- Bass-forward and bright audio performance
- Resistant to dust and water
- HearThrough mode lets you monitor your surroundings
- Sculpted sound signature not for those seeking accuracy
- App lacks adjustable EQ
Jabra's Elite 3 true wireless earphones are about as simple as it gets. There's no noise cancellation, no customizable EQ, and no other game-changing features to speak of, but for $79.99, there doesn't have to be. The focus here is pretty squarely on audio performance, and fans of bass-forward (but balanced) sound will be pleased with what the Elite 3’s drivers are capable of. There’s boosting in the lows without things getting overly thunderous, and there’s also solid clarity in the highs. The app offers various music modes, if not adjustable EQ. While the Elite 3 may lack some of the wow factor more expensive Jabra models can deliver, there’s very little to complain about here, especially for such a reasonable price.
Simple and Colorful
Available in black, blue, gold, or lavender models, the Elite 3 earpieces have a somewhat chunky build, but feel lightweight and secure in the ear, and their eggshell-like finish is easier to grip than some of the glossier earpieces we test. Jabra markets the design as “noise isolating,” and while the in-canal fit creates an excellent seal and does indeed block out some noise passively, this is true of the majority of in-canal earphones we test, and it is not the same as active noise cancellation. You get three pairs of silicone eartips in small, medium, and large sizes.
The on-ear controls aren't mirrored, so each ear works differently. Pressing the push-button panel on the left ear once enables or disables HearThrough mode, which lets you monitor your surroundings. A single press on the right earpiece controls playback, while double and triple presses on the right ear skip forward or backward a track, respectively. Two presses on the left ear summons your phone's voice assistant.
An IP55 rating means the earpieces are protected to a high level against dust ingress, but aren't dustproof, and can withstand water projected from any angle, but not serious water pressure or being submerged. So rain and sweat are fine, but washing the earphones off under a faucet is risky, and dunking them is a bad idea. The charging case, as usual, isn’t water resistant, so the earphones need to be fully dry before being docked inside.
The Jabra Sound+ app is a one-size-fits-all Android/iOS app that has an intuitive user interface, but falls a bit short in the features department. Instead of adjustable EQ, there are only music presets, like Neutral (the default setting), Bass Boost, Treble Boost, and Energize. We don’t necessarily expect an app with adjustable EQ in this price range, but since the app already exists, it feels like a missed opportunity. Other than the music settings, you can turn HearThrough mode on or off, download the latest firmware, and make some basic settings adjustments. You can also set the earphones to work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, though this functionality wasn't yet available at the time of testing.
Internally, 6mm drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2 and support AptX and SBC codecs, but not AAC.
The case is compact and has the same matte finish as the earpieces. Its lunchbox-like shape has a flip-top lid, with a status LED on the front panel and a USB-C port on the back. A relatively short USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable is included.
Jabra estimates the battery life to be roughly 7 hours, with the case holding another 21 hours, but your results will vary with your volume levels.
Jabra Elite 3 Sound Quality
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the earphones deliver a palpable thump and the drivers don’t distort, even at top, unwise listening levels. At more moderate levels, the lows are still rich and full, but are also well balanced with higher-frequency presence.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Elite 3’s general sound signature. The drums on this track get some added bass depth, but never veer into overly thunderous territory. Callahan’s vocals get a solid balance of low-mid richness and high-mid crispness—you might want a little bit more bass depth or high-mid treble edge, but this is where the in-app music presets can help a bit. As is, this is a sculpted but balanced mix, with strong bass response that never sounds overly boosted, and detailed highs that never seem too bright.
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On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives enough high-mid presence for its attack to retain some of its punchiness, but it’s the vinyl crackle and hiss usually relegated to background status that seem to take a step forward in the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with laudable depth—the drivers are able to reproduce relatively deep, subwoofer-like lows, and manage to do so without overwhelming the mix. The vocals on this track are delivered with strong clarity and not much added sibilance.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, are delivered with some added bass depth that pushes the lower-register instrumentation forward in the mix, albeit in a subtle manner. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals retain their brightness and dominance in the mix, so things sound crisp and clear.
The four MEMS-mic array offers solid intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone, we could understand every word we recorded. The mic array delivers a strong signal, and Bluetooth audio artifacts are still audible, but they’re not overwhelming. On a clear signal, callers should understand you easily.
All About the Audio
At $80, the Jabra Elite 3 earphones are simple and relatively affordable. The focus here is on audio, with a bass-forward but balanced sound that will appeal to most listeners. Are they the best sub-$100 true wireless in-ears? It's hard to argue against them from a sound quality perspective, though our Editors' Choice winner remains the Anker Soundcore Life P3 for adding active noise cancellation to the mix for the same price. If you're looking to spend less, meanwhile, the $44 Wyze Buds are another no-frills offering worth considering, while the $40 Tribit Flybuds 3 feature a fully waterproof build for heavy exercise.