J
abra’s bona fides in the world of
wireless in-ear headphones
have been proven repeatedly
over the last couple of years, with
products such as the Jabra Elite
Sport and Jabra Elite 65t earning
the Danish audio company a great
deal of much-deserved praise.
Now, Jabra aims to shake up the
premium over-ear headphones
market with its Jabra Elite 85h – a
pair of active noise-cancelling cans
that boast incredible battery life
and a variety of AI smart features
that can be tweaked via the
company’s Sound+ app.
Jabra is positioning its Elite 85h
headphones in the same class as
Sony’s WH-1000XM3 and Bose’s
QuietComfort 35 II, which many
consider to be the two leading
headsets in the wireless ANC audio
category.
Despite this lofty goal, the Elite
85h headphones absolutely deliver
the goods thanks to their class-
leading battery life, terrific call
quality, impressive noise-cancelling
and understated style. That said, a
lack of support for some high-end
codecs may turn off audio purists.Real fake leather
Accompanied by a sturdy faux
leather case with a soft fabric
interior, Jabra’s Elite 85h exude a
sense of quality from the get-go.
Tucked inside the case’s fabric
divider, you’ll also find a 3.5mm Aux
cable, an aeroplane audio adapter
and a USB Type-C charging cable.
But we know you’re not here to
read about the Elite 85h’s carry case
and various accoutrement, so we’ll
cut right to the chase – Jabra’s first
attempt at a pair of premium
wireless ANC headphones is an
absolute winner in the style and
comfort departments.
Available in Titanium Black, Gold
Beige and Navy (which is what
we’ve reviewed), Jabra’s Elite 85h
employs a sense of minimalistic
chic in its design, with each set ofheadphones opting for a one-
colour approach which only
changes shade slightly for its
extendable arms and subtle logos
on each side of the headband.
Despite the mention of titanium
earlier, the headphones themselves
are comprised mostly of plastic
(that includes the aforementioned
extendable arms, which have a
brushed-metal appearance).
Thankfully, the plastic itself is quite
sturdy and offers a bit more
flexibility to accommodate for
smaller and larger heads..
Along the top of the headband
and on the outer side of each ear
cup, the Elite 85h features an
aesthetically-pleasing meshed-
fabric material, which instantly
gives the headphones a sense of
personality.
Faux leather once again adorns
the Elite 85h’s ear cups and the
headband’s underside – both of
which are exceptionally-soft and
foam-cushioned for added comfort.£280 | $300 http://www.jabra.co.uk
Incredible battery life and noise cancelling give Sony and Bose a run for their money
Images : Jabra84 |^ |^ August 2019