Jabra Evolve 65t wireless earbuds review: A solid performer but expensive

Brand: Jabra
Product name: Evolve 65t
Key specifications: 6 mm speakers, passive noise cancellation, certified for Unified Communications, HearThrough technology, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity.
Price: ₹39,440 (base price).
Rating: 3/5

Denmark-based Jabra has been a pioneer in Bluetooth wireless earpieces primarily meant for calls and has now branched out into products such as the Evolve 65t that can be used for both music and calls. These are wireless earbuds with four-microphone sound that lasted up to five hours on a single charge (though that can be extended to 15 hours with the included charging case).

The earbuds have 6 mm drivers with a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz in music mode and 100 Hz to 10 kHz in speech mode, and Jabra's HearThrough technology that mixes sounds from around you with the music to improve situational awareness. However, proper configuration of the HearThrough feature requires users to download the Jabra Sound+ app for smartphones, which also offers rudimentary equaliser controls, such as bass and treble boost or optimisation for speech.

The Evolve 65t's Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity worked very effectively most of the time with smartphones, except for a minor glitch encountered once in a while - if the smartphone was kept in one position for quite a while and then moved suddenly, there were momentary dropouts in the left earbud. It couldn't be ascertained if this was a glitch confined to the review device or a bug that affects only certain smartphones. However, these dropouts were very brief and the earbuds recovered quickly.

The Evolve 65t can be simultaneously connected to two devices and most of the controls for calls and music involve single or double taps of the multi-function button on the right earbud. Holding the button provides access to voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri or Google Now on the smartphone.

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The volume is controlled by the up and down buttons on the left earbud. Accessories with the Evolve 65t include a gorgeous black plastic recharge and carry case, a faux leather pouch, a micro-USB cable, three pairs of ear tips and a Jabra Link 370 Bluetooth adapter for using the earbuds with a computer. By the way, if you want to access all the information about the Evolve 65t, you will need to download the manual from Jabra's website.

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Another nice touch is the use of sensory technology that allows the Evolve 65t to auto turn on when the earbuds are removed from the recharge case and auto pause when even one earbud is removed from a user's ear.

The Evolve 65t sounded great for calls, music and movies. Country musician Amy Wilcox's beautifully recorded new album West is a current favourite and the acoustic guitars and mandolins and her vocals came through nice and clear along with ample bass on the earbuds. The emphasis was on the mids and vocals, though the bass was very refined - just that these aren't the earbuds for bass-heads. These earbuds are also great for watching Netflix or use in the gym or any other activity.

The Verdict

You could be forgiven for asking why the Evolve 65t gets only a 3/5 rating in our review if its functions and sounds so good. But it gets docked a point for its price, which is on the higher side given its set of features. This is a solid performer but there are other wireless earbuds that offer performance that's almost as good at a price point that's way lower.