Jabra has responded to many people’s trends toward remote, part-home, part-office work arrangements and online meetings by refocusing its strengths on the pillars of the brand: call quality. The result is Connect 5T. With powerful 6-microphone calling technology and many useful features such as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), multipoint technology, and call customization settings, this wireless earphone was made to prioritize both voice and calls. These Jabra earbuds have the same architecture as the Elite 5 and include many of the same performance features, such as voice activated commands, customized sound, and wireless charging.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Design
The Connect 5T is an exact copy of the Elite 5 that we manufactured. There is no change in weight or size. Each bud is protected from dust, sweat, and strong water splashes by a durable plastic wrap with IP55 rating. The small microphone hole and curved oval design are also the same details. The exact same titanium black color is also used. The charging case is also unchanged. It is made of the same material as the buds and has been made smaller. A strong magnet closes the lid securely and docks the bud in the charging position. While it can withstand a drop to concrete, the exterior is quickly attracted to scratches. The buds are securely fastened to the ear as the unique EarGels create a seal around the ear canal. When exercising or in the rain, the tips effectively absorb moisture and prevent slippage, but keep in mind that the Connect 5T was made specifically for the workplace Jabra offers a MyFit eartip fit test, but this is only available on high-end models (Elite 7 Pro, Elite Elite 85t, etc.) only. You can buy this earbuds from its official website.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Comfort
The noise-isolating fit and semi-open design of the headphones, along with pressure relief vents, provide long-term wearing comfort. These earbuds lack the premium MyFit fit adviser feature, which is only accessible with the most expensive Jabra earbuds (apparently). The Jabra Elite 5 buds fit comfortably in the ears despite not having the ShakeGrip coating that reduces the risk of the Elite 7 Active falling out of your ear. Because of how my ears are built, I prefer the slim Elite 7 Active, but for regular music listening at my desk or for popping in the earbuds while riding the train to block out the noise from the one person who needs to watch TV at full volume without headphones (the joys of commuting, amirite?) the Elite 5 was more than sufficient.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Connectivity
The best wireless earbuds with microphones for audio and video chats are some of them. Positive feedback was received from everyone I spoke with, especially over video conferences. I astonished my clients by how loud and clear I was on Zoom calls. Although ANC didn’t work effectively, my voice was still audible over the noise. Bluetooth 5.2 is used to control the Connect 5T. Through Google Fast Pair, which just requires one tap on Android devices, connectivity was quick. In open areas, the range was expanded up to 50 feet. I was able to pair to two devices at once thanks to multipoint technology, which the typical businessman will appreciate when switching from a tablet to a laptop and vice versa.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Noise cancelling
The software offers controls that can be customized, options for EQ adjustment using presets or a constrained five-band equalizer, and the ability to switch between active noise cancellation, HearThrough (a transparency mode), and having none of those on. Although there aren’t many possibilities for customizing the controls, you may at least combine a few of them if you’d like. Almost everything can be done with a single, double, or triple press of the left or right button. You’ll need to take out your phone to change the level because there isn’t a method to do it with the earbuds. The customization tools go beyond just the control and EQ adjustment, though. There is a menu option that allows you to customize the ANC performance of the earbuds. In order to correct for variances or sound leakage, you must modify the ANC level and the ANC balance between your left and right earbuds. Although many issues can be resolved simply by ensuring a good fit, it’s excellent to have a software function to strengthen things even more.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Audio performance
There are no learning curves or muscle memory requirements to use the earbuds if you are a current Jabras line user, and the design is familiar and in line with the current portfolio of earbuds that we have recently reviewed. We also have the SoundPlus app to improve the listening experience, and this works as expected. As mentioned above, the ANC works well, and while they are not the best, they are excellent for calls and the most important feature.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Call performance
Although the controls in the program can be customized, the default design makes a lot of sense. Toggle between ANC and Hear Through modes by pressing the left earpiece once, and call up your phone’s voice assistant by pressing it twice. To control playback, push the right earbud once. To advance a track, press twice, and to go backward, press three times. The controls for calls are same on both earpieces; simply push once to accept and twice to end a call. A call that is already in progress can be muted with just one press. You can modify this gesture to reject calls or turn off sidetone (the level of your voice in your ears during calls), for example, even though tapping the button three times has no effect on calls by default.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Battery and charging
When using ANC, you can obtain up to 28 hours of listening time overall and a very respectable 7 hours of listening time each charge when using ANC. That easily outperformed the AirPods Pro at 5/25. However, the Elite 5 performs considerably better when used without ANC: 9/36 hours should be plenty for even the longest listening sessions. In the event that they run out of power before you are done, a fast-charge system will give you an extra hour for every 10 minutes spent in the charging case. The Elite 5 not only justifies their price premium over the Elite 4 Active because to their remarkable feature set, excellent comfort, and extensive customizability, but they also strongly call into question whether you need spend up to $50 more for the Elite 7 Active or 7 Pro. Although it would be worthwhile if you require the further security provided by their IP57 rating or even the 7 Pro’s even better call quality, I believe the Elite 5 to be in the actual wireless sweet spot for the majority of consumers.
Jabra Connect 5T review: Final words
The Jabra Elite 5 True Wireless are practical for both travel and commuting. They feature an eight-hour continuous battery life and are cozy and portable. They can passively filter out some noise, and while they feature an ANC system, they still have a hard time blocking out the low rumbles of bus and jet engines. They still have the ability to reduce mid-range noises like background chatter.
