Jabra has been right there with Apple, Sony and others in the truly wireless segment over the past few years, finding favour with those who want an earphone that is versatile enough to handle the pressures of work and play. The new Elite 10 takes forward the same legacy but adds new features that are useful in both aspects.
The Elite 10 has some trademark Jabra looks but has a charging case as well as EarPods that are a bit different when it comes to design — the charging case is slimmer though large, while the EarPods have an in-ear design that looks new with a shiny touch face. The EarPods fit really well without any twisting or turning and without the use of any fins. And it stays there whatever you do. However, the cream colour of the review unit might not be very conducive to Indian conditions. A couple of days in my messenger bag and it started showing its true colours. Opt for the black; it is always safer.
The Jabra Sound+ app lets you customise a lot of what you do with the Elite 10. It gives you presets for the music, as well as a proper equaliser. You can also control the noise cancellation, find the earbuds in case you misplace them, set up a voice assistant or adjust other settings like side tone, which lets you hear your own voice when on calls. However, the app doesn’t always show the earphones on its own and needs to be paired often, even if the phone is connected to the device. This is a bit irritating.
The noise cancelling is good and sharp. It negates all the ambient noises like the fan in the room but lets you hear the Asian Games commentary on the TV. For me, the best test of noise cancelling is when I can use it without music to concentrate on work or to just think clearly. The Elite 10 passes this test well and even has some ambient sounds you can play to cut out whatever extra sounds might creep in.
The Elite 10 comes with head tracking and Dolby Atmos. The head tracking is pretty good and works as advertised. Playing an Apple Music Spatial Audio playlist, you get the sense of space around you. With movies that have Dolby Atmos, you do feel the audio objects exactly where they should be. With the Elite 10, you even get some layering, where you feel different objects with a clear sense of space between them.
With a song like Heeriye, you feel how balanced these earphones are, offering the right amount of thump. While you can up the bass using the app, I got the feeling the Elite 10 would be better for those who like a more mellow sound profile without anything in excess. Listening to Kaushal Shekhawat’s rendition of Labzo Se Tha Jo Pare, I loved how the music created a soft cushioned sound profile with all elements finding their slots around my ears. Ramping up to something richer like Aanandamo, Abhay Jodhpurkar’s silken voice melts smoothly into Anwesshaa’s vocals naturally.
Then I tried to up the bass with Kabuki, and I realised that I was trying to push the volume up for more oomph, which was not there. Yes, over time, I felt the Elite 10 feels a bit low on volume, and you can’t push it further. This one stops where most other earphones warn you about going beyond safe volume levels. I am not sure it will make everyone happy.
Another aspect that I have not always liked about Jabra devices is how, in its bid to make calls clearer, it makes you feel like you are in an echo tunnel. With the Elite 10, you have the option to switch this side tone off on calls. This is much appreciated. But the Elite 10 will ensure you are heard on the other side, thanks to four microphones working overtime to catch your voice clearly all the time.
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Jabra also offers great integration with Spotify, giving a one-tap start to your playlist. Tapping on the left earbuds takes on to the Spotify song you were on last. If you set up a virtual assistant, then this does not work, though.
The battery life is good, with about 27 hours on a full charge, including the charging case.
At Rs 20,999, the Jabra Elite 10 is clearly a top-end truly wireless earphone meant for those who want a single device that blends both work and play seamlessly. On that count, the Elite 10 does a wonderful job. But I feel some music lovers might be left wanting more, especially if you are looking for a very energetic experience with your playlists. Buy the Elite 10 if you will use this more for work and to take a break with great music.
