Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2
Jabra’s swansong Elite true wireless are the best ones its produced, with better sound than the previous model, better noise-cancellation, and new features that expand its use, especially if you’re travelling. They remain just as comfortable to wear, and though the call quality could be better, the Elite 10 Gen 2 are one of the best wireless earbuds in 2024
Pros
- Good comfort
- Improved audio quality
- Stronger ANC
- Dolby Atmos head-tracking works well
- New Smart Case
Cons
- Slightly loose fit
- Call quality not improved
- Higher asking price
Key Features
- LE Audio Smart CaseConnect to 3.5mm source and transmit audio wirelessly to earbuds
- Dolby Spatial Audio3D sound with head-tracking
- Noise-cancellation2x improvement on previous Elite 10
Introduction
Well, that was quick. Sometimes brands wait a couple (even three) years to replace flagship headphones. Jabra did it in six months.
And it’s not as if the original Elite 10 were particularly deficient in any way, but with the Elite 10 Gen 2, Jabra has optimised every last bit of potential that it couldn’t quite do with the previous model.
The Elite 10 Gen 2 are also Jabra’s farewell, the announcement of these true wireless earphones coinciding with the Danish company committing to winding down its operations in the consumer headphone market. Has it done so with a bang or whimper?
Design
- Semi-open design
- Physical controls
- Choice of five colours
As far as my eyes can tell, there’s no difference in the physical design of the Elite 10 Gen 2. They look indistinguishable from the previous model.
What has changed is the colour options with soft white replacing the cream option, and denim bumping out the matte black version. The earphones are rated to IP57, which covers against dust, water, and sweat.
Otherwise, the design remains a semi-open one, and they sit comfortably though the fit is still a tad loose. Jabra provides small, medium, large and extra-large ear gels so they can fit easily into your ears. My preference was to go for the large gels for a more secure, and tighter seal. It also improved the sound quality, which with the default tips the headphones sounded thin.
The physical controls cover playback, noise-cancellation, volume (with a hold), and voice assistants. You can customise the control options, though it’s worth noting that if you activate Google Assistant, you lose the ability to control volume through the earphones.
On the outside the case appears the same, but it’s a new smart case that can be plugged into a 3.5mm source (plane entertainment system, treadmill, laptop etc) and streams audio from that source, through the case, and to the headphones. It’s a similar tech that first appeared in the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7, though this case is the first to support Bluetooth LE Audio, so you get better quality audio without using up too much battery/energy.
Features
- Adaptive ANC
- Six hours battery per charge
- Sound+ app
The reason why there is a Gen 2 model is that Jabra has squeezed out more performance from the tech that powers the Elite 10 Gen 2 than it did with the previous model. It’s provided some big benefits across the board.
One is the ANC performance. Before it was very good but not up to one of my favourites in the QuietComfort Earbuds II. It still doesn’t clear out all the noise when using them on the London Underground but it’s an improvement on the Elite 10. In a pink noise test and the Elite 10 Gen 2 proved better than the previous model and around the same as the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
The HearThrough mode is clearer, more detailed and picks up on voices better so you can catch conversations and announcements better.
Despite those improvements, I’d rate call quality as just average. While the background noise is cleared away for the most part, voice pick-up is a little mumbled and that seems to be the case whether you’re in a loud environment or a quiet one. It’s basically the same as the Elite 10.
Battery life hasn’t improved, with the Elite 10 Gen 2 falling to around 85% for an hour’s streaming on Spotify at half volume. That’ll get you about six hours on a single charge, which is more than the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 (5), less than the Sony WF-1000XM5 (8) but the same as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
In terms of the connection, it stays at Bluetooth 5.3, with SBC and AAC codec support along with LE Audio. There’s no mention of Auracast support, but there’s Bluetooth multipoint for connecting to two devices at once. I did encounter a few stutters walking through Waterloo train station but for the most part, the Jabra’s wireless performance has been steady.
You’ve also got Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair support for connecting to compatible devices quickly.
Like the original Elite 10, there’s Dolby Atmos support with Head Tracking; and when I went to visit the Jabra HQ earlier in the year, reps said the performance had improved thanks to the extra processing power afforded to the Elite 10 Gen 2.
Customisation can be done through the Sound+ app whether that’s tweaking the noise-cancellation performance or working your through the various presets and EQ options….
Sound Quality
- Not the most dynamic listen
- Improved sound over previous model
- Dolby Spatial Sound mix
There’s definitely a change in tone with the Elite 10 Gen 2 compared to the older model. Where the Elite 10 was warmer, with a richer bass performance, the Elite 10 Gen 2 takes a more balanced and crisper approach. To me, it’s the best-sounding Jabra earphone I’ve tested.
Listening to the bass in Justice’s Genesis, the previous buds sounded warm and rich. The new model is more detailed with lower frequencies, providing less depth but more punch. Overall, the performance isn’t as rich or as smooth as it was before, which opens up to a lot more detail being audible – the Elite 10 Gen 2 are a lot clearer and more detailed.
With Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, the Gen 2 sounds as smooth when it comes to vocals, but the crispness afforded to the midrange makes vocal performances sound more direct and clearer.
It helps that the vocals feel as if they’ve been brought closer to your ears in the soundstage, with more depth and a better focus on those vocals too. The Gen 2 are also louder.
With high frequencies, the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 is slightly brighter and more detailed – they sound a little more natural in terms of treble response. The sense of dynamic range is improved between the highs and lows, with cleaner and clearer bass and a sharper treble performance; though don’t mistake this for an improved sense of dynamism. The difference between quiet and loud in a track still isn’t too pronounced.
Combine all that with better separation between instruments in a track, and higher levels of clarity and definition, and there’s better balance right across the frequency range – there’s more insight given to tracks, and more detail to pick up. Where the Elite 10 sounds a little warm and fuzzy, the Elite 10 Gen 2 are a clearer, more direct listen, with a better sense of rhythm as well.
Despite that, they’re not as detailed or as musical as the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. They’re still lacking that same level of detail and fidelity but they’re on a closer footing with the Sennheisers than the Elite 10 were. The Sennheisers carve out a little more detail and also feel like the more free-flowing pair in terms of rhythm and momentum. Nonetheless, for what looks to be Jabra’s last effort in the Elite range, its put out the best-sounding true wireless yet.
The extra processing does seem to have hit the right tune with spatial audio. Enabling Dolby Atmos changes very little in terms of the tone, detail or levels of sharpness I can hear with Raye’s Genesis. There’s a shift when head-tracking is enabled – a brief pause too as the earphones sort themselves out – so while stereo is a little sharper and detailed, the difference between it and immersive isn’t as big as before. Of the true wireless I’ve listened to that try their hand at immersive audio, the Jabra’s are the most convincing yet.
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Should you buy it?
A true competitor to Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser
They sound better than before, cancel noise very well and the smart case offers more convenience for when you’re travelling.
Not the last word for sound
While the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 close the gap to its Sony and Sennheiser competitors, its rivals remain the better listen overall.
Final Thoughts
There wasn’t much to fault with Jabra Elite 10 at the time of review, but the Elite 10 Gen 2 is a big improvement where it counts. In fact, it’s slightly annoying if you did buy the Elite 10 as the swansong offers the performance you’d have wanted.
It closes the gap to the top-tier true wireless earphones, and in some areas matches them. They’re still not as featured-packed as the Sony WF-1000XM5 but few are. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 remain the better listen, but in terms of noise-cancelling, they’re pretty close to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
It’s a shame but also fitting that Jabra’s last pair of Elite wireless earbuds are its best.
How we test
We test every set of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
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Tested over two months
Battery drain carried out
Tested with real world use
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FAQs
There’s no aptX support for the Elite 10 Gen 2. Bluetooth codecs are SBC and AAC.
Full specs
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