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Jabra 75t or 85t – is it worth the upgrade?

Today you can find a variety of wireless earbuds on the market. It is great to have a lot of choices, but it can make it difficult for us to choose just one. You need to pay attention to a lot of features these devices can offer. For that reason, we decided to compare two earbuds, Jabra Elite 85t vs 75t. Check out the details in the following article. 

Jabra elite 75t vs 85t quick comparison

Jabra is a Danish audio equipment and video conference systems company. Their offering includes wireless noise-canceling headsets, headphones, and earbuds, headphones for athletes, and video conference cameras. 

Their products can be found in offices, call centers, warehouses, etc. They can also be used in everyday life for various purposes. Jabra 85t and 75t models belong to their Elite true wireless earbuds series. 

FeaturesJabra Elite 85tJabra Elite 75t
Microphone6-microphone technology4-microphone technology
Continuous Battery Life6.5 hours6.8 hours
Charging case life (ANC on)25 hours24 hours
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.1Bluetooth 5.0
Dust and Water ResistanceIPX4IP55
Voice AssistantsAlexa, Google Assistant, and SiriAlexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
Drivers 12 mm6 mm
Active Noise CancellationYesYes
AppJabra Sound+Jabra Sound+
Xbox and PS4 compatibleNoNo
PC compatibleYesYes
PriceCheck Price on AmazonCheck Price on Amazon

Jabra Elite 85t

Pros:

  • 6 microphones
  • Phone call quality
  • Active noise cancellation 
  • 12 mm drivers

Cons: 

  • A bit bulky
  • Pricey

Jabra Elite 75t

Pros:

  • Continuous battery life
  • IP55 dust and water resistance
  • Lightweight
  • Compact and comfortable

Cons: 

  • Not compatible with PS4 and Xbox
  • 6 mm drivers

Features face to face

Sound Quality

Frequency Response

The bass and treble amount are indicators of frequency response. The bass amount represents how much energy there is in the bass. Therefore, values around 0 are well balanced, while negative values mean light bass and positive values mean heavy bass

The treble amount values are similar. Values around 0 mean it is more balanced. Negative values mean warmer sound, whereas positive values mean brighter sound. 

Here is how models in our Jabra 85t vs 75t comparison stand when it comes to frequency response. 

Frequency ResponseJabra 85tJabra 75t
Bass Amount2.22 dB4.21 dB
Treble Amount-3.53 dB-0.13 dB

The Jabra 85t has negative values for treble amount. It means that the audio can be a little bit dull. The 75t have values near zero, so they are better balanced than the 85t model

Winner: Jabra 75t

Bass

As we can see in the table above, there is a difference in bass between these two models. Jabra 85t has bass values over 0. It means they have a slightly heavy bass.

The 75t earbuds have a more intense bass sound since the bass amount is 4.21 dB. This heavy bass is a great choice if you like, for instance, hip-hop music. However, how much bass is good comes down to your personal preference. 

The good thing is that treble and bass are adjustable in the Jabra Sound+ app equalizer. So if you like a more neutral sound, you can always adjust these values in the app.

However, the bass quality doesn’t only come down to the fact of whether the bass is heavy or not. An even more important thing is bass accuracy. We need to pay attention to whether the low, mid, or high bass is over or underemphasized. 

Bass AccuracyJabra 85tJabra 75t
Low-bass (20-60 Hz)2.05 dB9.34 dB
Mid-bass (60-120 Hz)1.48 dB4.33 dB
High-bass (120-250 Hz)0.7 dB-1.85 dB

As you can see in the table above, Jabra 85t has excellent values when it comes to bass accuracy. The mid and low-bass are slightly overemphasized, but it is hardly noticeable. 

Jabra 75t has good bass accuracy, but the mid and low-bass are overemphasized, and the high bass is underemphasized. So, you could have more thumps and rumble, and the instruments could be less warm and lack fullness. Therefore, the Jabra 85t prevails in this category. 

Winner: Jabra 85t

Drivers

Drivers on the earbuds are the items that produce the sound in the device. The bigger drivers deliver more power to the earbuds and provide better bass. 

Jabra 85t 12mm drivers
Jabra 85t 12mm drivers

With that being said, the Jabra 85t is better in this segment. They have 12 mm drivers, while Jabra 75t has only 6mm drivers. 

Winner: Jabra 85t

Design and Fit

Jabra 85t are low profile, but they are still slightly bulky. They are certainly bulkier than the 75t model. They could potentially stick a bit out from your ears, unlike the 75t model. Jabra 75t earbuds come in a round shape and flat surface

These earbuds are comfortable and don’t put pressure on your ears. Each of them comes with three different sizes of tips, so you can choose the one that fits you best. But, there is a difference in the shape of tips. 

Jabra 75t tips are round, whereas Jabra 85t tips come in an oval shape. Jabra 75t earbuds are slightly lighter. They weigh 5.5g each, and Jabra 85t earbuds weigh 7g each

Winner: Jabra 75t

Color Options

These earbuds come in several colors. So, you can choose between gray, gold beige, titanium black, or copper black. 

Winner: Draw

Dust and Water Resistance

When a device has an IP rating, it measures how well the device is protected from liquids and solid objects. IP stands for “Ingress Protection.” 

Jabra 85t Dust and Rain Resistance IPX4 Rating
Jabra 85t Dust and Rain Resistance IPX4 Rating

Jabra Elite 85t has an IPX4 dust and rain resistance rating. IPX4 basically means your device is protected from splashing water, regardless of which direction it comes from. The X in IPX4 means that the device was not tested for solid object resistance. But it doesn’t mean they are not protected from it. They are protected from dust, but not completely. 

Jabra 75t, on the other hand, has an IP55 dust and water resistance rating. It means they have limited protection from dust and protection from low-pressure water jets, no matter the direction.

Therefore, neither of these earbuds are waterproof, but they are water-resistant to some degree. So, it is not recommended to submerge them in water. It means they can handle splashes, sweat, and showers to some degree. 

Winner: Jabra 75t

Battery Life

Jabra 85t and 75t have a rechargeable battery which is charged via USB-C charging port. Jabra 75t has a continuous battery life of 6.8 hours, whereas the 85t has 6.5 hours. However, you can always extend the battery life with additional charges in their case. 

Jabra Elite 75t with case
Jabra Elite 75t

The charge time for these earbuds is similar. So, Jabra 75t charge in about 1.3 hours, and Jabra 85t charge in 1.4 hours. Neither of these has an audio while charging feature. The 75t model still takes less time to charge. Most importantly, they have longer continuous battery life from a single charge, which gives them a slight advantage over Jabra 85t. 

Winner: Jabra 75t

Charging Case Life

The charging case battery life allows you to recharge the earbuds multiple times before you have to recharge the case. Therefore, you can charge the case, then recharge the earbuds more than once. 

The battery life of the charging case of these models differs. So, Jabra 85t’s charging case can last for 31 hours without ANC on and 25 hours with ANC on. The 75t has a different performance since its charging case can last for 28 hours without ANC on and up to 24 hours with ANC on. Clearly, Jabra 85t prevails in this segment.

Winner: Jabra 85t

Microphones

Jabra 85t uses 6-microphone technology, and Jabra 75t uses 4-microphone technology. Basically, the more microphones the earbuds have, the better the sound quality. The noises are better filtered, and the call quality is better. Both of these earbuds use MEMS microphone type, and their bandwidth is 100Hz to 10kH. 

Winner: Jabra 85t

Bluetooth Capability

Jabra 75t earbuds support 5.0 Bluetooth connectivity, and Jabra 85t support 5.1 Bluetooth. Both of these can be simultaneously connected to two devices, so you can quickly switch between the Bluetooth sources. You can pair up to eight devices on each of these earbuds models. 

However, neither support NFC pairing. They have low latency with Android and iOS devices but have higher latency with PCs. 

The main difference between these is in the range of the earbuds when in the direct line of sight. Jabra 75t has a range of 207 feet or 63 meters, and Jabra 85t has a range of 146 feet or 45 meters. Since the good value in this segment is over 170 feet, the Jabra 75t earbuds are a better choice. 

It is also worth mentioning that these earbuds are wireless and have no wired option. So, if you want to connect them to PC and other devices only via Bluetooth, they only come with a USB-C charging cable. 

Winner: Jabra 75t

Controls and Functions

Both of these earbuds have great controls. You can control the music, calls, and volume. You can mute or unmute the microphone, turn the noise-canceling or Talk-Through on and off, or use voice assistants. 

All of these are manageable via different pressing patterns on each earbud or both of them. Most of the commands are done with one press, double, triple-press, and press and hold options.

Winner: Draw 

Voice Assistant Compatibility

Jabra 85t comes with built-in Alexa. They can also work with Siri and Google Assistant. Jabra 75t also supports Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. So, you can easily access the information when you need it. You can set up appointments, find events, etc. 

Winner: Draw

App Features

An app for earbuds can really enhance the listening experience for you. You can control the features like noise canceling. Overall you can control the sound and effects. Jabra Elite 75t and 85t use the Jabra Sound+ app

Jabra Sound+ App
Jabra Sound+ App

The app supports iOS and Android, but it doesn’t support macOS or Windows OS. You get access to the equalizer, can control the noise-canceling, see battery status, set a timer for the sleep mode, etc. 

There are three modes – Commute, In Public, or In Private. You can personalize each of these. You can register your device and activate a two-year warranty against water and dust. 

Winner: Draw

Phone Call Quality

Since Jabra 75t uses four and Jabra 85t uses six microphones, they are very good earbuds for phone calls. However, because Jabra 85t has more microphones and uses 6-microphone technology, it prevails in this category. 

Jabra 85t 6-Mic Call Technology
Jabra 85t 6-Mic Call Technology

Winner: Jabra 85t

Gaming

Neither of these earbuds are compatible with Xbox or PlayStation, though some users have had success in getting them to pair. They are truly wireless earbuds, so you can’t use wires to connect them to consoles. If you already have suitable Bluetooth earbuds or want to try to connect the Jabras, you can try to connect them to PS4 or Xbox One

Both Jabra 85t and 75t are, however, compatible with PCs. But their high latency makes them not very suitable for PC gaming. Therefore, neither of these earbuds models is suitable for gaming.

Winner: Draw

Standout features

Active Noise Cancellation

Jabra 85t has impressive active noise cancellation. They have six microphones, out of which they use four for noise cancellation. You can control the intensity via the app. They engage both internal and external microphones to cancel the noise. As a result, they can handle both low and high-frequency noises

Jabra 85t Advanced Noise Cancellation
Jabra 85t Advanced Noise Cancellation

Jabra 75t got active noise cancellation after an update. However, they can handle low-frequency sounds better. Since they have no internal microphones, they struggle with high-frequency noises. 

Even though the 75t model has ANC, Jabra 85t excels at it and is one of the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market

Price

Jabra Elite 85t and Jabra Elite 75t are a new generation of wireless earbuds. They both offer great features. However, there is a significant difference in their price. Jabra 85t are more expensive than Jabra 75t, but sometimes you can catch them on sale at Amazon or other retailers. 

Conclusion

To conclude this Jabra Elite 75t vs 85t comparison, let’s emphasize their best features.

The 85t earbuds are excellent at noise-canceling. So, if you prefer less noise without impacting battery life, the Jabra 85t is the right choice. They have six microphones and 12 mm drivers, making them perfect for phone calls and music.

The 75t earbuds are small, compact, and very comfortable for your ears. They have great dust and water resistance. With long continuous battery life, you won’t have to worry about recharging them very often. So, if you like durable and well-designed earbuds, the Jabra 75t is the best choice. 

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About Steve

Hi, I'm Steve. I've worked for the past 8 years in a major furniture retailer in the UK, so I know my way around a desk or two. On the weekends, I spend time with my kids or I'm probably outside in the garden doing something or other!

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