The Jabra Elite 85t is the first earphones from the company to feature ANC out of the box. If you recollect, ANC was introduced in the Jabra Elite 75t through an OTA update. Apart from that, the Elite 85t buds come with a svelte build compared to their predecessors. On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds Pro earphones are the newest buds from Samsung. Surprisingly, these earphones are also the first ones to feature ANC. Moreover, they are in the same price range. This brings us to the biggest question—does the Jabra Elite 85t vs Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro sound the same? Or, do the Jabra Elite 85t sound better in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro? Well, that’s what we are going to find out in this post today as we pit the Jabra Elite 85t against the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. Let’s get started. But before that,
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1. Design and Comfort
From the design perspective, the Galaxy Buds Pro mixes the elements of Samsung’s older Galaxy Live and Galaxy Plus earphones. You’ll find the metallic finish reminiscent of Galaxy Buds Live in a different shape. However, it’s not too different than the Galaxy Buds Plus. This also means you will find the familiar silicon ear tips. The subtle design change is further accompanied by a lightweight and comfortable form factor. And if you prefer wearing the earbuds for more than an hour, the lightweight profile certainly blends right in. Samsung ships three pairs of ear tips, and finding the correct pair of tips to fit your ear will help isolate noise and ambient sounds better. It’s worth noting that the ear tips are oblong but are comfortable and offer a snug fit. Like its predecessors, the Galaxy Buds Pro also bundles touchpads on top instead of physical buttons. By default, they let you play/pause songs and enable/disable ANC and ambient sound. While they are easy to operate, they are also prone to accidental touches and brushes. For example, if you were to brush your hair above your ears and touch the buds accidentally, the buds might pause on their own. And trust us, it can be annoying in the long run. The good news is that the Galaxy Buds Pro is IPX7 rated, making them resistant to water and sweat. You can easily use them in the gym (the snug fit ensures that they stay fit without loosening) or while you go out for hikes and treks without worrying about moisture damage. Similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro, the Elite 85t also bundles oblong ear tips. They are comfortable and easy to wear. More importantly, they offer a snug fit. We used these buds during workouts and they stay anchored regardless of the movements. Furthermore, the matte finish makes it easier to handle the buds even when your fingers are slick with sweat. Interestingly, they still bundle physical buttons instead of touchpads. While it’s a letdown (almost all the buds have touchpads these days), the physical buttons are soft to press and can be customized. They do not press into your ear canals, and after a certain point, this limitation disappears (at least in our case). One significant difference between the two earphones is the configuration. The Jabra Elite 85t still follows the master-slave configuration, where the right earbud is the master. You can use the right bud independently but won’t do the same for the left bud. So if you prefer to use just the left bud to listen to songs or podcasts, sadly, it won’t be doable. Thankfully, the Galaxy Buds Pro doesn’t have any such limitation. The buds are independent of each other, and you can take off one bud and continue listening to your favorite songs.
2. Battery Life
The charging cases of both the earbuds are sleek and compact, unlike some of its competition like the Sony WF-1000XM3. They can be easily carried on your trouser pockets or hands. A significant highlight of the Elite 85t is its support for wireless charging. So, if you have a Qi-charging pad, you can top up the battery by laying it on it. Cool, I’d say. But at the end of the day, these are ANC earbuds and the battery life is shorter when compared to conventional buds. This is due to the extra power needed to drive the ANC module. Nevertheless, the battery life is decent on both earphones, but shorter compared to the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. The Jabra Elite 85t lasts a little more than 5 hours on a single charge and the carry case adds three additional full charges. The Samsung buds are slated to last around 5 hours with ANC enabled. The case provides an additional 13-hour backup. Surprisingly, the Jabra Elite 85t bundles better battery optimization in comparison to the Galaxy Buds Pro. With the companion app, you can set the sleep time of the buds. So even if the buds are just lying around, you can program them to enter the Sleep mode after a certain time. This way, the battery stays longer on the buds.
3. Wireless Connectivity
When it comes to connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro supports Bluetooth 5.0 and comes with SBC, AAC, and Samsung Scalable Codec. While the Elite 85t doesn’t fair too well (it has SBC and AAC), it comes with Bluetooth 5.1. For those unaware, Bluetooth 5.1 is more power-efficient compared to its older self. At the same time, the Elite 85t comes with support for Bluetooth Multipoint. This feature ensures that you can stay connected to two devices at the same time, thereby making it convenient to switch between them. For instance, if you were listening to music on your secondary phone and a call comes through on your primary phone, you can easily switch. As opposed to the above, the Galaxy Buds Pro doesn’t have Bluetooth Multipoint. Instead, it packs a feature named Easy Switch. This is primarily for Samsung users. Using it, you’ll be able to switch between two devices (tablet and phone) in the Bluetooth range. However, you’ll need to log in using the same Samsung account on both devices.
4. Audio Quality and Noise Cancellation
Both the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and Jabra Elite 85t deliver significantly better sound when compared to their predecessors. You will find a balanced and natural-sounding soundstage on the Galaxy Buds Pro, with just the right amount of bass. Though you won’t find a thumping bass, it is enough to get you grooving. The vocals are loud and clear, and that’s a huge plus. More importantly, the noise and distraction will be significantly reduced thanks to the ANC. The buds give you two options—High and Low. The high setting cuts-off considerable noise that is usually associated with some headphones with ANC. However, if someone were to play music or talk loudly, it’ll make their way inside. As opposed to the Galaxy Buds Pro’s natural-sounding profile, the Jabra Elite 85 has a pronounced bass and makes way for a good listening experience. This is a plus if you love listening to bass-heavy tracks. Plus, you can dabble with the built-in 5-band EQ. The ANC is top-notch and effectively reduces ambient noises and distractions. It goes a step further and manages to cut out sounds from nearby music players. For now, the Jabra Sound+ app lets you switch between 5 levels of ANC.
Which One Should You Choose
If you are looking for a versatile pair of earphones and if you love listening to bass-heavy music, the Jabra Elite 85t will suit your needs better. The audio delivery is on-point (if not the best). At the same time, the companion app provides a slew of features. You can customize the buttons, tweak the call settings and dabble with the EQ. The ANC is top-notch for a pair of truly wireless earphones. And while the battery life may not be the best, it can safely be considered decent. They can easily double up as your workout and regular earphones. On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds Pro earphones are designed more for casual listening. You will appreciate the details and the clarity of the audio. Besides, if you are already a Samsung phone user, you will love the swift pairing feature and features like Easy-Switch, Spatial Audio, and charging through the Powershare mode. However, the software on the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is limited only to Android devices. While you can pair them with an iPhone, you won’t be able to play around with the Samsung Wearable app.
