Jabra’s updated Elite 5 in-ears feature a new Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that’s powered by the Qualcomm QCC3050 Bluetooth SoC.
Qualcomm’s SoC is in itself interesting; aside from the fact that it’s being bandied about in press releases, the SoC is designed for low-power use and features multi-core processing along with dynamic bud-to-bud role-swapping with Bluetooth address handover.
The hybrid ANC in the Jabra Elite 5 uses feedback microphones on the inside of the ear, and feedforward microphones on the outside so that ANC performance is less dependent on how you place the buds in your ear. It also ensures a more reliable noise cancellation across a wider range of frequencies. For calls, it uses a six-microphone system that also helps to negate wind noise. The Elite 5 also supports one-press hear-through for moments where you need to have a conversation.
Breakdown of the new Jabra Elite 5. | Image: Jabra
On paper, these mid-tier earbuds cover all the bases. It supports SBC, AAC and aptX, the holy trinity of basic codec support, which is a big plus if you’re not one for checking what codecs your phone supports.
And if you’re not one for checking for features as well, here’s a rundown of supported features:
- Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, which means that pairing with Android phones (OS 6.0 and up) and PCs (Windows 10 and up) is easier and faster
- Bluetooth Multipoint lets you stay connected to two devices at once
- supports both Google Assistant and Alexa Built-In
- convenient Spotify Tap Playback
The 9 hours of play time with ANC off (7 hours with ANC on) puts it closer to the top of the table of true wireless earbuds with long battery life. Together with the case, you have up to 28 hours with ANC and up to 36 hours without. These earbuds are also certified for IP55 and are resistant to rain and accidental splashes.
The Gold Beige is eye-catching and still pretty easy to colour match. Or you can just go with regular Titanium Black. | Image: Jabra
The Jabra Elite 5 ($228) is available from 15th September 2022 in all authorised retailers including Jabra’s official store in Lazada and Shopee. Preorder now and you will receive a complimentary $30 CapitaLand voucher. The offer ends on 14th September.
