Jabra Elite 3 Review: A Budget-Friendly True Wireless Earphone Tailored for Android
The landscape of wireless audio is becoming increasingly crowded, with countless brands offering a diverse range of options across different price points. While established names like Jabra have historically focused on the premium segment with offerings like the Jabra Elite 85t, a flagship true wireless earphone boasting active noise cancellation and a six-microphone setup, they are now venturing into the more affordable true wireless space. The Jabra Elite 3, priced at Rs. 5,999 in India, is Jabra’s latest attempt to capture the attention of budget-conscious consumers. This headset, specifically tailored for Android users, boasts features like Google Fast Pair and Qualcomm aptX codec support, offering a unique proposition in the market. But is this new true wireless headset from Jabra truly worth the price? Let’s find out.
Design and Features
Jabra has adopted a sharper, more modern design language with the Elite 3, a significant departure from the industrial aesthetic of the Elite 85t and its predecessors. Although the lower price point is reflected in the choice of materials, the earphones still look and feel surprisingly premium for their price.
The in-canal fit offers a snug and secure experience, aided by the three pairs of silicone ear tips included in the box. I found the fit to be quite tight, but not uncomfortable for extended sessions of up to a couple of hours. Passive noise isolation is excellent thanks to the snug fit, and the earpieces are IP55 rated for dust and water resistance, ensuring durability in various environments.
The charging case, while simple, is functional, featuring a magnetic lid, an indicator light at the front, and a USB Type-C port for charging. While the controls on the earpieces are not customisable, they cover all the essentials. You can seamlessly control the hear-through mode, activate your smartphone’s default voice assistant, adjust volume, control playback, and answer or reject calls directly on the earpieces. Despite an initial learning curve with the button controls, I appreciated the convenience of not having to rely on my smartphone once the headset was paired.
The Jabra Sound+ app provides limited customisation options for the Elite 3, allowing users to activate the hear-through mode, choose from various equaliser presets, refer to the user manual and quick guide for controls, update firmware, and select whether the double-press gesture on the left earpiece should activate their voice assistant or open Spotify. These features cover the basic needs, but wouldn’t be considered extensive compared to more feature-rich apps.
What truly distinguishes the Jabra Elite 3 is its Android-centric approach, highlighted by features like Google Fast Pair, effortlessly linking the headset to your Google account and displaying visual battery prompts. Importantly, Qualcomm aptX codec support is enabled by default, resulting in stable audio streaming and clean sound quality. This is a notable departure from Jabra’s previous true wireless offerings, which were generally device-agnostic. The Elite 3 also features Spotify integration for quick access, along with enhanced Amazon Alexa integration that links the headset to your Alexa app and account, and hands-free voice commands when Alexa is running on your smartphone.
The Jabra Elite 3 utilizes Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity, supporting SBC codec alongside aptX. It boasts a 6mm dynamic driver and two microphones in each earpiece.
Battery Performance
The Jabra Elite 3 delivers decent battery life, with the earpieces lasting a little over five hours on a single charge with my usage pattern. The charging case provides three full charges for the earpieces, resulting in a total battery life of around 21 hours per charge cycle – a respectable figure considering the price and features. Fast charging is also available, allowing for one hour of playback with a mere 10 minutes of charging inside the case. While not exceptional, these battery figures are more than sufficient for the Jabra Elite 3’s price and feature set.
Sound Performance
Pairing the Jabra Elite 3 with my Android smartphone was incredibly smooth thanks to Google Fast Pair. The default selection of the aptX codec ensured stable audio streaming and a clean audio experience, highlighting the tuning characteristics of the Jabra Elite 3.
Playing "Hold On (Sub Focus Remix)" by Rusko and Amber Coffman, the Jabra Elite 3 delivered a lively and energetic sound. The punchy lows of this drum-and-bass-meets-dubstep track sounded rich and full, making for an enjoyable listening experience across various volume levels. Despite the pronounced sub-bass frequencies, the mid-range and highs retained a degree of refinement and cohesiveness.
The tuning of the Jabra Elite 3 is meticulous and purposefully engineered to maximize performance with the Qualcomm aptX codec. The earphones effectively reproduced the continuously shifting samples in "If I Were A Folkstar" by The Avalanches, revealing ample detail despite a definite bias towards the lows. Subtle elements, meticulously placed by the artists to evoke the mood of this sample-based track, sounded clear and rich, even as the catchy beat remained central to my attention.
While the soundstage appeared somewhat dull and unexciting during the soft and gentle first half of "Jaago" by Lifafa, it became far more captivating and enjoyable in the more aggressive second half. Individual instrumental elements felt vibrant and dynamic, nicely supported by the punchy bass and quick percussion.
This trend continued with the soft and slow-paced "Truth" by Kamasi Washington. The Jabra Elite 3 performs best with speed and attack, offering a less engaging and lively listening experience with slower and more deliberate tracks, even though sufficient detail is present.
Hear-through Mode and Call Quality
Although lacking active noise cancellation, the Jabra Elite 3 offers a hear-through mode. This proved helpful considering the impressive passive noise isolation. The hear-through mode operates as expected, though I found the sound to be slightly awkward. Personally, I usually prefer to remove the earphones entirely to properly hear my surroundings at home, but it definitely came in handy outdoors, allowing me to maintain some awareness of traffic and my environment even while listening to music.
Call quality on the Jabra Elite 3 isn’t particularly impressive. Despite the two microphones in each earpiece and decent overall performance, there’s no environmental noise cancellation to mitigate background noise. I found the headset adequate for calls in quiet indoor environments, but not as good as similarly priced options like the Nothing Ear 1.
Conclusion
Jabra, renowned for its premium true wireless headsets, has proven its ability to produce affordable options with the Elite 3. Priced at Rs. 5,999 in India, this Android-focused headset excels with its sound quality, thanks to the support for the Qualcomm aptX Bluetooth codec and skillful tuning. The exceptional passive noise isolation design and impressive battery life add to its value proposition.
However, the lack of support for the AAC Bluetooth codec makes the Jabra Elite 3 less suitable for iOS users. Call quality could also be improved. Nonetheless, the Jabra Elite 3 should be on your radar if you’re looking for a capable headset within the Rs. 6,000 price range. It delivers impressive sound quality and features such as Spotify and Alexa integration that could be quite useful for some users.
When comparing it to the competition, many similarly priced options feature active noise cancellation. Therefore, considering alternatives like the Nothing Ear 1 might be worthwhile. You could also explore the more affordable Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro, which offers a similar set of specifications and features but falls short in terms of sound quality compared to the Jabra Elite 3.
Ultimately, the Jabra Elite 3 stands out as a compelling option for Android users seeking a capable and budget-friendly true wireless headset with excellent sound quality, a comfortable fit, and noteworthy battery life.
