Apple's AirPods vs. Jabra's Elite 65t Wire-Free Earbuds

[abhibeckert]

The problem with in ear buds is you can't get extensive time to try them out and each individual have different shape ear and size. I agree comfort comes first and sound quality is close behind. If Jabra comes with different size cushions that you can swap out that conforms to an individual's ear, then I think they can sell very well. I think the Airpods shell is on the slick side and it would be nice if there was a cushion to hold inside the ear better.

My ears get waxy and anything with a cushion is gross. I will only wear ones with a hard shell that can be cleaned regularly.

Luckily - AirPods fit my ears perfectly. They’re so comfortable I often run out of battery after wearing them five hours straight, thankfully you can wear just one while the other charges for a few minutes. Often I forget I’m wearing them.

And I’ve never had them fall out - no matter how physically active I am.

At a desk I prefer full size headphones for better sound quality, but otherwise AirPods are great.

 

[CarlJ]

Doesn't each Airpod have battery, speaker, microphone, and other tech (W1 chip, bluetooth, etc.)?

Yes, but I think the bit that makes the sentence non-ludicrous is the part you left off: "and Jabra hasn't been able to condense these features down in the same way that Apple is able to." The point being, the batteries, speakers, microphones, and antennas are a constant (in that they must be present in some form on both), but Apple wins because they've got one custom chip to do everything else, rather than having various discrete chips. It could have been worded better, to make a more meaningful sentence.

 

[eyeseeyou]

"Jabra uses micro-USB to charge the case, which is not as convenient as Lightning or USB-C."

Complete delusion. Micro-USB is everywhere and far more convenient that Lightning.

Not for iphone users

 

[abhibeckert]

With these types of devices, two things matter most...well 3. (1) battery life, which they both stink at. (2) sound quality, which Apple's are terrible at and (3) water/sweat proofing, which again Apple fails miserably at. Jabra the clear winner for now.

AirPods have “terrible” sound in part because they’re open, which means you get no base from earbud sized speakers.

On the other hand, being open means you can wear them while still being able to hear what’s going on around you. The way I use AirPods that’s preferable, though I can see why people would hate it.

In general I like closed headphones and open earbuds.

 

[CarlJ]

Trust me, the Anker sound buds are brilliant. I mix sound for a living and for the price they are unbeatable. In actual fact Im gonna say they are better than the AirPods

It appears that Anker has 8 different models under the "SoundBuds" moniker. Care to specify which one you have?

I'm a huge fan of Anker's batteries and cables. Haven't really looked into their other products yet.

 

[Jbaffoh]

i would recommend you not to go with Bose, they are crap, can't even hold connection among the two ear piece.

My wife has the Bose wireless ones. They fit well, seal well, sound good (slightly mushy bass and highs are not as crisp as my Jabras), and they have better connection to my watch than the Jabras. But they’re BIG and make you look like Frankenstein. They’re very light, tho.

 

[RumorConsumer]

I've gone back to wired. Bluetooth has been terrible for decades and still is. I can't believe in 30 years no one has managed to get it to be on part with wired.

Ive felt largely the same and stocked up on the dual driver wired apple headphones. Like 4 new pairs sitting in a drawer. AirPods ended that. If you haven't used them Id highly recommend.

 

[CarlJ]

I'd like to see Apple do two things with the AirPods:

- One, offer them in different colors (yes, I know aftermarket companies will paint them for substantial fees, not interesting) - I know white is Apple branding, but I'd prefer a space gray, or some similar less-bright/loud color.

- And, two, offer a version adapted to custom-fit ear molds. I had a pair of custom-fit Etymotics that I used for many years that were awesome for being simultaneously comfortable, secure, and noise-blocking. I'd love to have something like that for AirPods. Presumably have some fitment on the AirPods themselves for attaching the ear molds, and then a case with enlarged cutouts to fit the AirPods with the ear molds attached.

 

[abhibeckert]

Yes, but I think the bit that makes the sentence non-ludicrous is the part you left off: "and Jabra hasn't been able to condense these features down in the same way that Apple is able to." The point being, the batteries, speakers, microphones, and antennas are a constant (in that they must be present in some form on both), but Apple wins because they've got one custom chip to do everything else, rather than having various discrete chips. It could have been worded better, to make a more meaningful sentence.

Jabra is not a chipset designer - they are probably using an off the shelf chip that has features they don’t need, making it physically larger and power hungry requiring a larger battery.

AirPod batteries are only 0.09wH. It’s crazy to get five ours from something so small - phone batteries are 100x larger and they don’t last anywhere near 100x as long even if all you do is play music with the screen off.

 

[Taaronk]

I have the Jabras and they’re great. Sound quality is better due to the included tips, and the best part is they don’t make you look like you have straws in your ears.

I respectfully disagree. I think they sound like trash because of the tips. I even tried other tips, which helped, but the AirPods sounded better to me in every way (professional musician and sound engineer hobbyist). My Jabras got returned within a week of use because nothing I did gave me any improvement in sound quality over AirPods. Also, their connectivity was not as consistent as AirPods.

 

[Jbaffoh]

I respectfully disagree. I think they sound like trash because of the tips. I even tried other tips, which helped, but the AirPods sounded better to me in every way (professional musician and sound engineer hobbyist). My Jabras got returned within a week of use because nothing I did gave me any improvement in sound quality over AirPods. Also, their connectivity was not as consistent as AirPods.

Every ear canal is shaped differently, and every musician has different forms of hearing loss at different portions of the spectrum, lol. I am also a musician. For me, the earpods and airpods sound like ****, and they also fall out of my head frequently. For me, the Jabras fit perfectly and sound far better than any wireless earbuds I’ve tried. I chock it up to anatomy.

 

[falainber]

Jabra is not a chipset designer - they are probably using an off the shelf chip that has features they don’t need, making it physically larger and power hungry requiring a larger battery.

AirPod batteries are only 0.09wH. It’s crazy to get five ours from something so small - phone batteries are 100x larger and they don’t last anywhere near 100x as long even if all you do is play music with the screen off.

There are plenty of companies that design chips for various applications (and specifically for airbuds) so Apple does not inherently have any advantage here. jabras are heavier but we do not know the exact reasons. It's not necessarily because of the chip(s). Noise cancellation, pass-through and IP55/56 (depending on model) should all add some weight. If AirPods offered the same functionality at lower weight this would be a different story.
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I respectfully disagree. I think they sound like trash because of the tips. I even tried other tips, which helped, but the AirPods sounded better to me in every way (professional musician and sound engineer hobbyist). My Jabras got returned within a week of use because nothing I did gave me any improvement in sound quality over AirPods. Also, their connectivity was not as consistent as AirPods.

The tips don't produce any sound so your statement is ridiculous. You can find very detailed comparison of sound qualities for these two products here: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/t...ra-elite-65t/405/612?usage=4997&threshold=0.1

Rtings give them the same rating for "critical listening" with Jabras coming on top in bass and mid categories whereas AirPods winning on comfort.

 

[bigjnyc]

Absolutely love my Jabra’s. They fit perfectly in my ear nice and snug. They are super light so not sure about the ear fatigue he mentioned, but I could wear them for hours and don’t even notice they are there.

Sound quality is great, I mean I’m no audiophile or anything but they provide a nice seal which makes the sound rich and immersive.

Battery life is great, you get the 15 hours promised with the case. I usually go a full week + commuting every day without charging

The AirPods don’t fit my ears, they are really loose and fall out with the slightest movement, I tried a few different fully wireless models but the elite 65t really hit the sweet spot for me

 

[El Patron]

Absolutely love my Jabra’s. They fit perfectly in my ear nice and snug. They are super light so not sure about the ear fatigue he mentioned, but I could wear them for hours and don’t even notice they are there.

Sound quality is great, I mean I’m no audiophile or anything but they provide a nice seal which makes the sound rich and immersive.

Battery life is great, you get the 15 hours promised with the case. I usually go a full week + commuting every day without charging

The AirPods don’t fit my ears, they are really loose and fall out with the slightest movement, I tried a few different fully wireless models but the elite 65t really hit the sweet spot for me

Agreed.

I tried using my wife's AirPods in the gym when I decided to get a pair of wireless earbuds and the fit was far too loose and with no noise isolation the sound was lacking to put it lightly. I had two pairs of Beats Xs and love the stable connection with the W1 chip but that alone wasn't enough to win me over with the AirPods.

I don't consider the Jabras to have great sound quality but they are significantly better to me than the AirPods. When I bought them I had a 6S Plus and the connection was less than perfect but after upgrading to an XS Max, the bluetooth 5.0 connection has been rock solid. That along with the sweat and dust resistance, sound isolation with the option of outside noise pass through at the push of a button, Siri integration, and a much more comfortable fit made it a no brainer for me. If Apple ever decides to have some kind of silicone tips for a better fit and improves the sound quality I would switch in a heartbeat but until that day comes the Jabras it is.

 

[mistasopz]

if only these competitors didn't make such butt-ugly products...

Looks better in the ears than airpods imho. Even Dan said so in the video "looks more normal".

 

[RickInHouston]

if only these competitors didn't make such butt-ugly products...

Says the guy wearing dangly ear rings.

 

[0388631]

Call me old school, but I prefer wired. I also enjoy monitor earbuds over regular ones.

 

[EdT]

My ears must be an unusual shape because none of the wireless speakers fit well in my ears. AirPods fit if I’m not jogging or running but neither they nor any other brand I’ve tried fit very well. Bluetooth also sounds terrible, no matter what brand the EarPods or what device I’m streaming from.
Bluetooths only advantage is being wireless. Not sound, not cost, just that it’s wireless. It’s expensive, has poor sound quality and is another device that needs to be charged. Or buy a dongle which seems to be Apples solution on all of their computers and phones- buy an adapter to do something with your phone that you didn’t use to need just to get the functionality back to where it use to be.

 

[racecannon]

You lost me at Alexa.

 

[coolfactor]

What's the backstory on not referring to Amazon's "Alexa" by name, but instead calling it the "Voice Assistant"? Why would we worry if you called it Alexa? Isn't that what it is?
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You lost me at Alexa.

Yah, the video was too long, and too much talking in circles. Show more hands-on. Maybe have on-screen bullet points to provide a visual summary of what's being said?
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My ears must be an unusual shape because none of the wireless speakers fit well in my ears.

I'm not sure that wireless "speakers" were intended to be placed into your ears.

Joke.

 

[alexandr]

Says the guy wearing dangly ear rings.

yea, that's good...
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Looks better in the ears than airpods imho. Even Dan said so in the video "looks more normal".

let's just agree that this is subjective

 

[m828s]

Yikes. Amateur hour review. Didn’t watch video. Virtually any website of repute scores Jabra as better than AirPods and often consider Jabra buds the best allrounders available. Sure this will change, but we’re talking about right now. I own both.

Jabras have much better sound isolation, fit the average ear more snugly, are more exercise-friendly, and blow AirPods away when it comes to sound quality. Jabras can remember two devices at once and quickly sync up with your iPhone or iPad or Apple TV.

I love Apple products. Generally. But the Jabras are superior in so many ways that I can’t recommend the AirPods when head to head with Jabra 65t.

Jabras are great for office and commute. Don’t need to pump volume and damage hearing. Hear through tech allows me to engage office mates with ease despite their much better isolation.

 

[Irock619]

I respectfully disagree. I think they sound like trash because of the tips. I even tried other tips, which helped, but the AirPods sounded better to me in every way (professional musician and sound engineer hobbyist). My Jabras got returned within a week of use because nothing I did gave me any improvement in sound quality over AirPods. Also, their connectivity was not as consistent as AirPods.

You're wrong in every way.

 

[480951]

I had AirPods for a little over a year and did enjoy using them, however the battery degradation was serious and I started having weird issues with the left one. I ended up looking for a replacement that checked all of the boxes I was looking for and the Jabra 65ts came closest. I've had mine since Mid-October now.

Positives

-I'm constantly on the subway or bus, and wanted noise to be blocked out as much as possible. Purely by their in ear design, the 65ts offer great noise isolation whereas AirPods offer virtually none.

-I wanted similar battery life to the AirPods when not in the case, which are 5 hours. They're the same, however the case only offers an additional 10 hours of charge instead of 19(?).

-Removing one earbud and having the music pause is great, as is having them pair automatically as soon as they're removed from the case. You can't adjust volume with the AirPods (unlike what the review said) and you can with these.

-They have Bluetooth 5.0 and the connection has been rock solid for me. I've been outside with it being windy, have had them in my pocket walking and they're fine. A major issue with other true wireless buds I've tried is the connection.

-Maybe most importantly is the price. I have seen these go on sale often, usually for $60-80 off MSRP. Instead of paying $220 (CDN) for another pair of AirPods I bought these for $140 (CDN).

-More subjectively, I personally find them more discrete. Several people have started talking to me without even realizing I have anything in my ears.

-The sound can only be so good in earbuds this small, but I also think they sound better then AirPods. This is probably also helped by their in ear design.

Negatives

-The case is slightly larger and less pocketable then the AirPods

-The left earbud can't be used by itself as its tied to the right one. Only the right one can be used independently.

-I've found the left earbud is also fairly susceptible to electronic interference if you're really close to lots of Wifi or in my case, beside the electrical panel in my closet.

-Some audio has a slight delay when watching video, some doesn't. Youtube for the most part has been fine for me, Netflix has a bit of a delay sometimes. I don't use them for a lot of video but this should be noted.

I think competitors have really improved since the AirPods have come out, even Anker has similar looking ones with close battery life now (that are in ear and black) for $110 CDN. I can't justify the Apple tax for AirPods, especially with how quickly the battery degrades.

 

[danny1305]

I've gone back to wired. Bluetooth has been terrible for decades and still is. I can't believe in 30 years no one has managed to get it to be on part with wired.

With an ignorant comment like this, you didn’t “go back” to wired...you never left. Bluetooth is great, and both of these products prove that.