The Elite 85t from Jabra is a pair of wireless in-ear plugs with active noise reduction that really impresses. We like most things, but have a little problem with the fit.
For
Small with good noise reduction, reconnects quickly to mobile, good call quality, good sound quality after adjustments in Jabra’s mobile application. Okay battery life.
Against
Oval plugs may not fit everyone.
Recommended to
Jabra does most things right with the Elite 85t. The plugs deliver good sound both when it comes to calls and music. They deliver a clearly approved ANC and have perfectly okay battery life. Everything is connected to the company’s superb mobile app.
Making headphones that fit all ears is hardly an easy story. But it is important. For the sound image in “in the ear” plugs can change based on how well they fit.
In my ears, everything usually houses a pair of Airpods Pro. They are light and sit like a slam for hours on end. It has even happened that I walked around the apartment and looked for one of the plugs when it was securely in place in the ear. A good rating for Apple, a less flattering insight into the undersigned’s everyday life.
Jabra invests in oval plugs
Even Jabra’s small plugs have suited me well in the past. The company’s Elite 65t (three “generations” back in time) are super comfortable and work both for every day and training. In other words, I was looking forward to testing the Elite 85t. They are smaller than their predecessors but still feel really durable and are shipped in an updated case with built-in wireless charging. In addition, they have been provided with active noise reduction, ANC, which I missed in the “65s”.
However, the first acquaintance with the new plugs was a bit of a disappointment. The very top of the stopper is oval (and not round as before) and turned out to be harder to get in place in my ears than expected. But if you believe Jabra, they should suit you better. Namely, they scanned “thousands of ears and ran data in our advanced algorithm simulator” to get a fit that suits most people.
By the way, the puppets have a net that will ensure that any earwax does not find its way into the headphones themselves. A simple and smart solution.
But shame on the one who gives up. With the right size of rubber rubbers (several different ones of course included), they fit perfectly. You just have to be a little more careful when inserting them. By the way, the puppets have a net that will ensure that any earwax does not find its way into the headphones themselves. A simple and smart solution.
Jabra’s app is a buying argument in itself
Once in place, the Jabra Elite 85t offers really nice tones. The sound image is a bit heavy as standard but can be adjusted to your liking in the manufacturer’s superb mobile app Sound +. After a quarter of an hour of tinkering with the EQ, I am more than happy with the sound.
In the app, you can create different sound profiles, configure the physical controls on the outside of the plugs and, for example, fine-tune the degree of noise reduction. The latter is also really effective without any disturbing bee noise that we often get in older / cheaper models.
The headset also has a so-called hear-through function that allows you to participate in conversations or keep track of surrounding traffic without picking them out of your ears.
The updates that improved the Elite 85t
Jabra is good at updating its products, new and slightly older, and since the launch of the Elite 85t just before New Year, quite a lot has happened. The manufacturer has, among other things, released a fix for an early problem that could arise during calls, added support for Amazon Alexa and a function to test the fit in the ear.
The plugs can be connected to two devices at the same time and the connection to the mobile is super fast. As usual, Jabra microphones manage to capture my voice without any problems while filtering out ambient noise.
I want to choose a plug
The headset has worked flawlessly during our long test period and the only thing I really lack compared to my Airpods Pro headset is to be able to use one plug at a time. If Jabra manages to add that feature, I would be completely satisfied. At the time of writing, you can only use the right one separately.
Just over SEK 2,000 is a fairly high price per kilo for a pair of plugs that weigh less than ten grams each. But, all good wireless true wireless headsets (especially with ANC) are expensive, and the fact is that you get a lot for your money with the Elite 85t.
You who can live without the ANC can, however, check out the “old” Elite 65t which can be found at really good prices nowadays. (ADVERTISEMENT: See what the Elite 65t costs on the Amazon)
For
Small with good noise reduction, reconnects quickly to mobile, good call quality, good sound quality after adjustments in Jabra’s mobile application. Okay, battery life.
Against
Oval plugs may not fit everyone.
Recommended to
Jabra does most things right with the Elite 85t. The plugs deliver good sound both when it comes to calls and music. They deliver a clearly approved ANC and have perfectly okay battery life. Everything is connected to the company’s superb mobile app.
SPECIFICATIONS Jabra Elite 85t
- Audio codecs: SBC, AAC
- Speaker size: 12 mm
- Frequency range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Microphone type: 6 × MEMS
- ANC (active noise reduction): Jabra Advanced ANC, uses four of the device’s six microphones
- Playing time (ANC / without ANC): 5.5 hours / 7 hours
- Playing time incl. CASE: 25 hours / 31 hours
- Charge: USB-C or QI
- Charging time: about 3 hours (3.5 hours wireless)
- Wireless connection: Bluetooth 5.1
- Bluetooth profiles: HSP v1.2, HFP v1.7, A2DP v1.3, AVRCP v1.6, SPP v1.2
- Main unit dimensions (LxWxH): 23.1 x 19.0 x 16.2 mm
- Charging case dimensions (LxWxH): 64.8 x 41.1 x 28.5 mm
- Weight (each cochlea): 7 g
- Enclosure classification (earbuds): IPX4
