Jabra Elite 10: comfort and Dolby Atmos to compete with anyone

The new Jabra Elite 10 offer performance at the level of the best in the category, with a more affordable price and with a differentiating factor: its semi-open design offers superior comfort over the competition without sacrificing class-leading active sound cancellation.

Jabra has been fighting with TOP brands like Sony or Bose in the wireless earphone market for a long time, even with Apple, and these are big words when talking about iPhone users. And the result of this fight is the Jabra Elite 10, its most premium “True Wireless” headset to date. Superior sound quality, excellent performance in terms of additional functions such as noise cancellation or ambient mode (although, as Jabra calls it), excellent battery life and what is, without a doubt, the most complete headset applicationall for headphones which, with a more than competitive price, have nothing to envy of their other rivals in the premium headphone segment.

Features

• Weight 5.7g (each earbud) 45.9g (case)
• Case dimensions 24.4mm x 46.9mm x 65.4mm
• IP57 headset certification IP54 housing
• Bluetooth 5.3 Multipoint (10 memories)
• Profiles A2DP v1.3, AVRCP v1.6, HFP v1.8, PBP V1.0, TMAP V 1.0
• Battery life 8 hours (without ANC) 6 hours (ANC) 36 hours (case)
• Fast charge 5 minutes for 1 hour of use
• USB-C and Qi charging
• 10mm speaker
• Dolby Atmos, Dolby head tracking
• Jabra Advanced ANC (active noise reduction), Hearthrough (ambient mode)
• Auto-pause playback with ear detection
• Mono mode of each earphone

Comfort above all

Jabra retains its characteristic triangular design in these new Elite 10, and of course impeccable manufacturing quality. The case is small enough to carry in any pocket, Magnetic cover prevents opening and earbuds attach magnetically so they won’t fall by accident either. Each of the two units is covered in a silicone material that prevents them from sliding and exposes the large central button of each of the two units.

For me, the physical buttons on the headphones are a great success. Easier to use on the go than any other type of touch button, and they still work, even if you’re wearing gloves or your hands are wet from water or sweat. Another success is the new oval-shaped caps. Instead of opting for the classic closed design of in-ear headphones, Jabra decided to make its earplugs oval, with a much more comfortable semi-open design since it eliminates that “clogged” ear sensation which, when you are not used to it, can be annoying. After several years with in-ear headphones I am more than used to them, but I must admit that these new headphones are more comfortable for me, I would go so far as to say that they are the most comfortable (in-ear ) headphones that I have ever used. Of course, you have several sizes of earplugs to use the one that best fits your ears.

Multitouch, Dolby Atmos and ANC

Before we talk about sound quality, let’s focus a little on those extras that give premium headphones something special. On the one hand we have the multipoint connection. We’re used to using our headphones with multiple devices, and switching from one device to another is always a challenge. Apple solved it with the “magic” of iCloud, playing with the advantage by reserving this functionality exclusively for its brand’s products. But there are solutions and Jabra uses multipoint connection which allows two devices to be connected simultaneously. There is no need to switch from one to the other because the two are actually linked. If you play one you will hear it on your Elite 10, if you start playing the other the first will stop and you will hear the second. This works very well and is very useful when you are listening to music on the computer and suddenly they call your cell phone, because the headphones automatically switch to the latter.

Function Dolby Atmos is another plus that this type of headphones should already integrate, even if personally I’m not a fan of her. I don’t find the “surround” effect it offers with music as impressive or as pleasant as with the speakers of a good sound system, so I don’t usually use it. But this is something that happens to me with all headphones that integrate it. Another thing is that when you watch multimedia content like series or movies, there they get an effect that I like. You also have the possibility to “Head Tracking”, which makes the sound anchored in one point and when you turn your head, it follows you. I’m not a fan of this option either.

The noise cancellation (ANC) of these Elite 10s is classified by Jabra as Advanced. According to Jabra, this isTwice as powerful as conventional cancellation and adapts to ambient noise. The result is a very good cancellation system, which is very commendable if we also take into account that these are semi-open headphones, therefore the passive cancellation, which the ear caps do ear, helps less here than in other models. There is no problem with this feature, on par with its competitors. “Hearthrough” mode or ambient mode, which allows you to listen to everything that is happening around you in addition to your music, improves compared to previous generations, but remains a little below that of the AirPods Pro 2, which set the bar very high (no no other brand reaches this level). The sound is a little metallic, it loses its naturalness, but it largely fulfills its role.

Sound quality

Jabra has achieved a leap in quality compared to previous generations with these Elite 10. Detailed sound, instruments are perfectly differentiated, voices are heard clearly and the different frequencies are well balanced. But I don’t stick to the default EQ that comes with the headphones, I like to boost the bass a little more, so that Jabra lets you equalize your sound to your liking, zero problem. This is one of the great advantages of this brand’s headphones to be able to adapt the sound to your preferences, or even to what you are listening to. Because what seems balanced to me may seem flat to you, so to each their own.

An important point is the change in sound when you activate noise cancellation, which happens in many headphones. Here the change is barely noticeable, you will continue to listen to music with the same quality as without its activation. And don’t worry about the volume, because you have more than enough, and without distortion at high levels. They meet everything one could ask of headphones in this category.

The most complete application

Jabra opted from the start for its application allowing you to personalize your headphones, offering options that no other manufacturer has. Not only can you configure the headphone controls, with three functions per earphone, but you can also configure the sound with different EQ profiles, even with custom EQ if none of the presets convince you. Features such as automatic pause of playback when you remove the headphones, voice assistant, Hearthrough mode intensity level… the customization options are numerous, so you can put your headphones on as you wish . You’ll even be able to see on the map where they last connected to your iPhone, so you know where you forgot.

Editor’s opinion

Jabra’s Elite 10 wireless earbuds manage to compete with the best on the market thanks to sound quality to match, additional features like noise cancellation and ambient mode, and an app that beats all others with options customization for almost all features. of the helmet. Very good autonomy to which we must add that they are terribly comfortable to wear for hours, without bothering our ears. Its official price on Amazon is $249 (link) and are frequently found on sale for around $200, making them one of the best options to buy today.

Against

• Memorable Heartthrough mod