Jabra has recently launched two new products: the Jabra Elite 10 – the subject of our test – is designed for those who are looking for comfort and perfect sound, while the Elite 8 Active is a good choice for sports, regardless of whether we move for enthusiasm or as a professional.
External
Apart from the entry-level models, Jabra earphones typically represent the premium category, and this is no different in the case of the Elite 10. This can be seen even before we take the earphones in our hands, as the packaging is also extremely demanding. It is made of high-quality paper, and several important pieces of information are printed on the inside, which is a great help in setting it up: it shows, for example, how to pair it with the phone, as well as what functions can be accessed with the buttons on the earcups. Of course, the earphones were not removed from the packaging, but hidden in the storage box; in addition, we also found a short USB cable and three sets of silicone pads in the package.
The Elite 10 belongs to the TWS family of earphones, so it’s completely cable-free – there’s no wire even between the left and right units. What’s more, you don’t even need a cable for charging, as the holder has been prepared not only for wired but also for wireless charging.
The Elite 10 has a semi-open design, i.e. it still fits into the ear canal, but does not “close” hermetically. The factory silicone pads fit the average ear perfectly, but those with different sizes can choose from three additional pairs. By the way, it is worth trying several sizes even if the factory version looks good, because it is possible that a more efficient ANC can be achieved with the same comfortable use with another ear cushion. The silicone pads are not round, but oval in shape, and their surface is smooth (the other new model, the Elite 8 Active, received the ShakeGrip treatment, which ensures a perfectly stable position even during exercise). Despite its relatively large size, the earphones are very comfortable to wear, and after a few minutes you will forget that you have anything in your ears. The Elite 10 also “sits” stably in the ear, which of course does not mean that it cannot be moved, but under normal conditions there will certainly not be a problem with it.
The cover of the earphones is made of plastic, has a silky feel and collects fingerprints only moderately. The gray insert with the Jabra logo on both units is actually a button – namely a physical button that can be pressed, which in our opinion is definitely a better choice than a touch-sensitive surface. There are three microphones on each of the two units, which come into play during calls and when using the active noise cancellation function. Also, of course, even when you are making a phone call, the earphones basically try to isolate wind noise and street noise from the speech.
The Elite 10 is water and dust resistant according to the IP57 standard; although the IP68 rating would mean stronger protection, the gadget is not disturbed by dust or water either. Not from the latter, even if he were to completely immerse himself in it. In practice, this means that you can safely use it even in the rain, there will be no problems.
The box also has a sophisticated design, but in terms of size it is only medium – we have seen cases smaller than it. The color of the box rhymes with the color of the earphones; For the time being, the titanium black and cream versions are officially available in Hungary.
During use
Pairing the Jabra Elite 10 can be done in a few steps, and after that the headset can even be used immediately. However, it is worth downloading the Sound+ application, which not only allows you to easily configure the earphones, but also allows you to adjust the sound world completely to your own ears with the help of a short test. There is even an equalizer. Fortunately, Jabra has now also solved the multipoint connection, meaning that the headset can be connected to two devices at the same time – in which case the call always takes priority.
As for sound quality, AAC and SBC are supported for now. There is no AptX and there won’t be, but support for LE Audio (and presumably the LC3 codec), which is part of the Bluetooth 5.3 standard, is expected – this knowledge will be solved by Jabra with a later firmware update, but information on when this can be realized, unfortunately there is none. Additional extras include support for Google Assistant and other voice assistants; the former can even be called by voice command only.
There are three types of actions available with the buttons on the earphones, depending on whether the button is pressed once or twice, or held down for 1 second. And of course it also matters whether we are listening to music or on a call. In addition to starting and stopping playback, you can change the volume, and you can not only answer and end calls, but also reject them. Of course, it is also possible to turn the ANC function on or off, or to activate the HearThru function. In the latter case, the earphone transmits environmental noises into the ear. Music can be stopped automatically because both units of the earphone can detect whether it is in the ear or not.
The earphones can work for 6.5-8.5 hours in one go, depending on the volume and whether the ANC function is turned on or not. The 6.5 hours of operating time is with normal volume and ANC on, to which the case adds an additional 21 hours. The extra feature of the case is the fast charging function: the completely discharged earphone can be used for 1 hour after 5 minutes of charging. This also includes the fact that the earphones can even work solo, i.e. you can use only one while the other is in the case and charging.
The 10 mm drivers in the earphones provide great sound; the sound image is clear, rich in detail and balanced, which does not do without the deep sounds. As is typical of Jabra products, the bass is firm but not intrusive. Of course, it can be even fuller if we also use the EQ. However, the delay is longer than average, so for watching movies, for example, you have to choose a player that can compensate for this disadvantage.
The biggest throw is probably the Dolby Spatial Audio technology, which the Jabra Elite 10 also achieved with head tracking from Dolby. Together, the two technologies provide a very convincing virtual spatial effect, and the speech is positioned perfectly in the middle, and it performs excellently not only when listening to music, but also when watching movies. This function can also be switched on in the Sound+ application, so everyone can experiment freely to find the best settings for them.
The noise filtering is effective, but not perfect – it’s simply that the semi-open design definitely lets some noise in. So it is more about the fact that the earmuffs significantly dampen environmental noises, rather than that they completely eliminate them. In return, there is no feeling of internal pressure in the ear either, so the feeling of comfort does not decrease at all during the use of active noise filtering.
Summary
In the case of the Elite 10, Jabra voted for the semi-open design in order to combine the advantages of closed and open design earphones. It was successful, so the end result was a comfortable earphone that provides excellent sound quality – and it also has a lot of extra services, we are thinking here of Dolby Spatial Sound and head movement tracking, as well as the Sound+ application. However, the active noise filtering function is not perfect due to its construction, and we were not completely satisfied with the operating time either.
Source: geeks.hu
