Tech review: Jabra Elite Active 75t true wireless in-ear headphones are great for workouts

The Jabra Elite Active 75t looks exactly like the "non-active" version. PHOTO: JABRA

Three months after Jabra launched its latest true wireless in-ear headphones with the Elite 75t, its "active" cousin now joins the line-up.

The Jabra Elite Active 75t - which costs $30 more - looks exactly like the "non-active" version. In fact, they share identical specifications apart from their water-resistance ratings.

While the 75t has a water resistance rating of IP55, the Active 75t has a rating of IP57. The practical difference: the 75t is good enough for jogs under a drizzle, but the Active 75t can survive being drenched by torrential downpours.

Also, while the 75t comes in black and gold, the Active 75t has four colour options - grey (version tested), dark blue, pink and green. The pink and green versions will be available at a later date.

The Active 75t's earbuds and the charging case have rubberised textures, unlike the smooth textures on the 75t.

The earbuds, which each has a circular button with the Jabra logo and a very short stem, look really sleek. Ditto their colour-matched, compact charging case, which has a rear USB-C charging port. However, the case does not support wireless charging.

Included are three different-sized pairs of ear tips. I find the right fit with the medium-sized ones, which allowed the earbuds to stay snugly in place when I am jogging, despite lacking the ear hooks or neckbands found in many fitness-centric in-ear headphones.

The Active 75t is truly a cable-less delight that is so lightweight, it feels like it is not there when you wearing it.

On the downside, there is no active noise cancellation (ANC), though the earbuds do create a good seal against ambient noise. But for a pair of fitness-centric headphones, having no ANC could actually be a good thing as you would want to be aware of your surroundings while exercising.

For that, the Active 75t even has a HearThrough function that allows you to listen to what is going on nearby with the earbuds on and the music playing.

I use this function on my jogs and it lets me hear approaching joggers and cyclists at the park connector so I can keep my distance.

However, the headphone controls need some time to get used to. For instance, you press and hold the left earbud's button for at least a second to lower the volume and do likewise with right earbud's button to increase the volume. I always forget which side does what.

But the audio quality is top-notch, with great bass oomph, pleasing mids and detailed highs. It does not lose details even with the volume cranked up.

Furthermore, I can customise the equaliser settings using the Sound+ app (available for Android and iOS), as well as use the various equaliser presets.

Battery life is excellent, rated at 7.5 hours of music playback on a full charge and a total of 28 hours with the charging case. I found the rating to be spot on - the battery level dropped by 50 per cent after four hours of continuous playback during my test.

At $318, the Active 75t is slightly cheaper and more versatile than its nearest competitor, the Beats Powerbeats Pro ($328). It also sounds better.

Unless you already have the Elite 75t, the Jabra Elite Active 75t is worth checking out if you are looking for a set of new earbuds for workout.

FOR

- Cordless convenience during workouts

- Great sound quality

- Good call quality

- Comfortable and snug fit

AGAINST

- Lacks active noise cancellation

- Charging case does not support wireless charging

- Does not differ much from the Elite 75t

TECH SPECS

PRICE: $318

CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 5.0

WATER RESISTANCE: IP57

WEIGHT: 5.5g (earbud), 35g (charging case)

RATING

FEATURES: 4/5

DESIGN: 4/5

PERFORMANCE: 4/5

BATTERY LIFE: 5/5

VALUE FOR MONEY: 4/5

OVERALL: 4/5

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