We’ve made no secret of our fondness of Jabra’s audio products. They sound fantastic and, with each iteration, get better and better. The Jabra Elite 65t and Jabra Elite Active 65t are no different. They are comfortable, hold a Bluetooth connection well, get good battery life, and sound amazing. Priced at $169.99 and $189.99, they even work with Amazon Alexa!
Let’s take a close look at the Jabra Elite 65t and then highlight some of the differences between these earphones and the Jabra Elite Active 65t.
The company advertises the Elite 65t as being
Engineered for true wireless music, calls and sport. No strings attached. Jabra Elite Active 65t is engineered for true wireless music, calls and sport. Enjoy the audio quality of Jabra true wireless, in earbuds designed to stay secure and comfortable.
These are true wireless earbuds but, unlike some earphones with a similar design, these earphones maintain a strong Bluetooth connection to each other and the audio source. That’s important since some of the true wireless earbuds I’ve reviewed lose the connection between the earphones when the audio source is not positioned just right. That’s not an issue with these earphones.
I previously reviewed the Jabra Elite Sport. They impressed me with both their sound and ease-of-use. (Read my review.) The Elite 65t is the next generation and are $60 less than the Elite Sport. Sure, the Elite Sport has a built-in heart rate monitor that is missing from the Elite 65t, but I don’t miss that feature. Add in the fact that the Elite 65t get 5 hours of listening before needing to be recharged in the included battery case — that’s a half-hour more than the Elite Sport offer. Then there is the fit.
Inside the box, you will find the Jabra Elite 65t, a charging case, a micro USB cable, three sets of silicon EarGels, a quick start guide and warranty information.
They come in Copper Black, Titanium Black, and Gold Beige.
A fit that’s snug and secure: Enjoy an actively lifestyle with secure fitting earbuds that provide dependable in-ear stability.
The Jabra Sport is comfortable. The Jabra Elite 65t are even more comfortable and more secure. They are easy to seat in your ear, and they stay put no matter what you might be doing. Honestly, these are the most comfortable and secure true wireless earphones I have used.
Built to work, guaranteed: Jabra Elite 65t features an IP55-rated design, and comes with a 2-year warranty against damage from water and dust. Wherever your day takes you, your activities won’t get in the way of easy, reliable access to calls and music.
The Elite 65t headphones carry an IP55 rating which is a bit less than the IP rating of the Elite Sport but, IP55 still means they are dust resistant and can resist a “sustained, low-pressure water jet spray.” That’s enough for me to feel pretty comfortable wearing these earphones pretty much anywhere.
Power your performance: With up to 5 hours of battery on a single charge, and up to 15 hours in total with the pocket-friendly charging case, your needs are met from the start of the day, to its end.
I previously mentioned that the Elite 65t get 5 hours of playback per charge. That’s pretty impressive considering the fact that these earphones are as small as they are. Add in the fact that the protective case that ships with them lets you recharge the earphones twice, and you can reliably expect to get up to 15 hours of music at a time. That’s more than enough for most needs, and I have never run them down completely!
It is a bit surprising to me that Jabra still uses a micro USB port rather than the increasingly popular USB-C option but, it is what it is.
Proven connectivity: Jabra Elite 65t is a third generation true wireless product, and Jabra has a proven track record of excellent true wireless connectivity. Experience the stability that lets you take calls and listen to music without worrying about audio dropouts. And with Bluetooth 5.0 you can seamlessly connect the Elite 65t to your smartphone.
The Elite Sport employs Bluetooth 4.1. The Elite 65t go one better and use Bluetooth 5.0. That means the Elite 65t establish and maintain a connection with ease, can connect to up to 8 different devices and can be connected to two devices at once. They still have a 33 feet range.
Music, the way you want to hear it: Listen to your music your way. Customize the sound on your true wireless earbuds with a customizable equalizer found in the Jabra Sound+ app.
The Jabra Elite 65t sound excellent right out of the box. They sound even better when you use the Jabra Sound+ App. The app lets you configure the audio to your liking and means you can get a truly custom listening experience. The earphones sound so good that you really won’t need another pair of earphones. Yes, from an audio perspective, the Elite 65t have you covered!
Voice command made simple: With Jabra Elite 65t you can instantly connect to Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant™, allowing you to quickly get the information you need – whether that be setting appointments, finding nearby events, or having messages read back to you.
As you might expect, depending on the audio source, the Jabra Elite 65t work with Siri or Google Assistant. Where the Elite 65t stand out is the addition of Alexa integration. The earphones initially shipped with the Alexa integration pending but, it is not active and is rather awesome. I am using Amazon Music more and more for my music, and being able to listen to Amazon Music through my earphones is pretty neat. Having Alexa’s features available via earphones is nice too!
Features:
- Four mic’s system + acoustical open chamber design
- Ambient noise reduction via a four mic system
- Auto turn-On when taking earbuds out of charging case
- Auto pause when one earbud is taken out of the ear
- IP55 sweat & dust resistant
- Talk time up to 5 hours battery, 15 hours with charging case
- Charging time of 2 hours with dedicated USB wall charger
- Rapid charge in 15 minutes gives up to 1.5 hours battery
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Wireless range up to 33 feet / 10 meters
- Bluetooth pairing with up to 8 devices
- Multi-connect with two devices at a time
I love the Jabra Elite 65t. The comfort, fit, great sound and good battery life make these an excellent choice if you are looking for true wireless earbuds and don’t want to go the AirPod route. I had been edging toward getting a pair of AirPods but, since getting the Elite 65t for review, I have zero interest. These have my true wireless earbud needs covered! Check them out here.
If, however, you miss the IP67 protection of the Jabra Elite Sport and want an integrated motion sensor that helps track your performance, you can spend $20 more and, for $189.99 get the Jabra Elite Active 65t. The Elite Active 65t has an IP56 rating and a more rubberized body that increases friction and helps keep them in place when you are sweating during a workout. The Elite Active 65t come in Titanium Black and Copper Blue. That’s why, unlike the Elite 65t, the Elite Active 65t state:
Optimize your workouts: Track fitness and performance with an integrated motion sensor.
You can check out the Jabra Elite Active 65t here.
Regardless of which you choose, the Jabra Elite 65t and the Jabra Active 65t will serve you well. I love them and, more and more they are my go-to earphones when I am out walking the door or just looking to listen to music without bothering anyone else.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample of the Jabra Elite 65t and Jabra Elite Active 65t
What I Like: Comfortable; Secure; Sound excellent; Decent battery life; Work with Siri, Google Assistant AND Amazon Alexa
What Needs Improvement: Not quite as rugged as the Elite Sport; No heart rate monitor; Not inexpensive; Charge via micro USB rather than USB C