Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 vs the BEST! (AirPods, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Pi8) | Review
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 has 2 BIG advantages
I’ve compared the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 to Gen 1, now we’re going to look at how Jabra’s LAST earbuds compare to the most popular offerings from Apple, Sony, Samsung, Bose, B&W and Sennheiser.
Right off the bat, the Jabras already have several advantages which are going to come up several times during the comparison, like the physical buttons which are convenient for operating with gloves, useful in cold weather. Additionally, the Smart Case with direct LE Audio transmission, being able to connect to sources directly with a wire, entirely bypassing the Bluetooth pairing process.
About that, there are some drawbacks to this that I didn’t go into much detail before, but it’s important to know. For example, the wired connections only getting audio from one device. So, if you are connected to another device with Bluetooth at the same time, you won’t be able to play music on that second device, until you disable wired connection by pressing the case button.
The same goes for taking calls, you’ll need to switch back to Bluetooth mode to take calls with them. So, as long as you remember that this wired connection is only for audio from one device, you’ll be okay.
The wired connections only getting audio from one device.
Moving on, how does their performance compare to the rest in terms of mic pickup, active noise cancelling and sound. What are their pros and cons vs each competitor? And most importantly, which one should you buy? Let’s find out!
Microphone Comparison
The Jabra’s mic pickup is one of the better ones in this comparison. Among the group, Samsungs are the best, with clean background noise reduction and clear voice pickup, but the Jabras are not too far behind. Do take note that the AirPods Pro 2 is actually capable of cleaner voice pickup, but only on iOS devices with the Voice Isolation mode turned on.
👉 Have a listen to the mic pickup samples.
(Microphone pickup vs the competition in both quiet and noisy conditions using really loud cafe noise and wind now from a fan.)
Active Noise Cancelling Comparison
In terms of active noise cancelling, the Gen 2 Elite 10s are very good, almost on par with the Bose QC earbuds, and better than the Sennheisers in terms of low frequency noise reduction. However, compared to the Sonys, the Jabras don’t muffle voices as well, but that’s because the Sonys are using foam tips.
👉 Have a listen to the ANC samples.
Transparency Mode Comparison
Jabras’ transparency mode is quite good, but feel a bit more occluded compared to the Samsungs, AirPods and Bose, but still very usable for quick awareness and verbal exchanges with people. In this grouping, they’re quite middle of the road, being more on par with the Sonys, B&W, and Sennheiser in terms of the clarity of the passthrough.
Sound Quality Comparison
In terms of sound quality, frequency sweeps show that they’re more laid back in the bass, upper mids and highs. Among the competitors, only the Sennheiser MTW4 sounds about as laid back, while the others present brighter and crisper in the mids, soaring in the highs, and being a bit more thick, juicy bass. In my opinion, the Pi8s are the best representation of that clarity, warmth and dynamics.
The Jabras, on the other hand, are great for a relaxed, open sound signature, with clean track separation and good dynamic range in the vocals. The Gen 2 Elite 10s have this ability to make even very messy music sound more refined and relaxed, as was the case with the Gen 1 Elite 10s, only now, it’s even more non-fatiguing.
Buy Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or AirPods Pro 2?
Here’s why the Jabras are a better choice over the AirPods Pro 2. It’s the more flexible choice on iPhones and Android because of the Sound+ app which gives you full access to features, settings, and Spatial Audio with head tracking that works on any device.
Whereas with AirPods, there is no AirPods app on Android that gives you the same features as on iOS, and you can’t get firmware updates either. This restricts you to the basic controls and features, and none of the special AirPods features like the new Hearing Aid features on iOS 18, and Siri integration.
The Jabra’s case also allows a direct wired connection, instead streaming over LE Audio. Therefore, you can still connect the Jabras to a device that doesn’t support Bluetooth. And the Jabras have button controls, letting you operate them even if you’re wearing gloves.
The Jabras also fit more snugly, and can maintain their noise cancelling power better, unlike the AirPods, which tend to slip out quite easily due to their glossy surface.
However, if you are using Apple devices, it’s easy to recommend AirPods because of their extremely tiny case, which makes it way more easy to carry around. Apple device users can also enjoy a frictionless, seamless experience moving across different Apple devices, improved mic pickup with Voice Isolation mode, and audio sharing audio with another AirPods user.
Buy Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or Galaxy Buds3 Pro?
Compared to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, again, much more flexibility on the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 because the Samsungs are better on Android, and best on Samsung devices because you can stream over Samsung’s Hi-Res codec - SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec).
So if you’re an iPhone user, definitely go for the Jabra for better features to value ratio.
On Android, it’s a much harder fight for the Jabras, because the Buds3 Pro is so good all around, with superior mic pickup and transparency, the portability, the controls being similar to AirPods.
However the Samsungs do fit like the AirPods, so there’s the question of whether it can keep up the sealing effect, needed for constant noise cancelling power and bass. This is much easier to achieve with the Jabra’s earplug style fit.
Of course, the Jabras allow multipoint pairing with any device, while the Samsungs restrict that to Samsung devices only. The Jabra’s case also allows a direct wired connection, for even more flexibility with players that don’t have Bluetooth. This is why I find it easier to recommend the Elite 10 Gen 2 over the Samsungs.
Buy Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or Sony WF-1000XM5?
Reasons to get the Elite 10 Gen 2 over the WF-1000XM5 earbuds are the button controls which lets you operate them even with gloves. The case allows you connect to any source device with a wire, and Spatial Audio with head tracking that works on any device and content, unlike the Sonys, which are limited to 360 degree Reality Audio content.
Its transparency mode is also better, and the fit is more comfortable for all day wearing, because they don’t plug into your ears as deeply as the Sony’s foam tips.
Reasons to get the XM5 instead is that the Sonys are designed to be audiophile earbuds. So they have a nice suite of audiophile-friendly features such as being able to stream over the Hi-Res LDAC codec, more EQ presets and settings which gives you more flexibility with the sound, and DSEE Extreme which restores some detail and high frequency when listening to lossy, compressed files. They’re also much more portable because of that tiny case.
But the main reason I like the XM5 is that if you can get a good snug fit from the Sonys, it muffles noisy human chatter a lot better than the Jabras, as well as getting a more punchy, dynamic sound.
WF-1000XM5 earbuds have a nice suite of audiophile-friendly features.
Buy Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or Bose QC Earbuds Gen 2?
Between the Bose QC Earbuds Gen 2 and the Jabras, the main reason to go for the Bose is its slightly better noise cancelling and transparency mode.
It’s also got more features, but it’s debatable whether those features like voice control and remote selfie, actually add tangible value. For me, those aren’t game changing enough.
Furthermore, after using the Bose for a while, it’s a little buggy. For instance, sometimes they don’t wake up when removed from the case.
By comparison, the Jabras are a smoother experience and more solid choice because their case is flatter, more portable, they have a cleaner, more open sound customizable transparency settings.
They also support Spatial Audio with head tracking that works on any device, and Dolby Atmos decoding if the content you’re listening to supports that. And that is aside from physical button controls which lets you operate them even with gloves, and wired connection from the case letting you hook them up to non-Bluetooth sources.
So if the Jabra’s noise cancelling is good enough for you, like it is for me, it’s an easier choice than the QC Earbuds.
Buy Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4?
Between the Elite 10 Gen 2 and the Sennheiser MTW4, the main reason you should go for the Sennheiser is the sound. They may sound just as laid back out of the box in terms of crispness, but once you tweak the EQ settings, they’ll sound richer and more dynamic than the Jabras. The Sennheisers also support Snapdragon Sound, this means on supported Android devices, you’ll get to stream Hi-Res files over aptX Adaptive codec.
That being said, the Jabras are what I refer to as ‘everyday’ earbuds. I find them easier to pick up and use because they’re smaller, noise cancelling is better, and they even have Spatial Audio with head tracking.
The physical button controls are a huge advantage which lets you operate them with gloves, and wired connection from the case letting you hook them up easily to non-Bluetooth devices like most plane entertainment systems. It’s an easier choice, although not necessarily the audiophile’s choice.
Buy Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or B&W Pi8?
Comparing the Gen 2 Elite 10 to the Pi8, they both have the same feature which allows you to get the audio directly by connecting the case with a wire. But the main reason to get the Pi8s over the Jabras is that these are the best sounding earbuds, and they have aptX Lossless streaming which is appealing to more demanding listeners.
That being said, they’re way more expensive than the Jabras, their noise cancelling is weaker, call quality not as great in noisy conditions, and they’re not as customisable in terms of their controls and settings, whereas the Jabra remains one of the most customisable earbuds from offering EQ presets, control settings, to various ways to optimise phone calling experience.
If sound is your priority, get the Pi8 but the Gen 2 Elite 10s have better value to performance ratio.
Buy Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or Technics AZ80?
The Technics AZ80 holds the distinction of being the only earbuds I’ve tested that has multipoint pairing between 3 separate devices which is awesome.
Most earbuds like the Gen 2 Elite 10 only do up to 2, although if you do connect to three devices at the same time, you also lose the ability to stream over the Hi-Res codec LDAC. The AZ80 is also Hi-Res certified, just like the Sony WF-1000XM5. It’s control scheme is also highly customisable, letting you choose specific gesture does what. On top of that, its case is smaller than the Jabras, making it easier to carry without a bag.
However, the Jabras seem to be better value because they sound good enough, is comparable in terms of performance, while being more feature rich than the Technics, such as letting you operate them even when wearing gloves with physical buttons. They also have the option to connect directly to your source with a wire from the Smart Case, bypassing the Bluetooth pairing process. Both have advantages, but the Jabras are what I would call ‘everyday’ earbuds.
So that is how the Elite 10 Gen 2 compare to the most popular earbuds. You can check their latest prices in the links below:
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 - https://amzn.to/3ZvjCRw
AirPods Pro 2 USB-C - https://amzn.to/3UoeJG8
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2024 - https://amzn.to/3zuKirs
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 - https://amzn.to/3U8n9lT
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro - https://amzn.to/4fvUNLn
Sony WF-1000XM5 - https://amzn.to/3JGI1uN
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 - https://amzn.to/3ItesMI
Also, click here for my Elite 10 Gen 2 to Gen 1 comparison.
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