Jabra Elite 10 are the best headphones from this company in years. There’s only one problem [TEST]

Jabra sticks to the proven design known from the manufacturer’s previous headphone models. Elite 10 are distinguished by minimalism and elegance. The case has undergone minor changes. It is now larger, and at the same time slightly flatter and rounded at the edges. The case also seems much more solid than the cheaper Jabra Elite 5 model.

DESIGN AND COMFORT OF USE

The headphones themselves are not only light (the weight of a single earphone is only 5.7 grams), but also very ergonomic. The top of them is covered with a rubber material that is quite pleasant to the touch, which makes them fit comfortably and stably in the ears. I won’t lie if I write that these are the most comfortable TWS Jabra headphones since the premiere of the Elite 85 model, which debuted three years ago.

This comfort is also influenced by their service. While competitors have been treating us to touch panels for a long time (which do not always work well), Jabra consistently focuses on classic physical buttons. Of course, we can program their operation in the Sound+ application. It’s a pity that we can’t change the function of holding the buttons longer ourselves. In both the right and left earphones, it is still responsible for adjusting the volume. But these are just details.

SOUND QUALITY

Two 10 mm dynamic drivers are responsible for the audio. Jabra headphones are equipped with a Bluetooth 5.3 interface with support for SBC and AAC codecs. There is no support for aptX and LDAC, which can be considered a minor disappointment.

So much for theory, but how do the Elite 10 fare in practice? In my opinion, the tested headphones sound much better than the Jabra Elite 5 and Elite 7 Pro models, and comparable to my favorite Elite 85t variant, which I have to refer to here again.

The sound coming from the headphones is rich in detail, juicy and precise – in all bands. I was positively surprised by the bass, which is usually average in many TWS in-ear headphones. The midrange delights us with a pleasant, warm sound, and the treble focuses on selectivity.

If we are not entirely satisfied with the predefined sound settings and want to, for example, get rid of some bass or boost the midrange, we can do it using the Sound+ application and its built-in graphic equalizer. It’s a simple tool, but its possibilities are quite extensive.

Jabra Elite 10 offers Dolby Atmos surround sound support with Head Tracking technology, thanks to which the music “follows” us and adapts to our head movements. This gives the impression of three-dimensional sound that surrounds us from all sides.

In theory, this sounds great. In practice, it’s… so-so. Spatial Audio in the tested headphones is much worse than in AirPods Pro 2, so I would treat this function as a curiosity that we won’t use very often.

ANC

Jabra Elite 10 is based on a semi-open design, which means that passive noise reduction is slightly worse than in the case of closed headphones such as AirPods Pro 2 or Sony WF-1000XM5. Active noise reduction (Advanced ANC) works very well – Jabra headphones isolate us from most ambient sounds. With one small exception: the device is completely unable to cope with gusts of wind, which can be very harmful to us.

I was also disappointed with the HearThrough mode. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I use AirPods Pro 2 on a daily basis, which in the so-called contact mode is unrivaled. Jabra Elite 10, however, have an obvious problem with recognizing which ambient sounds should be boosted and which are just background noise.

However, I must praise the quality of the conversations. In this aspect, Jabra headphones have made enormous progress in recent years. Each “flea” has three microphones that pick up our voice very well. I used the Elite 10 both for calls at home and, for example, in a crowded shopping mall – none of my interlocutors commented on the quality of the call.

APP

The Jabra Sound+ application is slowly becoming a real multimedia combine. It allows you to update the headphone firmware, use the equalizer, calibrate ANC, and even find lost headphones (Find my Jabra). The MySound function is also interesting – the application conducts a short examination of the structure of our ears and adjusts the sound of the headphones on this basis.

The application also includes the Soundscape mode, which allows us to play relaxing ambient sounds (e.g. the sound of the sea, falling rain or the sounds of a waterfall). From the Sound+ level we can also decide whether we want to use the surround sound function (Dolby Atmos).

However, it is somewhat disappointing that, many years after Jabra entered the Polish market, Sound+ still lacks our native language. The application is so intuitive that you can use it even without a good knowledge of English, but this is no excuse. Preparing a Polish translation would not be a huge challenge for Jabra.

BATTERY

Jabra claims that the Elite 10 headphones can operate for 8 hours on a single battery charge, or 6 hours when ANC mode is activated. This is a decent result, although I must admit that after about 4 weeks of use in the case of the unit I tested, this time was shortened to about 5 hours (in ANC mode). I don’t know if it was caused by a software update or some other factor, but the fact is that the headphones now play for a shorter time than when they were first taken out of the box.

Of course, we also have a charging case at our disposal, which will allow us to charge the headphones from 0 to 100 percent just over three times, which in total translates into approximately 25-27 hours of listening to music – from the moment of removing the fully charged headphones from the fully charged case. , until the battery is completely exhausted

Unlike cheaper models, Jabra Elite 10 offer Qi wireless charging technology. We can also use the built-in USB-C port to charge the device with a cable. The headphones and case charge to 100 percent in about 2.5-3 hours.

PRICE AND SUMMARY

Jabra Elite 10 is aimed at the above-mentioned premium shelf. At launch, they are much more expensive than the Elite 5 model, and in terms of price they are definitely closer to the mentioned Elite 85t variant. Currently, in most stores, new Elite 10 headphones cost around PLN 1,000.

Are they worth the price? This is quite a difficult question. On the one hand, you will find everything you can expect from TWS headphones – good build quality, comfort of use, excellent sound quality and decent ANC.

On the other hand, for about PLN 150 more we can buy AirPods Pro 2, which offer comparable sound quality, but much better ANC and transparent mode. In addition, as befits Apple equipment, they ensure perfect integration with the iPhone and other iOS devices. I would definitely advise every owner of Apple equipment to add the missing amount and buy AirPods.

Also in the world of Android Elite 10 they have a very worthy rival. Of course, we are talking about the Sony WF-1000XM5 model, which currently costs about PLN 1,200. The closed design of these headphones provides better noise reduction, and the sound quality of the sonicators exceeds that offered by the Jabra device.

If the Danes’ headphones were priced at around PLN 750-800, they would be a great choice for people who are looking for something between the basic models of TWS headphones and the premium shelf. Their current price seems a bit excessive. So it is worth waiting for a possible sale.