One For Everyone

Headphones and earbuds have become part of most people’s lifestyles, whether if it’s during the commute to work or school, or Bluetooth hands-free for those who spend long hours on the road. For the fitness junkies, wireless headphones are a great addition to workouts especially since some have added functions such as coaching.

We had a chance to try out three of Jabra’s headphones, all catered for different lifestyles and here’s what we thought.

Shirawat Devi– Junior Graphic Designer

Shirawat’s lifestyle is one that involves a nine to five job, mostly in the office and she tried the Jabra Elite 25e, wireless headphones which comes with a neckband.

Shirawat says:

I enjoyed using the Elite 25e as it’s easy to use and appreciated its convenient design which was not flashy at all. I used the earbuds for three to four hours and experienced no discomfort and since it’s wireless, I don’t need to worry about tangled cables.

Additionally, I think it is designed well for doing certain sports because I wore them on a jog and found them very stable. The earbuds stayed put during the jog and I barely noticed the neckband.

After the jog, I watched movies with them and its sound quality was very balanced. No disruption except when I’m far from my phone but that’s the case with most Bluetooth devices.

Overall, I found the Jabra Elite 25e very agreeable with my lifestyle as it can be used at the office for music and also when I go for jogs.

Jabra Elite 25e boasts a battery life of up to 18 hours, wind and water resistance (IP54 rated) and can connect up to eight Bluetooth devices with two at the same time. These wireless headphones have the suggested retail price of RM429.

Winncie Yap– Graphic Designer

Winncie is a graphic designer who works long hours in front of the computer and tried the Jabra Evolve 75, a wireless headset with over ear design.

Winncie says:

I found these headphones easy to use and the design is very functional and I found it pleasing.

It was comfortable at first but it hurts the ears after

30 to 60 minutes of use due to the pressure against the ears. After a long period of use, the ears will sweat and this is quite uncomfortable especially for those who wear glasses.

I used the headphones for music, watching movies and playing mobile and table games in addition to making phone calls. I found that the sound quality is clear and loud enough however, the bass could be improved for a better gaming experience.

The Bluetooth connection was also as expected with a distance of about 10 metres but this could be interrupted by walls and other electrical appliances.

The noise cancelling switch is fantastic! I can turn off whatever music or gaming sounds in order to have a conversation with just a click. The microphone’s on/off switch is also very useful while playing games and can be muted easily by just lifting it up.

Overall, the headphones are a great addition to my lifestyle, but there is room for improvement in the ear cushion design.

Jabra Evolve 75 is meant for open office use and features an integrated busylight as a ‘do not disturb’ sign to enhance productivity.

Susan Lau– Writer

I lead an on-the-go and active lifestyle which means I need to carry essentials that are portable and lightweight since I do not have a car to stash my things. I tried the Jabra Elite sport wireless sport earbuds and here’re my thoughts.

Susan says:

Setting up was a bit complicated as I needed to connect the earbuds to Bluetooth and the left earbud took a while to connect to the right.

The earbuds are a little bulky and I couldn’t find a perfect fit even with the many wing tips and ear tips in the box, I found it uncomfortable after wearing them on my runs which also affected the heart rate analyser. The heart rate detector requires a tight fit and I found it too uncomfortable. I wore the earbuds for 15 to 30-minute runs, about three times a week and found that past the 20-minute mark, my ears started to hurt.

I really appreciate the sweat and waterproof qualities of the earbuds since we live in a hot and humid country and sweating bucket loads during workouts is inevitable.

One thing that stands out is the Hear Through function of the earbuds which enables you to hear ambient sounds that allows you to be aware of your surroundings while working out. I found the bass a little lacking but overall, the music was clear and I didn’t experience any disconnection whatsoever during my workouts.

The carrying case is a welcome addition because it makes the earbuds easier to store which keeps out dust and prevents you from losing an earbud. The charging case also provides an extra three hours of charge which greatly increases the playtime of the earbuds.

Jabra Elite Sport features a completely wireless design and a companion training management app called Jabra Sport Life. These completely wireless earbuds retail for RM1259 and comes with a three-year warranty.

Before buying ask yourself these questions.

• What will i use them for?
• Is bass important for my music?
• How long can the battery last?