The Sony WF-1000XM5 are an excellent, Award-winning pair of wireless earbuds, but they're not necessarily for everyone. Not all users get on with the buds' slightly odd fit, for instance, while the buds' standard £259 price tag may be too much for some. If you're looking for a decent, reasonably priced pair of alternatives currently enjoying a great discount, the Jabra Elite 10 fit the bill perfectly.
The Elite 10 originally debuted at £230 but thanks to a meaty 22 per cent discount they've dropped to just £180 at Amazon, a saving of £50. I've lived with the Elite 10 for almost a year and can attest to their sonic capabilities, attractive build and absolutely bulging set of features. If you prioritise buds that can do a lot at a super price, Jabra's flagship contenders are the buds that pretty much do it all.
I have access to a lot of pairs of wireless earbuds (it goes with the job), but there aren't many that I can think of that can do as much as the Jabra Elite 10. It would take a lot more time and space to detail just how comprehensive the flagship buds are, but I can attest to the breadth and qualities of the features on board. Noise cancelling is admirably isolating and versatile, while spatial audio support for Dolby Atmos alongside head tracking are two things we didn't expect to find at this level. Add in Bluetooth multipoint, a solid 27 hours of total battery life and LDAC codec support and you're not going to be in danger of feeling short-changed.
The same goes for how the Jabras sound. While they don't quite offer the musicality of the Sony WF-1000XM5 or the fun of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, the Elite 10 offer your music heaps of weight, force and definition via their muscular, robust personality. Details are revealed comprehensively, while tracks are granted structure and cohesion in a way that makes your music feel properly supported and pleasingly well-organised.
This is all aided by the fact that the Elite 10 are easily the most attractive earbuds the Danish-based brand currently makes. I've often found many of the more affordable Jabra in-ears to feel drab and soulless in their design, yet that lightly textured matte finish complimented by the gleaming button-control panel on each unit's exterior gives the Elites a genuine touch of class. Spiffy they may be, fragile they aren't; an IP57 keeps the flagship buds protected from dust and water ingress, provided you don't dunk them into 3ft of water for more than 30 minutes.
The Jabra Elite 10 are a smart alternative to some of the market's leading premium wireless earbuds. As a canny buy at a very smart price, they're almost without equal. Head over to Amazon if you're in the mood for something a bit different.
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