If you follow my reviews you will know the Jabra 75T has been my go-to pair of TWS earbuds ever since their release. Yes, Jabra released the likes of the Jabra Elite 4 and the Jabra Elite 85T which we have reviewed both but the 75T just did everything I wanted them to do so why change?
Well, that was until I had my head turned when the new Jabra Elite 5 arrived on my doorstep I have been using them as my new daily pair of TWS earbuds and in this review, I will explain why.
First Impressions
The Jabra Elite 5 are currently priced at £149 these are well priced compared to the Elite 85t which costs £197. The Jabra Elite 5 comes in two colours Titanium Black & Gold Beige.
The Key features that come with the Jabra Elite 5 include
- Hybrid ANC
- Voice Assistance
- Spotify Tap
- 7-hour Battery with 28 hours in charging case + Qi-compatible
- Google Fast pair
Unboxing
The packaging that the Jabra Elite 5 are 100% recyclable which is pleasing to see. The Jabra Elite 5 has sleek packaging, it shows you what you have been given and when opened you get the following:
- Earbuds in the charging case
- 3x Pairs of silicone eartips
- A short USB-A to USB-C charging cable
What you will notice is Jabra has not included a quick start guide instead Jabra wants you to download the Jabra Sound + app which is compatible with either iOS or Android. Once downloaded it will guide you through the controls and features provided in these buds.
Design
When you look at the design of the Jabra Elite 5 they look identical to the majority of new releases from the brand such as the Elite 3 or Elite 7 Pro in fact they are not much different in design from my trusty 75T model.
Jabra Elite 75T (Left) Vs Jabra Elite 5 (Right)
The buds offer a simple but elegant triangle-shaped outer surface that also doubles as the physical buttons. The buds really do offer an ergonomic shape for the inner part of these buds to assist with comfort of the buds.
The buds use a plastic material that is a smooth feel to them but has been designed to make them fit securely so they feel natural in your ears. The buds come in two colours titanium black or gold beige. In this review, we were sent the gold beige which was a nice change to the many pairs of black buds we normally get sent.
The Jabra Elite 5 comes with an IP55 rating which is ideal now the weather is changing and you have more risk of being caught in the rain. The IP55 rating is also ideal to protect them from dust or when you hit the gym and work up a sweat your buds will be unaffected.
The charging case continues to use that wide case and a flip-top lid that has been the same for years and just like the Elite 75t we have been using prior to this review. The case survives the shake test due to the secure set of magnets in the case and on the buds. What I do like about the case is the fact it’s Qi-compatible so it supports wireless charging.
Battery Life
The Jabra Elite 5 has ANC which we will discuss in detail shortly. However, the ANC does make a difference when you consider the battery life, when ANC is on you get 7 hours of playtime per charge with up to 28 hours. Switch off the ANC you get a slight increase to 9 hours of playtime and up to 36 hours with the case.
What you also have is a fast charge system which will give you an extra hour of playback after just 10 minutes of charge. The case design is identical to that of the Jabra Elite 3 with that rounded rectangle shape and pill shape case meaning it will fit in your pocket with ease.
The case comes with a Jabra logo on the front and a single LED on the front just below the Jabra logo which indicates battery life and shows you when they are on charge.
The LED uses a traffic light system which indicates the following:
- Green Light – Full Battery
- Yellow Light- Medium battery life
- Red Light- Low Battery
- Flashing Red Light – Very low battery or buds not charging.
The traffic light system is the same on the buds which also indicates the battery life as well as when in pairing mode. The case is slightly bigger than the Elite 3 case and also a little heavier the reason for this is that it can store a bit more battery life compared to the Elite 3. The case also supports fast charging with the support of a USB-C cable provided. The Elite 5 can also be charged via a wireless charging base.
Comfort/Controls
The Jabra Elite 5 continue that comfort level that Jabra has always considered vital when building these buds. Simply place them into your ears and they just fit really well. When hitting the gym even with the hardest workouts the buds remain in your ears.
When reviewing buds my preference is normally, touch controls but Jabra continues to use a physical button (except the Jabra Elite 75t) when using these buds I did not feel like I was pushing the buds further into my ears affecting the comfort. When pressing the buds for the controls they are easy to use and have a distinct click that you can feel to indicate it is been pressed correctly.
These buds offer you the following controls – Play/Pause, track management, volume control, call management, ANC modes and voice assistant access. The controls are the following:
| Function | Right or Left Bud |
| Play/Pause | A single press of the Right bud |
| Volume Up | Press and hold the Right bud |
| Volume Down | Press and hold Left Bud |
| Skip track | Double Press the right bud when listening to music. |
| Restart the track or the Previous track | Tripple press the right bud when listening to music |
| Answer Call | Press the Right or Left bud |
| End or Reject the call | Double Press either bud |
| Activate Smart Assistant | Double-press the left button when not on a call |
| ANC /Hear Through mode | Press the left bud when not on a call. |
| Spotify Tap – Resume the last song played on Spotify | Double Press the left bud when not on a call or no music |
| Spotify Tap- Recommended track | Double Press the left button when Spotify is open. |
If you want to make changes to the controls the Jabra Sound+ app lets you configure them to the way you want which is a nice feature to have which is not always available on other Jabra models.
Features
The Jabra Elite 5 also comes with a feature that will please Spotify fans with the use of Spotify Tap which with a double-click gesture brings you back to your music or allows you to pick a new playlist.
In addition to Spotify tap feature is also the inclusion of wear sensors what these do is automatically pause your music or podcast when you remove an earbud which is a nice feature to have. However, when you replace the bud in your ear they won’t automatically resume like other buds including my 75t model. The Elite 5 model requires you to press the right bud once to play what you were listening to.
The buds also allow you to use just the single bud for both music or calls but when using the single bud you won’t get all the control options you get when both buds are used. You get the following controls:
Left Bud
| Function | Controls |
| Cycle through ANC & Hearthrough modes | Press the left bud when listening to music |
| Answer Call | Press the left bud once |
| End/Reject Call | Double Press the left bud |
| Mute/Unmute Mic | Press left bud when on a call |
| Activate Voice Assistant | Double Press the left button when not on a call. |
Right Bud
| Function | Controls |
| Play/Pause | Press the Right button when listening to music |
| Answer Call | Press the right button once |
| End/Reject Call | Double Press the Right Button |
| Mute/Unmute Mic | Press right bud when on a call |
| Next Track | Double Press right bud when listening to music |
| Restart Track/ Previous Track | Triple Press the right bud when listening to music. |
The Jabra Elite 5 also come with Bluetooth 5.2 in addition to AAC & SBS codecs. Bluetooth 5.2 lets you pair the buds to your phone with ease. If you are an Andriod user you will be pleased to see the use of Google fast pair. Range-wise, the Elite 5 has a range of up to 10m which is pretty standard.
The Elite 5 also support Bluetooth Multipoint which lets you connect to two devices at once for example If your using both your laptop & phone and say you are listening to a podcast via your laptop and a call comes in on your phone you can take that call and the buds switch from the laptop to the phone. This is a feature Jabra is a master at and still do Bluetooth multipoint better than anyone else in the market it was seamless.
Voice Assistants
The Jabra Elite 5 also give us the feature of using our phone smart assistant or even third-party assistants like Amazon Alexa. The Elite 5 gives you the option to summon your smart assistant hands-free with a respective wake word like “Alexa” or “Ok Google”.
Something to consider is if you use Google assistant volume control will be disabled on an Android device. If you are an iPhone user you only have the hands-free option which is Alexa. Google now prevents any headphones from offering hands-free Google assistant when using an iPhone.
Sound Quality
Jabra continues to offer that award-winning sound and the Elite 5 are no different providing the user with a clear and balanced sound due to the 6mm dynamic drivers. They performed very well with a variety of genres of music and also when listening to a podcast.
The default sound of the Elite 5 is more a neutral sound profile as a default sound but this is where the Jabra Sound+ app comes into play with its range of EQ presets such as:
- Bass Boost
- Speech
- Treble Boost
- Smooth
- Energize
The bass boost is preset and allows you to pump up the low end. The soundstage overall does lean towards a narrower presentation if you’re a fan of more of stereo sound they are free from 3D immersion which will please the listener.
On tracks with intense sub-bass, the Elite 5 deliver a strong low response even when the volume is at a modest level. Pump up the volume and the bass doesn’t distort which will please most listeners.
If you then listen to a track with less deep bass you get a better feel of the sound signature. Pick the neutral EQ preset the drums have a modest thump with bright and crisp vocals that get plenty of definition and low-mid presence. The default sound signature is sculpted it’s not nearly as bass-heavy as many competing models. Switch the preset to bass boost mode and they get more body in the highs.
Moving to more Orchestral tracks you will hear a more balanced sound with lower register instrumentation that does come with some weight is but not boosted in neutral mode. The higher register brass, strings and vocals come with a bright and crisp sound.
ANC/ Transparency Mode
The Elite 5 come with a hybrid ANC system that works to suppress a wide range of annoying sounds from the loud chat on a busy train to the sounds of an aeroplane or the noise of a washing machine. The ANC performed very well to suppress the majority of them unwanted sounds. I also found that they performed very well when out on the bike and handled wind very effectively we had no issues understanding every word when we conducted a test. The six built-in mics zero in on the human voice and equalize it to a degree, which allows for ideal clarity, even if the signal sounds slightly less natural as a result.
The Elite 5 also offer transparency mode overwise known as an ambient mode which allows some outside sounds into the buds. It works as well as you expect it to switching from ANC to transparency mode can be done with just a quick click of the left bud allowing you to cycle through the modes with ease.
Call Quality
The Elite 5 come with 6 built-in mics for calling and the call quality on these is the best I have ever tested regardless of being in the office or walking down the street your voice will be clear and loud and sound natural without sounding compressed.
Jabra Sound + App
The Jabra Sound+ app is compatible with all of the wireless audio products from Jabra and the app works really well. Downloading the app on your phone and linking the buds to the app is a rather painless process. As mentioned the app has a series of adjusting EQ presets or you can customise using the limited five-band EQ.
The app is also useful for customising controls although a little limited and the ability to toggle from ANC to HearThrough or simply switch these modes off. You can also adjust the ANC performance which involves the overall level and the ANC balance between buds.
Verdict
The Jabra Elite 5 come with an impressive array of features that allow you a great level of customization paired with award-winning comfort and sound really does justify the price tag.
Could Jabra improve? Yes, there is always room for improvement in the audio quality but it’s the IP55 rating which could have been improved as the Elite 7 Pro come with IP57.
The Jabra Elite 5 represent a solid middle ground considering what Jabra has to offer. The ANC works very well and the audio quality delivers balanced audio with a useful app to adjust the EQ if required. Overall, they tick most of the boxes you would have when looking for a pair of buds such as comfort, audio quality and battery life. The ANC is good but not the best on the market especially when you compare it to Sennheiser CX Plus which are similar price range. The main issue the Elite 5 have is the more superior Elite 7 Pro can be bought for only £20 currently. Yes, the Elite 5 give you Spotify Tap but for £20 extra you are getting better audio quality and battery life so it’s really a choice to make.
Product Rating:
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Battery Life: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Sound Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
ANC/Transparency Mode: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Call Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Jabra Sound+ App: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value for Money: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars – 4.6 Stars
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