These earphones are lauded for their impressive audio performance and sound isolation. More importantly, they are compact and sleek and sports an ergonomic design. So, should you buy Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live instead of the Jabra Elite 75t? Or, is the Elite 75t is still one of the undefeated champions? Well, that’s what we are going to find in this post today as we compare the Galaxy Buds Live against the Jabra Elite 75t and see which earphones you should buy. As it’s going to be a long one, let’s jump straight in. But before that
Jabra Elite 75t or the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus? Check our comparison.Bought the Galaxy Watch 3? Check out these cool metal bands for the Galaxy Watch 3.
Specs That Matter
Build, Comfort, and Design
The Jabra Elite 65t made its debut in 2018. Since then, Jabra has worked a lot in the design of its buds. The new Elite 75t is not only small and compact, but they are also much sleeker. This compact design makes it easy to wear for long durations. We received the Titanium Black edition and the play of both the colors on the buds enhanced the overall looks by several folds. My ears can safely be considered medium-sized and the Elite 75t’s fit was snug. They hug your ear canal and stay anchored irrespective of how much you move. Plus, the softness of the material means minimal discomfort and irritation. Note that if your ears tend to sweat, the liquid buildup may cause the buds to loosen up and dislodge slightly. Most ear buds offer physical buttons. However, the Jabra Elite 75t choose to go with the tried and tested method of employing physical buttons. Fortunately, they are flexible and do not jam into your ears canal when pressed. Interestingly, the buttons are customizable, and you can assign actions as per your requirement via the companion app. Another feature worth writing about is its top-notch noise isolation. Provided you wear the right pair of ear tips, you won’t find unnecessary ambient noise creeping in. You can bid farewell to the fan’s hum or the annoying sound of your typing. For the record, Jabra ships three sets of tips with the buds. The Jabra’s buds carry an IP55 (Ingress Protection) rating. So yeah, you can use them when you are out for your runs and workouts without worrying about sweat damage. When it comes to the Galaxy Buds Live’s shape, it’s safe to say that they are shaped nothing like the Elite 75t. Instead, you will find two adorable little kidney beans (that can magically create sound) staring back at you on opening the case. We received the Mystic Gold variant, and they’re super reflective. As noted earlier, these buds embrace the tipless design and do not have the typical silicone tips or fins. Instead, the speaker directly points to the ear canal when you slip them inside. However, don’t let the unique shape deter you from trying these buds. They are comfortable and give you an open-ear feeling. More importantly, they look super cool on the ears, thanks to the metallic look. It took me quite some time to get used to the buds’ open design. I was using the Galaxy Buds Plus otherwise, and the absence of the ‘plugged’ feeling was a welcome bonus. At the same time, there’s quite a learning curve when it comes to getting the right fit. And the metallic exterior doesn’t help the case. It seems to slip, and the touch-sensitive feature (more on that later) worsens the scenario. Plus, the surface is a fingerprint magnet. But the good news is that once you get the fit right, they stay anchored, whether you are walking or doing some light physical activities. Note that I haven’t tried any intensive workouts wearing these buds primarily because these have a rating of IPX2 for water and sweat resistance. As noted above, the Galaxy Buds Live does not give the plugged feeling, making you a bit apprehensive about them falling off. Like its predecessor, Samsung’s buds also sports a touch-sensitive exterior. You can skip a song using the double-tap gesture or answer a call or play/pause music when a single tap. Interestingly, you can also customize the long-press action. So, are the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live as comfortable as the Jabra Elite 75t? To begin with, comfort is highly subjective. I found the Elite 75t to be very comfortable, and I liked the snug reassurance that they won’t fall off. I could wear them for a long duration without any discomfort. On the other hand, the hard exterior of the Galaxy Buds Live pressed against the outer part of my ear continuously during my two hours of bingeing on a Netflix show. And, my ears were sore by the end of it.
Charging Case and Battery Life
With the Buds Live, the pill-shaped case is gone and is now replaced by a squarish charging case. While the sleek design lets you have a proper grip, it has the same weak magnets associated with the Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Buds Plus. If it falls accidentally, the odds are that the buds will scatter around on the floor. Like the Samsung case, the charging case of the Elite 75t is functional and easier to grip. However, what sets it apart from its competitor is its strong magnets. When it comes to battery life, the Jabra earbuds will get you around 7 hours on a full charge, with the case providing an additional 2.2 cycles. Overall, you get a battery life of around 28 hours, and well, they live up to the expectations. And did we tell you that the box also features Fast Charging? Just 15 minutes on the wire will earn you a playback time of an hour. On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds Live advertizes six hours of battery life with ANC and eight hours without ANC. The case provides an additional 2.5 cycles of charges, thereby giving you a cumulative battery life of around 28 hours (22 hours with ANC). Honestly, the battery reliability of both the buds are impressive. What keeps the Galaxy Buds Live a step ahead is the wireless charging support. If you have a Samsung phone with PowerShare or a wireless charging pad, all you need to do is place the case on top of it, and you will be sorted.
Audio Performance
To be quite honest, audio accessories go for a toss if they fail to perform in the audio department. Thankfully, both the Elite 75t and the Galaxy Buds Live do not disappoint in that category. Let’s start with the older Elite 75t. It delivers a deep and energetic bass for starters, which in turn is apt for you when you do high-intensive workouts or even for casual listening. The overall audio is clear and crisp and is pleasing to the ears even when you have them for long durations. And the impressive noise isolation sweetens the deal. As noted earlier, you can bid farewell to nearby distractions and noises. Do note that it’s not Active Noise Cancellation and only depends on the fit of your buds. At the same time, if you want to stay aware of your ambient surrounding, you can toggle the Sound Transparency via the app or a flick of the buttons. When it comes to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, let me first address the elephant in the room—Active Noise Cancellation. So, how good is it? If we talk of the hardware, Samsung’s buds have the same dual noise-canceling mic as the Apple AirPods Pro. However, when it comes to execution, you won’t get the same result. The open design doesn’t give a complete seal on your ears. That affects the ANC. In this case, the ANC is designed to negate low frequencies and well, it executes that well. Apart from that, the Buds Live are a step above the Buds Plus and deliver excellent audio. The soundstage is wide, and you will be able to feel the thump of the bass, thanks to the built-in bass duct inside. Plus, the companion app lets you pick from a bunch of presets. Unlike the 75t, you can’t customize the equalizer as per your choice.
A Hill of Beans
So, do the uniquely-shaped Galaxy Buds Live up to the mark? Well, for starters, they have a lot of good things going for them. The audio has improved over its predecessor. The spacious and wide audio delivery is a step above, and bass heads will love the bass’s energetic thumb. However, the stiff exterior and the lack of silicon tips can be either a hit or a miss, especially when people have different ear sizes. While I could wear them (with minor soreness) for more than 1.5-2 hours, my husband couldn’t wear them due to pain and soreness. The ANC feature is a plus, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired if you are looking for a complete seal like the one on the Sony WF-SP800N. On the other hand, the noise isolation of the Elite 75t is spot on, and features like HearThrough and Soundscapes adds to the experience. Above all, the Elite 75T delivers more dynamic audio, despite having smaller 6-millimeter speakers. Besides that, the IP55 certification seals the deal.
