I’ve long been a fan of Jabra headsets. The Jabra Elite Sport which Greg reviewed here is my current favorites for running. And, as I was setting up a new home office I was excited to see the release of the Jabra Evolve 75 headphones. I was thrilled to get a pair for review and am truly impressed by them.
Jabra described the Evolve 75 as “The best wireless headset for concentration in the open office.” They deliver, “world-class speakers and HD voice, superior anc, an integrated busylight and dual Bluetooth connectivity.” They go on to say that the Evolve 75 offer “outstanding sound for calls and music” thanks to the use of “world-class speakers and HD voice for crystal-clear calls and music.” That’s obviously a tall order and, with marketing language like that and a hefty price tag of $279 without the charging stand or $329 with the charging stand there is a lot for the Jabra Evolve 75 to live up to. To be honest, as much as I may be a fan of Jabra products I was a bit skeptical of the price tag and the promises made by the company. I’ll let you decide for yourselves if my review reflects this criticism or if, having used them for some time now, I’ve been won over.
The Evoke 75 comes packaged simply.
Inside the box you get a Quick Start Guide, the Evolve 75 headset, a Jabra Link 370 USB adapter, a compact protective travel case and a USB cord for charging the headset.
If you order the optional charging stand it will come separately from the rest of the package. (If you order the Evolve 75 spent the extra for the charging stand. It is a great way to keep the headset charged and easily in reach. It also helps keep your desk looking neat and organized.)
The inclusion of a USB adapter for using the Evolve 75 with a computer is a nice touch. The fact that the case has a specific location for storing it is an even nicer touch!
All-day comfort: Leather-feel ear cushions and on-the-ear design for all-day use
The Jabra Evolve 75 are on-ear headphones that have soft leather ear cups that sit comfortably on your ears. There is little clamping pressure from them which is a pleasant surprise considering the fact that on-ear headphones often become uncomfortable after a brief period of use. The leather cups do more than simply provide comfort, however. The material is soft enough that the headphones fit closely to your ears and offer more than a bit of passive noise cancellation. Of course, if you work in an open office or, like me, have a puppy that likes to bark at seemingly nothing for minutes on end, the passive noise blocking may not be enough. The Jabra Elite 75 are ready for such environments thanks to highly-effective active noise cancellation.
The controls are thoughtfully laid out. This means there is a minimal learning curve when first using the headset.
Shut out office noise and increase your productivity: You can switch on active noise cancellation to virtually eliminate low-frequency sounds, like the hum of air conditioning. Active noise cancellation uses advanced microphones to monitor and counter ambient noise
The active noise cancellation kicks into action with the press of a button on the left ear cup. (It is worth noting that these headphones are not ear-agnostic. The left ear cup is always meant to be the left ear cup. More on that in a bit.) A small indicator light next to this button lets you, and others, know the active noise cancellation is on. It works well. Switching on the ANC immediately shuts out the world and lets you focus on what you are doing. The ABNC works well thanks to a hybrid 4 microphone array that delivers 17dB of “perceived cancellation in an office environment.”
Much to my surprise, the absence of that annoying ANC hum or hiss is a delight. Seriously, the ANC doesn’t create much if any of that annoying ANC disruption even when there’s no music playing. With ANC on you can expect to get up to 15 hours per charge. Without the ANC you can expect that to rise to up to 30 hours! Noticeably, Jabra opted to leave off a 3.5mm port so these headphones can only be used wirelessly. That’s another reason to spend the extra and get there charging stand!
More freedom: Dual Bluetooth connectivity to two devices at the same time for calls and music. Flexibility to move up to 100ft/30m away from your connected device
Because the Jabra Evolve 75 are wireless only headphones, it is good to know that Jabra used a Bluetooth module that delivers up to 30m or 100 feet of range rather than the limited 10m/33’ range that was so common until recently. This range means I can freely move around my house without losing connectivity and, for those who work in an open office, it means far more freedom of movement while on a call or listening to music.
Of course, the company included a USB to microUSB cable for charging. Obviously, if you purchase the charging stand, you will only need this cable when traveling.
The Evolve 75 is designed for conference calls. It is for this reason that Jabra saw fit to include a medium-length boom arm with noise canceling uni-directional ECM microphone. The reason for this is obvious… the closer the microphone is to your mouth the better the call.
At the same time, I don’t know about you, but I don’t like looking like a telemarketer. Thankfully, Jabra designed the boom mic in a way that it swings up and out of the way when not in use. I mentioned previously that the headphone was not ear-agnostic. The boom microphone is the reason why since the mic only swings in one direction. That means the ear cup with the boom microphone is, by design, the right ear cup and the right ear cup only.
Integrated busylight: Red lights on both ear cups are activated automatically when on a call or manually activated by the user when busy, to act as a ‘do not disturb’ signal
Jabra designed the Evolve 75 for work environments so they designed the headphones in a way that you can tell others you are on a call without having to interrupt your call. The integrated busy light is an additional smart, subtle but effective way to focus on your work and calls undisturbed. This is important since, in a recent survey, 78% of knowledge workers said their work is negatively impacted by noise and other interruptions. Thus, if noise and interruptions are the problems, the Jabra Evolve 75 is an excellent solution.
With the push of a button, you can also let in outside sound. This is a great way to have a conversation without the need to remove the headset.
Compatible with your platform: All Jabra USB headsets and speakerphones work with all the most popular online voice call services.
It is also worth noting that the Evolve 75 is designed to work with a wide range of online call services. For me, however, this is immaterial. Raina and I are only of those households without a landline. In fact, while I have an office desk at the synagogue I NEVER use it. I’m pretty much all iPhone all the time, and the Bluetooth in the Evolve 75 fits my routine quite well.
Finally, let’s talk about the audio delivered by the Jabra Evolve 75. Even with the ANC and workspace features built into them, there is no arguing that these are pricey headphones. If you had to get these for calls and but have something else for enjoying music, it would be rather pathetic. Fortunately, these headphones are the only headphones you need for work and play. Yes, once again Jabra has hit a homer in the audio department. They sound great! Seriously, I know that, as with another headset, earphone company Judie and I love, Jabra isn’t known for their audiophile products. They are, after all, a company that made their mark in the Bluetooth headset market. Don’t let that scare you off though. The Evolve 75 is excellent. The sound is crisp and clear. There’s plenty of bass, and the entire listening experience is a pleasure. Personally, I prefer to use them with the ANC turned on even when I don’t need to shut out the world. The sound just seems a bit richer to me with it on. Either way, however, you will surely appreciate the Evolve 75 when enjoying your favorite music. They recreate the sound beautifully and seem to do so without having to try too hard. Add in the comfortable ear cushions, minimal clamping force and the light, 177G weight and you have a pair of headphones that make the transition from work to a night out easily. (Raina checked them out and gave them an A+ on both the comfort and sound fronts!)
Specifications:
- Headset Weight: 177 g
- Talk time: Up to 15 hours Battery time (with ANC activated) or up to 30 hours without
- Charging time: 2.5 hours
- Audio control: Speaker volume up/down on headset
- Passive Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes – Hybrid 4 mic ensuring 17dB (perceived cancellation in an office environment)
- Listen-in feature: Don’t miss important announcements or questions from your colleagues. Press the left ear cup to hear the outside world without having to take off your headset
- Certifications: Skype for Business, Avaya, Cisco and more
- Connection: Bluetooth or USB.
- Allow for dual connectivity for two Bluetooth devices simultaneously: Yes
- Bluetooth: Class 1 (up to 30 meters / 100 feet) and Bluetooth 4.2
- Speaker size: 40 mm
- Integrated busylight: Red lights on both ear cups are activated automatically when on a call or manually activated by the user when busy, to act as a ‘do not disturb’ signal
- Microphone type: Medium-length boom arm with noise canceling uni-directional ECM microphone
- Speaker bandwidth music mode: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Speaker bandwidth communication mode: 150Hz – 6.8kHz
- Microphone frequency range: 150Hz – 6.8kHz
I’m impressed with the Evolve 75. It is a great addition to the Evolve series, a product line that has sold more than 2.5 million units worldwide. It does a great job of drawing from all of the best features from the series, active noise cancellation, wireless freedom, a busy light and great sound, and brings them together in an impressive headset that will fit nicely into your setup whether using it for work or play. Check it out the Jabra Evolve 75 here.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Comfortable; Sound excellent; Good wireless range; Clear calling; Easy controls; Light; Effective ANC; Good battery life; Easy to let in ambient sound when need be; Good for work and play
What Needs Improvement: Pricey considering it is $279 for the headset alone or $329 with the charging stand