong suit, and it's a similar story with the Sensemore Air. This model has scaled the number of microphones back to 4 as opposed to 6, and whilst the environmental noise reduction has been increased, this also detracts from the clarity of your own voice, which softens and becomes a little incoherent unless you are prepared to raise your voice substantially.

Outdoors, they fare slightly better than indoors, coping OK with the weather and traffic conditions that plague your calls and voice notes, but it certainly isn't a feature that Creative have or should be crowing about - calls are possible and passable, but that's about it.

App Support & Other Features

The Sensemore Air are supported by the Creative app, which is an absolute pleasure to use. Whilst it isn't awash with features and functions, what it does, it does well, and it's glossy, polished and intuitive. There's no requirement for setting up an account and sending them your keystrokes, national insurance number and inside leg measurements. It's a straightforward app with three main sections - EQ, ANC and Custom Buttons. Since we've covered the others, let's move onto Custom Buttons. Here, you can customise Double Tap, Triple Tap and Long Tap (music playing), and not only that, but the left and right tap in each configuration is independent.

My choice was to allow long tap to control volume up and down, double left for toggle ANC and right to play/pause, whilst triple tap left took tracks backwards and triple tap right to progress them forwards. For me, this worked really well.

What about Long Tap when music isn't playing? That ends your Bluetooth connection. Yep, it disconnects your connection so you can quickly connect to another device. They don't have multipoint, so this is Creative's, ahem, creative way of circumventing that. And it works OK....until you forget that it's what it does! It's a gift and a curse, that's great when you need it, and the last thing you need when you don't.

The buds use the Bluetooth 5.2-ready Airoha AB1562A chipset that we've seen used in a variety of products from FIIL, and a few from 1More. It's a solid, reliable chip that offers robust connectivity and efficient performance. Latency is very good - I got good lip synchronisation on YouTube videos, but there's no Gaming Mode on this model, so for gamers you may find them falling a little short of expectation.

In the EQ section you have 12 Music presets and a bunch of Gaming EQ settings, including game-specific ones like Genshin Impact and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege.

Of the Music presets, I particular liked the R&B one as a starting point - you can take any EQ and adjust from there, and adding a shade more bass to that EQ whilst edging down the sharpness at 8k seemed to work quite nicely. There's also the ability to custom EQ from scratch, and you have adjustments at 31, 62, 125, 250, 500, 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k and 16k +-9. Nice!

Battery Life

Whilst not quite hitting the heights of the Outlier Pro, the advertised 10 hours is still no mean feat. With ANC off, I got just under 9 hours normal listening, and with just under 6.5 hours with ANC on and taking a bunch of phone calls whilst using the mic for Duo Lingo too, it's still a standout feature which outperforms many higher-priced buds on the market such as the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2.

The buds support quick charge - 10 minutes in the case gives you 2 hours playtime, and you get an additional 3.5 charges from the case.

Summary

The Sensemore Air don't really sit above the Outlier Pro in terms of features and functions, but their fresh sound and outrageous 'Sensemore' Ambient Control put them at the front of the queue in terms of Creative buds I would recommend for casual use.

Active Noise Cancellation performs reasonably well, comfort is top tier, and the customisable controls and EQ thanks to their polished app makes them versatile and convenient buds, which don't scrimp on battery life either.

If you need gaming mode and require the ability to make coherent calls in a busy environment, they may fall a little way short of your expectations, but otherwise the Sensemore Air are cracking all-rounders that are convenient companions with an enjoyable sound signature to boot.

At £69.99, the Sensemore Air are slightly over-priced in terms of market expectations. If you can get a good deal on Prime Day though, they are a solid, reliable and high performing alternative to similar-fitting buds, such as the Jabra Elite 3.

Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 82%