As recently as October 2020, Jabra had upgraded its wireless earphones with Active Noise Cancellation. However, the Elite 75t costs a lot less than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. So this brings us to an important question — is Bose late to the party? Or, do the QuietComfort Earbuds really stands true to its name? That’s what we will find when we compare the QuietComfort Earbuds with the Jabra Elite 75t. Let’s get going, shall we? But first,
Jabra Elite 75t vs Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus: Which truly wireless earbuds are betterShould you buy the JBL Flip 5 over the UE Boom 3? Check out all the details in this comparison
Specs That Matter
1. Build, Comfort, and Design
Wireless earphones have shrunk a lot over the past few years. No longer do we have earphones that make your ears feel like alien years. And both Bose and Jabra have followed this design trend closely. The Jabra Elite 75t are sleek and slim and are much smaller compared to their predecessors. And it’s this design change that makes them easy to wear. Since the buds do not have a shiny finish (unlike the Samsung Buds Live), they are easy to hold and handle. The buds have a superb fit, and that’s one thing I love about them. They hug your ear canal and stay anchored to your ears regardless of how much you move. You can wear them for long periods without any discomfort or pain. More importantly, the buds do a good job of sealing out the ambient noise. Unlike most modern wireless earphones, the Elite 75t bundles physical buttons. In fact, Jabra’s newest earphones, the Elite 85t also bundle physical buttons. Thankfully, these buttons do not limit accessibility. They are smooth to operate, and pressing the buttons does not jam the buds into your ears. These buttons support a variety of commands, and you can customize them. So if you want to summon your phone’s virtual assistant or tweak the volume, it can be done easily. Bose has come a long way from its SoundSport Free days. These truly wireless earphones no longer give your ears a goofy look. Though they still can’t be described as discreet, they are much slimmer than their predecessor. The QuietComfort Earbuds come with Bose’s proprietary StayHear Max ear tips, making the buds comfortable to wear. The best part is that they pack nifty hooks at the top that helps the buds stay in place. Like any modern earphones, the QuietComfort bundle touch-sensitive buttons. You can touch the earphones to tweak the buds’ loudness or touch the buds to speak to the virtual assistant. Compared to the Elite 75t they still lack a little in the customization department. For instance, there’s no way to play the last song through the touchpad controls. Compared to the IP55 rating of the Jabra’s earphones, the QuietComfort Earbuds sport a rating of IPX4. Though they are marked for sweat and water resistance, you should take care not to dunk them in water should you buy them.
2. Charging Case
One of the significant differences between both the earbuds is the size of the charging case. Because the buds are smaller, the charging case also packs a compact look. I have moderately sized hands and I could hold on to the charging case or put it in my trouser pockets without any issues. At the same time, the case packs in strong magnets on the lid, and this prevents the buds from getting lost. As opposed to the slim charging case of the Elite 75t, the QuietComfort Earbuds has a slightly bigger and chunkier case. Surprisingly, opening the case is also not as simple as popping the lid open as is the case with the Jabra earphones. There’s a small button on the case and you will need to press it to release the latch on the inside. While this increases the time by only a small fraction, it can get annoying at times. On the upside, you can rest assured that your prized buds are inside a more secure enclosure.
3. Battery Life and Connectivity
When it comes to battery life, truly wireless earphones with Active Noise Cancellation or ANC play it a bit differently. In the Jabra Elite 75t, you get a battery life of around 7 hours on moderate volumes and with ANC off. The charging case provides an additional 3 cycles, so in total, you get around 28 hours. And that’s not the end of the story. You also get the fast charging bonus. A mere 15 minutes of charging will provide a backup of around an hour. Cool, I must say. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have slightly lesser battery life. On a single full charge, the buds will last around six hours, with the case providing an additional two charge cycles. This gives you a cumulative battery life of around 18 hours on moderate volume. Bose tries to make up for this with the support for wireless charging. So yeah, if you have one of the larger wireless charging pads, you can throw the charging case on it to top up the battery level. For the record, the Elite 75t doesn’t support wireless charging. Of course, the equation will change when ANC is enabled in both earphones. Both the earphones come with the newest Bluetooth version. While the Jabra Elite 75t packs Bluetooth 5.0, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.1. This means you will face fewer connection issues, compared to their predecessors. The Jabra Elite 75t has a slight edge over the QuietComfort Earbuds when it comes to connectivity. The QuietComfort Earbuds do not have Multi-Device Pairing or Bluetooth multipoint, while the Elite 75t comes with the same. Bluetooth multipoint enables the Elite 75t to be paired to two devices simultaneously, with only one being active at the same time. This gives you the flexibility of switching between two of your favorite devices at your will without the hassles of connections and disconnection.
4. Sound Performance & Noise Cancellation
So, how good is the audio delivery? Well, the Jabra Elite 75t delivers a punch audio output. The audio is loud and clear and is accompanied by deep and rich bass. This feature makes it great to be used as gym earphones or when you go out for your walks and runs. You also get the advantage of Ambient Sound and ANC. The former lets in ambient noise and helps you stay aware of your surroundings, especially when you are walking in crowded streets. Jabra had introduced the noise cancellation feature through an OTA update that dropped after the earphones release. In fact, the Jabra earphones utilize only the external noise to cut out the ambient noise. If you must know, Hybrid ANC utilizes both internal and external mics to cancel out noise. So, how good is the ANC? Well, they do a good job in muffling the outside noise, but struggle when it comes to high-pitched noise like the sound of wind or the cacophony of public places. In fact, the Active Noise Cancellation on the Elite 85t is comparatively better. As far as the audio department is concerned, the QuietComfort Earbuds has rightfully taken its seat as one of the best truly wireless earphones with ANC. It delivers dynamic audio with deep thumping bass. In fact, the folks at What Hi Fi argue that these buds deliver highly infectious audio with every minute detail embedded right in. The ANC lends a quieter background as well. In fact, you can customize the level of noise cancellation as per your preference. You can choose between three levels, starting from 0 to 10. While 0 means a sound transparent mode, 10 means completely cutting off the noise. Yeah, you won’t have the whirr of motor transport or the buzz of fans to disturb you from now on.
Verdict
Do you need dynamic audio along with top-notch noise cancellation? If yes, you can’t go wrong with the BoseQuietComfort Earbuds. These are great sounding buds and if you do not mind spurlging on your audio accessories, this one will prove to be the right pick. But it isn’t perfect. For instance, the charging case falls on the bigger side, so does the earbuds’ size. Plus, they lack Bluetooth multipoint. If you can compromise on the Active Noise Cancellation and can make do on noise isolation, the Jabra Elite 75t makes for a good pick. They sound great and punchy, and they don’t look bad either. And the battery life of 28 hours is the cherry on top.
