Jabra has announced that they’re releasing a new set of true-wireless earbuds as an upgrade to their Elite 75t. The Jabra Elite 85t is scheduled to hit store shelves on November 1, 2020.
The new Jabra Elite 85t will come packed with competitive features. This may cause you to wonder how it will compare to the well-known Jaybird Vista. Let’s unpack these two sets of true-wireless earbuds and find out which one you should invest in.
With an IPX7 rating, the Jaybird Vista Truly Wireless earbuds are waterproof, crush-proof, and dust-proof, making them an excellent option for outdoor and fitness enthusiasts. Their customizable EQ makes sure anyone can tune the audio to their preferred sound profile, too.
With an IPX7 rating, the Jaybird Vista Truly Wireless earbuds are waterproof, crush-proof, and dust-proof, making them an excellent option for outdoor and fitness enthusiasts. Their customizable EQ makes sure anyone can tune the audio to their preferred sound profile, too.
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Type
Semi-open Earbuds
Semi-open Earbuds
Noise-Cancellation
Advanced ANC
Passive Noise-Isolation
Transparency Mode
Yes, adjustable
No
Drivers
12mm
6mm
Water-Resistance
IPX4 (splash-proof)
IPX7 (submergible up to 3ft)
Battery Life
5.5 hours ANC on, 7 hours ANC off
6 hours
Wireless Charging
Yes, Qi-certified chargers
No
Fast Charging
Yes
Yes
Release Date
November 2020
July 2019
Build
The Jaybird Vista takes the lead with a water-resistance rating of IPX7 (submergible) versus the Jabra Elite 85t’s IPX4 (splash-proof) rating
Jabra Elite 85t (left) and the Jaybird Vista (right)
The Jabra Elite 85t and the Jaybird vista are both semi-open earbuds. This means they don’t have to be inserted into your ear canal in order to stay in place, unlike in-ear models. The Jabra Elite 85t’s earpiece sits on the opening of your ear canal for a more comfortable fit. The Jaybird Vista does the same but has additional ‘wings’ that fit snugly in your ear contour. Both sets of earbuds come with additional silicone ear tips to ensure that you get the perfect fit. The Jabra Elite 85t comes with two additional pairs in different sizes. The Jaybird Vista also comes with two additional pairs, one pair with different size ‘wings’ and the other with smaller ‘fins’.
When it comes to weight, the Jaybird Vista is the slightly more lightweight one between the two, weighing in at only 4.8 grams per earbud. The Jabra Elite 85t is said to be slightly larger than it’s predecessor, the Elite 75t, which weighed in at 5.5 grams per earbud.
In terms of water-resistance, the Jaybird Vista takes the lead with an IPX7 water-resistance rating versus the Jabra Elite 85t’s IPX4 water-resistance rating. The Jaybird Vista can be submerged in up to three feet of water. It also boasts its “earth proof” seal that seals your earbuds against dust and grit. The Jabra Elite 85t is only weather-resistant and splash-proof. You won’t be able to submerge them in water.
Audio
The Jabra Elite 85t has the edge with its advanced active noise-cancellation versus the Jaybird Vista’s passive noise-isolation
The Jabra Elite 85t (left) and Jaybird Vista (right) shown in use.
The Jabra Elite 85t has a slight edge in terms of audio with its larger 12mm speaker drivers. As you might know, larger drivers are more capable of delivering cleaner bass and higher volumes. The Jaybird Vista drivers are only half the size, but this does not necessarily mean that it delivers half the audio quality. The quality of the drivers matters a lot more than its size, and since these two sets of earbuds are premium earbuds, they both carry really good quality drivers that can produce amazing sound. It’s difficult to find a winner when it comes to audio quality because we have yet to get our hands on the Jabra Elite 85t and test it out.
When we talk about noise-cancellation, the Jabra Elite 85t is the obvious winner. It comes with a four-microphone noise-cancellation setup with feedforward noise-canceling microphones on the outside of the earbuds and feedback microphones on the inside. You can also adjust the level of noise-cancellation on the Jabra Sound+ app. You can go from full ANC to full HearThrough (transparency mode) or anywhere in between with the control slider on the app. The Jaybird Vista only offers passive noise-isolation from the snug fit of the earbuds and doesn’t feature a transparency mode.
Miscellaneous
The Jabra Elite 85t gets ahead of the Jaybird Vista again with a bigger battery and more audio codecs
Connectivity
Both the Jabra Elite 85t and the Jaybird Vista are equipped with Bluetooth 5.0. If the Jabra Elite 85t will have the same setup as its predecessor, it should support the following Bluetooth profiles: HSP v1.2, HFP v1.7, A2DP v1.3, AVRCP v1.6, and SPP v1.2 with a range of up to 10 meters. Each earbud should also be able to independently connect to your phone. This allows you to use either earbud without the other. You’re also likely to see a multi-connect feature on the Elite 85t which allows you to connect them to two devices at a time. The Jabra Elite 85t will support SBC and AAC codecs. It is unclear if it will also support aptX.
The Jaybird Vista, on the other hand, has similar connectivity specs to the Jabra Elie 85t but lacks the multi-connect feature. It also doesn’t support anything more than SBC. One handy little feature it comes with, though, is the “Find My Buds” geo-tracking feature. If ever you misplace your earbuds, you’ll be able to find its last connection location on a map.
Controls
The Jabra Elite 85t and the Jaybird Vista both have a single physical button on each earbud. Physical buttons are preferred by quite a number of people because they prevent accidental presses. These buttons can be customized on the Jabra Sound+ app and the Jaybird MySound app to control different playback and call functions.
Battery
When it comes to battery life, the Jabra Elite 85t does a slightly better job than the Jaybird Vista with 5.5 hours with ANC on and up to 7 hours with ANC off. Its case can also hold up to three full charges. The Jabra Elite 85t is also fast charging enabled and its charging case can be wirelessly charged with all Qi-certified wireless chargers.
The Jaybird Vista will last you up to 6 hours on a full charge. Its case can hold up to 10 hours more battery life. Quick charging on the Jaybird Vista gives you one hour with a five-minute charge.
Verdict
The Jabra Elite 85t is the better set of earbuds with active noise-cancellation, better battery life, and more advanced Bluetooth codecs
Both the Jabra Elite 85t and the Jaybird Vista are great true-wireless earbuds that are perfect for workouts or everyday use. When it comes to specs, the Jabra Elite 85t takes the win with active noise-cancellation capabilities, larger speaker drivers for larger sound, the ability to connect to more than one device at a time, better Bluetooth codec (AAC), and better battery life on the earbuds themselves and the charging case. The Jaybird, however, isn’t out of the game. It still has better water-resistance, a more secure ear hook, and a “Find My Buds” geo-tracking feature. Although it doesn’t have everything the Jabra Elite 85t comes with, athletes might prefer the Jaybird Vista because of the fit and water-resistance.
If we had to choose only one set of earbuds, we will go with the Jabra Elite 85t. Active noise-cancellation and good battery life are two very important things in truly wireless earbuds and the Jabra Elite 85t does better than the Jaybird Vista in these areas.
