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With the Elite 85t, Jabra has introduced its first truly wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC). The new Jabra wireless earbuds rely on a partially open design and 12 mm drivers, which should ensure excellent sound with powerful bass.
At first glance, the Elite 85t is reminiscent of the somewhat older Elite 75t (approx. $115 on Amazon), but technically there are a number of upgrades. Above all, the company relies on six microphones for the latest model, which in combination with the built-in SoC enables active noise cancelling. Disturbing ambient noises should be able to be completely suppressed, but a transparency mode is also available on request in order to amplify the ambient noise.
It is interesting that Jabra is talking about a new, partially open design – since silicone earplugs are still used, the noise suppression should not suffer, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live ($169 on Amazon) (also see our review). Both modes can be configured using the associated Jabra Sound+ app, and noise cancelling can then be configured using a button on the earbuds.
When the ANC is activated, the battery lasts for 5.5 hours, and the included charging case can fully charge the earbuds around four times. The case itself can be charged either via USB-C or wirelessly on a Qi charging pad. The Elite 85t is IPX4 certified, so they are protected against sweat and rain.
Price and availability
The Jabra Elite 85t will be delivered in the titanium/black color from October 19 for a recommended retail price of $229.99, currently listed on the Bestbuy.com website, followed by the gold/beige, copper/black, black, and gray colors in January 2021.
Jabra recently has introduced the new Evolve2 stereo headset, which is equipped with active noise cancellation, 37 hours of battery life, and up to ten more microphones, but the prices are accordingly high.
