INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Remote work (or work from home) is not a new concept but even though it has actually existed for almost as long as the internet itself it wasn't until COVID-19 that it really took off and expanded to most businesses out there. Remote teaching (or at home learning) is also not something we haven't seen in the past but it has become very popular since mid-2020 and that alone was enough to skyrocket worldwide web camera (webcam) sales to levels noone really thought possible before. However even though for remote teaching even the simplest headset should be more than adequate for the majority of students when it comes to remote work demands increase by quite a lot and this is where UC compatible headsets with ANC capability come in. Two such headsets sit at the top of the market currently, the ADAPT 660 by EPOS Sennheiser which i reviewed a while back (review here) and the EVOLVE2 85 by Jabra which i have here with me today. 

   Jabra is a leader in engineering communications and sound solutions – innovating to empower both consumers and businesses. Proudly part of the GN Group, we are committed to letting people hear more, do more, and be more than they ever thought possible. Through sound and video, we help transform lives. Jabra engineering excellence leads the way, building on 150 years of pioneering work. This allows us to create integrated headsets and communications tools that help professionals work more productively; wireless headphones and earbuds that let consumers better enjoy calls, music, and media; and pioneering video conferencing solutions, enabling seamless collaboration between distributed teams. Jabra employs approx. 1,800 people worldwide, and reported annual revenue of DKK 6,2bn in 2019. The GN Group, founded in 1869, operates in 100 countries and delivers innovation, reliability, and ease of use. Today, GN employs 6,500 people, and is Nasdaq Copenhagen listed. GN makes life sound better. www.jabra.com

   Just like with the ADAPT 660 by EPOS Sennheiser the EVOLVE2 85 by Jabra (currently available in black and beige colors) is aimed towards demanding professionals rather than audiophiles which is why aside its two 40mm dynamic stereo drivers (frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 117dB sensitivity) it also sports a grand total of 10 microphones (6 MEMS digital featuring a frequency response of 100Hz-8KHz and 4 MEMS analog with a frequency response of 5Hz-20KHz) which according to Jabra can remove up to 97% of all background conversation noise. Of course, the EVOLVE2 85 also packs many extras including Bluetooth v5.0 (simultaneous support for up to 2 devices with support for the following profiles: HSP v1.2/HFP v1.7/A2DP v1.3/AVRCP v1.6/PBAP v1.1/SPP v1.2) and UC wireless connectivity via the bundled Link 380 USB dongle (works with all leading Unified Communications platforms and is optimized for Microsoft Teams), support for AAC/SBC wireless audio codecs, quad microphone digital hybrid ANC system (cancels up to 54% of the noise around you), hearthrough and sidetone functions, exterior earcup controls, foldable and rotating earcups, 6 sound/music presets (neutral/speech/bass boost/treble boost/smooth/energised), voice prompts in 6 different languages (English/German/French/Chinese/Japanese/Korean), busylight function (LEDs on the exterior of both earcups which light up when you're using the headset) and up to 37 hours of audio playback with ANC off and 32 hours of audio playback with ANC on (5V/500mAh internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery). An optional charging desk stand is also bundled both with some product versions and as a standalone.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

The EVOLVE2 85 is shipped inside a cardboard box which as expected has a product picture at the front (this is one of the versions with the optional charging desk stand included) right beneath the company logo and above some of its main features.

 

 

Most of the product features are printed on the left side.

 

 

A few words about Jabra and their products can be found at the rear (on the bottom you can see that this box was made out of responsible sources).

 

 

Once you remove the top cover from the box you will find notes about the software and app you can use and the various things you can do with them.

 

 

Part of the box that opens up also acts as the user manual and as you can all see the headset is safely placed inside a carrying/storage case.

 

 

Along with the EVOLVE2 85 and its carrying/storage case the box also contains the charging desk stand, Link380 USB dongle (located in a small sleeve inside the carrying/storage case), 1.2 meter long USB-A to USB-C cable, 3.5mm cable, airplane adapter and the warning and declarations paper.

 

 

THE EVOLVE2 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

The EVOLVE2 85 is made out of plastic, metal, leatherette and soft foam and weighs a total of 286g.

 

 

Aside being lightweight the EVOLVE2 85 is clearly also a mid-sized headset.

 

 

Jabra has placed their logo on both ends of the headband.

 

 

A small perforated section is located on the exterior of the left earcup just next to two charging contacts.

 

 

At the rear of the left earcup we also find the ANC/HearThrough/Off mode button.

 

 

Moving further down we see the on/off/bluetooth pairing button, activity LED, USB-C port and the 3.5mm port.

 

 

The round button located at the center of the exterior of the right earcup can be used to answer/end calls.

 

 

Even though you can use the Evolve2 85 on the go thanks to its 6-microphone design (digital MEMS located on the exterior of the right earcup) by lowering the hidden boom arm (you can answer calls by lowering the microphone - the button at the end can be used to mute/unmute the microphone) you now have 4 more (analog MEMS - totalling to 10).

 

 

At the rear of the right earcup we see the media buttons (volume up/next track - play/pause - volume down/previous track).

 

 

Typically, left and right markings are printed on the interior just over the earcups.

 

 

As mentioned already the earcups fold and rotate to make it easier to store and/or carry the EVOLVE2 85.

 

 

The earpads are large and feature very soft foam padding.

 

 

Amount of foam padding may not be quite the same for the headpad but certainly more than what we see with most headsets.

 

 

The headband of the Evolve2 85 can extend on either side by up to roughly 30mm (60mm total - no increments).

 

 

The charging desk stand is just that, so you just need to place the charging contacts located on the exterior of the left earcup facing downwards.

 

 

Bundling a large carrying/storage case is always welcome (in the above picture i forgot to also rotate the right earcup, the case will not close like this).

 

 

Finally, the Link 380 (available as USB-A or USB-C) bluetooth USB dongle is tiny and less than half the size of a small USB flash drive.

 

 

JABRA DIRECT PC/MAC SOFTWARE

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jabra Direct is probably the software most of you reading these lines will use to adjust the EVOLVE2 85 features (you can download it from the official Jabra support page).

The very first page will inform you of possible firmware updates not only for the headset itself but also the charging base and the USB dongle (all must be connected via USB to your PC/MAC).

 

 

While updating the headset you can also choose to use one of the other available languages.

 

 

Of course, you can also change the language to the preferred one regardless of the firmware update.

 

 

From the settings tab on the left, you can adjust things that have to do with the software itself.

 

 

You can also give your feedback for both the product and this software to Jabra.

 

 

To adjust things related to the headset you need to choose it from the first tab and then click on the device option located on the lower right corner.

 

 

The audio option pops up a small equalizer which you can use to tailor the sound to your preference.

 

 

There are numerous options you can adjust in the device tab including the answer calls by lowering the boom microphone, enabling of the on-ear detection, selecting the audio guidance mode, setting the standby (sleep) time, enabling busylight and ANC/hearthrough/sidetone modes and lots more.

 

 

There’s also a product information page with information on the headset.

 

 

If you happen to have any issues with the wireless signal while using the Link 380 USB dongle you may want to try and adjust its strength from its own device page.

 

 

JABRA SOUND+ IOS/ANDROID APP

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the main Sound+ tab you can enable/disable ANC or hearthrough (allows you to hear what's happening around you by using its 4 MEMS microphones) modes, use the equalizer (6 presets plus your very own), use one of the available soundscapes to mask noise around you (12 available sounds) and enable/disable the busylight LEDs.

 

 

Inside the headset tab you can check the headset battery level, enable the auto-play audio function, adjust the sidetone setting, choose between the earcup and boom microphones, set sleep timeout, choose the preferred type of guidance (voice or sounds), enable/disable the on-ear detection and change the language.

 

 

The final feature/option is the find my Jabra which does exactly what it says, it can be used to locate your headset by storing its last GPS coordinates in your phone.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

   As mentioned in the introduction page the EVOLVE2 85 is not an audiophile targeted wireless headset which pretty much means that even though it does extremely well in terms of audio quality the lack of HD wireless codecs and even the 40mm drivers (which don’t produce very rich bass) just don't deliver the desired results (clarity/soundstage) any audiophile would be after. That being said however the 10 microphones combined with the very effective ANC and the very good volume levels do a great job allowing you to make calls even in places with extreme ambient noise (unfortunately the hidden boom microphone is not flexible however). Battery life is also very good, yes typically you will probably never hit 32 hours with ANC on (not unless you set the volume to like 40-50%) but I did surpass 30 hours by just 6 minutes and that’s a very good number for such a headset (33+ hours without ANC). The charging desk stand is also a nice touch although I have to admit I would had liked it a lot more if it had a built-in bluetooth transmitter which you could use instead of the Link 380 USB dongle (you could use the latter only when away from home and/or the office).

   As I type these lines the EVOLVE2 85 UC Wireless Headphones by Jabra (desk stand version) retail for USD499 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 296.35Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is quite more than expected on the other side of the Atlantic (quite balanced over here however). At the end of the day, I have no complaints from the EVOLVE2 85, at least not with the latest firmware installed (which is what I used for my tests). Audio quality is very good, the MEMS microphones work exceptionally, range is on par with what Jabra claims and as for battery life well even 30 hours with ANC enabled are more than what you get from similar models. Yes I do think that Jabra could had released an even better mode by using larger drivers and a Bluetooth chipset with support for HD audio codecs but that aside I really think the EVOLVE2 85 is among the best models in its class and that’s why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Audio Reproduction (Mids & Highs)
- Bluetooth v5.0
- Very Good Active Noise Cancellation
- 10 Available Microphones
- Hidden Boom Microphone
- Features (Busylight LEDs / HearThrough / Sidetone / 6 Available Effects / UC Multipoint)
- Exterior Earcup Controls
- Foldable / Rotatable Earcups
- Battery Life (Up To 37 Hours)
- Bluetooth, UC & Wired Connectivity
- Available In 2 Colors (Black / Beige)
- Charging Desk Stand (Bundled / Optional)
- Jabra Direct Software & Sound+ App

 

CONS

- Price (USA)
- Lack Of Support for Hi-Res Codecs
- Bass Levels
- Not Flexible Boom Microphone