Despite not being ranked among the world’s top five manufacturers of increasingly popular true wireless earbuds, Jabra sells many different alternatives to Apple’s market-leading AirPods and AirPods Pro, which is both a good and a bad thing.
While everyone loves product diversity and choice, an overly expansive portfolio can make certain options go largely unnoticed by prospective buyers, especially if their price points leave less room for discounts than, say, the $200 Elite 7 Pro.
Normally available for $149.99 a pair, the non-Pro Jabra Elite 5 are finally on our radar at a cool 50 bucks less than that in a decidedly eye-catching Gold Beige hue. The slightly lower-profile black version of these September 2022-released buds is also on sale from Amazon at a lower-than-ever price after a substantial $48.43 markdown of its own, while the “titanium black” flavor can be had at a far less special $30 discount.
Unlike the non-Pro AirPods 3 or AirPods 2, the Jabra Elite 5 do come with active noise cancellation on deck. The technology itself, however, is not quite as advanced as the “adjustable” ANC present on the likes of the Elite 7 Active and 7 Pro, being described by Jabra as “hybrid” for marketing purposes.
Still, it’s pretty unusual to find noise-cancelling earbuds at this newly reduced price, especially from such a large and respected brand in the audio industry and with so many other premium features and capabilities also included.
We’re talking everything from 6mm speakers for an overall solid music listening experience to a grand total of six microphones guaranteeing crystal clear voice calls regardless of surrounding winds or other challenging weather conditions, as well as IP55 “rain” resistance, up to 7 hours of standalone battery life, and a combined endurance rating of 28 hours when also considering a bundled wireless charging case.
Are these the world’s best wireless earbuds for your Android handset or iPhone? Not even close. But they’re surely among the very best you can buy at or around a price of one Benjamin, and they’re cheaper than ever before, which obviously adds to the Elite 5’s appeal even further.
