I was looking for a new set of headphones, specifically for work calls. I’m often on Google Meet or Zoom for 4+ hours per day, and I wanted something that was comfortable, sounded good, had noise canceling, and had a high quality microphone. I was replacing my over the ear Jabra headphones, which I loved, but had worn out after several years of use.
It narrowed the field down to the following options: Jabra Elite 10 (winner), Sony WF-1000XM5, and the Technics Premium Hi-Fi earbuds. For personal non-work use, I love my Apple AirPod Pros, but I wanted a different set that was only paired to my computer. After researching on several review sites and Reddit, I landed on the Jabra Elite 10s. The competition seemed pretty close, but my previous positive experience with Jabra products tipped it over the edge.
Pros
Great fit: Jabra wasn’t kidding when they said they scanned 62,000 ears to find the perfect fit.
Plug and play: Super fast, foolproof setup.
Battery life that lasts: I don’t see myself running out of juice with these.
A solid microphone: It was never going to be perfect with an earbud, but I’m happy with how these make me sound.
Cons
Microphone: Wait, this was a pro, right? As mentioned, some colleagues thought I sounded different, so the switch wasn’t totally seamless.
Unboxing Experience
The packaging was basic — just simple cardboard, with tearable strips that made it easy to open. Some brands go over the top with their ‘unboxing experience’, even when it isn’t necessary. I appreciated the simple approach that Jabra took here.
The earbuds come with different sized tips to ensure a comfortable fit. The outside of the box says 62,000 ears were scanned to create the perfect fit. After switching the tips to the largest size, the earbuds fit my ear very comfortably and I haven’t needed to switch since. From a first impression, the matte black case felt solid and well constructed, with the earbuds soundly snapping in place magnetically. The earbuds themselves have a good feel, and the buttons press easily without being too sensitive. Also in the box was a USB to USB-C cable.
Connecting to the Computer
Setting up the Jabra Elite 10 on my Windows 11 laptop was a breeze. Within a few seconds I was connected through the Bluetooth settings menu, and I quickly tested the sound quality through some songs in Spotify. There are buttons on the side to control noise cancelation, pause/play, and more that I took some time getting used to. When removing them from your ears and putting them back in, the connection time is very fast, usually within a second or two.
Features I Like
The case has a small LED on the front that changes color based on the battery level, from green (fully charged) to red (running low). This helps me know when I need to charge the case, which I do through a wireless charger (USB-C cable charge is also possible). I haven’t tested the full capacity during a full day of travel or without my charger, but I haven’t come close to running out of battery yet. The website claims up to 27 hours of battery life, which seems like more than enough in pretty much any situation.
Microphone and Sound Quality
The noise canceling is good. I would compare it pretty similarly to my Airpod Pros, with maybe a slight edge to the Airpods. The audio quality is on par, and since I’m mostly using it for work calls, the audiophile fidelity isn’t a top priority. That said, the Jabra 10s have head tracking and Dolby Atmos for a fully immersive 3d listening environment, so if you’re using them for music and movies, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
The microphone is probably as good as you’re going to get from an in-ear device. My old headset had a microphone arm that extended to my mouth, so that was a step up vs. the Jabra 10s, but I knew that would be the case when dealing with earbuds. Some of my coworkers that I speak to the most frequently immediately noticed the difference, with one of them saying it sounded “echoey.” It could be because there are a lot of hard, non-sound dampening surfaces in my office, or it could just be a different sound that they’re getting used to. Other coworkers didn’t notice any difference and thought I sounded totally normal. I did a test Zoom recording of myself talking through them, and thought the microphone quality sounded good during my playback of the recording. This was my biggest worry when switching to an in-ear system for work, but they pass the test.
One important thing to note is that I work in a home office, so I haven’t had the opportunity to test these in a noisy environment yet. I imagine that they’d pick up a lot of outside sounds but can’t confirm. Jabra uses a total of 6 microphones, some external (always on), and some internal, which are automatically activated in windy (or noisy?) conditions.
Conclusion
After spending some solid time with the Jabra Elite 10s, I’m genuinely impressed. They’ve ticked almost all the boxes for what I wanted in work headphones: comfort for long stretches, crisp sound for both calls and casual listening, and a microphone that, despite a few echoes, has mostly done well. Ultimately, the seamless transition from my beloved, but worn-out over-ear Jabras to these sleek, in-ear companions has been smoother than I anticipated. I would definitely recommend these to someone looking for a great set of work earbuds.
Electronics
Jabra Elite 10 Headphones
$249.99
Jabra’s most advanced earbuds for work and life. Clear calls, all-day comfort & Dolby Atmos Experience
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