Jabra Elite 75t review: comfortable and durable

Data sheet Video test Design and ergonomics Noise reduction (passive) Calls Audio quality Case and application Autonomy Price and release date ConclusionCommentsSee the product sheetAvailable at €99

Presented at IFA 2019, the Jabra Elite 75t are smaller and more autonomous than their predecessors. But what about comfort, audio quality and everyday use? Here is our full review after several weeks of testing.

Jabra Elite 75t

In 2018, Jabra offered, with its Elite 65t, one of the best alternatives available on the market for true wireless headphones (100% wireless). However, they were not without flaws and there were some errors related to the youth of this category of products. At IFA 2019, the Jabra Elite 75t were presented, an improved, smaller and more autonomous version. But are they up to what can now be expected of such devices? Notice !

Jabra Elite 75t spec sheet

This test was carried out with a model provided to us by Jabra.

Our test of the Jabra Elite 75t in video

Below is our full Jabra Elite 75t test video.

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Smaller, more comfortable

One of the main arguments of the Jabra Elite 75t over their predecessor is their size. With 21.9 x 19.4 x 16.2 mm, they are much smaller than the 65t (27 x 30 x 22.5 mm). For a device that now serves as both a means of listening to music and a fashion accessory, it's a good thing to no longer feel like you have a huge pustule that comes out of your body. ear.

The design of these headphones is also very well thought out. They fit perfectly into the pavilion without having a stem that comes out of it, neither downwards, AirPods version, nor forwards, headset version, as is the case for example with the Sony WF-1000xm3. They therefore want to be much more discreet than these two competitors.

They are rather discreet

In terms of weight, the difference is also felt. With 5.5 grams on the scale per earphone, the Jabra Elite 75t are almost as light as the AirPods Pro and therefore weigh 3 grams less than the latest Sony products.

Comfort is also a big winner from this size reduction. While the Jabra Elite 65t could be uncomfortable for prolonged listening, the Elite 75t are much easier to forget. However, they hold well in the ear and remain firmly attached even during exercise.

It is not always easy to identify the left and the right

Note that these are intra-auricular and that the Danish firm provides, as is customary, 3 different tips to adapt to different morphologies. It should be noted, however, that the “R” and “L” polarizers are not very visible.

The absence of a stem does not make them difficult to use, as can be the case with certain headphones that are difficult to insert or remove. Once the hand is taken, they position themselves in the ear and withdraw very simply. Only downside: it is quite common to press the button without doing it on purpose during a manipulation.

Indeed, unlike Sony, which opted for all-touch, Jabra opted for physical buttons that occupy a large part of the external surface of the headphones. It's more responsive overall, but less comprehensive.

The button, good and bad idea at the same time

As is already the case on many products, Jabra has integrated a proximity sensor inside its earphones, allowing you to automatically pause your music just by removing an earphone. It is very practical in everyday life.

Last but not least, the Jabra Elite 75t are IP55 certified, which promises resistance to sweat and light splashes. Perfect for jogging in the rain!

No active noise reduction

Update: The Jabra Elite 75t received a software update adding active noise reduction in September 2020. However, we have not been able to test this feature at this time to judge its quality.

Unlike the competition, Jabra ignores active noise reduction here and is content to rely on its design designed for passive noise reduction. The tips have the particularity of sealing the ear canals well (provided you have chosen the right one, remember that 3 sizes are available).

Unfortunately, even if the active noise reduction on the earphones is not as effective as on the headphones, it still brings a welcome calm. On a daily basis, with music in my ears, the Jabra Elite 75t isolate me well from the outside world. The discussions in the open-space, my fingers on the mechanical keyboard, the many sirens that we hear passing in the street… all these noises are not completely annihilated, but sufficiently reduced so that I no longer pay attention to them. . If I turn off the music, however, they immediately become clearly audible. Attenuated, but audible and understandable.

If you were hoping to be able to isolate yourself in the metro, you failed. You will always hear people yelling at each other. It's a shame for headphones that have 4 external microphones to precisely reduce the outgoing sound during calls.

Yes, I can still hear you with the hear through

These 4 microphones are also used for the hear through function, allowing us to clearly hear outside sounds while keeping the headphones in our ears. The quality of the audio transcription of our interlocutor is very good during a discussion and the ambient noises are also faithfully reported. On the other hand, a little crackling in the background makes it uncomfortable to use, especially since our own voice remains muffled and the intras go deep enough, which can create a slight feeling of discomfort from hearing yourself swallow.

Call quality

Despite the 4 microphones provided to attenuate outside sound during calls, the result was not very convincing. Not only did my correspondents not hear me absolutely clearly, but they could distinctly tell me when a motorbike was passing by. Suffice to say that it is not the most ideal for carrying on a conversation.

The sound reproduction, however, is loud and clear enough to hear the voices of our callers perfectly, even in a busy street. The fidelity is not exemplary, but that's nothing annoying at all.

Latency and too dull bass

No LDAC or aptX, Jabra is simple on the codecs and is satisfied here with SBC and AAC. This is not very surprising knowing that even his headset, the Jabra Elite 85h, only has these same codecs, nor is it very serious for this category of products.

To go furtherWhy Android is a challenge for Bluetooth audio and its delicate balance

The previous generation suffered from a few technical problems, such as latency between the right and left earpiece (due to a master/slave pairing, the sound necessarily passing through one to reach the second), as well as micro- cuts under certain conditions. Time has passed, technology has improved and these youthful flaws are now corrected.

The Jabra Elite 75t no longer exhibit any lag between the two headphones and overall stability is no longer an issue. Instead, the Jabre Elite 75t suffer from another major flaw: latency, not between the two headphones, but between the source and the headphones. The difference on a game is obvious and it is even felt slightly on videos, while applications like YouTube and Netflix naturally compensate for the latency caused by Bluetooth transmission. The discrepancy is therefore very very surprising.

As far as sound quality is concerned, a little tour in the application to adjust the equalizer is more than necessary. Naturally, while the mids are suitably chiselled and the highs are just a bit muffled, the bass, on the other hand, is excessively muted. Not powerful, deaf. Music with strong bass quickly becomes deafening, even unpleasant with the default setting.

My advice: go to the app and play with the equalizer starting from the "More Treble" preset. In my case, I left the high part of the spectrum in this setting and reduced the first two stops in order to obtain a more homogeneous sound corresponding to my tastes. Everyone will not necessarily have this reflex, however, and it is very surprising to see Jabra venture into a sound signature so far from its habits.

Inspired by Mozart or annoyed by Patrick Sébastien? Guess!

Once the equalizer is set, the audio rendering is good and we find the good vibrations specific to Jabra.

Case and application

Like most true wireless headphones, the Jabra Elite 75t pair up without too much difficulty out of the box. However, we would have appreciated the presence of NFC to simplify this procedure even more for neophytes and those who regularly change devices. Fortunately, the Jabra Elite 75t are multipoint and can connect to two devices simultaneously. Convenient for not having to pair them again regularly with your smartphone and PC.

However, the interface is simple and effective, from the use of the buttons on the headphones to the case itself. Very small, it slips easily into a pocket, even if it is already occupied by a bunch of keys, for example. It is barely thicker than that of the AirPods Pro.

The application is easy to access, allows you to control all your brand's devices and allows you to activate or not the hear through mode, modify the equalizer (you will need it), choose a profile of particular listening, or to play white noise or ambient sounds to help focus. If you work best near the ocean, deep in a cave, or on a stormy night, you'll find what you're looking for.

Jabra Sound+

The application also allows you to check the battery level of the earphones and the case, update the firmware or choose the voice assistant that will launch by pressing the right earphone twice: Amazon Alexa or the default one from your smartphone (Siri, Google Assistant, etc.).

Other options are also present, such as adjusting the level of our own voice during calls or even the possibility of giving priority to Bluetooth headphones during calls to avoid possible disconnections and enjoy the best possible quality. It only lacks the ability to adjust key actions.

In other words, the Jabra application is very complete. It could be laid out slightly better to avoid having to navigate through sub-sub-menus, but it's still very clear to use, so we'll pass on that.

Autonomy

Jabra promises up to 7.5 hours of listening time on a single charge with the Elite 75t and 28 hours with the charging case. This is roughly equivalent to what the Sony WF-1000xM3 offer, whereas the latter – like their case – are larger.

In practice, the average announced by Jabra is correct. Count around 7h to 7h15 of autonomy at high volume, and up to 7h30 on softer listening, and around 2 and a half charges with the case, which goes for the occasion to USB-C. Moreover, 15 minutes in the case will give you approximately 1 hour of listening time.

We are therefore in the high average of true wireless headphones. Some do better, but generally at the expense of design and achieving this autonomy with a 20% reduction in size is already very good. Too bad there is no wireless charging.

Jabra Elite 75t price and availability

The Jabra Elite 75t are already available at a price of 179.99 euros at most e-tailers and specialist retailers. It's 50 to 75 euros less than equivalent active noise reduction all the same.

Among the main alternatives, you can look at the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Buds, with lower latency, but lower sound quality, or the Sony WF-1000xm3, better in everything, but also more expensive. If you have an iPhone, AirPods Pro should also be an option.

SamsungGalaxy Buds

SonyWF-1000XM3

Apple AirPods Pro