Jabra Elite 75t Review: Massive Bass From Tiny Earbuds

The Jabra Elite 75t are the company’s latest and greatest true wireless earbuds. They’re priced at $200, but most retailers are selling them for $180.

That puts the Elite 75t smack in the middle of a very busy field: They’re cheaper than a set of regular Apple AirPods with a wireless charging case, but more expensive than the ones that use a regular case. They’re considerably cheaper than the $249 Apple AirPods Pro, and yet $20-$30 more expensive that Jabra’s own Elite 65t which the company plans to continue selling.

So how do the Elite 75t stack up? Do they offer enough features to justify a place in this exploding market, and are they really as comfortable as Jabra has claimed? We put them to the test to find out.

Crazy comfort

It’s true: The Elite 75t are extremely comfortable for true wireless earbuds. Which is to say, if you hate having your ear canals filled with silicone, they won’t magically make you a fan of that sensation. But they are incredibly small which lets them sit snugly within your outer ear and it takes less pressure inside your ear canal to keep them there. This is not only more comfortable overall, but it might also allow you to enjoy true wireless earbuds if you’ve had a problem with the fit on other models.

Unlike most in-ear true wireless earbuds, the Elite 75t do not come with ear fins — the little silicone protrusions designed to anchor a bud and keep it from popping free. That’s because they’re small enough and light enough not to need them. That ultra-low weight virtually eliminates the feeling of mass that other earbuds can create during vigorous activities like running; they truly disappear once you pop them in your ears.

Big, bold bass

Given the diminutive size of the Elite 75t, one thing I was not expecting was their huge, deep, and resonant bass. When I first fired them up it took me by surprise and sent me in search of the EQ settings in the Jabra Sound+ app. The equalizer wasn’t messed up — it was set to the flat factory profile. The bottom line is that the Elite 75t have been tuned to favor low-end frequencies, sometimes at the cost of clear and detailed highs or distinct midranges.

For some listeners, this is a treat. You don’t usually find true wireless earbuds with this kind of bombastic bass response, so if you’ve been hunting for buds that can mimic the kind of boom typically associated with big, over-the-ear cans like Beats Studios, you’ll love the Elite 75t. For some genres, like jazz and classical, this pronounced low-end helps warm the sound and lets you feel the deep vibrations of bass being played in close quarters. They’re perfect for watching movies — who needs a subwoofer when you’ve got the Elite 75t?

For music fans with a taste for balanced and precise acoustics, beware. Even with copious fiddling with the EQ settings, it was impossible to find a truly neutral setting that allowed my favorite tracks to play without some kind of bias.

Pocket pals

One of the first things you notice about the Elite 75ts, apart from the bass, is just how small they are, and how small their charging case is as a result. Both have been shrunken down from the 65t significantly, making them the perfect travel companion whether you prefer pockets or purses, or whether you’re heading to work or to workout. You only need to look at the Amazon Echo Buds to appreciate just how pocketable the Elite 75t are.

The charging case has a lid that snaps closed with a magnetic seal, but even if it should accidentally open, the earbuds are also firmly magnetically latched, making a runaway earbud unlikely. Fortunately, should that happen, the Sound+ app lets you track the Elite 75t’s whereabouts, and you can also force them to produce a high-pitched wail in case they become lodged in the recesses of a sofa or a purse.

I was glad to see the charging case was upgraded to USB-C as that’s pretty much the standard for all (non-iOS) phones now, but I’d prefer if the charging indicator was located in the front as opposed to the back.

The case isn’t as easy to flip open one-handed as the original AirPods or the uber-cool Klipsch T5, but we doubt that will be a deal-breaker for anyone.

Push your buttons

True wireless earbuds will typically use some variation of touch-sensitive surfaces or good ol’ fashioned buttons. The Elite 75t choose the latter — one on each earbud — and I really like them. They’re easy to use, you know exactly if you’ve pressed them or not thanks to a satisfying click, and it’s much harder to trigger them accidentally.

You may find you need to place a few fingers on the side of your head to provide better accuracy when clicking, but I’ll take this over having to repeatedly tap an earbud into my skull just to pause my music. You get a wide range of activities — four actions per earbud — using single, double, triple and long-press clicks.

All the big tasks are covered: Play/pause, track skip/back, call answer/end, HearThrough mode on/off,  and voice assistant. The only downside is that you have no say over what they do. Each earbud and each click combo has a set action, which means you’ll just have to memorize them. On the upside, the Elite 75t do offer volume control — many models, including all AirPods, do not.

It’s your call

Jabra has a long history of making Bluetooth headsets with great call quality and the Elite 75t do not disappoint. The four-mic array easily contends with a variety of environments and callers found it easy to hear me (and I, them).

One thing I wish was possible: Using the HearThrough mode, which pipes in exterior sound, while on calls. I know that HearThrough uses the microphones as does calling, so perhaps you can’t have your cake and eat it, but it sure would be great to be able to hear your own voice as clearly as you can hear your callers.

Asked and answered

On a related note, it’s also very easy to make yourself heard when talking to your preferred voice assistant. A double-press on the right earbud button activates either Alexa or Siri (on iOS) or Alexa or Google Assistant (on Android). As handy as this is, my time with the Echo Buds has made me a hands-free Alexa addict, and I now want to be able to summon any voice assistant just by asking for it.

There are plenty of times when it’s more convenient — and safer — to keep your hands where they are. There could even be emergencies when you simply can’t reach your ears or your phone. Being able to say, “Hey Google, call 9-1-1” might just save your life. Jabra, if you’re listening, please consider this for the Elite 85t.

Good (not great) battery

Jabra claims the Elite 75t can last for 7.5 hours on a full charge. In our testing, running the earbuds continuously on maximum volume, we were only able to get just under 7 hours. While many new true wireless earbuds not made by Apple do better, it’s still a solid upgrade over previous generations and given their tiny size, it’s all the more impressive.

Pretty passive

One feature that is beginning to show up more and more on true wireless earbuds is active noise cancellation. Sony has it. Apple’s pricey new AirPods Pro have it. Even the budget-friendly Echo Buds have it. But the Elite 75t do not. One the one hand, you could make the case that with their near-total noise isolation, these in-ear earbuds don’t really need it. In fact, that noise isolation is so good, the HearThrough mode offers adjustable mic sensitivity to let sounds in when you need greater awareness of your surroundings (or to hear your name called by the barista at Starbucks).

Would noise-canceling be a nice add-on? Yep. But you don’t need it to enjoy the Elite 75t, especially at their price point.

Our take

Small in size, but big on comfort, the Jabra Elite 75t are a good choice for small ears or those who want to wear earbuds for an extended amount of time — something their 7.5 hours of battery life makes possible. Their bass-heavy EQ is impressive given their size — but it won’t be for everyone. Overall, they’re a highly portable, high-quality set of true wireless buds, with easy-to-use controls and excellent call quality.

Is there a better alternative?

If you don’t mind a slightly bigger bud, and only five hours of battery life, the Amazon Echo Buds offer more features and a less bass-intense sound for only $130. On the other hand, if you’re an iPhone user, you owe it to yourself to check out the superb AirPods Pro. They’re $70 more, but they offer amazing noise cancellation, terrific sound, and they’re a perfect match for Siri. However, neither of these earbuds can match the Elite 75t’s battery life or IP55 water and dust rating.

How long will they last?

The Jabra Elite 75t come with a two-year warranty, which is better than the average, and they’re IP55-rated for water and dust resistance. This suggests that they’ll be at least as rugged over the long term (if not considerably more so) than many of the other true wireless earbuds out there.

Jabra’s build quality is excellent and the battery is solid (for true wireless buds anyway), so they should last for years.

Should you buy them?

If you’re a fan of bone-shaking bass, look no further — the Elite 75t are the true wireless earbuds for you. They’re also a great choice if you have trouble getting earbuds to fit. If a more balanced sound is what you seek, you can save some money with the slightly larger Jabra Elite 65t.

Editors’ Recommendations