Jabra Elite 5 true wireless earbuds reviewed.

Not another true wireless earbud! There seems to be a tsunami of true wireless earbuds being released this year. From Apple’s AirPods to Sony’s WF-1000XM4 and not forgetting Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2, there is an earbud that will meet the needs and budget of anyone. Jabra itself have a pretty solid lineup from the Jabra Elite 7 Pro/Active series to the Elite 4 ANC.

So, how does the newest Jabra Elite 5 true wireless with hybrid active noise cancellation fare? Let’s find out!

What is the Jabra Elite 5?

The Jabra Elite 5 is a true wireless earbuds with hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC). Sandwiched between the Jabra Elite 7 Pro and the Elite 4. The Elite 5 retails at 228 SGD and can be purchased on Jabra’s website or at major electronics retailers.

Specifications.

Size and weight (Earbuds)	20mm x 20.54mm x 27mm (5g per earbud)
Size and weight (Case)	26mm x 38.9mm x 64.1mm (40g)
Waterproof Rating	IP55
Warranty	2 years (Against failure from dust and water)
Codec supported	AAC, Qualcomm aptX, SBC
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.2
Bluetooth range	10m
Charge time	3hrs (Wireless charging)
Battery life (Case)	8hrs,7hrs with ANC (36hrs)
Paired devices	6 devices
Speaker Size	6mm
Bandwidth	20Hz to 20000Hz

Aesthetics.

Jabra Elite 5 like its counterparts the Elite 3 and Elite 4 Active retained the triangle look for it’s exterior. As for the interior, it is rounded and slightly bulge out. The earbud itself might look big, but it’s actually a very smooth and comfortable fit. The curve bulge sits nicely at the exterior ear canal acting as an anchor to prevent the earbud from falling out.

Jabra included 3 different sizes of silicone ear tips (EarGels) with the Elite 5. Personally, I am fine with the M size and doesn’t even feel it at all. The shape of the earbuds actually hold the earbud firmly in my ear which prevents much strain from the ear tips and is comfortable for long usage.

The Jabra Elite 5 comes in two colors, Gold Beige and Titanium Black. Gold beige is more of a vanilla base with a shimmering gold triangle surface. While the Titanium black spots a charcoal black base and silvery triangle surface. Each earbud also consist of an led light to show connectivity and functions.

Controls and function.

Play/Pause	Tap Right Once
Answer Call	Tap Right Once
Reject Call	Tap Left Once or Tap Right/Left Twice
Toggle ANC/Hearthrough	Tap Left Once
Skip track	Tap Right Twice
Restart track	Tap Right 3 times
Engage Virtual Assistant	Press and Hold Right

Jabra did it right by having touch response button rather than a touchpad. One thing that always hate when using earbuds are whether I actually managed to press the right buttons. As we can’t really see the buttons, we always need a feedback to know that we actually did pressed on it.

The earbuds also have sensors that knows when you are wearing or taking off the earbuds. It will automatically connect to your device with bluetooth on, when you wear the right earbud. While listening to music, when you take either of the earbuds off, it will automatically pause the music.

Control are pretty straight forward, similar to the previous models you will most likely have to tap the button once or twice to play/pause songs and answer or reject calls. The only time when you need to tap 3 times was to activate and call out the virtual assistant which Jabra currently supports Google assistant, Amazon Alexa and android default.

Jabra Sound+ App.

To enjoy the full experience of the Jabra Elite 5, it is better to download the Jabra Sound+ app. It not only allows you to pair the earbuds seamlessly but also allows you to activate the hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and choose the level of ANC you prefer. You will also be able personalize and configure the controls of the tap buttons.

Like most apps accompanying headphones and earbuds, they will come with an adjustable equaliser(EQ). Jabra Sound+ comes with a preset EQ which allows for better sound experience when listing to different genre of music. From acapella to heavy bass hitting genre like linkin park, you will be able to select the option. If not you can always adjust the EQ to your own preference.

There is one widget within the app called Soundscape which i really like, it comes preloaded with nature sounds like rain or waterfall. There are times when I don’t really want to listen to any songs but seek some peace and quiet in a cafe or coffeeshop. I will be able to activate the soundscape and sip my coffee listening to the sound of raindrops.

Sound Quality.

Jabra Elite 5 supports SBC, AAC and aptX codecs which means that the quality of the original music won’t be limited by the bandwidth of the Bluetooth. It will be equivalent to listening to music via wired earphones wirelessly!

While that being said, the Jabra Elite 5 still cannot be considered the best in it’s class. While there is a strong bass support while listening to heavy instrumentals like Linkin Park’s Crawling. When it comes to the chorus with all guns blaring, everything just seemed to be a mess. Songs like Ed Sheeren’s “Shape of you” also sounded flater as compared to Sony’s WF-1000xm4. It did manage to play “Can’t Stand the Rain” by The Rescues relatively well, good separation between the instruments and vocals in both the earbuds. But that’s about it, it is still mediocre in terms of overall music quality.

In terms of talk and mic quality, Jabra Elite 5 did pretty well. I was testing the earbuds in Japan while attending the Tokyo Game Show. It was hurricane season and there were really heavy winds where I stayed. To my surprise when I was talking to my counterparts in Singapore while using the earbuds, they told me they can hear me crisp and clear while I was walking outside in the wind.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) function works like a breeze, while not 100% but most of the sounds from the different booths and commentators were dialed down to a minimum while I was trawling through the busy TGS grounds listening to “Eyes on me” by Faye Wong. The hybrid ANC works well too, you are able to adjust the level of ANC through the Jabra Sound+ app. Full hear through might pickup too much “sound” so by adjusting the ANC level, I was able to find a comfortable level (ANC 3) to be able to listen to my song and my surrounding at the same time.

The Bottom Line.

The Jabra Elite 5 is a value true wireless earbud, not for picky audiophiles. It gets the job done, and get ticks in all the departments with a clear and crisp mic, ANC with IP55 water and dust resistance. The earbuds are nice to wear and easy to use but just fails short in the music department.

TLDR.

Versatile and stable earbud but not for people looking for quality music.