If you are over the age of 25 or so it will seem like only yesterday we were wearing earbuds and headphones with wires. If you are in the category you will probably also remember that the wires were an absolute PITA, forever getting caught on things and yanked out, getting tangled in our pockets and, probably worst of all, the delicate connection between wire and earphone was prone to getting damaged very quickly and no pair lasted more than 6 months to a year before the sound would – infuriatingly – start cutting out in one ear, and that was it, you might as well toss them because repairing them was usually impossible.
Wireless earbuds seemed to appear overnight, of course given a huge boost by the release of Apple’s AirPods in 2016 – something of a technological revolution. Suddenly you can put separate buds in separate ears and not worry about wires at all. Yes, for hi-fi aficionados Bluetooth will never match the quality of a wired connection, but if mp3 and online music streaming services have demonstrated one thing it’s that most people are not hi-fi purists and for casual use it’s hard to see us ever going back to wired earphones.
Jabra is a name that has been at the forefront of this revolution since the beginning. They offer high-end earbuds which have a price to match, but which nevertheless compares very favourably to those from the Apple and Sony stables.
The Elite 10 features Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity using the LC3 codec, so the sound quality is higher than wireless has ever been. They also provide Dolby Atmos spatial audio for enjoying films.
They come in three colours which is reflected in the range of UPCs:
Jabra Elite 10 UPCs
- Gloss Black: 615822018173
- Matte Black: 615822018166
- Cream: 615822018142
Speaking personally, $250 (at time of writing) is just too much to pay for something you could well end up dropping down a drain or stepping on inadvertently and there are many cheaper options which afford a decent experience. You might also think about whether this form factor will be comfortable when lying on your side, if you like to listen in bed – the “stem” type of earbud is generally speaking more comfortable, though your mileage may well vary.