Jabra Elite 10 ANC True Wireless In-ear Headphones (Cocoa)

The Jabra Elite 10 is a flagship-level set of earbuds that ticks (almost) all the right boxes, and at least in terms of my own experiences with Jabra’s Elite Active 65T, Elite Active 75T, Elite 3, and now the Elite 10, I can see…well, hear…the advances and improvements Jabra has made in audio quality; and I can easily feel how much they’ve done to improve in-ear comfort and fit. If you’re looking for BT earbuds that deliver on these two issues/features above all others, I’m confident you will not be disappointed. But I’m slightly ahead of myself…Over the last several generations of Jabra buds, they’ve gone from an industrial, workman-like design to a more svelte, rounded, minimalist, and wholly modern-looking aesthetic that I personally find quite pleasing to the ... MoreThe Jabra Elite 10 is a flagship-level set of earbuds that ticks (almost) all the right boxes, and at least in terms of my own experiences with Jabra’s Elite Active 65T, Elite Active 75T, Elite 3, and now the Elite 10, I can see…well, hear…the advances and improvements Jabra has made in audio quality; and I can easily feel how much they’ve done to improve in-ear comfort and fit. If you’re looking for BT earbuds that deliver on these two issues/features above all others, I’m confident you will not be disappointed. But I’m slightly ahead of myself…Over the last several generations of Jabra buds, they’ve gone from an industrial, workman-like design to a more svelte, rounded, minimalist, and wholly modern-looking aesthetic that I personally find quite pleasing to the eye. There are no attempts here to embellish the earbuds with odd little wings or weirdly non-anatomical shapes like squares or triangles. The flat “Jabra” face buttons are actually buttons to be pressed rather than touch-panels, but they are sensitive enough that they require relatively little force to actuate so you don’t feel like you’re having to jam the earbuds down your ear canals to adjust the volume or skip a track.The battery case is a tad larger than the last few design iterations—not by much mind you, but still noticeably so in the pocket of a pair of jeans pocket or form-fitting shorts. Nevertheless, I appreciate the magnetic closure and the fact that there are two status LEDs. The LED on the outside indicates charge level of the case (the same LED also provides status indicators during firmware updates, which mine required upon power up); the other LED under the lid indicates charge level of the earbuds. The case features both USB-C and wireless charging, and unlike the lower end of Jabra’s Elite line, the battery capacity of the case is also viewable in the Jabra Sound+ app.Anyone who has used a pair of earbuds will likely be familiar with the fitment procedures—grab a pair of Jabra’s EarGel tips from the box and swap them out with the other sizes until you see what fits. Mediums come pre-installed, but Jabra breaks with tradition by providing 4 tips instead of 3. I normally use a medium tip, but I found the smalls to be better for long-term comfort while medium gave a slightly better seal which improved bass response but only slightly improved perceived isolation. Jabra says the Elite 10s are “semi-open” earbuds which supposedly relieves some anatomical pressure caused by fully closed designs, but it does tend to let more surrounding noise in even with a solid EarGel fit (more on isolation/ANC later).The tips are oval-shaped rather than round, and the collar on the stems is triangular—you won’t easily be able to swap out aftermarket comfort-foam tips with the ones Jabra gives you (at least for now). But much like the shape of the buds themselves, Jabra claims the oval EarGel shape is the result of a great deal of user study and is designed to further enhance comfort and relieve pressure. And what do I honestly think all of this really delivers? Frankly, Jabra knocked it out of the park. I personally don’t care for AirPod-like buds where something dangles way down past the ear canals which is why I’ve always appreciated Jabra’s bean-like design—and with this latest iteration, **the Elite 10s are hands-down the most comfortable BT earbuds I’ve ever used!**Out-of-the-box functionality can be dramatically enhanced using Jabra’s Sound+ companion app. Along with making adjustments to the sound mode (ANC, hear-through, or all processing off), you can adjust the 5-band EQ to a frequency response that suits your tastes or choose one of the 6 built-in presets for varying effects such as bass boost, speech enhancement, treble boost, etc. The EQ settings carry over even if Sound+ is closed. The app’s “Soundscape” feature provides some ambient sounds to help drown out background noise (fan, waterfall, white noise); relax with the sounds of nature (rain, ocean, songbirds); or provide comfort for those who want to feel less crowded (cavern) or enjoy the feeling of others around them (crowd). You can also customize the buttons functions if you don’t care for the stock settings (I didn’t like having both skip controls bound to the same button) to include music playback controls as well as incoming and active call control (answer, mute, reject, hang-up, etc.).Other features include in-ear detection for things like auto-answer or auto-pause when a bud is put on/taken off. Spotify Tap and voice assistant selection between Siri or Google Assistant are also here—sadly, there is no Alexa integration at this time. Call quality was exceptional; even while out walking on a windy evening, phone calls were crystal clear and callers said they could very easily make out my voice without a lot of distracting background noise. BT connectivity also shines with multi-point connection for more than one device at a time, as well as Fast and Swift Pair for simple/quick connections to Android or Windows devices. BT delay is minor--video games were playable, but I was more sensitive to out-of-sync sound effects when paired with controller inputs and onscreen action; audio delay during movies/video content alone was noticeable, but not egregiously so.When it comes to sound quality, the Elite 10s really earned their place at the top of Jabra’s earbud ladder. Music isn’t just dumped into your ears--it comes out rich, powerful, and full-bodied without sacrificing speed and detail, or becoming fatiguing at the high end. Strings and guitar plucks are rendered with clarity and nuance while vocals sound realistic without being sibilant or overly breathy. Bass response easily topped all my other Jabra buds by providing that elusive sense of deep, almost chest-rattling bass that is oftentimes so hard to reproduce from such a small enclosure. But it wasn’t just about bass quantity—the Elite 10’s bass notes seemed more refined and better controlled; I could listen to music louder and yet more comfortably because the bass didn’t become muddy or boomy at higher volumes. If you appreciate exceptional sound quality, the Elite 10s deliver in spades!In addition to their musical prowess, the Elite 10s come packed with Dolby Atmos spatial sound as well. This surround processing works well for immersion in games and media, and Dolby Atmos-enabled music really does come alive, sounding realistically spacious and engaging—the effect is quite convincing if you haven’t yet heard what Dolby Atmos can do. Then Jabra goes it one better with 3D head tracking. The Elite 10s render a 3D Atmos audio image, then anchor it in space so that when you turn or tilt your head, the sound sources remain fixed in their original positions.I thought this feature would be cool, but I rarely turn it on because it ends up coming off as more of a gimmick than a feature I was clamoring for. For instance, while brushing my teeth, an Atmos soundfield was projected into the mirror in front of my face. I turned my head down and to the side to read something on the counter, but the soundfield was anchored to a spot above my head and to the left. This may be realistic if I was facing a set of speakers, but it wasn’t something that enhanced my enjoyment of the music precisely because I was using earbuds. But there’s also a catch; the head-tracking only held the music’s relative position for a while, then it slowly slid back down to match the orientation of my head…until I stood back up to look in the mirror where it took a bit for the soundfield to reorient once again. There are probably some out there who will find the effect compelling, or at least amusing, but there are a few other features/capabilities I would rather have seen included or enhanced.For example, ANC is appreciated, as is the fact that when it’s on, there is only a *barely perceptible* impact on sound quality; but I find the ANC itself only passable at best—I would call it noise attenuating rather than noise cancelling. To its credit, the Elite 10’s design did eliminate the painful ANC pressure I have experienced with other earbuds, but the ANC only seemed reasonably effective in an already quiet room with relatively regular low-level background noise/hum (PC fans, AC blower, etc.)--louder sounds (even a small desk fan running at medium or high) were still quite intrusive. And if there are irregular/impulse noises like keystrokes or a busy conversation nearby, ANC seemed to do little more than take the edge off. Curiously, you can make real-time adjustments to the amount of hear-through in Sound+, but ANC level is not adjustable on the fly. Jabra’s marketing materials claim that the ANC is auto-adjusted dynamically based on ambient noise levels, and while I don’t think the Elite 10s are ever going to give me an inky black background of totally noise-deadening silence, I’d at least like to be able to control how aggressively the ANC is (or isn’t) working at the time.Finally, as a flagship earbud that already sounds really, REALLY good, I was very disappointed to learn there is no support for current high-definition BT codecs like aptX HD or LDAC. The new L3C audio codec will supposedly be enabled via BT LE firmware update a later time, but early reading suggests L3C will probably only offer some sonic improvements over SBC quality (though it can supposedly do so at lower power/bit-rates). Time will tell whether L3C can match or beat current HD codecs for ultra-high-definition BT streaming, but that was a nice-to-have that will be missed with my current high-definition digital sources. Sigh, I guess I’ll have to get a new DAP that supports BT LE as well because, at the very least, I’m happy enough with the performance and features that matter most to me that I’m not getting rid of my Elite 10s any time soon. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

When I saw Jabra’s claim that its Elite 10 Earbuds were designed so you could wear them all day, I thought to myself no way, everyone says this and no one ever delivers. However, after using them for 10-12 hours a day, I can say the Elite 10 earbuds are the most comfortable and fully featured in-ear headphones on the market.Jabra claims they scanned 62,000 pair of ears to come up with the perfect fit and after trying these on, it seems Jabra was telling the truth because these headphone cause no ear aches/discomfort no matter how long you wear them. Jabra includes 4 sets of gel ear tips so make sure you try them all to get the best fit or else the noise cancelling wont be as good.Besides the comfort, Jabra has done a great job in every aspect of these ... MoreWhen I saw Jabra’s claim that its Elite 10 Earbuds were designed so you could wear them all day, I thought to myself no way, everyone says this and no one ever delivers. However, after using them for 10-12 hours a day, I can say the Elite 10 earbuds are the most comfortable and fully featured in-ear headphones on the market.Jabra claims they scanned 62,000 pair of ears to come up with the perfect fit and after trying these on, it seems Jabra was telling the truth because these headphone cause no ear aches/discomfort no matter how long you wear them. Jabra includes 4 sets of gel ear tips so make sure you try them all to get the best fit or else the noise cancelling wont be as good.Besides the comfort, Jabra has done a great job in every aspect of these headphones. The sound quality is amazing, the bass sounds nice and deep without being uncomfortable and the vocals sound very natural. The Sound+ app allows you to make adjustments to the sound so it best suits your needs, I found the neutral music being the best for myself.The app (Sound+) for the Elite 10 is very easy to understand and the fast-pairing works great with Windows, Android and Apple (you can connect them to a total of 10 devices). The pairing works every time and I never had an issue with connecting. These were also the fastest headphones to pair with my android devices which usually take longer to connect. The Jabra app also lays out all the controls and lets you adjust how you can control your headphones (using the left headphone to answer or switching it to the right). The transition from one device to another also worked well, when playing a movie on my tablet if a call came in the transition was perfect and after the call ended my tablets video would start without hesitation. The Sound+ app also has a find my feature incase your prone to losing stuff.The Elite 10’s come with Dolby Atmos and Spatial sound with Dolby head tracking. I was super impressed with how great the Atmos feature worked if the content I was watching had Dolby Atmos. I was able to hear things behind my head which is amazing! The Spatial audio with head tracking feature works well, as you move the sound adjust and keeps you centered.Jabra has done a lot of things right to make sure the Elite 10 are a complete product. I love the fact that Jabra has included physical push buttons on the Elite 10. Touch controls are always a bit finicky but the physical buttons on the Elite 10’s have a great click to them so it feels as if they will hold up well over time. The charging case also has wireless charging and the magnets for the case wont let the lid flip open or let the headphones fall out.If you’re wondering about how the Elite 10 do with calls, they work really well. Everyone I talked to said they could hear me clearly, I was told that it seemed like I was using my speaker phone while talking but my voice was clear and outside noise (wind/traffic etc) was minimal no matter where I used them. The call clarity comes from the 6 separate mics that help separate the speakers voice from background noise. A great built-in feature is that the call volume auto adjusts when you go from a quiet place to a loud place so there is no need to mess with the volume yourself. The Elite 10 also offers a feature called Sidetone which allows you to hear your own voice on the call so you’re not yelling into the call.Now these headphones do have upgraded Noise cancelling (ANC) and it does a really good job blocking out noise when listening to anything. I think the best part here was that when the noise cancelling was on, I didn’t feel like my head was in a fishbowl. The HearThrough function (which you can use with a simple push) makes it feel as if you have no headphones on at all so you can hear whats going on around you. I was pleasantly surprised how good the HearThrough function worked because on other devices the sound always comes in muffled.One of the biggest things when it comes to wireless devices, is the battery time. The Elite 10 averaged 5 and half hours on charge when using ANC and switching from devices. If I was just using them on one device without ANC I would lose roughly 10%-15% an hour. The headphone case recharges the headphones fairly quickly (about 30% in 15 minutes).These are by far the best in-ear headphones I have ever used and are packed with just about any feature you could ask for. If you’re in the market I would suggest these over any others.

Jabra has been in the earbud and headphone game for longer than many other manufacturers in the market typically making them an edge above when it comes to technological advances. That reigns true again with their new Elite 10 earbuds. I have owned several pairs of Jabra earbuds over the years and they have lasted me longer that most other earbuds I have owned because of their durability and great sound they can produce in comparison to other well known manufacturers.The new Elite 10s elevate the bar with the incorporation of Dolbly Atmos and Spatial Sound which makes music sound like it’s all around you from left to right but also above you. The Jabra Advanced active noise cancelling (ANC) and pass-through sound features work great and you are able to toggle ... MoreJabra has been in the earbud and headphone game for longer than many other manufacturers in the market typically making them an edge above when it comes to technological advances. That reigns true again with their new Elite 10 earbuds. I have owned several pairs of Jabra earbuds over the years and they have lasted me longer that most other earbuds I have owned because of their durability and great sound they can produce in comparison to other well known manufacturers.The new Elite 10s elevate the bar with the incorporation of Dolbly Atmos and Spatial Sound which makes music sound like it’s all around you from left to right but also above you. The Jabra Advanced active noise cancelling (ANC) and pass-through sound features work great and you are able to toggle between them within the Jabra smart phone application. Speaking of the smart phone app, it is very easy to navigate and has many other great features including an equalizer you can select certain presets or customize yourself and even Soundscape options if you want ambient noise, nature sounds or comfort sounds to mask the noise around you which could come in handy for yoga or a nap to get your Zen on. As with most recent technology, they work with the Google Voice assistant so you don’t have to worry about pulling your phone out or pushing buttons on the earbuds to perform many functions. With Spotify Tap included in their software, you can get straight to playing music with ease.I have so many other earbuds lying around our house that after using them I end up reverting back to the Jabras not only because of the incredible sound they produce but also because of the comfort and the fact that they don’t easily fall out of my ears when I’m working, running errands around the house or working out. They come with several different size earbud tips that with the Jabra ComfortFit mold to your ears and help secure them into place which is usually always an issue with me and other earbuds I have used in the past.in my opinion, Jabra has continued to be one of the greatest innovators in the earbud industry for well over a decade and you won’t go wrong with venturing away from other well known manufacturers when you invest in their newest Elite 10s and I would recommend them to anyone in the market for an upgrade to their earbuds.