Reviews

21 Best Sounding True Wireless Earbuds (2020)

Jabra Elite 75t

Setup

Jabra firmware 1.27.0 (1033)

Sound+ 3.9.0.0.164533dd56e7 (3090000).

I used the EQ to boost the mids up a bit to get rid of most of that midrange coarseness and bring in more warmth. I’m usually not this heavy-handed in the boost, but that edge in the lower midrange is super irritating. The app is the 75t’s savior.

Sound

Much improved over the Jabra 65t, the Jabra 75t is whole ‘nother beast. The sound is clear and crisp and just breathes. It’s almost like an x-ray into the music. At the same time, you get major bass that comes out of nowhere. Almost as if they dedicated a separate driver for it. The mids are superbly detailed and the treble has nice touches of shimmer. This clarity never gets masked by the rhythm of the low end. The Jabra 75t is also surprisingly tactile and nuanced. I also enjoy the rawness of the sound. It has this lifelike resolution that’s nonexistent on most of these TWS earphones.

On the other hand, timbre and tonal quality are quite a ways off from sounding natural. There’s an obvious uptilt towards treble and a colder tone. Piano sounds a little too lean and bright. Voices are clear as hell but have no density and are sometimes sibilant. Cymbals sometimes sound like breaking glass. Acoustic music has plenty of sparkle but not enough warmth. And listening to Metallica feels like biting into foil. EQ helps a bit but there’s this underlying icy foundation to the signature. It’s a bit anemic in color. Sometimes sibilant. The overall scale is also noticeably smaller than other TWS earphones. Like watching a movie on your cellphone – from 9 feet away.

Overall, the Jabra 75t has a lot of great sonic qualities. Incredibly transparent. But needs more solidity, warmth, and midrange smoothness to be more engaging. The overall sound is insightful but cold. However, transparency and resolution chasers would undoubtedly enjoy this earphone. Especially with the surprising amount of bass.

Comparisons

  • Samsung Galaxy Buds: Jabra is warmer and more musical than the Samsung Galaxy Buds. The Buds just sound too clean in comparison.
  • Master & Dynamic MW07 GO: Both Master & Dynamic MW07 GO and Sony WF-1000XM3 has more weight and warmth.
  • Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro: has far better tonality – but is rougher in its delivery. The Liberty 2 Pro is also flattering sounding.
  • Beats Powerbeats Pro: The bass on the 75t is more pronounced over the Powerbeats Pro.
  • Bose Soundsport Free Wireless: The 75t doesn’t have a lot of curves or mold to the sound. The Bose Soundsport Free Wireless, for example, has plenty of it – and is much smoother.
  • 1More Stylish True Wireless: Although not nearly as transparent or spacious sounding, the 1More Truly Wireless earphones have much truer tone and weight. It’s much warmer and more natural. The 1More is more “musical” but doesn’t have as much shine or air. I prefer the more forward and intimate signature of the 1More. And the separation, focus, and snappier dynamics of the Jabra. In the end, the 1More’s Achilles’ heel is its paper-flat sound.
  • Sony WF-1000XM3: The Jabra is much more vivid and brilliant sounding. The Sony is thicker, denser, heavier, and more forward. It doesn’t have as much clarity and treble presence, but is smoother and warmer. The Jabra sounds a bit brighter and skinnier in comparison. The Sony is more organic-sounding and easier to listen to. The 75 is a more hyped, bright sound.
  • Jaybird Vista: Both are neutrally toned. Jaybird is softer and MUCH smoother. It’s also fuller and more tangible. A calm grey? Jabra is more stringy and tactile. But it’s a bit rougher and thinner in the mids – which is alleviated with an EQ boost in the lower mids. Jabra’s background is also much darker and has more tonal hues. It’s also more transparent and “alive.” Jabra just has more red bull energy, outline, delineation, and sparkle. Jaybird doesn’t draw attention to itself and isn’t as dynamic. Bass on Jabra is also more enjoyable. The Jabra also textures and focuses better.
  • Soundcore Liberty Neo (Upgraded): Far more engaging than the Jaybird. It has more crunch, meat, and dynamics. Bass is more tight and punchy on the Jabra and more of a hum and thump with the Soundcore.
  • Soundcore Liberty Neo (Original): Jabra is far better focused, layered, quiet, and presents a much larger soundstage. There’s a organic and faithful sound of the Soundcore but it’s pancake flat. The Jabra has far more dimension and dynamics to the sound. Soundcore has no separation – at all. Everything on the same plane. Jabra has a lot more air.
  • Soundcore Liberty 2 Air: The Soundcore is sharper (very sibilant) and the Jabra is smoother. The Soundcore has truer tonal colors. The Jabra is a little squeaky and tonally heightened in comparison. Jabra is easier to listen to. Both have pretty strong bass. If you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of tonal quality for smoothness and easier listening, go for the Jabra.

Side Notes

  • I get random disconnects for no reason. The music keeps playing but I’ll have to reconnect the Jabra 75t.
  • The equalizer is easy to use but the app sometimes doesn’t “see” the earbuds until you disconnect and reconnect.

Who should buy it?

This true wireless earphone is made for those who appreciate transparency and delineation without sacrificing dynamics and bass. Especially those enjoy a clear and sparkly sound. It’s detailed and calm. However, if you’re a hardcore timbre snob or prefer more body to your music, I would skip the Jabra 75t.

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Jay Luong

Mr. Audio Bacon himself. An open-minded electrical engineer and software developer by trade. I have an obsession with the enjoyment of all things media - specifically in the realm of music and film. So much heart and soul (and money) go into the creation of this artistry. My aim is to find out which products get me closer to what the musicians and directors intended.

View Comments

  • Very nice article and I tend to agree with most if not all your assessments. I own most of these headphones and am a headphone addict. Clearly sound and headphones reviews are very subjective. I appreciate all your efforts here! Well done!

  • I think this is probably the best audio review comparison for a buyer that I've ever read. No. Not probably. Actually it is the best. That's because you've written the good AND the bad about every product. Never said one item is better absolutely. Explained what you liked and why, which is VERY important as I might like something that you don't. Though most importantly, you compared the items at the end with both the good and bad points in a comparative way. This grouping of descriptions and comparisons actually makes your ranking list not very useful and confusing, BUT! makes the whole review useful and informative and can help a person decide which product THEY would like. I still like my old Wf-1000x buds but was looking for something, probably by now, better. By reading your reviews I might actually rank the new Sony buds as number one (though I'd have to hear them of course). The beauty of your reviews is that I can actually get some idea of what I WOULD actually like and what to try first. Awesome writing and well thought out.

    • Thank you, Mark. It's interesting because some days, I don't mind having something further down the ranking list for the "unique" qualities it presents. It's sometimes about the mood or about the appreciation of a certain type of sound. Although I prefer a more natural sound, I sometimes still enjoy the "fantasy" that some of these headphones provide. It amazes me how much information is capture by the microphone - which I don't think even the performers or engineers knew about. I did perform this experiment for my own record keeping. Figured it'll give me a good reference point for things I hear in the future. Everyone enjoys music differently and I'm glad I was able to help.

  • Great review. I have settled on 3 sets of earbuds for my everyday use.

    1. Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro - For home use. I agree wholeheartedly about your remarks regarding these earbuds, and now Soundcore has added a 7 band EQ allowing you to custom eq them, so that's fantastic. Their relatively weak IPX rating and substandard call performance keeps them from being my "go to" phones, but when I am at home, these are the ones I pick up.

    2. Sony WF-1000XM3 - Although not as good sounding as the L2P, The sublime ANC of these buds makes these my default travel gear, edging out my Bose QC35ii over the ear cans. The sound isolation on these is actually better than my Bose. And the portability of them is self evident. No IPX rating makes them strictly for plane trips and similar use cases. Definitely a niche product, but once you travel with ANC, there's no going back.

    3. Soundcre Liberty Air 2 - These are my default "out and about" phones. The slight trade off in sound quality is more than offset by the smaller case, stronger water resistance and call quality. The soundcore app allows you to EQ them quite a bit, so I can get good sound even in environments that are not conducive to it.

    • I've bought a pair before. I don't think it's worth comparing to the ones up here. Not super great in my opinion

  • I have been looking for exactly such an analysis. I have been looking for a TWS for exactly the same purpose as yours except that call quality is a semi-important factor. I mostly use iFi xDSD for Bluetooth receiver with JVC FD0X or Sony MD855. Anyway, it would be interesting if you could rate Galaxy bud live that has an open design with a bass duct and 12mm driver. My interest in it for its call quality and I heard it is better than galaxy bud+. Thank you.

  • Thank you so much for your review man!!!! I tried many earbuds and the M&D MW07 GO is a clear win on sound quality in my opinion! So detailed, precise, layered, immersive and just beautiful sound in all genres. I can hear many new sounds in the same old songs and music that I listen over and over again. I have been a Bose fan for so long but M&D will be my new faith on sound quality. Thank you for such a professional and honest review!!! Appreciate it!!!

  • This is has become my go to reference source - the care and attention to detail that went into this is amazing; so, Thank You! I have always struggled with pure ranking lists and have been skeptical of kickback bias. I have been on a quest to find the highest call/mic quality without sacrificing my music preferences. This has served as a good cross-reference. I was generally happy with the Momentum TW's call-wise; however, was never a big fan of how music sounded through them (although I really wanted them to be good). That combined with the flaws ("volume min / volume min / volume min") drove me away. I am on the phone all day for work and like to listen to music in between. I'm currently using Jabra 75t's and they seem pretty good for both purposes - the extra bass doesn't bother me too much but heavier music tends to sound a little muddled to my liking.

    Has anyone else had good experiences with TWS with the right call quality / musicality balance? Always open to opinions and suggestions.

    Thanks!

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