Jabra Elite 85h Review: Great sound without the hassle

Last updated on 2022-09-19
By Yvonne

Jabra Elite85h Review: A great sound, without all the fuss. We thoroughly tested Jabra Elite85H and were amazed by its quality and innovative features. They are an absolute joy to use.

Jabra Elite 85h

We like this

Excellent sound quality
Impressive noise cancelling
Comfortable fit for smaller heads
It is a useful feature to hear through
Battery life extraordinary
Simple and intuitive use of features

The Things We Hate

Pricesy
Large heads may not find it comfortable
Exterior dirt can collect and it is difficult to clean
Available in a limited quantity

Jabra Elite 85H is a great product with excellent sound and noise cancellation. It also has a modern, attractive design.

This article explains

Design
Installation
Comfort
Battery life
Sound Quality
Noise Cancelling
Connectivity
Software
Price
Concurrence
Final Verdict
Specifications

The Jabra Elite 85h was purchased by us so that our expert reviewer could fully test it and evaluate it. Continue reading to see our complete product review.

We crave simplicity in our modern life. Even minor inconveniences can be a relief from the burden of stress. Jabra Elite 85H is aware of this and has been designed to make music listening as easy as possible.

You expect much more from your headphones than just ease-of-use. The 85H delivers on audio quality, comfort, and other advanced features. The Elite 85H may be the right choice for you if you want to listen on-the-go with no hassle.

Design: Beautiful durability

Its woven exterior is what sets the Elite 85H apart from other headphones. This has a number of distinct pros and cons. It's unique and eye-catching. The matte finish makes it look great with jeans. This avoids any of the problems associated with plastic or shiny metal headphones. The 85H's sturdy, robust build makes it a solid choice for everyday use. This was evident in our testing. The 85H is rated IP52, meaning they are dust-resistant but not water resistant.

The 85H comes with a fashionable carrying case, which should offer adequate protection during transportation. The only problem with the case is its difficulty in securing headphones correctly. The odd fold-up design of the headphones means that one earpiece is tucked in the headband, and the other extends.

The 85H provides a comforting sturdiness, which was more than just superficial in our testing.

The earpieces have ports for USB and audio, while the pairing and noise cancelling buttons can be found along the rim. The right earpiece's cloth texture exterior conceals skip, rewind and volume buttons. Skip/rewind does not have their own buttons. Instead, they are controlled by long press of the volume buttons. Each button is easy to locate and each one feels very tactile.

These cables, which are both USB-C or AUX in the package, feel flimsy and short in comparison to the headphones. For frequent flyers, the included adapter jack for airplanes is an excellent addition.

Installation: A remarkable Process

The 85H can be set up by simply unfolding the headphones and placing them on the head. After that, you'll be asked to choose the Bluetooth device with which they are compatible. The Bluetooth pairing experience is one of the most straightforward we've ever seen. Additionally, automatic reconnect functions make the 85H even more user-friendly. Bluetooth cuts off audio cables when connected, and automatically reconnects once the cable has been disconnected.

The 85H's ability to switch between on and off was very appreciated. They detect your headphones and automatically stop whatever music you are listening to. This is very reliable and it saves you a lot of time fiddling around with buttons on your phone.

Comfort: Cushy for smaller heads

The Elite 85H is quite comfortable, even for small heads. However it can be a bit tighter for bigger noggins. They do get more comfortable with prolonged use, even for larger heads. They are soft, thick, and adjustable.

The noise cancellation can have a greater impact on your comfort than the actual fit of headphones. Noise cancelling creates interference that blocks out noise. This can cause pressure to your ears. This varies greatly from person to person—some people may experience headaches, while others may not be affected at all. It was also possible to get used to the sensor side effects of active noise cancelling, but this may take some time. However, you can disable noise cancellation completely. In that case it's probably better to buy traditional headphones.

Battery Life: Listening for a Day

Jabra boasts that Elite 85H's battery lasts 36 hours. After extensive testing, we confirmed this assertion. The Elite 85 only needed to be charged once per week, despite listening for long hours. When you do need to recharge it, the process only takes 2 ½ hours from empty. The active noise cancellation will decrease your battery life but it was on during most of our testing. We never experienced any significant battery drain.

Sound Quality: Impactful excellence

The Elite 85H's sound quality is so great that it is difficult not to praise the headphones. These headphones have a great sound quality. We were blown away the first time that we tried them out and heard 'Don Quixote by Gordon Lightfoot. The 85H produces a wonderful 3D soundscape, with vibrant and rich tones that are clear across the frequency spectrum.

The sound quality is excellent, active noise cancellation works well, the exterior design is durable and attractive, as well as thoughtful choices in terms of music playback that will make your listening experience a lot more enjoyable.

Although bass sounds are amplified it does not affect the overall quality of sound. Wolfmother's 'Joker and the Thief’ was a great listen. We enjoyed the sharp clashing of symbols and the soaring guitar playing and the clarity of the vocals. The 85H is a remarkable soundstage that produces an amazing stereo effect.

The 85H also excels at rendering acoustic music, and while listening to the Vitamin String Quartet's cover of 'Cheap Thrills' we reveled in the rich tones of the cellos—we could practically smell the varnish!

Noise Cancelling - Blessed Silence

Active Noise Cancelling is a great feature in the 85H. The 85H has a great Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) that effectively blocks outside sound. It also reduces the volume of music and makes only the slightest hissing sounds when there is no music playing. Although the effect is not significant, it has a noticeable impact on audio quality. We actually prefer having ANC enabled to get deeper bass than without.

It was easy to switch between ANC and no ANC. We also liked the ability to hear through using a physical button on our 85H. Hearing through, which is basically the opposite to noise cancellation, pipes the noise directly into your headphones. This allows you to be more aware of the environment and has a very simple click of the button. The audio quality of this hear-through mode was very clear and accurate, so it wasn't difficult to see that it was being rebroadcast electronicaly.

Bluetooth Connectivity: Bluetooth has strong, snappy

Bluetooth connectivity on the Elite 85H can be paired almost instantly and penetrates many walls and obstacles. We once forgot our connected phone inside a house. Only after leaving the house had we realized that we were walking a significant distance from the house did we realize what we had done. The headphones were still connected despite the presence of three walls and furniture.

An AUX cable is included with the 85H for analog connections. However, it's so fragile that you might need a stronger, longer cable if this is something you intend to do on a daily basis. It is clear that the 85H was designed for wireless use.

The 85H is not compatible with certain PC programs such as Discord or Teamspeak. The 85H is not designed to be used for gaming, so we wouldn't recommend it. However, it can be used for listening on PC and Mac.

Software: Simple customization

Jabra Sound+ for Android and IOS is compatible with 85H. This allows you to customize the headphones in many ways. The 85H can be set to adjust the EQ and switch between Siri, Alexa, Google virtual assistants. There are many presets that you can choose from, or as a starting point for creating your personal settings.

There are also'moments,' which can change the behavior of active noise cancellation based on the environment. Or, you can choose moments to disable and set your settings. Smartsound will also allow you to listen to your environment and adjust your "moment" to suit it. This automatic switching was quite effective, although the pop-up voice to notify you about the changes can be a little distracting.

The app's locator function is very useful. It can locate your headphones and help you find them based on where they are located the most recently. Although it is limited in its scope, this can still be useful in certain situations.

Easy firmware updates can be done via the app, which has already resulted in improvements to the sound quality and ANC of both the Sound+ app and headphones. Jabra's dedication has been evident so far, with great excitement for the future.

Worth it

Jabra Elite 85H is available only at Best Buy. You can't find the Jabra Elite 85H at a lower price from any other retailer. The high quality sound and effectiveness of active noise cancellation, as well as the outstanding build quality, make them a worthwhile investment.

Competition: Elite 85H vs. Bose 700

It is hard not to mention Bose's new wireless noise cancelling headphones, the Elite 85H. Although the Elite 85H does a better job than the Bose 700, the Bose 700 is still better. Although both sound great, it's difficult to decide which one has better sound. We prefer Bose 700. Comfort is the real difference. Bose 700 simply disappears from your head.

Bose 700 has a sleek, minimalist design, weighs less than Elite 85H and feels wider around the ears. This reduces strain and improves the soundstage. When you compare the soundstage of the Elite 85H with the Bose 700, the difference is remarkable.

Both are excellent headphones. If you're looking to save $100, the Jabra Elite 85H is the best choice. However, you won’t be disappointed if the Bose 700 is your top pick. For larger heads, we highly recommend the Bose 700.

Final Verdict

A powerful audio platform.

Jabra Elite 85H is truly a package. The Jabra Elite 85H offers great sound quality and excellent active noise cancellation. It also has a beautiful exterior that is durable. The 85H may not be comfortable for those who have large heads. These headphones are well-made and very impressive, even though they are expensive. They are definitely worth it.

Specifications

Product Name Elite 85h
Jabra Product Brand
UPC 100-99030000-01
Prices from $300.00
Dimensions of the product 7.67x3.22x8.85in
Color Black, Tan, Blue
2-year warranty on water and dust
Form Factor over Ear
Noise Cancellation Digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), passive noise cancellation.
Microphones 8
Battery Life 36-41 hours of active usage, 1-year on standby, 2 hours until full charge
Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C connectors, 3.5mm Jack, multiconnect capable (2 devices).
3ft Wireless Range