Jabra Elite 85T Review
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Overall, the Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless earbuds are right for those seeking quality sound and customizable features. However, consider the high price and evaluate needs regarding battery life, noise canceling performance, and comfort during active use.
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What Is Not on the Box
What the brand doesn’t always tell you…
our Verdict
The Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless earbuds provide consistent and customizable audio quality with a touch of bass warmth and a reliable Bluetooth 5.0 connection quality The adjustable noise canceling and HearThrough features work well, offering a good balance between blocking external noise and allowing ambient sound.
The earbuds boast a stable fit and a useful mobile app for sound customization and settings management. Also, the controls are great in terms of response, but they aren’t super intuitive.
However, there are a few drawbacks. The 6.5-hour continuous battery life may not be enough for extended use during long days. The earbuds struggle to block out bass-heavy noise when using ANC. Moreover, the case design isn’t as user-friendly as desired, and the earbuds are uncomfortable during high-movement activities.
Reasons to Buy
- Very consistent audio delivery
- Well-built, portable design
- Stable fit
- Graphic EQ and presets for sound customization
- Adjustable noise canceling and HearThrough features
Reasons to Avoid
- 6.5-hour continuous battery life may not be sufficient for long days
- ANC struggles to block out bass-range noise
- Terrible passive soundstage
- High price tag
- Limited codec support (SBC/AAC only, no aptX)
Specifications
- Battery Charge Time–
- Battery Life6.5 hours
- Built In MicrophoneYes
- Ear Tip Sizes Included–
- Max Wireless Range–
- Noise Canceling–
- True Wireless–
- Water ResistantYes
- Works With–
Overview
The Jabra Elite 85T earbuds were introduced towards the tail end of 2020 as a pair of premium earbuds available in various colors. The earbuds offer advanced Active Noise Cancellation as a feature, and as is the case with most highly-rated headphones, owners will be able to configure the sound profile by adjusting the EQ settings on its companion app.
In terms of battery performance, this pair of noise cancelling earbuds can yield up to 1 hour of playback with a 15-minute charge, and on average, they have 5.5 hours of battery life, as per the manufacturer.
Their charging case holds about 3.5 additional charges, but unfortunately, these earbuds can’t be used when charging. Check out the best wireless earbuds for that convenience. Still, they support multi-device pairing, and there’s call, volume, microphone and playback controls on each earbud.
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Product Comparison
 |  | |||
| True Score | 84 | |||
| Market Context | – | The Jabra Elite 85T earbuds have a slightly shorter 1.5-hour charge time compared to the Jabra Elite Active 75T Truly Wireless earbuds, which take slightly more than 2 hours. Also worth noting is that the Jabra Active earbuds have a higher IP57 rating that makes them sweat, dust, and water-resistant, while the Jabra Elite 85T earbuds only have an IPX4 water-resistance rating, making them immune to splashes of water. In case you’re interested, we’ve covered the Active 75T earbuds in our Jabra Elite Active 75T review. | Despite being roughly the same size, the Jabra Elite 85T earbuds have a semi-open enclosure, while the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless earbuds have a closed-back design. The two are also different in that the Elite 7 Pro earbuds can be used in mono mode when one is charging, while the Elite 85T earbuds cannot, and lastly, the Active Noise Cancellation feature on the Jabra Elite 7 Pro is adjustable, while the same feature on the 85T earbuds is not. | The Jabra Elite 85T earbuds come with Active Noise Cancellation to drown out background noise, making them stand out from the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless earbuds, which do not. Another difference between the two is that the Anker earbuds are likely more comfortable since they have a broader selection of both ear tips and stability wings, but on the other hand, the Jabra earbuds have a better control scheme that consists of volume and microphone controls that are missing on the Anker earbuds. Still, we’ve looked into them in our Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 review. |
| Noise Canceling | – | |||
| True Wireless | – | |||
| Built In Microphone | – | |||
| Maximum Wireless Range | – | |||
| Works With | – | |||
| Dig Deeper | – | Read Review → |
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Score Card
E
Expert Score
*.75
We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores
C
Customer Score
*.25
We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores
True Score
Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh
Expert Score Breakdown
Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight
ATrust Score
80The Jabra Elite 85t are good for neutral sound. They have a slightly bass-heavy sound… read more- D
Trust Score
90With the Elite 85t, Jabra brings ANC to its wireless range of earbuds. While they… read more - D
Trust Score
80The true wireless Jabra Elite 85t earphones deliver top-shelf noise cancellation and excellent audio performance,… read more - D
Trust Score
78The Jabra Elite 85t—just like the Jabra Elite 75t and Jabra Elite 65t before it—is… read more - D
Trust Score
90“No bottom line found for this product” read more - D
Trust Score
90The Elite 85t is a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones that deserves recognition in the… read more
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