We have waited long, but it is finally here. Creative’s spatial holography tech, Super X-Fi, is now available as a natively built-in feature to true-wireless earbuds. The Creative Zen Air SXFI is available at S$109 at the Creative online store.
Creative Super X-Fi: A Recap
Creative created (pun intended) the Super X-Fi (SXFI) technology in March 2018, arguably the most exciting announcement from Creative Labs in decades. Months later in Oct 2018, the first product was born – the SXFI Amp. This technology makes you experience music as if the sound is coming from speakers in the room. Needless to say, the product launch generated much vibes in the audio industry.
Fast forward to 2024, most of us would already have experienced spatial audio technology through Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio, to name a few. But there is a fundamental difference between these audio tech and SXFI, and that is SXFI can work with any audio source regardless of the encoding format. Whether you are using a laptop or any brand smartphone or any streaming site, SXFI can be experienced.
Essentially the technology mimics the sound source coming from physical speakers around you instead of coming from next to your ears. This completely relieves listening fatigue, allowing you to enjoy audio for longer periods of time. You experience better directional audio, you get a better sense of space. It works well in gaming, in movies, and especially in consuming video content from your social media platforms. It is equally liberating when using it for long hours of audio conferencing at work.
Super X-Fi has also just upgraded to Gen4 profile that boasts enhancements in dynamic range, clarity, and spatial awareness. You can now upgrade your existing SXFI Amp and headphones by redoing your head mapping through the Creative SXFI App. There is no need to replace your existing SXFI products if you still own them: it’s a free upgrade!
Built-in SXFI
It took Creative long enough to finally support SXFI natively in true wireless earbuds. Before this, only wired headphones and earphones can let you enjoy true SXFI (the Creative SXFI Air was the only other Bluetooth headphones with built-in SXFI). Although many wireless Creative products have been marketed as “SXFI-Ready”, you need to play the music using the Creative SXFI App, and could not support SXFI when playing through other music apps. With the launch of Creative Zen Air SXFI, there is no such restriction any more. You will be able to play any audio source in SXFI mode – Spotify, Netflix, TikTok, anything!
The Zen Air SXFI uses identical design mould as the Zen Air Pro. Other than the colour difference and the “SXFI” imprint on the casing, it is impossible to tell them apart. You can even swap the charging case.
Here’s a quick comparison between these two models:
| Creative Zen Air SXFI | Creative Zen Air Pro | |
| Driver | 10mm Neodymium Driver | 10mm Dynamic Driver |
| Noise Control | Adaptive ANC, ANC, Ambient Mode | Hybrid ANC, Ambient Mode |
| Super X-Fi | Hardware Built-in | Software SXFI-Ready |
| Multipoint Pairing | Yes | Yes |
| Codec | AAC, SBC | LC3+, LC3, AAC, SBC |
| Earbuds Playtime | 12 hours | 9 hours |
| Total Battery Life | 39 hours | 33 hours |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Microphones (per earbud) | 3 | 3 |
| Water Resistance | IPX5 | IPX5 |
| Price | S$109 | S$99 |
For $10 more, you get a Super X-Fi powered earbuds with longer battery life and adaptive noise cancellation. You lose the LC3 codec.
Smartphone App Controls
Through the Creative app, you can adjust the ambient level, ANC level, customise touch controls, adjust EQ, update firmware.
Before you start listening in SXFI, remember to upload your SXFI profile, or create new profile by taking photos of your ears and your head using the SXFI App.
Audio Quality
The new Zen Air SXFI has slightly different frequency balance for Ambient mode and ANC mode. In the Ambient mode, there is more treble presence and clarity which counters the bass better. When switching to ANC mode, the tuning changes to more U-shaped with more pompous bass and thinner sparkling treble. With ANC off, the tuning offers the most neutral treble but still overpowered by the bass.
When Super X-Fi is enabled on (triple tap left earbud), the sound staging is shifted dramatically to the front of your face outside your head, as if the sources are coming out from the pair of speakers in the room. The bass is roomier while remaining punchy, the treble is more spatial, less forceful. I find the experience best with Ambient mode, as it feels more open. I feel that Super X-Fi is more convincing with relaxing genre music, as the instrumentation is more naturally spatial and does not feel too contrived.
I also find YouTube videos or any social media videos better enjoyed with SXFI because the sound appears to come from outside the head in front of you. The same goes for movies and gaming. Of course it might not feel as cosy as if the performers are next to your ears, so that you can listen to the details up close. With Zen Air SXFI, you can easily switch to normal stereo and listen to any way you like.
I agree that with SXFI mode, you might not be able to catch all the finer details like what you would with headphones, but that is the case when listening through speakers. The best scenario is to have a great pair of headphones connected to the SXFI Amp so that you can have best of both worlds.
Compared to the Zen Air Pro, I personally prefer the tuning of the Pro model which sounds more balanced, the bass is not too bloated. But to enjoy SXFI mode, I need to listen through the SXFI app and it only supports local storage files. If you do not have any interest in SXFI and do not favour heavy bass presence, then the Zen Air Pro is a better choice.
Verdict
The Zen Air SXFI is not neutral-sounding, but I think the tuning favours the general consumers looking for powerful bass feel and some treble sparkle. It also comes with built-in SXFI, which I feel is underrated and deserves more credit. I don’t think it is about whether SXFI is better than 360RA or Atmos, since they have different use cases.
Many times, we really want to listen to music in a more relaxing, more ambient, more as background companion, yet we want to listen with headphones for privacy. SXFI is the solution. Similarly, watching videos and movies through the earbuds do not offer the realistic feel compared to speakers. SXFI is the answer. For some audio content, SXFI will fool you to think that your earbuds are not functioning and the sound is coming from the speakers in front of you. Other times, SXFI may not sound as accurate. What matters is that you have choices on enjoying audio through different settings, and it costs just a little more than S$100.
