Jabra Elite 85t vs Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is an obvious rival to the Apple AirPods Pro, but it’s also a threat to less popular noise canceling true wireless earbuds like the Jabra Elite 85t. Samsung’s flagship attracts the eye with its glossy earbuds and jewelry box-inspired case, meanwhile Jabra’s headset is all business. Comprehensive software features accompany both pairs of earbuds, but which company has the edge?

Editor’s note: this versus article was updated on October 17, 2022, to address the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. We also include an updated ANC chart, mic demos in ideal conditions, and an Alternatives section.

Jabra Elite 85t vs Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Fit and hardware

Jabra holds a respected reputation within the professional headset market, and its nine-to-five design bleeds into the Elite 85t. These earbuds come in three serious colorways (copper/black, gold beige, and titanium black) and lack any glossy coating. Oblong ear tips extend from the earbuds, and form a more natural fit to the ear canal’s contours than standard spherical ear tips. Each earbud houses a vent to reduce any uncomfortable pressure within the ear, a feature also seen on the newer, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

The Jabra Elite 85t doesn’t rely on wing tip attachments to keep the earbuds in place, instead Jabra refined the shape of the Elite 75t series, which makes light contact with different parts of the outer ear. This works very well, and the earbuds remain stable whether you bike, run, or rock climb while wearing them. Although these aren’t explicitly billed as workout earbuds like the Elite Active 75t, the Elite 85t have an IPX4 rating and can endure most all exercise regimens.

You may control music playback, calls, and more from the button on either earbud, and you can reconfigure the controls from the Jabra Sound+ app. The buttons require some force, but not enough to cause pain when you push either of them. Jabra’s earphones also support automatic play/pause functionality when you insert or remove the buds.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro follows a different framework than the Jabra Elite 85t. Rather than emulating a professional appearance, the Galaxy Buds Pro looks fun and approachable like a true wardrobe accessory. Samsung offers the Galaxy Buds Pro in three color variants: white, black, and violet. Like Jabra’s earbuds, the Galaxy Buds Pro has oblong ear tips and integrates pressure-relief vents. Samsung goes a step further with its earbud hardware by adding a host of sensors for Samsung 360 Audio, automatic ear detection, and more. Samsung’s earbuds only support automatic pause functionality though; to resume playback, you must tap either touch panel.

The Galaxy Buds Pro is a bit more durable than the Jabra Elite 85t, as proven by the IPX7 rating. You can fumble these earbuds into the pool without worry, so long as you fish them out within 30 minutes. Don’t get it twisted, though: the Galaxy Buds Pro isn’t intended for swimming because they lack onboard storage. Even though the Galaxy Buds Pro is more water-resistant than Jabra’s earbuds, the Elite 85t provides a more stable fit.

Samsung’s earbuds have reflective finishes and you can use the Galaxy Wearable app to remap the touch controls to your liking. The touch panels often register unintended taps, which may prove annoying if you use them regularly. Worst case scenario, you can disable the taps from the Galaxy Wearable app (Android only).

Both cases support USB-C and wireless charging, but only the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro case can charge when you place it on top of a Samsung Galaxy device. Samsung Wireless PowerShare isn’t likely a must-have feature, but it’s convenient when you’re in a pinch and the batteries are drained. Jabra’s case is a bit larger, but feels more premium, while Samsung’s is more compact and lightweight.

Jabra Elite 85t vs Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Bluetooth connection

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro uses Bluetooth 5.0 and supports three Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, and the Samsung Scalable Codec. The company’s proprietary streaming codec is similar to aptX adaptive in that it makes constant adjustments to optimize streaming quality and connection stability, but it only works for Samsung devices. If you have a non-Samsung Android phone, you aren’t guaranteed access to reliable, high-quality audio because the AAC Bluetooth codec is difficult for Android to encode. iPhone users benefit from high-quality playback with either headset though.

Initially, the Jabra Elite 85t supported Bluetooth 5.0. Jabra quickly released an update for its flagship earphones, upgrading them to Bluetooth 5.1 and bringing other improvements. You get fewer Bluetooth codecs here, with support for just SBC and AAC.

Connection strength is great with either headset, but Jabra has a leg up on productivity: the Elite 85t supports Bluetooth multipoint so that you can connect the buds to two source devices simultaneously. Samsung supports automatic device switching among compatible Samsung Galaxy devices, as long as they’re all affiliated with the same Samsung account.

Should you get the app for the Jabra Elite 85t or Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro?

All Android and iPhone users have complete access to software features and updates for the Elite 85t through the Jabra Sound+ mobile app. You can use the Sound+ app to make granular adjustments to active noise canceling (ANC) intensity, toggle HearThru mode, locate the earbuds, and more. Jabra also includes a five-band custom EQ module, which you can use to adjust the sound profile. These settings are then saved to the earbuds and applied no matter what source device you use.

You can also create three different presets called “Moments” for different environments you plan to use the Elite 85t in (My Moment, Commute, and Focus). Each option presents you with a certain level of ANC or HearThru, and you can customize the intensity of either to your liking. Cycling between these situational recipes is much faster than making small changes every time you wear the earphones.

The Samsung Galaxy Wearable app is a bit more limited, and exclusive to the Android OS. Apple has its own Samsung Galaxy Buds app, but it doesn’t support the Galaxy Buds Pro. As apps go this one is an excellent complement to the earbuds, and it brings many useful features to the table: you can cycle between ANC levels, enable ambient sound modes, remap the touch controls (although this is limited), select your favorite EQ preset, and more.

You can use the app to toggle speech detection, which automatically registers when you’re in a conversation and enables ambient sound mode for a limited time. Samsung lets you choose the duration of this process from the Wearable app, which you might want to do if you talk to yourself a lot. Another feature, albeit one limited to Samsung Galaxy devices, is Samsung 360 Audio which is its own audio standard; it uses head tracking to place you in the middle of the action during your favorite TV show or movie. This effect is currently limited to Dolby Atmos content, but it’s a great option for traveling movie buffs.

Do Samsung or Jabra’s earbuds have better battery life?

The Jabra Elite 85t lasts 5 hours, 41 minutes on a single charge with ANC enabled at a consistent output of 75 dB—nearly an hour longer than the Galaxy Buds Pro’s battery life of 4 hours, 48 minutes under the same conditions.

Jabra’s case is bigger than the Galaxy Buds Pro case and provides a few extra charge cycles—nearly 19 hours of reserve battery. You get multiple charge cycles from the Galaxy Buds Pro case too, but it totals to 13 hours of extra juice. Again, both USB-C charging cases support wireless charging.

Does the Jabra Elite 85t have better noise canceling than the Galaxy Buds Pro?

Both the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and Jabra Elite 85t had top-notch noise canceling when they were released. The technology has since improved, filtering low frequencies even better, but both sets still make a difference and reduce background noise significantly. As previously noted, both pairs of earbuds feature pressure-relief vents, which reduces the rare dizzying effect some listeners experience when using highly effective ANC headsets.

In order to maximize either set of earbuds’ noise canceling, you need to find the best fit. Optimal passive isolation begets optimal noise cancellation, because ANC technology isn’t effective in high frequencies. This is where incidental sounds are heard like the clang of dishware. Again, both headsets have very good passive isolation too and a comfortable fit in part due to the oblong ear tips. The Jabra Elite 85t earbuds provide a slightly more secure fit, meaning they can passively block out noise with greater consistency.

Noises above 200Hz receive a stronger attenuation on the Elite 85t than the Galaxy Buds Pro. In particular, the ANC here does most of its work between 100Hz and just above 1000Hz (up to 25dB in reduction), after which isolation takes over as the primary method of blocking noise. Below 100Hz the noise canceling tapers off quickly on both earbuds, although, the Galaxy Buds Pro have a little more noise canceling here down to about 60Hz, below that threshold any effect is minimal.

Does Samsung or Jabra have better sounding earbuds?

Samsung-subsidiary AKG tuned the Galaxy Buds Pro, which resulted in a consumer-friendly frequency response, save for some bass and treble emphasis. This means your music will generally sound as the audio engineers intended, but with a bit more oomph in the low end.

Jabra follows a little more of a conservative sound profile, and its Elite 85t earbuds generally under-emphasize frequencies across the board except between 100Hz and 1000Hz. It’s pretty “flat” for consumer earbuds. You might miss some of that low end in the sub-bass, but you ought to hear everything well.

As sub-bass notes aren’t even twice as loud as mids, the exaggerations on the Galaxy Buds Pro still sound reasonable. This means you can eat your cake and have it, too, when you listen with the Galaxy Buds Pro. The same can’t quite be said for the Jabra Elite 85t. You’ll more often have difficulty distinguishing detail and clarity with Jabra’s earbuds, particularly during busy song segments like a chorus or loud bridge. This is because the Elite 85t under-emphasises the highs, compared to the Galaxy Buds Pro.

At first read, this may make it seem like the Galaxy Buds Pro sound inherently better, but that isn’t quite the entire story. Remember, you can make fine adjustments to the Jabra Elite 85t sound profile from the Jabra Sound+ app, whereas with the Galaxy Wearable app, you’re limited to a handful of EQ presets. That said, Samsung has the more versatile sound right out of the gate.

Is the Jabra Elite 85t or Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro better for phone calls?

Samsung came out swinging with its advanced microphone system. The Galaxy Buds Pro’s microphones relay voices clearly even when outside, due to the wind-reducing hardware. The Jabra Elite 85t mic array is great too, though it noticeably reduces low-frequency sounds. This is good because it combats the proximity effect, when a low-voiced speaker is too close to the mic and causes audio clipping, but it also means some people may sound distant or muffled. Both headsets do a fine job of rejecting distant noise.

Take a few moments to listen to the samples below and rate them; it helps our other readers!

Jabra Elite 85t microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Jabra Elite 85t microphone demo (Office conditions):

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro microphone demo (Office conditions):

Should you buy the Jabra Elite 85t or Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro?

Although both of these earbuds are great, two defining features may push you: price and availability. With the release of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the Galaxy Buds Pro has recently been discontinued and its stock is dwindling. Still, where available, it often costs less than the Jabra Elite 85t and includes more premium features like a greater IP rating, more compact build, and arguably better sound quality.

However, the Elite 85t has its advantages too: the case provides plenty of reserve battery, the earbuds fit a bit more securely, and noise canceling performance is better. While you can’t go wrong with either of these, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is the better deal, unless you have an iPhone which limits you from accessing the app.

The Jabra Elite 85t is the better buy for iPhone users who want to take full advantage of any included software features because its app is available on the App Store. Again, the iOS Galaxy Buds app doesn’t support the Galaxy Buds Pro, which means you miss out on basic and advanced features with the earbuds. Software aside, you may just appreciate the more subdued look of the Elite 85t, and if that’s the case, the extra money may be well spent.

What should you get instead?

iPhone owners who want the best software features, well, you can’t go wrong with the Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation) or (2nd generation). Unlike the unsealed one-size-fits-all of the original AirPods (up to the 3rd generation), the Pro versions fit much better, sound good, and have good ANC.

Samsung has since discontinued the Galaxy Buds Pro and replaced it with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2). These buds still work best on Android devices, and the onboard ANC blows both the Jabra Elite 85t and original Galaxy Buds Pro away.

With a lesser IPX2 rating, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is still a solid option. If you want to retain most of the functionality of the Galaxy Buds Pro, but are pinching your pennies, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 has relatively similar specs and user experience, and it’s still widely available.

What about the other Jabra earbuds?

Jabra has made strides in its own line up since the Elite 85t too. Let’s start with the Elite 4 Active, currently selling for $75 USD. The ANC is similar enough, as is the sound profile to the Elite 85t that it might be worth your time, particularly the durable IP57 rating. It supports aptX and SBC only, so it’s probably not the ideal pick for iOS, but what a stellar value for Android users.

Next you can try the Jabra Elite 5, which has very similar ANC performance as the Elite 85t. Added AAC support coupled with the aptX and SBC codecs makes it a good operating system switch hitter. It has an IP55 rating, which is more than adequate for most. Its relative newness can translate to more long term support compared to the Elite 85t. When on sale it’s worth a gander.

For better noise canceling in the Jabra line, there’s the Elite 7 Active, which cancels a good amount of low frequencies. It’s not like a mute button for the world, but it filters more than the Elite 85t in those lowest frequencies. An IP57 rating makes it a solid all around option, although you only have AAC and SBC codecs. Even so, like most Jabra buds it sounds good. Fortunately, Jabra has good discounts for those willing to wait.

Frequently asked questions about the Samsung and Jabra true wireless earbuds