Most new smartphones no longer have a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you are forced to use a Bluetooth headset if you want to listen to music. Fortunately, there is now a wide choice of so-called ‘true wireless’ earplugs. These are headsets that consist of two separate earplugs without a cable in between. Today we look at the Jabra Elite 75t and the Jabra Elite Active 75t, two premium ‘true wireless’ earplugs.
Content
In this review we look at two different products, but the content of both products is the same. Jabra once again manages to deliver a fun ‘unboxing experience’ by presenting the product well in very solid packaging. We first slide the yellow box out of a sleeve, after which we pull the gray packaging out of the yellow box like a kind of drawer.
On top of the gray drawer we see a welcome flyer with an explanation about the product and a recess for the earplugs. After removing the flyer, we find a charging case, a USB-C cable, four extra domes and a small manual next to the left and right earbuds.
First impression and appearance
The Jabra Elite Active 75t is the successor to the Active 65t that we have already tested in the past. It is immediately noticeable that Jabra has addressed a number of points. For example, the charging case has been given a different design that now uses magnets. The predecessor still uses a click system, which is less pleasant. We also see that the earplugs have been given a different design. This new design makes the earplugs fit even better in your ear.
Both the charging case and the earplugs of the Elite Active 75t have a rubber coating that gives the whole a more premium look. The texture of this layer also ensures a pleasant grip that does not leave fingerprints. This rubber coating is missing on the regular Elite 75t.
It is also striking that Jabra has now switched to USB-C to charge the charging case. Next to this USB-C connection is a small LED light that indicates when the battery is full again and when the lid of the charging case is open. When we turn the charging case of the Elite Active 75t over, we see an icon that indicates that the Active 75t has support for wireless charging. So you can put the charging case on a Qi charger, after which the charging case automatically starts charging. This feature is missing from the regular Elite 75t.
The earplugs have a sporty look with different shades of blue (active 75t) or gray / black (75t). The earplugs are also available in various other colors. Thanks to the small size, the earplugs hardly stick out of your ear. The small size coupled with the perfect fit ensures that you can run around confidently without worrying about earplugs coming loose.
There is a push button on both earbuds of the Jabra Elite Active 75t. Unlike many competitors, Jabra has not opted for a touch-sensitive housing. People with sensitive ears may prefer earplugs with touch controls, but luckily the push buttons of the Elite Active 75t are very sensitive and you only have to press very gently. A physical button can also have advantages over touch operation. For example, touch operation does not work with gloves on, which can be a downside in winter. With physical buttons you can also feel clearly when you press the button.
Wearing comfort and sound quality
When it comes to true wireless earplugs, the sound quality and wearing comfort are especially important. The wearing comfort is extra important with such headsets, because mismatched earplugs can always fall out of your ear. This is not only annoying, but the earplugs can also quickly damage or you can even lose them when you are on your bike, for example.
Jabra has therefore given the Elite 75t series a unique and compact design, which ensures that the earplugs sit deep in your ear canal and rest on the inside of your ear cup. The earplugs hardly stick out of your ear. During testing, I never had the feeling that the earbuds come off, even when I shake my head or jump up and down. At the same time, the earplugs sit comfortably in my ear, even though I have relatively small ears. When I’ve been using the Elite 75t for a while, I sometimes forget that I still have the earplugs in.
Tip: Test the various domes supplied to see which ones suit your ears best. In the beginning I used the standard medium domes and found the Elite 75t very comfortable already. However, I later tried the smaller domes that made the wearing comfort a lot more pleasant, especially when I use the earplugs for a long time or lie on my side.
The operation of the Jabra Elite 75t is very simple and you can quickly master it. To activate pairing mode, press and hold the button on the left and right earpiece simultaneously for 3 seconds. Connecting to a device always worked quickly and without problems during our test.
With a single press of the right earbud, you can play and pause music or record a call. With a double click you can activate the voice assistant and with a triple click you can put a call on hold. You can increase the volume by pressing and holding the button.
With the left earbud, you can go to the next or previous song with two or three clicks. By holding down the button you decrease the volume. You can activate the HearThrough function with a single press of a button. When you enable this function you can hear the ambient sounds. This is useful, for example, when someone starts talking to you or when you participate in traffic. You can increase or decrease the volume of the HearThrough function via the Jabra Sound + app. I use HearThrough regularly and am a huge fan of this feature.
Another nice feature is the automatic pause of the music when you take off the earbuds. As soon as you put the earbuds back in, the music or video will continue playing. This way you will never miss a second of your favorite song or movie. During our test, this feature worked flawlessly.
It is also possible to use only one earbud if you want to, but this only works with the right earbud. The Elite 75t uses the so-called “master/slave”System, in which one earbud connects to your smartphone, for example, after which this earbud then transmits the signal to the second earbud. As a result, the left earbud always needs the right earbud to receive audio signals. Some new true wireless headsets now use a so-called “single point connection“. Both earbuds have an individual connection between the earbud and the device, so it doesn’t matter which earbud you are wearing or not.
The volume of the Jabra Elite 75t can be very high. So high, in fact, that I rarely turn the volume higher than 50%. If you like loud music, the Elite 75t is the right place for you. Even at 100% volume, which most people probably never will, the music stays clean.
We are also very pleased with the bass of the Jabra Elite 75t. The earplugs sound great when listening to songs with a lot of bass. The bass is quite present, but well adjusted to the middle and high tones. The Jabra Elite 75t probably delivers the best bass of any true wireless earbud in this price range. If you still want to hear less or even more bass, you can change this with the “equalizer” in the Jabra Sound + app. If you are not sure what to change in the equalizer, you can simply select a preset.
Difference Jabra Elite 75t and Active 75t
In this review we talked about two different versions of the Jabra Elite 75t. The regular Elite 75t appeared on the market for 179.99 euros, but has now been added Coolblue available for 156.99 euros. The Elite Active 75t has a suggested retail price of 199.99 and is included Coolblue for sale for 193 euros.
The two headsets are largely similar. For example, the audio quality is the same, the earbuds have the same fit and you can use the same functions. Still, there are three differences between the two headsets.
Firstly, the Elite Active 75t has been given a rubber coating that provides a better grip and at the same time leaves stains less easily. This coating also gives it a slightly more premium look. The second difference is the support for Qi wireless charging, which is only possible with the Active 75t. This allows you to simply place the box on a Qi charger to charge the battery. Jabra has now also released a “WLC edition” of the Elite 75t. The Jabra Elite 75t WLC does support wireless charging.
The third addition is the waterproof housing. The regular Elite 75t is already resistant to sweat and light rain thanks to the IP55 rating, but the Elite Active 75t’s housing has been given an IP57 rating, which makes the earbuds completely waterproof. This way you can keep the Active 75t under water for half an hour at a depth of 1.5 meters without any problems.
Personally, I would pay a few bucks extra for the Jabra Elite Active 75t, but you don’t have to do it for the audio quality, the battery life, the fit or the functions of the headset.
Conclusion (Advantages / Disadvantages)
After reading the review, you have probably already come to the conclusion that we are very pleased with the Jabra Elite 75t and the Elite Active 75t. The build quality is excellent and the housing is waterproof, the design ensures a perfect fit, the audio is pure with a lot of bass and the battery lasts a long time. The features such as HearThrough, the automatic pause of music when you take off the earplugs or the accompanying Sound + app are useful and work well.
Touch control is missing, but the push buttons are sensitive and you can operate almost everything via these buttons. In addition, physical buttons are ideal for when you are wearing gloves, for example. However, the Jabra Elite 75t still uses a “master / slave” system, which makes it impossible to wear only the left earpiece. Wearing only the right earpiece is possible.
The Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t are not the cheapest earbuds, but for a true wireless headset of this quality you will quickly end up in this price category. In fact, most earplugs that can compete with the Elite 75t series are even more expensive. The Jabra Elite Active 75t is now my new favorite headset that I use every day, with the regular Elite 75t as a backup.
Benefits
– Nice design and fits comfortably in the ear
– Impressive audio quality with solid bass
– Waterproof housing
– Long battery life (28 hours with case)
– HearThrough function
Jabra Sound + puts you in control of your audio needs
– Volume can be very high without loss of quality
– Compact, both the earbuds and the charging case
Cons
– “master / slave” system. Individual (left) earbud not possible
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