Jabra Elite 85t review: AirPods Pro competitor impresses but doesn’t wow
The Jabra Elite 85t are a pair of true wireless earbuds that hit the market as a strong competitor against Apple’s AirPods Pro. The headphones boast impressive features and quality performance, but they lack the wow factor that one might expect in this competitive market.
Design and Comfort
The Jabra Elite 85t comes in a sleek and compact design with a secure fit that stays comfortably in your ears. The earbuds feature an ergonomic design with interchangeable silicone ear tips, ensuring proper noise isolation and comfort for extended periods. The charging case is compact and fits nicely into your pocket, making it easy to carry on the go.
Sound Performance
When it comes to sound performance, the Jabra Elite 85t doesn’t disappoint. The headphones provide a well-rounded listening experience with crisp highs, clear mids, and satisfying bass. The headphones support aptX audio codec to ensure high-quality sound.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
The Jabra Elite 85t has an advanced active noise cancellation feature, rivaling the competitive levels of ANC featured by the AirPods Pro. Users can adjust ANC levels through the Jabra Sound+ app. While the ANC feature is impressive, it isn’t revolutionary or vastly superior to other earbuds available in the market.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Jabra Elite 85t is comparable to that of the AirPods Pro. The earbuds can last up to 5-6 hours on a single charge with ANC activated, while providing an additional three charges through the charging case. A quick 15-minute charge provides an hour of listening time.
Call Quality
Call quality on the Jabra Elite 85t is commendable, thanks to their advanced six-microphone system that offers clear call transmission. It manages to block out background noise effectively, ensuring that your conversations are crisp and clear, even in noisy environments.
App Customization
The Jabra Sound+ app offers customizable settings for the Elite 85t, allowing users to adjust equalizer settings, ANC levels, and hear-through modes. While the app is useful, it’s not groundbreaking and is a common feature among competing earbuds in the market.
Conclusion
The Jabra Elite 85t excels in areas like sound quality, comfort, noise cancellation, and call clarity. However, these earbuds lack the wow factor needed to decisively surpass Apple’s AirPods Pro. While they may be a solid alternative for those looking to avoid the Apple ecosystem or seeking a different sound signature, they don’t significantly outshine the AirPods Pro in terms of innovation or allure.