The Jabra Elite 85t introduces yet another powerhouse to the true wireless earbud market. With improved active noise cancellation (ANC), this most recent pair, which is the replacement for the well-liked Jabra Elite 75t, is poised to compete with products like the AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
This is currently among the best wireless earbuds available, but how did it get to that position? More features, better listening modes, larger sound, and powerful hardware are all to blame. Even the Jabra Elite Active 75t, the top pair in its category right now, is its truly wireless twin.
The fact that these Jabra earbuds are their most powerful, feature-packed models to date speaks volumes in and of itself. Although the Elite 85t’s $198.99 price tag might seem a bit excessive, many people will find it to be well worth the cost, especially because Jabra is giving a free over-the-air ANC update for the Elite 75t units.
What you will see here!
Price and release date
The Jabra Elite 85t earphones retail for $198.99/£356.91 per pair and were released in November 2020. They are now Jabra’s priciest buds yet as a result. Even so, they are $50 / £30 less expensive than, say, the newest wireless noise-canceling earbuds from Bose, the Quiet Comfort Earbuds.
The two earbuds, a charging case, and a brief USB-C cable. Three sets of silicone ear gels of various sizes to fit all ears are all included in the box.
Design
Jabra is a business that embraces innovation. The Danish audio brand frequently pioneers more compact form factors while maintaining the excellent sound quality for which the company is known by being the first to market with cutting-edge in-ear headphone designs.
However, the same is true of the recent Elite 85t earbuds. They have a very similar design to Jabra’s most recent offering, the Elite Active 75t, as their name suggests. The primary distinction, though, is that they don’t focus on sports.
Instead, these earbuds concentrate on enhancing the audio experience and feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). It helps to muffle any loud or bothersome sounds in your surrounding areas, such as the rumbling rattles of an underground train or the droning buzz of an airplane engine.
The Elite 85t earbuds maintain the elegant appearance of their predecessor in terms of design. There is a small amount of extra mass added to fit the ANC technology, making the buds protrude out of your ears a little bit further than before.
When you look at them in the mirror, it’s not as obvious, but this has obviously affected how the 85t buds feel and feel in your ears. One of the main reasons we like the previous model so much was the fit. It is just a lot less snug than in the 75t.
Although they seem bulkier and hence a little less snug in the ear than the last pair of Jabra headphones, they are still typically fairly pleasant. They are simply not as nice as those earlier models. Each earbud also has a simple-to-use button that can be used to control music playback, volume, and a feature called HearThru. It lets you momentarily disable noise-cancellation and listen to ambient noise as the audio plays in the background. useful for placing a fast coffee order.
Audio performance
The good news is that the audio quality is still excellent.
That’s because Jabra doubled the size of the 12mm speakers within the 85t earbuds compared to the 75t earbuds. This results in a slightly broader, better-balanced soundstage and deeper bass. Together combines to add a little more depth to your music.
Speaking of deep sounds, Jabra is recognized for its powerful bass reproduction. They’ve only strived to make it better. For starters, it balances out the less impressive fit.
The sound is often warm and heavy. It produces a clear and bright profile with a delightfully booming bass below. It helps give it a very natural sound. The noise-blocking ANC amplifies this sound without making it overbearing. The audio is excellent overall. Although not the best, it is certainly effective.
Additionally, the volume can go up quite a bit, which used to be a problem with true wireless earbuds because many brands restricted it to help preserve battery life. These Jabra Elite 85t earbuds don’t have a problem with that. In fact, when put it all the way up, some people might find them a touch too loud.
As a result, if you enjoy listening to music loud enough to feel as though your eardrums are bleeding. You’re in luck because the audio doesn’t distort at loud volumes. The 85t earbuds are excellent at reducing muddy bottom tones, ensuring that music is clear even at maximum volume.
Noise cancellation performance
Jabra has included some digital ANC in the Elite 85t that employs two microphones in each earbud to block out unwanted noise before you ever become aware of it. A feedforward microphone cancels noise coming from the outside of the ear. A feedback microphone does the opposite, canceling noise coming from inside the ear.
While the noise cancellation is effective in reducing unpleasant outside noises like people babbling on the bus or a rowdy drunk across the street on the way home, it is not as effective as, for example, Bose’s new noise-canceling Quiet Comfort Earbuds. The 85t buds are significantly more compact, so that’s the trade-off.
The Jabra Sound+ companion app’s ability to switch noise cancellation levels on and off is another fantastic feature.
Battery life and charging case
The Elite 85t’s battery life is typical, lasting 5.5 hours with ANC turned on and 7.5 hours without. This is longer than the AirPods Pro’s (4.5 hours). But less time than the Sony WF-1000XM3 and QuietComfort Earbuds with ANC enabled (6 hours). Although the WF-1000XM3 model offers 30 minutes more playtime, at least the Elite 85t gives you the ability to disable the feature.
The Elite 85t has a larger charging case than the prior models, which would lead you to believe it has more portable power. It does and it doesn’t, respectively. For instance, a completely charged case provides 31 hours of music playback with ANC turned off, compared to 25 hours of music playback with ANC turned on in the Elite 75t. In either case, this amounts to five or six more fees. A 15-minute charge will provide you with an hour of use with rapid charging.
Although the firm made it accessible several months after both models arrived, wireless charging was first offered on the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t.
Call quality and connectivity
The last two Jabra versions’ call quality was far from satisfactory. Although the Elite 85t is an improvement, Apple and Bose’s products are superior. The noise cancellation on calls is astounding.
On the Elite 85t, Bluetooth 5.0 functions steadily and dependably. When you remove the headphones from the charging case, they immediately appear on the list of devices that are available and pair with your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. For wireless listening, the range is enough for roughly 35 feet. You can also use multipoint technology to simultaneously connect the earbuds to two separate devices.
Does Jabra 85t support wireless charging?
With ANC turned on, the Jabra Elite 85t’s quick charging battery can last up to 5.5 hours and up to 25 hours when using the wireless charging case. To get the most out of your device, don’t forget to download Jabra Sound+.
Are Jabra Elite 85t durable in the ear?
Jabra calls the Elite 85t’s noise-canceling Advanced ANC, which was developed using Qualcomm technology and is intended for earbuds without genuine noise-isolating features. The 85t earbuds were no more comfy for me than the 75t. They did, however, stay in my ears, albeit not quite as firmly.
Can Jabra Elite 85t connect to multiple devices?
Use this procedure independently for each mobile device if you’re pairing two. You must choose the Jabra Elite 85t again in the Bluetooth settings on the first mobile device after pairing with both devices. The pairing procedure for both mobile devices will be finished at this point.
Conclusion
The Elite 85t is a fantastic set of noise-canceling headphones that deserves to be mentioned alongside the best in its class. The ANC technology from Jabra is a successful feedforward/feedback solution that effectively eliminates background noise at such a high level. The sound quality is of the highest order, with a more evenly balanced bass that blends well with sharp-sounding mids and highs. The Elite 85t uses enhanced charging and battery management to make up for areas where it falls short, such as battery life.
The larger design is outside your control, and there are several software issues that must be fixed, but none of these things are fatal flaws. According to the company’s past performance, Jabra will aim to correct these mistakes and provide us with nothing less than excellence when it officially releases the Elite Active 85t.
