Gear Review: Jabra’s Elite 85h is the AI-driven wireless headphones you need (if you can afford it)

Confession: I have a pretty annoying habit of telling AirPod users to ditch their tinny wireless earphones. Then after nitpicking about how the pricey plastic contraptions don’t even fit properly and let external sound leak in, I usually preach the gospel of Jabra and its Elite 65t in-ear buds — an all-in-one package that offers crystal-clear sound, actual noise blockage, transparency mode, and a comfortable, non-flimsy fit. 

So when Jabra announced its new wireless headphones — the Elite 85h — you can bet I was going to have high expectations. A premium step up from Jabra’s previous outings like the Move series, these cans are touted with noise-cancelling capabilities, hefty battery life, and a new highlighted feature: Artificial Intelligence. Which works and is totally useful… sort of (more on that later). 

Holding it in your hand, the Jabra Elite 85h reminds you of the recent design aesthetics taken on by Google and Microsoft: Fabric as the core material of gadgets. Don’t get me wrong — I do love the soft, homey finish. But at S$428 a pop, the headphones don’t feel as hardy or durable as I’d like them to be, and I definitely don’t trust leaving them in my bag without protection. 

Thankfully, the package comes with a hardy (but bulky) zip case that can hold the Elite 85h snugly when they’re folded up flat. Also included: A stereo jack for wired use, an airplane audio adapter, and a USB-C charging cable. Switching the headphones on is an absolute breeze — you simply need to twist the earcups out. 

Similarly, pairing the headphones to your devices (up to eight at a time, if you’re counting) is simply a matter of connecting via Bluetooth (5.0, if you’re wondering), while the companion Jabra Sound+ app lets you customise equalisers and switch between features like active noise cancellation and transparency mode. The initial pairing step is all you need for the cans to remember the devices they’re connected to, so there’s no need to continually mess about with phone menus. Trust me, the easy fluidity of taking the headphones out and immediately listening to music as soon as the cushions touch your ears feels great on the go. 

Control-wise, things could seem a little complicated at the jump, but I got the hang of everything after a few days. Prominent, raised dimples on the right cup let you adjust volume levels and change tracks, and the fabric material does prove to be a (literally) nice touch. A minor gripe is that the two small buttons at the back of the headphones require a bit of reaching to get access to virtual assistants and cycle between audio features. Nonetheless, dedicated physical buttons are much appreciated. 

As expected out of Jabra product, sound clarity is top notch. Balanced bass, strong mids and crisp highs make listening to music and podcasts great, while call quality is probably best-in-class out of everything I’ve tried this year. Which isn’t surprising, considering Jabra’s speciality in professional headsets meant for enterprises. The press release would very much like to remind folks that the Elite 85h has 40mm custom-engineered speakers for “top-quality acoustic experience” and “industry-leading durability” — but all you need to know is that the sound quality is suh-weet. 

The active noise cancellation feature packs a solid punch thanks to four (out of eight in total) microphones dedicated to blocking out background chatter, wind noise, and general cacophony. Things won’t get totally muted, but considering the Elite 85h is Jabra’s first set of noise-cancelling headphones, you’ll forgive them for coming close, but not surpassing the ones put out by big boys Bose and Sony. 

What the Elite 85h does excel at is battery life. With active noise cancellation turned on, the headphones can run for 36 hours and up to 41 hours with the feature switched off. Nobody ever has them on that long anyway, but I think I lasted an entire day in the office with them on without getting the usual over-ear headphone fatigue. The big, thicc earcup cushions help quite a bit with comfort. 

Now, we come to the headphones’ Big Revolutionary Thing: Artificial Intelligence. With some assistance from German intelligent audio analysis firm audEERING, Jabra fit in a contextual audio detecting system — which basically means that the Elite 85h is able to read if you’re out in public, mid-commute, or having some solitary me time in a quiet place. Based on the analysis of environmental sounds, the headphones can adjust audio output and cycle through the three contexts (referred to as “moments”).

Take travelling on the MRT for example. If the SmartSound feature is enabled, the headphones can detect the sounds of the train moving and switch to “Commute” mode. Depending on your customised settings for the mode, the headphones automatically switch on active noise cancellation or HearThrough. Personally, I’d rather not listen to din of rails and people who forget to turn off the loudspeakers while playing Mobile Legends, so noise cancellation it is. 

On paper, the AI feature looks nifty. In real life, it’s a little irregular. It takes quite a bit of time for SmartSound to analyse the environment, and when it does eventually decide on a “Moment”, it could sometimes choose the wrong one. Most times, the Elite 85h accurately detects when I’m on the train. But more often than not in other places, it can’t decide if I’m in public (where I’d appreciate hearing the ambient environment) or if it should switch to “In Private” (where noise cancellation is preferred). 

It’s a minor bummer, and one that’s easily remedied by simply adjusting your listening preference on the intuitive Jabra+ app itself. Jabra representatives assure me that the feature will continue to improve over time via firmware updates, but for now, the hyped AI is not as exceptional as one would think it’d be. 

No matter how you spin it, forking out S$428 for a pair of headphones is enough to make you think thrice, especially if you’re someone who’s happy enough with cans that cost less than a hundred bucks. But is it worth the price of admission to the future of AI-equipped headphones? Possibly, if you’re an early tech adopter with some cash to spare. Once the inconsistent AI gets patched up, I’d say the Elite 85h are definitely one of the best wireless headphones you can wrap around your ears this year.

ilyas@asiaone.com