Jabra has always been a strong brand in providing communication solutions for the Enterprise market, and quite often, their products can be extended to the consumer segment. The latest Evolve2 are second-generation office headsets that marry best-in-class noise cancellation technology with premium audio sound for the Work from Home era.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 comes with an optional charging stand (shown above) as well as optimized for either Microsoft Teams or for Unified Communication. It also has a USB-C Bluetooth adapter with coordinated LED indicators. The overall design is quite exemplary and well-thought for the target segment, achieving excellent comfort for long hours of wear, thanks to the plush ear cushions, soft interior fabric, and slanted speakers to accommodate the outer ears. The microphone folds flushed against the ear cup when not in use, disguising the headset to look like a pair of normal audio headphones. When folded down, it automatically unmutes on the supported software (Teams, Zoom, etc.), making it an elegant way to switch on and off the mic to prevent unwanted “mic-cidents”. There is also a small button at the end of the mic to manually toggle the mic.
There are other features that the Evolve2 85 is specifically designed for telecommuting. For instance, it has prominent LED indicators on both ear cups to tell people around you if you are in an active call (red) or to tell you if there is an ongoing Teams meeting which you ought to be attending (purple). The headband is adjustable without clicking and causing unnecessary feedback to the other parties.
The active noise canceling works well, achieving close to the benchmark from Sony and Bose, while the HearThrough mode lets in ambient noise without sounding unnaturally amplified. The audio quality makes it very suited for music enjoyment despite only supporting AAC and SBC codecs. Using the Jabra Sound+ smartphone app, you can even adjust the EQ to your liking.
Rating 4.5 / 5
From S$707
We say
The Jabra Evolve2 85 delivers exceptional telecommuting features for the busy office executive as well as immersive audio quality for music lovers and streaming movie buffs.
Technical Specifications
Driver 40mm dynamic
Frequency Response 20 – 20,000 Hz
Sensitivity 117dB @ 1mW-1kHz
Bluetooth codecs SBC, AAC
Bluetooth version 5.0
Talk-time 20 hours (ANC on, busylight on)
Music Play Time 32 hours (ANC on)
Audio Input Bluetooth, 3.5mm analog, Jabra Link 380
Dimensions 198.6 x 160 x 77.3mm
Weight 286g
First published in NXT Magazine November 2020. A digital edition can be purchased at https://www.magzter.com/SG/Kingsman-Media-Pte-Ltd/NXT-/Lifestyle/
