I have a weakness for Jabra headphones. In the early days of fully wireless earbuds, Jabra’s nascent Elite line helped prove the concept. Like Apple’s first AirPods, Jabra earbuds worked at a time when most rivals struggled with the basics. But more recently, Jabra hasn’t lived up to the competition. While its workout headphones still feature prominently, the flagship Elite 10 model has taken a backseat to options from Apple, Bose, Sony, and others.
It’s not that Jabra hasn’t continued to innovate. It’s just that other brands set a faster pace, offering more advanced features, better noise cancellation, and, in some cases, better sound quality for the money. In that context, it’s perhaps not surprising that Jabra’s parent company is throwing in the towel entirely on consumer headphones. The new Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Generation 2 ($230) It will be the last of Jabra.
The company is going out with relative explosion. The second arrival of the Elite 10 offers more competitive noise cancellation and a fun new feature that turns the charging case into a wireless transmitter from any 3.5mm or USB-C audio output. The headphones are still a tough sell at $280, especially considering you can’t count on any new features in the future. But with a comfortable fit, solid performance, and some interesting new tricks, the Elite 10 Gen 2 is a case (no pun intended) to grab your attention.
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The core design of the new Elite 10 hasn’t changed and that’s a good thing. The headphones have a premium feel, from the hardware’s grippy exterior to the touch buttons that make it easy to control playback commands in any scenario. Unlike many competing noise cancellers, the Elite 10 Gen 2 has strong weather resistance, with an IP57 rating certifying its dust resistance and the ability to be rinsed off or even submerged after a run or workout session. gym.
Like the Elite 85t before it, the 10’s “semi-open” fit provides some relief from ear occlusion (that stuffy feeling). The oval-shaped cases aim for ergonomics (Jabra claims they measured 64,000 ears to get it right) with equal parts comfort and stability. The headphones aren’t as comfortable as my favorite fit, the Technics EAH-AZ80 (9/10, WIRED recommends), but I can wear them all day with only minor discomfort. Four sets of ear gels will help you get the perfect fit.
Photography: Ryan Waniata
There aren’t many features that the Elite 10 Gen 2 doesn’t cover in some way, all presented in Jabra’s trusty (if somewhat overwhelming) Sound+ app (iOS, Android). You’ll find a multi-band equalizer and presets to fine-tune the sound, a Find My Jabra feature, customizable controls, and auto-pairing options like Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, among several other options at your fingertips.
The headphones are easy to pair with two devices by holding down the exterior buttons, allowing you to seamlessly switch between a phone and a computer. That’s not always the case with the new headphones we tested, but as expected, the Elite 10 Gen 2 perform without problems.
Like previous Jabra models, you can personalize your experience with options like turning auto-pause sensors on or off, adjusting how much voice you hear on phone calls, and even adjusting the call equalizer. Speaking of calls, the Buds performed well indoors and outdoors, with a wind damping switch allowing you to optimize them for inclement weather.