Jabra is launching two new products at CES 2020. Just as it did with their predecessors, the company is following up on the well-received Elite 75t true wireless earbuds with a fitness-focused “Active” version. Coming in February, the Elite Active 75t will feature “a durable coating for dust and sweat resistance” and bump up the water / sweat resistance to IP57. (The standard Elite 75t earbuds have a rating of IP55, making them fine for occasional rain and light workouts, but they’re not necessarily cut out for heavy sweat.) Battery life is identical to the standard model: 7.5 hours on a single charge and a total of 28 hours when you factor in the case.
The Elite Active 75t earbuds cost $199 compared to the standard $179.99. If you don’t need the enhanced sweat resistance, another reason to opt for these might be color selection. Jabra will offer six options, with some coming sooner than others. Navy, copper black (Amazon exclusive), and titanium black (Best Buy exclusive) will be available when the earbuds launch in February. Gray will follow in March, with “sienna” and mint coming last in April.
The other new product is a set of $99 headphones that Jabra calls the Elite 45h. The company claims these set “a new standard for headphones in the below $100 category.” They last for up to 40 hours on a charge, and you can get eight hours of listening time after juicing them up for 15 minutes. The headphones fold down for easy transport on the move, and they have 40mm speakers, dual mics for voice calls, Bluetooth 5.0, and a “one-touch” shortcut for your preferred voice assistant.
Jabra is also joining a trend among headphone and earbud makers by introducing personalized sound profiles tuned to your hearing. In the second quarter of 2020, the company will release a firmware update that includes MySound. “Users will take a test comprising a series of beeps in the Jabra Sound+ app that calibrates the headphones based on each users’ unique profile for a truly personalized experience,” Jabra said in a press release.
Oftentimes, this feature can feel a little gimmicky and not make much of a difference. Earbuds are not hearing aids. But Jabra says it “leverages hearing know-how and technology from sister company GN Hearing, producers of world-class hearing aids, to personalize the music experience.”