Jabra's new on-ear headphones cost less than $100
They can be individualized with an in-app sound profile test.
Jabra had a strong 2019, with the launch of its true wireless Elite 75t buds, an update to the Elite 65t which took them from good to great, and the debut of the Elite 85h over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. For 2020, the company has its sights on another area of the audio market -- the sub-$100 on-ear headphone.
The Jabra Elite 45h, unveiled at CES, are wireless headphones with up to 40 hours of battery life. They support fast charging to get up to 8 hours of playback in 15 minutes of charge time, and they come with two embedded microphones to remove background noise when you make calls. They also offer support for voice assistants including Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, and they weigh just 6 ounces so they should be comfortable to wear and convenient to travel with.
The on-ear headphones are also the first model to work with the new Jabra MySound function in the Jabra Sound+ app. The idea is that the app can perform a sound test to individualize audio to your hearing profile. The test consists of a series of beeps, which are analyzed using technology from Jabra's sister company GN Hearing, one of the largest manufacturers of hearing aids. The data from the test will be used to personalize the audio experience for the listener.
We haven't tried out the MySound feature yet, so we'll have to wait and see whether it benefits the listening experience. It will be rolling out to other Jabra models in the future, as it's heading to the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t buds later this year.
The Elite 45h will cost $99 and will be available from February at Amazon, Best Buy and Jabra.com.
