The TWS Bluetooth headsets are witnessing a boom in the Indian market but the question concerning the quality is something where only very few companies stand out and amongst such companies lies Jabra which keeps its focus simply on delivering superior sound quality. The company has launched the successor of Jabra Elite 75t which is Jabra Elite 85t and for the first time, it has added an active noise cancellation feature that puts it directly against the likes of Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds and AirPods Pro. So, let’s find out that the new premium earbuds from the Jabra hold the power to compete against the well-established brands of the premium range. Jabra Elite 85t comes with a gift for its predecessor which is that it brings a firm update of ANC for Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t.

Design

Jabra defines the Elite 85t as “semi-open” earphones, meaning they are not required to be stuffed throughout the ear canals to get deep sound effects and clear sound. The earbuds have a shape identical to their predecessors; they come with oval-shaped ear tips and not circular ones that only nuzzle in the ear without having to be bent in. The Jabra logo is mounted right behind both earpieces on the physical buttons. To keep low frequencies from exerting too much pressure on the wearer’s head, Jabra integrated pressure-relief vents into the buds. The back of the buds is made of a labyrinth of small microphone hole which is much smaller than its predecessors. The charging case of the Jabra Elite 85t is slightly bigger than its predecessor which was Elite 75t. The body of the box is made up of plastic and has a matte finish which looks slippery when compared to the box of 75t which has a velvety texture. The earbud case has a USB-C charging port on the back, a single LED light to indicate battery status, and a Qi wireless charging symbol at the bottom of the case.  The new Jabra Elite 85t can be wirelessly charged as well and to charge wirelessly on any Qi-certified wireless charger, the case needs to be propped upright. The earbuds slot securely into the case and the magnets are powerful enough to prevent them from falling out. The buds come with IPX4 water and sweat resistance which is a downgrade from the previous Jabra Elite 75t which had IP55 water and dust-resistant rating. When it comes to the IP ranking, they are now on par with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the AirPods Pro, which surely puts the new Jabra Elite 85t on the backfoot and at a disadvantageous position.

Connectivity

The settings of the sound effects can be customized through Jabra Sound+ App. The app comes with a sleek, customizable five-band EQ that can be used to adjust the sound configuration as preferred by individuals. There are also a few EQ presets for the app, such as Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Speech, and others. The app also allows the users to apply their desired noise cancellation or Ambient sound effect according to their preference. The app also enables users to select experiences like My Moment, Commute and Focus, as we have seen in Jabra models. These experiences can be adjusted and the desired noise cancellation effect can be applied at every moment.

Performance

The noise-cancelling in Elite 85t is quite good. It’s slightly better than the Elite 75t, although not at the level of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. The noise-cancelling feature of the Jabra Elite 85t is almost at the level of AirPod Pro. You can change Advanced ANC with a slider using the Jabra Sound Plus app, bringing it from full noise-cancelling to full HearThrough and anywhere in between. You can also move between ANC and HearThrough by pressing the physical button on the left earbud to keep it lower in pitch. In low and mid-range ambient sounds the earphones demonstrated outstanding efficiency. It even muted a little amount of human voices while listening to music.    What is perhaps more remarkable is that because the Jabra Elite 85t has a semi-open architecture, noise cancellation is not affected to a noticeable amount. One can easily enjoy disturbance-free music or show very comfortably as the noise cancellation feature is very good and on point.

Bluetooth

The new Jabra Elite 85t earbuds are powered by Bluetooth v5.1, they also have multipoint connection support, which means one can connect them to 2 devices simultaneously and seamlessly switch between them easily.

Build

The new Jabra Elite 85t earbuds come with 12mm drivers. The sound driver of the earbuds produces a good amount of bass and comparatively, the bass quality of the new Elite 85t is better than the previous Elite 75t. The sound quality of the songs played was excellent with the right sound pitch and good synchrony of sound effects. The calling experience is also very good as the earbuds cancel the noise surrounding you allowing you to have a clear and better talk.

Jabra Elite 85t buttons allow you to customize both media and calls according to your preference like the single press on the right earbuds plays, pauses and accepts incoming calls. The single press on the left earbud allows you to cycle through ANC and HearThrough or accepts an incoming call. The double press on the right earbud summons the voice assistant and reject an incoming call. The double press on the left earbud allows you to move to the next music track and reject an incoming call whereas the triple tap on the left earbud allows you to go to the previous track.

Battery

As per the company, the Jabra Elite 85t comes with 5.5 hours of battery life on the buds with ANC switched on. Together with the charging case, the overall battery life is estimated at 25 hours with ANC turned on and 31 hours with ANC turned off. The battery lasting capacity of the new Jabra Elite 85t is more than that of the AirPod Pro which is a bonus point of the new Elite 85t. We were able to use the earbuds for 5 hours continuously with ANC on. The charging speed of the case is moderate as it takes almost 2-3 hours to completely charge it. The case supports wireless charging as well which one can use to charge the earbuds.

Conclusion

The newly launched Jabra Elite 85t comes as a bag mixed of surprises. The ANC is better, the sound quality is great with customized control through the app, and the battery life is superb as well. The build quality is not very premium and the buds drop in between the transit or while at rest too. Have to push it harder and harder each time though it might depend on the shape of your ear. I had never felt that way with any of Jabra’s buds before. This might be due to the semi-open design it has. The call and music control are good yet the company needs to add the volume adjuster on the buds. The charging case supports wireless pads which add to its advantages and is IPX4 rated which makes it dust and water-resistant. The Elite 85t which sells at Rs 18,999 is a better option if you’re looking for ambient ANC and melodious music.