By Krishna Sinha Chaudhury
New Delhi, Apr 28 (IANS): Wire-free listening has its own perks and Apple's AirPods (Rs 15,400) and Bose SoundSport Free (Rs 18,990) cord-free earbuds have ruled the roost in the Indian market.
Not any more.
Denmark-based Jabra, a subsidiary of GN Netcom that makes in-ear and on-ear audio wearables, is now offering Jabra "Elite 65t" wireless in-ear headphones for just Rs 12,999.
Is it worth given the price? Let's find out.
At first glance, the Elite 65t looks promising. The earbuds are all black with gunmetal gray accents to add some flash to an otherwise understated design.
A good thing about the buds is that these do not stick out from the ears. There are no "long stems" either that hang close to earlobes like the ones we see in the Apple AirPods.
The company has included silicone tips in three different sizes that offer a good amount of noise isolation and a secure fit.
The tips had no wings to hold the device in place but they stayed secure in our ears. Using the largest buds gives a tight fit which is crucial to maximising bass.
We also found the buds to be quite capable in handling sweat and dust.
A charging case is included in the package that is slightly bigger than the one provided with AirPods. A good thing is despite being slightly larger, it remains a pocketable case.
The charging case is durable despite being made of plastic and could handle rough usage. A clasp in the front secured the case and ensured the headphones do not come off easily.
The earbuds lasted close to five hours on a single charge and the case added close to 10 hours of battery life to Jabra Elite 65t.
A neat feature is that pulling out one of the earbuds stops the music automatically. It starts playing again once plugged back into the ear.
We also found it easy to toggle through tracks just by holding down the volume up and down buttons on the left eartip.
The earbuds delivered quality sound -- clarity and volume in all conditions. Both the eartips feature a microphone area that stick slightly towards the mouth to pick up the sound.
The microphones built into each bud filtered out ambient noise, such as wind, during the test calls.
What does not work?
We found the noise-isolating fit too tight and some may find it uncomfortable.
The fit can also cause slight pain if worn for long periods.
Conclusion: The Jabra Elite 65t offers great audio packaged in a durable and good-looking in-ear device, offering good overall music and call quality. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to AirPods, we would recommend this device that also beats the AirPods in many ways.