Jabra Elite 85H Review | 93 Data compared

The Jabra Elite 85h is a highly successful over-ear active noise-canceling (ANC) headset that scores an impressive 5 out of 5 stars from Les Numériques. It provides a beautifully balanced, impactful, and clear audio output across the majority of the audible spectrum, featuring excellent distortion control even at higher volumes. The review highlights its extremely intuitive user experience, noting that the device automatically powers on or off when the earcups are rotated and auto-pauses music via an on-ear detection sensor. Additional major advantages include a stable Bluetooth multipoint connection, an exceptionally generous battery life exceeding 36 hours with ANC activated, a top-tier "HearThrough" transparency mode, and a highly commendable hands-free microphone system that preserves voice clarity in loud environments. It also stands out in the market for its unique 2-year weather and dust resistance warranty, paired with a neat, foldable design and highly customizable adjustments via the Jabra Sound+ application. Despite its premium status, the review points out several performance flaws that keep it slightly behind its top-tier competitors, such as the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose QC35 II. On the...

The Jabra Elite 85h headphones deliver a highly competitive performance, primarily distinguished by an exceptional battery life and superior call quality. The device provides an outstanding 36 hours of playtime on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) activated, extending beyond 40 hours when listening to music alone. Furthermore, it features a rapid 15-minute quick charge that yields 5 hours of playback, and it impressively retains its battery life even after a full year of non-use. For phone calls, the headphones leverage six of their eight built-in microphones to block out environmental noise, ensuring crisp and clear voice transmission. The physical design is functional and user-friendly, incorporating tactile physical buttons that prevent accidental presses, auto-pause wear-detection sensors, and a smart mechanism that powers down the unit completely when the earcups are folded inward. It also provides a robust 2-year warranty against water and dust, making it resilient enough to withstand rain showers.

Premium Build and Features The Jabra Elite 85h is a premium, over-ear wireless headset that offers an impressive mix of matte plastic, leatherette padding, and stylish fabric coverage. It skips touch gestures for discreet, highly responsive physical buttons on the earcups to control music, calls, and volume. The headset automatically powers on or off when you unfold or fold the right earcup. Combined with the feature-rich Jabra Sound+ app, users gain access to custom equalizers, a helpful "Find My Jabra" tracking tool, and an advanced "SmartSound" AI feature that continuously scans surroundings to switch between audio profiles. Outstanding Performance and Minor Flaws The reviewer considers the headphones excellent, praising the balanced, powerful audio quality and comfortable design that remains pressure-free even for users wearing glasses. Key pros include an outstanding battery life of 36 to 41 hours, a highly natural "HearThrough" ambient transparency mode, clear call quality powered by its 8-microphone system, and multi-device pairing. On the downside, the headset cannot be used in a passive wired mode once the battery dies, it cannot pair to home gaming consoles via...

The review by Christophe Séfrin for 20 Minutes evaluates the Jabra Elite 85h over-ear active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones, concluding that they outperform Bose's signature audio control options but fall short of the market-leading Sony WH-1000XM3. Tested during train and plane trips, the headset is praised for its robust, robust construction and a practical auto-power feature activated simply by unfolding the ear cups. Additional major pros highlighted include its unique IP52 certification for rain and dust resistance, an excellent 41-hour battery life (retaining 70% charge after extensive testing), outstanding phone call quality, and a highly customizable companion app featuring an audio equalizer and SmartSound environmental adjustment.

Les Alexiens rated the Jabra Elite 85h 9.2/10, praising it as a top-tier, premium over-ear headset with excellent price-to-performance, boasting a 36-hour battery life with ANC, a unique fabric-coated design, and native Amazon Alexa integration. The sound profile is described as powerful and balanced, enhanced further by custom EQ settings available in the Jabra Sound+ application. While the audio experience is high-quality, the review notes the headset, along with its included travel accessories, can be somewhat bulky, and the default sound modes may feel less deep without initial app-based adjustments. The headset stands out for its comfort and smart, automatic active noise cancellation.

The Jabra Elite 85h is a premium, over-ear noise-canceling headphone that marks a strong entry for the brand into the high-end consumer audio market. Evaluated by Labo Fnac, it stands out for its balanced sound quality, well-controlled distortion, and exceptional battery life, lasting 34.5 hours with Active Noise Canceling (ANC) active and over 40 hours without it. Additional strengths include excellent microphone performance for voice calls, comfortable padding on the headband and earcups, IP52 dust and water resistance, a feature-rich Sound+ companion app, and handy auto-pause features controlled by proximity sensors. However, the headphones do have a few notable drawbacks. The aesthetic design is somewhat lacking in premium elegance due to its unconventional washable fabric mesh covering, which can look less chic and proves prone to staining—especially in the beige color variant. Structurally, they exert a slightly high clamping force of 505 grams-force and are quite bulky to pack away. Furthermore, while the active noise-canceling system is efficient at cutting out mid and high-frequency ambient noises, its low-frequency isolation falls short of market leaders like Sony's 1000XM3.

The Jabra Elite 85h is an over-ear, active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless headset priced at €300 that offers exceptional comfort, robust build quality with metal hinges, and up to 36 hours of battery life with ANC enabled. It features an elegant textile-covered design and implements user-friendly physical control buttons alongside automatic motion-activated power sensors, rather than finicky touch controls. Its active noise cancellation and HearThrough transparency modes perform reliably via 8 integrated microphones, and the accompanying Jabra Sound+ application provides highly customizable user profiles and EQ settings. In terms of performance, the headset's main drawback is its complete lack of high-resolution Bluetooth codecs like aptX, aptX HD, or LDAC, relying instead on standard SBC and AAC wireless playback. The reviewer also noted a minor touch of treble sharpness in the upper frequencies and minor software bugs during pairing. However, its wireless acoustic presentation remains highly balanced, fatigue-free, and natural. Its biggest surprise is its stellar wired performance; switching to a cable expands the lower end by an octave, producing deeply dynamic, fast, and punchy bass alongside a wider soundstage that demonstrates...

The Jabra Elite 85h is a highly capable premium over-ear headset that offers excellent audio quality, remarkably low distortion, and an exceptionally durable battery life. The Labo Fnac testing measured a vast battery endurance of 40 hours and 15 minutes over Bluetooth alone, which settles into 34 hours and 30 minutes when Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is turned on. Designed with an IP52-certified structural frame, the physical chassis is built to reliably resist dust and light water splashes. The headset replaces standard touch-sensitive panels with physical control buttons on the right ear cup for volume changes and audio tracking navigation. It also features a fully customizable experience through the highly comprehensive Jabra Sound+ mobile application. Despite these notable strengths, the Elite 85h carries distinct design and performance imperfections. The exterior features a washable fabric mesh covering that gives it a less luxurious appearance than competing premium models, and the lighter beige color option is prone to getting dirty easily. From a technical standpoint, the active noise cancellation system falls short of matching class leaders like the Sony WH-1000XM3, particularly when...

The Jabra Elite 85h is a versatile, high-performing circum-aural Bluetooth headset designed to balance music listening with professional-grade calling capabilities. Weighing 296 grams, it features a discreet design blending metal, plastic, and rain-resistant fabric, accompanied by a rigid travel case and a USB-C charging port. Equipped with 40mm drivers and an impressive array of eight microphones, the headset delivers an expansive, well-balanced soundstage with accurate instrument separation and punchy dynamics. It integrates with the Jabra Sound+ mobile app, which offers a 5-band equalizer and a "SmartSound" feature that automatically adjusts active noise cancellation (ANC) and "HearThrough" ambient modes based on environmental audio analysis. Pros and Cons Active Noise Cancellation: Efficiently isolates external environment sounds. Massive Battery: Offers up to 41 hours of runtime. Smart Feature: SmartSound mode accurately switches settings based on context. Audio Fidelity: Delivers clear, faithful, and non-fatiguing playback. Comfort: Pleasant fit suitable for long hours of wear. Codec Limitation: Restricted to the basic SBC codec only. Call Quality Issues: Drops ANC during calls and has narrow voice frequencies. Background Noise: A very faint, residual background hiss is...

The Jabra Elite 85h is an elegant yet slightly bulky over-ear wireless headset that weighs 296 grams and features an IP52-certified dust and water-resistant design utilizing grease-resistant fabric and memory foam ear cushions. It sets itself apart by avoiding touch controls in favor of reliable mechanical buttons to manage volume, tracks, active noise cancellation (ANC), and voice assistants. Operating on Bluetooth 5.0, the headphones natively integrate with the Sound+ companion application, which features the SmartSound tool to automatically adjust audio settings based on public, private, or commuting profiles. The headset's primary strengths are its exceptional battery life and fast charging performance, delivering up to 36 hours of playtime with ANC enabled (41 hours without) and gaining 5 hours of playback from a quick 10-minute charge. Notable drawbacks include its heavy build compared to rivals, an ANC system that could be more powerful, and its complete inability to play music over a wired 3.5mm jack connection once the battery is dead. Despite these minor issues, it is highly rated at 8/10 as a versatile alternative to flagship models from Sony and...

The Jabra Elite 85h is an over-ear Bluetooth headset featuring active noise cancellation (ANC), designed to compete with industry leaders like Sony and Bose. The review praises its robust 36-to-41-hour battery life, comfortable fit despite weighing 296 grams, and stable Bluetooth 5.0 multipoint connectivity that allows pairing with two devices simultaneously. It delivers highly detailed, neutral, and clear audio quality that is particularly exceptional for vocal clarity and podcasts. Additionally, the user-friendly design features smart physical control buttons, an auto-pause sensor when removing the headset, an IP52 weather-resistant coating, and a highly natural-sounding "Hear Through" ambient mode.