The Best Jabra Elite 10 Wireless Earbuds for Running in 2024 and review
The price of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 is simply too high for the value it offers. The sound quality is lacking, the battery life is limited, and, apart from one standout feature, the set of features is comparable to competitors that are priced at half the cost.
Although there are some positive aspects such as the convenient button placement on the earbuds and the decent battery life of the case, they are not enough to make up for the shortcomings of Jabra’s latest earbuds.
Advantages:
Good battery life for the case
User-friendly button layout
Built-in soundscapes within the app
Drawbacks:
Expensive cost
Inferior sound quality compared to competitors
Unstable fit
Within the span of ten minutes from when I had the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review unit in my possession to the moment I powered them on, I learned about Jabra’s decision to exit the headphone market. Consequently, these wired earbuds of the second generation are now the final pair that will be available for sale and customer support.
This Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review hints at a sense of nostalgia: could this be a finely crafted farewell from the long-standing audio company, or a disappointing swan song?
Without going into detail, it seems we are leaning towards the latter. These earbuds did not rank among the top performers in our tests.
GN, the parent company of Jabra, mentioned growing competition in the wireless earbuds market as a main factor in their decision to exit the industry. It is evident why the company feels this way, as the 10 Gen 2 earbuds do not measure up in terms of competitiveness.
Before we delve deeper, let’s start by examining that name: these are the follow-up to the Jabra Elite 10, which were just nine months old when these second generation earbuds were released.
As implied by the name, the Elite 10 were positioned as the pinnacle of Jabra’s true wireless earbuds lineup, with a high price tag to match.
Nevertheless, as I began to evaluate the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2, I refrained from checking the price and instead relied on the sound quality and features to estimate its value.
To my surprise, the earbuds ended up being priced at double my initial guess. In essence, the cost outweighs the value provided, especially considering the fierce competition in the true wireless earbud industry. It’s no wonder GN is reevaluating their strategy.
One major problem with the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 is its lackluster sound quality. The music is overemphasized, making acoustic guitars and hi-hats difficult to distinguish from the background noise.
The mid-range sounds become tinny and overpowering. While the treble sounds decent, the bass is virtually non-existent in this bewildering mix.
The sound is okay, it’s just not exceptional.
Regrettably, the earbuds don’t stay secure when moving around; they frequently come loose and require readjustment when walking outdoors.
The Elite 10 Gen 2 is unfortunately underwhelming, although certain features are quite remarkable. Typically, I despise on-ear buttons, but the Jabras have the most user-friendly ones I’ve ever come across – they are easily accessible and responsive, without requiring excessive force that can cause discomfort.
The application offers a variety of sound environments that you can activate to find calmness and relax for a while. Whether you prefer white noise, bustling crowds, or the sound of rain, there are multiple options available for you to select from.
Although the earbuds have a limited battery life, the case has excellent battery life. You can count on it to keep you charged for a weekend trip. Just make sure to regularly place the buds back into the case to recharge them.
Some features of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 are impressive, while other aspects leave much to be desired. In terms of consumer products, they are acceptable, but when it comes to the earbuds that define Jabra’s reputation, they are lackluster representations of a fading powerhouse.
The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 were revealed in June 2024 and made available for purchase soon after. Just one day after their release on June 11, Jabra declared that these would be the final earbuds in their lineup, along with the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 which were also introduced at that time.
The Elite 10 Gen 2 is available for purchase at a price of $279.99 / £259.99 (approximately AU$420), which is $30 / £30 more costly than the previous versions. Although there is no confirmed release date for the Gen 2 in Australia, the first-generation models were priced at AU$379.
These earbuds from Jabra are priced as the most high-end true wireless option, surpassing the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 which sit slightly below in terms of quality, and the Elite 5 which are considered mid-range.
Our top-rated earbuds, the Technics EAH AZ80, are available for approximately the same price at $299 / £259 / AU$499. The AirPods Pro 2, preferred by iHeads, are priced slightly lower than that. This indicates a highly competitive market for earbuds.
Review of the specifications of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2.
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10mm drivers
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Noise cancellation technology
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Battery life of 6 hours for the earbuds and 36 hours with the case
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Lightweight design with earbuds weighing 5.5g and the case weighing 46.6g
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Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity
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Frequency response of 20 – 20,000Hz
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Waterproof rating of IP57
Review of the features of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2.
You can connect the case to other devices to play audio wirelessly.
The earbuds have a battery life of 6 hours, which extends to 36 hours with the case.
The app comes with various features, such as soundscapes.
Let’s begin by looking at the standout feature of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 earbuds. With the included cable, you can connect the case to any device with a 3.5mm headphone jack or USB-C port, allowing you to quickly stream audio from the device to your earbuds.
In reality, this method was not consistently successful, and even when it did work, it was not perfect. Some devices did not detect the Elites, leading to situations where I couldn’t utilize the feature.
On other devices, I had to manually adjust the audio output to connect to the device, which was both frustrating and tedious.
When it was operational, it functioned as expected: I utilized the capability to play music from both an MP3 player and my iPad (with less hassle compared to configuring Bluetooth).
However, aside from when I deliberately used the feature for testing purposes, I ended up neglecting it entirely as it didn’t appear to be very practical.
Jabra provides two examples to showcase the usefulness of this feature – for watching TV and while working out on a treadmill. Personally, I haven’t come across a treadmill that has a music port, and I find the built-in speakers on my TV to be sufficient for audio.
The main use case that Jabra emphasizes is for using on flights to enjoy in-flight entertainment. While I understand the appeal, the noise cancellation is average and the maximum volume is low, making it difficult to hear quiet dialogue in a movie over the background noise of the engines and air conditioning.
The appeal diminishes when you consider that numerous over-ear headphones come equipped with 3.5mm jacks, inherently blocking out significant background noise due to their design.
A lot of them also offer ANC and spatial audio features similar to the Jabra. Explore our compilation of top noise cancelling headphones for excellent choices – just ensure they include a 3.5mm cable in the package to avoid purchasing one separately.
The battery life may not be outstanding, but it’s not the lowest I’ve come across: you get slightly over 6 hours of listening time with active noise cancellation on or 8 hours with it off when using the buds.
With the charging case, you can achieve a total playback time of 27 hours with ANC and 36 hours without it, which is quite impressive compared to some competitors.
The Jabra has two types of active noise cancellation: the first one is the standard mode. While it works fine for reducing background noise, it may not be sufficient in louder surroundings.
In noisy settings like a train or a busy road, it may not be very effective in blocking out the sounds around you.
Next, there is the ‘hearthrough’ feature, which is designed to let in specific sounds for safety reasons. It seemed to be effective in picking up nearby noises that were blocked out by the standard ANC mode.
One aspect that left me puzzled was the slider in the app for adjusting the intensity of the hearthrough mode. I was unsure if this control corresponded to the amount of background noise being let in or being blocked out.
This brings me to the app, Sound+, which provides the standard features found in most Bluetooth headphone companion apps. With Sound+, you can adjust the ANC, enable spatial audio, customize the equalizer, and even choose from various background soundscapes to help you unwind.
While these features may not be groundbreaking for earbuds, they are all executed effectively. The Elite 10 offers precise head tracking for spatial sound, and the selection of soundscapes is quite impressive.
REVIEW OF JABRA ELITE 10 GEN 2: A LOOK AT THE DESIGN
- Relatively compact earbuds with a case of standard size
- Buttons on the earbuds that are simple to press
- Available in five different colors, rated IP57
The design of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 case is quite typical for wireless earbuds, closely resembling the first-generation version. It is a compact case that stores the earbuds and includes a USB-C port for charging (and one other feature).
The case is light, weighing 46.6g and measuring 19.6 x 18.8 x 28.2mm. It is constructed from plastic but has a pleasant, smooth feel. Nonetheless, the pinkish-beige hue of our test model easily showcased marks, stains, and smudges, requiring multiple cleanings.
The issue is likely to be avoided with the four other color choices, as they are all darker. These options include Denim in greenish-blue, Cocoa in brown, Titanium Black in black, and Gloss Black in black.
Next, let’s move on to the actual music devices: these are compact buds shaped like beans with a tip and a petite oval body. Weighing 5.5g, they fall into the typical range for earbuds of this style.
Weight becomes a crucial factor for bean-style wireless earbuds like these, as excessive weight can increase the chances of them slipping out of your ears.
While seated, the earbuds felt comfortable and fit perfectly, but while walking they occasionally became loose and needed to be readjusted. This happened less frequently compared to other earbuds I have tried.
Every earbud has a small button on it – in the images, you can see the prominent silver panel, and all it requires is a gentle press to activate.
Out of all the earbuds I have tried out, this one stands out as one of the most user-friendly due to the easily accessible button and the minimal pressure needed to operate it. This ensures that you won’t accidentally push the buds too far into your ear canal whenever you need to pause a song.
Review of the sound quality of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2.
While the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 wireless earbuds are not the lowest quality I have tried, their sound quality does not justify their high price.
Upon beginning the testing of the Jabras, I immediately identified the primary issue that persisted throughout my evaluation – the audio quality was consistently tinny.
The peaking is most evident in segments of songs known to peak, such as drum cymbals and hi-hats, acoustic guitar patterns, shakers, and additional background percussion, occasionally vocal harmonies.
Surprisingly, it can also occur in unexpected areas, such as the vocal melodies of certain songs, as well as electric guitar solos or piano accompaniments.
In certain types of music, the issue was apparent but not significant. However, for certain tracks, especially in folk or acoustic genres, it had a major impact on the overall quality: songs like Langhorne Slim and the Law’s “Strangers” or City of the Sun’s “W. 16th St” lacked the spark that initially drew me to them.
The Elite 10 Gen 2 has noticeable treble in its sound, but it may not appeal to audiophiles who prefer strong bass – low-frequency sounds can be hard to distinguish in the default mix of the Jabra.
If there’s a bigger problem than its sound quality, though, it’s that the Jabra Elites are just too quiet. At max volume and with noise cancellation turned up to max, it can still be quite hard to hear music when you’re in a busy environment.
I’m writing this paragraph while on a train, and I had to give up on podcast listening because I was losing every couple of words — music doesn’t sound great either if you can only hear the most prominent instruments and lines!
One might expect the Jabra app to address these problems, but let’s dismiss that possibility right away: Sound+ does not have volume controls. However, it does have an equalizer.
I was able to address some issues with the buds by utilizing this equalizer; enhancing the bass helps lessen the tinny sound to some extent.
While it’s not a perfect solution, those familiar with equalizers may be able to enhance the audio quality. Additionally, there are preset options available, and I suggest testing out the Bass boost, Energize, or Smooth settings initially.
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