AirPods Pro vs. Jabra Elite 75t: Which wireless earbuds are worth the cash?

There’s no question that the AirPods Pro are excellent wireless earbuds with effective noise cancellation and tight integration iOS. However, there are other options that cost less than the price of the AirPods for USD 250 (GBP 249 or AU $ 399), such as the Galaxy Buds Plus, Amazon Echo Buds and Jabra Elite 75t. After using both the AirPods Pro and Elite 75t for several months, they compared the following from sound quality to battery life and comfort.

Angela Lang / CNET

The AirPods Pro are the all-rounders when it comes to wireless earphones: excellent active noise cancellation, excellent call quality and good sound. They don’t have as much bass as some other Bluetooth buds, but they do offer benefits like the transparency mode, which allows you to hear the outside world while you’re wearing them, and the voice-activated Siri, which can also read messages to your ears.

Read the AirPods Pro test.

AirPods Pro vs. Jabra Elite 75t: Which wireless earbuds are worth the cash? 2

Jabra wireless earbuds instantly deliver great audio and an app that lets you further optimize the sound. The battery easily delivers around seven hours of listening time. You shouldn’t miss active noise cancellation, because the buds are firmly in the ear and exclude a lot of external noise.

Read the Elite 75t review.

AirPods Pro win in transparency mode, but you want to hear the Jabras more

Both earphones have an admirable sound quality. When listening to music, songs from various genres sound more exciting and dynamic and have a much more powerful bass response on the Elite 75t than on the AirPods Pro if the default settings are retained. Jabra also has an app (iOS and Android) with equalizer presets, as well as a full EQ that you can customize to create your own sound profile.

The AirPods Pro have an adaptive EQ that constantly works behind the scenes to adapt the sound to the shape of your ears. However, there is no special app or consolidated interface to customize the sound to your liking. You can use an equalizer from apps like Spotify or Apple Music if you wish.

The AirPods Pro offer an advantage in call quality for both the caller and the recipient. When you make calls and Active Noise Canceling (ANC) is turned on, you feel like you’re having a quiet conversation, even when you’re around. The position of the microphone also helps to clearly isolate your voice from the other person. However, the callers noticed that the sound of my voice from the Jabras was a little louder than the same call with the AirPods Pro, although they could hear more background noise. Jabra also has a sidetone feature that allows you to hear more of your voice while on the phone. (This way you can avoid screaming!)

Listen to a sample microphone in the video above.

The AirPods Pro’s transparency mode (called Elite 75t Hearthrough) removes outside noise so you can better perceive your surroundings. In my experience, Apple’s transparency mode sounds more natural and I can use it longer than the version on the Jabras, which sounds a bit too thin.

The noise cancellation on AirPods Pro is nice, but may not be needed

The AirPods Pro’s ANC technology does a great job of suppressing background noise and making the music and podcast listening experience incredibly satisfying. Although the Jabra Elite 75t does not have ANC, it blocks significant external noise thanks to the in-ear design and the tight fit of the replaceable tips.

The difference between active (AirPods Pro) and passive (Elite 75t) noise cancellation is not as dramatic as I originally thought. There are only two situations – commuting or air travel – in which I would definitely prefer a pair of ANC earphones to a passive pair with a tight seal. Passive blocking on the Elite 75t is so effective for my ears that I didn’t miss ANC as much as I had imagined.

The Elite 75t offers a firm and secure fit

The AirPods Pro were comfortable to wear for longer distances all day, but the smallest earplug in the box is still a little big for my tiny ear canals. The seal is tight, but not as tight as with the Elite 75t. The AirPods Pro also refuse to stay in my ears as firmly as the Jabras when I trained, but your experience will vary.

In both cases, the buds can be conveniently stored and charged at the same time, although only the Apple case can be charged wirelessly. (Jabra also sells the Elite Active 75t with additional water resistance and a wireless charging case.)

Siri fans get the most out of AirPods

With the voice activated function “Hey, Siri” you can call the assistant hands-free. Siri can also read your text messages aloud when you receive them. This is ideal if you cannot reach your phone or need to be hands-free. You can use all of the Elite 75t’s voice assistants, including Alexa, although you need to press the button on the buds to activate it.

Connections and stability: AirPods Pro advantage

AirPods Pro create a seamless connection to iOS devices. I had few dropouts or connection problems.

The Jabras were also stable, although I noticed a few more dropouts when using a computer than using a phone. I like it when Jabras can connect to two devices at the same time and you hear an audio prompt in your ear telling you that it is connected to more than one device.

lexy-apple-airpods-pro-7427 — The AirPods Pro can be seamlessly integrated into the iPhone.
Angela Lang / CNET

The AirPods Pro have a clickable handle that lets you jump back and forth between songs, switch between ANC and transparency mode, or activate Siri. You can easily customize it through the iOS settings menu. The Elite 75t has a physical button on the earphone with preset controls, although Jabra is scheduled to release an update that will allow you to change the button presets over the next few months.

Jabra wins over the entire battery life

The Elite 75t battery lasts much longer than the AirPods Pro. According to Jabra, you can get up to 7.5 hours of listening time on one charge. In the past few months I have had an average of 6.75 hours of listening time. Apple promises up to 5 hours of listening time on the AirPods Pro with ANC turned off and transparency mode, or 4.5 hours with ANC active. I regularly get almost 4.5 hours with the ANC on from a single charge.

There is also additional juice in those cases: 24 hours total listening time for the AirPods Pro and 28 hours for the Elite 75t.

Are the AirPods Pro or Jabra Elite 75t the best wireless earbuds?

It really depends on how you use your earphones. Are you a music lover or a multitasker? I always use the Jabra Elite 75t to listen to music. If I want to spend the day jumping between calls and listening to some music, I would choose the AirPods Pro.