Jabra Elite 85t Review

With the addition of Active Noise Cancellation, are the Jabra Elite 85t true wireless earbuds as elite as their name implies?

What we love – Great sound, perfect fit, and effective noise cancellation

These are Jabra’s first true wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation, and fortunately this key feature is executed rather well. An effective amount of everyday noise is suppressed, though you can still hear vehicles and people talking in the background so it’s not on the same level as the Bose QuietComfort or Sony WF-1000XM4.

The sound quality is also very good, being tonally neutral but capable of handling a number of different genres, adding plenty of power and punch thanks to the 12mm drivers.

Small in size, the Jabra Elite 85t are also remarkably comfortable, resting comfortably in your ear securely without being abrasively snug, and you’ll barely notice the difference when you’ve got them in your ears.

What we don’t like — It’s not the best in its class, and the IP rating has gone down

While both overall sound and noise cancellation qualities are good, we’ve definitely heard better from the likes of Sony and Bose, particularly in the latter category. If you’re looking for a high-flying headphone experience that’s better than everything else then these aren’t the earbuds to opt for.

Considering all the other advances that these headphones have made over predecessors in the series, it’s disappointing to note that the IP rating has actually been downgraded, from IP55 to IPX4. That means they should still be safe from the occasional light splash, but there’s no point of reference for dust or particulate ingress.

Verdict

The Jabra Elite 85t are a strong all-round set of true wireless headphones, not just delivering good sound quality and decent noise cancellation, but also being particularly comfortable to wear. However, the doesn’t boast the very best audio around, and their resistance to dust and water has been reduced.

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