Introduction :

The market for high-end TWS buds is constantly growing as consumers seek to improve their audio quality. One such company with a reputation for providing high-quality audio with its reasonably cost products is Jabra. One such product is the Danish audio giant’s Elite 5, which is presently available on Amazon for Rs 11,999. It competes head-to-head with products from companies like Sony, OnePlus, and OPPO. Here is a comprehensive evaluation of my time with the Jabra Elite 5 that I have written after using it for a while.

The facts :

Let’s commence with the Elite 5’s construction, which is, to put it mildly, quite elegant. The case itself has a matte finish, and its dimension is not too large to make it difficult to carry in a pocket. However, its dark blue cover does have a propensity to accumulate a lot of fingerprints and smudges. The rear of the case has a USB Type-C port for charging, and the magnetic lid can be opened and closed.

Although they are quite securely attached inside the case, the earphones are not difficult to remove. Every bud has a solid button as opposed to a capacitive one. Various tap counts activate various features, including ANC control, track switching, volume control, and more. Users of many earphones with touch-based controls complain that the input is unreliable and frequently misses. When using the earbuds, the level control can occasionally be a little wonky.

Each bud weights about 5g and has three silicone tips that can be changed. The pre-installed tips on the Elite 5 were comfortable and didn’t slide out even after I gave my head a hard shake. The buds have an IP55 classification, which guards against sweat and moderate water damage.

It only takes a few seconds to connect to Android phones after removing the case. Your smartphone notifies you that the Elite 5 is ready for immediate connection. To link with the earbuds on an iOS device, navigate to the Bluetooth settings. The Elite 5 can recall up to six devices to switch between and can pair two devices at once. The music will pause when either earbud is taken out of the ear, but it does not resume when it is placed back in, which I found odd.

The earbuds come with ANC (active noise cancellation) and a hear-through setting that amplifies background noise. The Jabra Sound+ app, which is accessible for iOS and Android, allows the level to be changed. To improve your listening experience, you can also adjust the equalizer and select specific music presets. The app also offers choices to tailor the ANC to your hearing needs, set up the physical button controls, locate my Jabra, and more. The homepage of the app also displays the battery levels of each separate earbud as well as the case battery.

The Elite 5’s overall sound clarity and noise cancellation, both of which are exceptional for its price, are its crowning achievements. I was especially struck by how well the instruments are separated in some of the older classics, such as Pink Floyd’s Us and Them and Riders on the Storm. The earphones’ wide soundstage gives me the impression that they are taking me inside the actual recording studio. Because the earbuds emphasize the highs and mids more than the lows and have a strong bass, they are a treat for fans of electronic music, hip-hop, heavy metal, and traditional rock.

The Elite 5 could feel the unsettling rumblings of the World Engine being released while viewing some movies, such as Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Other times, the earbuds provided previously unseen audio fragments that other TWS were unable to reproduce. The Elite 5 supports all popular codecs, including AAC, Qualcomm aptX, and SBC, and each earbud’s driver is 6mm in height. In conclusion, the Jabra provided an incredibly satisfying aural experience that felt like a great value.

When ANC is turned off, the Elite 5 are battery-rated for up to 36 hours of audio playback, including the case. With ANC turned on, this time decreases to 28 hours, while each earpiece has a nine-hour battery life. In my trials, where I used the device for up to four hours per day on ANC, I noticed that the case needed to be charged after almost a week. In my opinion, this is fairly good, and if you do need a power boost before then, the earbuds can be played for up to an hour after a 10-minute charge inside the case.

Opinion :

In every way, the Jabra Elite 5 earbuds are a close to ideal set. The earbuds are my top pick for under Rs 15,000 because they provide excellent audio, strong ANC, a sturdy construction, and long-lasting battery life. There are only a few minor issues, such as the TWS’s inability to resume playing music after I placed it back in my ear and the volume controls’ erratic behavior. However, the Elite 5 will be a trustworthy sound companion for the majority of the other situations.