Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2: the best and last earbuds by Jabra?
17-7-2024
Translation: Eva Francis
They’re Jabra’s swan song when it comes to consumer earphones. In other words, after this release, the manufacturer plans to withdraw from the end customer market and only produce hardware for SMEs. So how does Jabra’s last product fare? Not bad indeed.
After the Elite 10, which Jabra presented at IFA last year, the Danes have now launched a follow-up model. To be more precise, it’s a generational upgrade of their premium in-ears. And they’re also the last earbuds for the consumer market. Jabra’s officially retiring from this market segment. And their parting gift, so to speak, is decent. Let’s take a closer look at it.
Out of the box and into the ears
Danes are considered to be pragmatic, down-to-earth people who don’t make a big fuss and are resilient and reliable. Just like the Elite 10 earbuds. They come in a sturdy, well-manufactured charging case with a fingerprint-resistant surface. There are two buds with narrow attachments for small ears. Their surface supports touch control, but also has a physical pressure point that I can freely configure using the Jabra app. The box also includes four pairs of silicone tips in various sizes and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable with a jack adapter. That’s it.
Source: Florian Bodoky
The attachments that Jabra supplies are specially tailored and adapted to the triangular, angled output. This has two advantages: I don’t have to twist the earbuds to get them into my ear, as their design means they smoothly slide into my ear canal. And I can’t push the attachment too far in. The latter is particularly important because the Elite 10’s equipped with a physical button on the back. You have to press it regularly to operate the earbuds. The button’s made of aluminium and doesn’t have the same colour as the rest of the earbud. But it’s just as elegant. Another great thing about these earbuds is how light they are – just 5.6 grammes each. I forgot I was wearing earbuds after no more than a couple of songs.
The Elite 10 are IP57-certified. In other words, feel free to wear them for outdoor activities, even in the rain. But don’t wear them in the bath. The earbuds offer many of the same features that made their predecessors so popular. Multipoint allows you to pair several devices at the same time and tells you how many devices the Elite 10’s currently connected to. It also boasts spatial audio and active noise cancellation. The latter’s particularly exciting, as the Elite 10 earbuds have a semi-open form factor. Jabra has also equipped them with head tracking. This technology monitors your head movements and ensures the music always appears to come from all directions, creating 360-degree sound.
Well-balanced sound and deep bass
In addition to the Elite 10 Gen 2, I also got hold of the predecessor for this review. Why? Well, I’ve tested both now and they sound very similar. That’s not a bad thing at all, as the sound’s really good.
I do, however, question the Dolby Atmos support for in-ears. Even if there’s certification, it’s often marketing blah. It’s not really a Dolby Atmos experience. The head-tracking function’s more interesting to me. I like the way Patti Smith’s voice seems to follow my head movements when I listen to her song Dancing Barefoot. And I can hear all the elements of the song.
In tracks with intense sub-bass, the Elite 10 earbuds deliver low frequencies with a lot of power. At high volumes, it almost feels like your brain’s shaking. Even if you’re listening at low volumes, the bass is still powerful. That was my experience when I listened to the song Weisse Wand by AnnenMayKantereit.
Lead singer Henning May’s vocals sound rich in the low frequencies, while the instruments, especially the percussion, are still rendered in great detail. At best, you could boost the mids a little in the EQ. They might be lacking slightly in bass-heavy songs.
Source: Florian Bodoky
Orchestral recordings show a subtle bass depth, although the brass, strings and especially the vocals are rather high frequency. This isn’t exactly a reproduction in Sennheiser-esque precision, which puts precision and authenticity over warm sound. Jabra takes a different approach, but it still sounds good.
The ANC and Jabra’s HearThrough transparency mode also perform well when listening to music. Construction work on my doorstep, pets or the dishwasher – nothing manages to overpower the music in my ears. Even outdoors, the Jabra can handle some challenges. Conversations on the bus, announcements at the train station or engine noises don’t reach me. Above all, I’m spared annoying, high-frequency noises. With HearThrough, it’s completely different. The total of six microphones on the two buds pick up external noises well and transport them to my ear without me hearing any other annoying background noise – a problem that many in-ear headphones have, even in higher price ranges. The Elite 10 last for around six hours before they have to go back into their charging case. At least when I’ve activated noise cancellation. If the silicone plugs are enough to muffle the noise in the classic way, the battery lasts for eight hours. The case provides four more charging cycles.
Source: Florian Bodoky
Speaking of the case, Jabra’s come up with something special. Thanks to the LE Audio Smart Case, you can connect the case to another device – such as your TV or in-flight entertainment system on an aeroplane – using the USB-C plug and jack adapter. The case then streams audio signals to the earbuds. At the same time, the earbuds remain connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth, for example for calls. Multipoint then no longer works, however. I tested it on an exercise bike with a 3.5 mm jack port and it worked.
Phone calls: «I can hear you, but can you hear me?»
Let’s start with the good news: when I’m indoors, the Elite 10 earbuds are hard to beat. This is where Jabra, whose products include a large range of audio conference solutions, really comes into its own. With the call experience function in the Sound+ app, I can even change the bass and treble during calls.
However, if I’m outside, the other person’s experience isn’t great. Jabra claims the ANC algorithms isolate your voice from background noise. But in my experience, the person I’m talking to can’t understand what I’m saying well. Nevertheless, there are no interruptions outside or inside. The Bluetooth connection is always very stable.
What’s next for Jabra?
At the same time as the new earbuds were released, Jabra announced they won’t be developing any more consumer earbuds. This inevitably leads to the question of whether and how the Elite 10 will be provided with firmware updates and other support after the two years that have been announced. Jabra has assured its customers that it won’t leave them out in the rain. Let’s wait and see what this looks like.
In a nutshell
Powerful, innovative, European – but pricey
The second generation of Jabra’s Elite 10 offers more than just a cosmetic upgrade. My favourite features are the noise cancellation and the cool streaming function of the case. Jabra also nailed the sound quality. If you like the shape of earbuds but are afraid of impact sound, these are the ones for you. Their design makes impact sound almost impossible.
Pro
- great sound
- cool transmitter function
- good battery life
- no impact sound
Contra
- outdoor phone calls tricky
- Good ANC – but not on Sony or Sennheiser level
Header image: Florian Bodoky
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
