Tech review: Jabra Elite 75t

These earbuds will keep you company for a long time

Wireless earbuds come in such diminutive forms today that it's a wonder they pack in so much tech. Jabra is one such manufacturer that would love to be heard for its newest offering, the Elite 75t - the latest of the Elite products it wants to position as dependable, not-so-expensive audio gizmos.
It's reportedly 22 per cent smaller than its predecessor, the Elite 65t. For perspective, that's about the same length as the Apple AirPods Pro, but shorter in height. You can also let it stand, thanks to its flat bottom (and top). Right out of the box are three sets of silicone eargels; I found I could use both small and medium gels, but the former fit better. No question with the comfort; the gels felt great and light.
Jabra claims the Elite 75t has a whopping 89 per cent more battery life compared to the Elite 65t; we weren't able to test out the latter, but that sure is a lot of power to look forward to. The Elite 75t will last up to 7.5 hours on a single charge; add the three more rounds you get when you plug them into the charging case and that's almost 30 hours of enjoyment. If you need a quick boost, charge them for 15 minutes to get an hour's worth of life. It'll take you two hours and 20 minutes to zap it up to maximum capacity.
The controls on either bud are simple. Pressing the left will toggle the HearThrough sound mode, two presses will skip a track and three will go back. The right one, meanwhile, will play/pause and answer/end calls when pressed once, while two presses will summon your digital voice assistant. Long-pressing on the left and right bud will decrease and increase the volume, respectively - a departure from the rocker in its predecessor. It gets kind of difficult to control though, so it's better to just adjust the volume on your music source.
Pet peeve: since the right bud has the main controls, the left can't be used alone. If compelled to use only one bud in a situation, I've always been more at ease with the left, so this was a big issue for me.
Naturally, you'll be looking for noise cancellation. Well, we've got good news and bad news. The good news is that the Elite 75t has passive noise cancellation. Bad news? Yup - no active noise cancellation. Despite that, it still works well - just don't get excited when you're outside, especially in noisy malls or traffic-infested streets.
The Elite 75t, by default, has some serious dance-inducing bass that may be too much for some. Since I'm a bass person, I didn't mind at all, but it does drown out other tones. If you install the Jabra Sound+ app on your device though, you can customise your sound with the equaliser until you get the balance your ears long for. For the real bass enthusiasts, there's also a preset for bass boost.
Since the Elite 75t only has passive noise cancellation, the rest of the cancellation modes - discussed in our recent Jabra Elite 85h review- won't be available on the app. But there are other app bonuses that'll help you make the most of your Elite 75t experience. Like sleep mode, wherein you'll be able to select how many minutes should pass before an idle Elite 75t goes to sleep - thus allowing you to conserve power.

AND SO.
Way, way improved battery life and great sound that more than fits into your pocket (both figuratively and literally) - that's what the Jabra Elite 75t is. The iffy volume controls (swipes would have been better) and the head-scratching inability of the left bud to work independently hold it back. If you're the sporty type who wants more oomph in your ears, you might even want to check out the Elite Active 75t.

THE LOWDOWN
Type: In-ear true wireless earbuds
Speaker: 6mm, 20Hz-20kHz playback
Microphone: 4 x MEMS, 100Hz-10kHz
Noise cancellation: Passive; noise reduction on outgoing call audio, wind noise protection
Codecs supported: SBC, AAC
Battery: Up to 7.5h; up to 28h with charging case; fast charge
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0; up to 8 paired devices; multi-connect (2)
I/O: USB-C (charging case)
Durability: IP55
Price: Dh685
Pros: Great battery life, comfy fit, passive noise cancellation holds up well
Cons: Too much bass, volume controls iffy, left earbud can't be used alone
Author's rating: 4/5
alvin@khaleejtimes.com

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