Jabra’s completely wireless earbuds are considered by many to be one of the best options for those who do not want Apple’s AirPods.
The company entered the category with the Elite 65t in 2018. After a significant upgrade with the 75t last year, the company recently released the latest and most expensive edition of the company’s Elite series 85t.
The Elite 85t is in many ways a culmination of the technologies Jabra has refined since the first model.
Good fit, good sound, good call quality and the ability to connect two devices at the same time. Elite 85t is also the model that finally gets the technology many have been waiting for: Active noise cancellation.
Physical buttons
Jabra continues the choice of physical buttons instead of touch panels. A single press, double press or hold makes it easier to know what response you can expect. And if you do not like the layout, it is possible to change the functions in the app.
The sound is as in previous generations very good for compact earplugs to be.
85t has got twice as large elements as in its predecessor. It contributes to a richer soundscape and a slightly heavier bass.
Jabra is basically most focused on the corporate market, and when it comes to phone calls, there is nothing to complain about the quality the plugs deliver.
Upgrading its predecessor
However, it is the active noise cancellation (ANC) that is the big selling point, and right here Jabra has made a somewhat strange move. At the same time as launching its first pair of active noise cancellation earbuds, the company rolled out an update that gives its predecessor the 75t the same technology.
Is there any point in upgrading, given that 75h is so good and costs less?
The difference is that the new 85t has a built-in ANC chip that its predecessor does not have, which means that the quality and width of the noise cancellation in the latest model is better.
Up in size
85h has also become larger. The box has been emptied, and the latest edition promises more than five hours of listening on one charge with the noise cancellation on. Without, the company promises seven hours and including charging in the case has, according to Jabra, you should have 25 hours total listening time. It’s pretty solid for a few plugs.
Increased size also means that the diameter of the end of the plugs has become larger. They are not as tight in the ear as previous versions, and when switching to the smallest silicone ring, we lost the plugs out of the ear on a couple of occasions. This can be adjusted, but it potentially offers challenges we have not had with either 65 or 75h.
Jabra itself says it can take time to get used to the new shape, but points out that it is done to make noise cancellation and acoustics better.
Compared to its fiercest competitors, the Jabra Elite 85t does not stand out as the best in specific single categories such as noise reduction and sound quality. According to the international test corps, the Bose Quiet Comfort has the best noise reduction and the Sennheiser Momentum TW2 the fullest sound.
But the 85t is not far away at all, and the total package the 85t delivers is so solid that with a price of 2,700 kroner, it places the plugs at the very top.
–
