Within the world of in-ear headphones, there are many brands that want to take their piece of the cake and, therefore, market share. There are models for all budgets and Jabra proposes two new models in the sports and premium range.
This is how the two new models of the Elite line arrive. I am talking about the Jabra Elite 8 Active and Jabra Elite 10 that are the center of this review and as an extra add Dolby Atmos support and head positioning when listening to audio.
They are a model that promises great autonomy, ergonomics and audio quality from one of the most renowned companies in the professional sector.
They have one active noise cancellation that promises to be one of the best on the market as well as audio quality and customization.
After spending more than a week with them, updated to their launch firmware, here is my analysis in detail.
Content of the review of the Jabra Elite 10 headphones on Computerhoy:
Characteristics and technical sheet of the Jabra Elite 10
Bet on design for lightness and grip
If there is something that I like and dislike in equal parts, it is the gummy material of the headphones. The reasons are that although they are perfect to have a grip on the ear once they are on, I have found that when taking them out of the box they resist and slip somewhat.
The box itself is quite light and, in my particular case, I have had the clear model and I have found that just by carrying it in my pocket with other things, it is easy for other colors of the rubbing itself to show up.
It is nothing that you cannot remove to a large extent with a damp cloth, but it must be taken into account if you bet on this clear model.
The headphones have a physical button on the outside that gives us that feedback that is inimitable in headphones with touch controls and that is really nice.
On the inside they have usage sensors, connectors for the PoGo pins for charging the box, an internal microphone and on the outside that stands out. Jabra logo in the plane of the button and the two grills that cover the external microphones. Total, each earphone has 3 microphones.
It is appreciated that the box is very lightwith a matte plastic finish, and yet it is capable of offering up to three full charges to the headphones.
As a note to note is that even on a plane trip, with noise cancellation and falling completely asleep and hitting more than one head or in the gym running on a treadmill, the headphones have not moved in the slightest, so the rubbery/silicone finish coupled with its ergonomic shape do the job.
Sound+, highly customizable and with 360 sound control support
The application from Jabra, Sound+, is very complete. It is clear that it is not the first edition of it and that they have been polishing it for years.
It has support of manual equalization five-band, various presetsadjustment of the controls of the headphones, firmware update and even the option to play gray noise or pink noise, in addition to ambiences, to relax.
With the Elite 10 it goes one step further and that is that in addition to being able to manage noise cancellation or active listening to the outside, it allows Dolby Atmos sound configuration.
This setting enables playback of Dolby Atmos spatial sound and the earcups have a gyroscope that respects the direction you’re facing to move sounds accordingly.
That is, if the music is playing from the front and you look to the right, you would hear it through the left ear as it would happen in reality.
It’s an interesting effect, but I’ve found myself walking down the street, where you change direction, and hearing the music coming from weird directions as you go. Therefore, I recommend its use when you are sitting, since it is a much more natural effect.
Top noise cancellation and autonomy for more than a weekend
I have been able to try the Noise Cancellation in a quiet environment, on the street with traffic noise, as well as on a plane. My conclusion: they’re up there with headphones like the Sony WF-1000XM5, and that’s big words.
It is true that the cancellation is not as intelligent or adaptive as in the Sony model, but the level of noise reduction in an airplane reaches a similar level. You don’t need more than 70% volume in series or movies, something that would be impossible without ANC.
Jabra integrates what it calls Jabra Advanced ANC and, as I have told you, it is very effective both on the street and on a plane.
Let’s talk about the audio quality and here I have mixed feelings. Jabra has integrated Dolby Audio and Atmos support on these headphones and it’s something you can enjoy on both compatible music and video streaming services.
The clash comes, without a doubt, in the Hi-Res audio playback support, or rather the absence of it. These headphones have maximum support of the AAC codec. They do not have LDAC or LDHC support, which limits the bandwidth available to listen to music with the highest possible resolution.
It is not something that you are going to notice on a day-to-day basis and with some noise in the environment, but it does fall behind other models such as the Enco X2, Sony WM-1000XM5 or the Nothing Ear (2), among others.
The sound without the use of an equalizer is very pleasant without having bombastic bass or sub-bass or even shrill treble sounds. All this is customizable to your liking, but, as standard, the experience is already very good.
In terms of autonomyI have found myself in the position of using them without access to any charge for an entire weekend and I have been surprised that even with noise cancellation I have not been able to do away with the additional charge offered by the box for the headphones, including two flights of more than three hours watching series and movies and listening to music.
The 21 hours with the three additional charges to the 6 hours of continuous playback are real. It gives a total of 27 hours maximum in music playback. With active noise cancellationI have gone from 20 hours of use without going through a socket.
As a bonus, the box can charge both from USB-C and Qi wirelessly from a compatible charger or with wireless reverse charging from a smartphone.
Versions, offers and price of the Jabra Elite 10
The headphones will be available in a wide range of colors, beyond the cream color that we have analyzed. The colors affect both the box and the finish of the headphones themselves.
They are available in black (matte, gloss or titanium), cream, or cocoa at a price of 249.99 euros.
Review: Is it worth buying the Jabra Elite 10?
Jabra’s new headphones are a perfect in-ear model for the most demanding users in terms of noise cancellation who are also looking for Dolby Audio | Atmos in music playback from services like Amazon Music, Apple Music or Tidal.
They are not an economic model, but it is true that they are a premium model. They are very comfortable and their silicone finish achieves a very good grip. This prevents them from moving during use and the noise cancellation seal remains perfect, improving insulation.
He head tracking for Dolby Atmos It is not something that has particularly convinced me, but I do recognize that it works well, it is very fast and natural.
I miss Hi-Res supportYes, or at least codecs that have a higher bandwidth for this price range.
Removing this, they are a model that surprises with its level of noise cancellation and the possibilities of customizing controls and audio from Sound+.