INTRODUCTION

   Largely thanks to the introduction of true wireless stereo (TWS) headsets/earbuds some years ago listening to music and answering/making calls while on the road has never been easier. Granted it took a couple of years for manufacturers to iron out most "bugs" primarily related to signal strength/quality, compatibility with various audio codecs and the somewhat limited battery life but today consumers can find numerous models completely free of such issues. Jabra has been among the very first manufacturers to jump on the TWS wagon back in late 2016 with their impressive Elite Sport model (review here) which was later on succeeded by the Elite 65t and Elite Active 65t models which people from all over the world (both consumers and professionals) recognized to be clearly superior to one of their immediate rivals, the Apple Airpods. Late last year Jabra updated their TWS line with the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t models and today with us we have the former.

   Jabra, part of the GN Group, is a leading developer and manufacturer of communications and sound solutions. We are committed to letting people hear more, do more and be more than they ever thought possible. We believe that through sound, we can transform lives. Jabra innovates and empowers with sound solutions for businesses and consumers, producing corded and wireless headsets, portable and in-office speakerphones, and sports earbuds. Jabra employs 1,000 people worldwide, and produced an annual revenue of DKK3.5 bn in 2016. The GN Group operates in more than 90 countries, and has almost 150 years’ experience in innovation and delivering reliability and ease of use. Founded in 1869, employing over 5,000 people, and listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen, GN makes life sound better. www.jabra.com 

    Both the previously released Elite 65t (review here) and the new Elite 75t models actually share several characteristics such as 6mm dynamic drivers (20Hz-20KHz frequency response), 4 digital MEMS microphones (100Hz-10KHz frequency response - microelectrical mechanical system microphones offer advanced noise cancellation with hearthrough and sidetone controls), IP55 certified housings (protected against dust and water jets), Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity (10 meters range/ 2 simultaneously connected devices/ up to 8 paired devices in total) compatible with all the latest profiles (A2DP v1.3/AVRCP v1.6/HFP v1.7/HSP v1.2) and support for SBC/AAC audio codecs. However, Jabra did perform quite a few changes to the new Elite 75t model starting with a slightly tweaked design (engineered based on thousands of ear scans for optimal fit), smaller sizes (for both the earbuds and the charging case), longer battery life (7.5 hours of continuous use and up to 28 hours with the charging case) and what seems to be a tad larger driver (the original Elite 65t had an 6mm by 5.1mm driver whereas the new Elite 75t seems to have an 6mm in diameter driver). Also, we mustn't forget to mention that the Elite 75t is currently available in 3 colors (Titanium Black, Gold Beige and Black) and is covered by a two year warranty against dust and water damage.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Packaging hasn't changed much since the Elite 65t model so once again we see a product picture at the front right beneath the company logo and above the main features.

A picture of the bundle contents is placed on the left side right over the designed & engineered in Copenhagen statement.

Another product picture is located at the rear of the box right beneath the main product features.

The part and serial numbers along with barcodes, certification logos and contact information for Jabra HQ are all printed on a sticker located at the base of the box.

Once you remove the exterior the main box is once again yellow and has the company name on it.

Removing the top reveals the earbuds and the rest of the bundle.

Along with the Elite 75t TWS earbuds and the charging case Jabra also packs 3 sets of silicon eartips (medium-size is already pre-mounted on the earbuds), USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a warning and declarations leaflet.

THE ELITE 75T

Each earbud measures 21.9x19.4x16.2mm and weighs just 5.5g (just for comparison purposes each earbud of the Elite 65t model measured 27x30x22.5mm while the right one weighed 6.8g and the left 5.8g).

To have an even better understanding of just how small the Elite 75t earbuds are we placed one right next to the HT10 by Lenovo, BP81 by Silicon Power, E1026BT-I by 1MORE, Q29 by SoundPEATS, Bluetooth Earbuds by Sandberg and the X11 by Trelab.

Both earbuds have the company name printed on the center button which can be used to answer/end/put on hold calls, increase volume levels, play/pause tracks and enable voice assistant (right earbud) and mute/unmute the microphone, enable/disable hearthrough/sidetone modes, next/previous track and decrease volume levels (left earbud). The holes right next to the buttons are just in front of where the 4 MEMS microphones are located.

A small driver exhaust port is placed at the base of each earbud.

Left and right markings are printed at the rear of both earbuds just over the charging contacts.

For the new Elite 75t Jabra seems to have used an 6mm in diameter driver (compared to the 6x5.1mm used in the Elite 65t) but do take this with a grain of salt (not verified).

The charging case of the Elite 75t (62.4x36.6x27mm / 35g) is also smaller and lighter compared to the one used in the Elite 65t (72x51x26.5mm / 67g).

At the rear of the case we find the USB-C charging port and an activity LED right next to it.

There are no charging LEDs inside the case so once you place the earbuds inside their own LEDs will turn on.

SOUND+ APP

To fully utilize the Elite 75t you will need to download the latest version of the Jabra Sound+ App for iOS and Android devices (once you do and pair your phone with the 75t it will check the installed firmware version and inform you of any updates).

The entire update procedure may take a few minutes and for the final step you will need to place both earbuds in their charging case.

I don't know if this is a bug or not but i didn't get a successful update confirmation however until only after i took the Elite 75t earbuds out of their case again.

From the main Sound+ tab you can enable/disable hearthrough (allows you to hear what's happening around you by using the 4 MEMS microphones), use the equalizer (6 presets) and use the soundscapes feature to mask noise around you (10 available sounds).

There's also an edit widgets option at the bottom of the main tab from where you can add/remove options from the main tab as seen above.

Inside the headset tab you can check the battery levels of both the earbuds and the charging case, enable the voice assistant, access various audio settings (sidetone is probably the most important since it allows you to also listen to your voice when in a call), set sleep timeout and choose the preferred type of guidance (voice or sounds).

The final feature/option is the find my Jabra which does exactly what it says, it can be used to locate your Elite 75t by storing their GPS coordinated in your phone (provided of course no one moved them while in their charging case).

CONCLUSION

   I spend over a month using the latest Jabra Elite 75t while working out (on the treadmill mostly), typing reviews and just before i went to sleep (as we all know this lockdown has limited everyone's external activities) and i have to admit that the end result was even better than expected. I mean the Elite 65t was already a very good TWS model with high audio quality levels so i never expected the new 75t to surpass them, at least not in that regard. Audio is actually so clear and accurate and with plenty of bass that at times it almost feels like if you're using audiophile-class wired earphones instead. Now since i didn't use the Elite 75t while on the go i can't really comment on durability/endurance but judging by the 65t model (which i kept using long after my review went live) you shouldn't have any issues, at least as long as you don't throw them into deep water that is (even though the 2 year warranty Jabra offers against dust and water damage could potentially cover you even with something like that). Battery life however was probably the biggest surprise for me since the Elite 75t kept going for slightly over 6 hours with the volume almost set at full which compared to the 4 hours of the Elite 65t (4 hours and 6 minutes to be exact) is roughly a 50% increase, a really impressive number, especially if you also take into account the smaller size of the earbuds. As for the 4 MEMS microphones everything works great from the audio quality on the other end of the call to the hearthrough and noise-cancelling features, something which I’ve come to expect from any headset with the Jabra name on it (as long as it features noise-cancelling that is).

   The Elite 75t TWS Earbuds already count roughly 4 months in the market and retail for USD179.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 173.18Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which perfectly reflects exactly what you are getting from Jabra. Of course, just like in the case of the 65t model it may be more worth it to “invest” slightly more and go for the Active variant instead, largely because of its increased durability/endurance factor due to its IP57 certification. With that out of the way the Elite 75t is without doubt the best all-around TWS to reach my hands to date and for that it gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IP55 Certified)
- Design / Size / Available Colors (Titanium Black / Gold Beige / Black)
- Hearthrough / Sidetone Features
- Exceptional Audio Quality (For The Size)
- Call Quality (Other End)
- Noise Cancelling
- Battery Life (Up To 28 Hours Total)
- Great Fit
- 2 Year Warranty Against Dust & Water Damage
- Bluetooth v5.0
- Jabra Sound+ App Features

CONS

- Price Tag (For Some)