Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI

With a compact design weighing 257 grams (with cable), these over-ear headphones fold neatly for transport. The swivel- and tilt-adjustable ear cups provide excellent adaptability, and the headband’s size settings cater to everything from delicate to larger head shapes. The fit is neither too tight nor too loose, ensuring the headphones remain secure during active use while minimizing excessive pressure. However, some heat buildup around the ears has been noted due to the snug padding and limited air circulation.

Battery Life & Charging Times

In standard mode, the Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI achieve a remarkable runtime of 77 hours at high volume levels. When the noise cancellation is set to its maximum, expect around 43 hours and 30 minutes of playback. The headphones fully recharge in approximately 90 minutes using the supplied USB-C-to-USB-A cable.

Alternatively, a wired operation is possible via the 3.5-mm audio input located on the right ear cup. Note that when used with a cable, features such as noise cancellation and SXFI technology are disabled, although the headphones will still function even if the battery is depleted.

Bluetooth & Connectivity

The Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI support Bluetooth codecs SBC and AAC, though high-resolution formats are not available. For movies, computer games, and mobile gaming, a low-latency mode is included. They also allow multipoint connections with two devices simultaneously and use Bluetooth version 5.3. During testing, the wireless connection remained impressively stable both outdoors and while moving through several rooms and even changing floors.

Controls & Operation

Five physical buttons are located on the right ear cup, providing a wide range of functions. These include controlling playback and handling calls, adjusting the volume, and skipping tracks. Additionally, you can directly activate or deactivate the low-latency mode, voice assistant, and SXFI effect. Switching between adaptive ANC, static ANC, ambient, and base modes is also possible. However, the button assignments are fixed and cannot be customized via the app, which is a limitation for some users.

Creative App & SXFI Functionality

The Creative App (available for Android and iOS) divides environmental control into a static noise cancellation mode with six intensity levels and an adaptive ANC mode that automatically adjusts to the surroundings. A six-level ambient mode to boost external sound rounds out the offerings.

The app’s EQ section is richly equipped with 55 preconfigured settings for various music genres such as rock or hip-hop, as well as for different gaming genres. Special presets for titles like Fortnite, Resident Evil, or The Witcher are available. Moreover, a 10-band equalizer lets you create and save your own settings. Recently, the Super X-Fi technology can be toggled via the Creative App, which is highly welcome. However, if you wish to personalize the spatial presentation further, you still need the SXFI App—a somewhat limited tool since its audio effect only applies to locally stored content. Additionally, head mapping requires registration. With integration into the Creative App, however, the SXFI effect can now also be applied to streamed media, greatly expanding its utility. Besides these functions, the app also lets you activate or deactivate the low-latency mode and voice prompts, and perform firmware updates.

Call Clarity of the Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI

In quiet environments, the Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI deliver clear and distinct speech. Their five integrated microphones with environmental noise cancellation (ENC) effectively filter out wind noise outdoors—though if the wind comes from the side, a slight rustling may be heard by the other party. It’s also been observed that the wearer’s own voice may seem a bit less prominent, which can be noticeable even against a busy background; however, louder ambient sounds are sufficiently attenuated to allow for clear communication.

Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) & Ambient Mode

The noise cancelling of the Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI is relatively quiet, with only a slight background hiss detectable at higher or adaptive settings. Low-frequency external noises are reliably and effectively reduced in both ANC modes. For voices, a slight reduction is noticeable in both the adaptive and maximum static ANC settings. High-frequency noise reduction is also effective, with no significant differences observed.

Overall, complex noise sources such as street or construction noise, as well as keyboard sounds, are clearly attenuated. However, this also causes the sound in ANC modes to appear slightly brighter and results in a leaner bass response compared to standard mode.

In ambient mode, even at the lower levels, some background noise is perceptible, which intensifies to a stronger base hiss at higher settings. At higher ambient settings, interference from the microphone system can become noticeable during playback—an issue that may be resolved with a firmware update. The lower ambient settings, however, are helpful for maintaining communication without having to remove the headphones.

Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI: Sound Quality

The Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI are tuned for a full, warm media playback experience, delivering robust bass. Despite the richness of the sound, modern music genres are reproduced with sufficient definition—benefiting action-packed film and game audio as well. However, the precision of the deep bass slightly diminishes, so for club-oriented music the lower bass may lack punch.

The midrange effectively brings out vocals in a full and pleasing manner, although some contour clarity is missing, which can make complex productions sound a bit washed out. The high frequencies deliver a friendly, soft presentation without aggressive accents. In contrast to the dense presentation of the base sound, switching to SXFI mode expands the soundstage noticeably, making the audio seem wider, slimmer, and brighter. This results in enhanced detail, particularly beneficial for atmospheric soundtracks, though the effect may vary—providing a more spacious experience for gaming and movies but sometimes sounding tinny during music playback.

Conclusion

The Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI excel with an impressive battery life and now enable the use of Super X-Fi technology for streamed content, vastly expanding their versatility. Although they omit high-resolution audio codecs, these foldable Bluetooth over-ear headphones remain solid all-round performers. While the ANC effectively suppresses low-frequency noise, the ambient mode still has room for improvement. Overall, they represent a dependable choice for users seeking robust, portable audio performance with adaptive features for an active lifestyle.