Design-wise the Jabra Evolve2 Buds are as plain as they come. Matte finish black overall, the package comes with three sizes of silicone tips. The charging case is bigger compared some of the recent TWS earbud cases in the markets. It has an LED at the front and the USB-C charging port at the back. 

Once I’d downloaded the Jabra Sound+ app, setting up was easy, along with a quick fit check, ANC and sound profile customisation. One advantage is that I can choose to use just one earbud for calls, while the other rests in the case. This might be ideal in office spaces or while travelling where you do need to keep tab of what’s happening around you. 

User experience

On either bud, I could take or reject calls and mute the microphone. Specifically on the left, I could turn the volume down with a long press and toggle through ANC and HearThrough. On the right, I could play or pause music or skip through tracks, and turn the volume up with a long press. 

There’s multipoint support on the earbuds which was especially handy when I wanted to stay connected to the work laptop as well as my smartphone. Switching was pretty seamless, supported by the fact that the earbuds support the latest Bluetooth 5.2 standard. 

One of the things that really didn’t work for me is the on-the-bud controls. All controls on the earpieces need a press and not just a tap or touch. This basically meant each time I needed to play, pause or change volume - among other things  - there was no choice but to have the earbud push uncomfortably against my ear canal. I hate the sensation and found myself trying to hold the earbud still with two fingers as I tried executing commands with a third. Overall, not a very smooth experience. I have to say this is a drawback not so much of the form factor as it is with not having a capactitive interface. 

Acoustics

The acoustics on the Jabra Evolve2 Buds were pretty decent. The sound profile leans a bit towards highlighting the bass more. Vocals and treble in most soundtracks don’t really shine, as a result. I usually don’t enjoy a bass-heavy profile, so I made use of the custom EQ presets pretty soon into the experience. 

Call Quality

I used the Jabra Evolve2 Buds to tune in to a couple of webinars and the audio quality was crystal clear.  Certified for apps like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, the USB adapter it comes with does provide a more stable connection on laptops. 

Indoors, when I spoke, my voice carried through clearly but outdoors it didn’t perform so well. When I was catching up on a couple of quick calls on my way to work, the people on the other end of the call couldn’t hear me clearly. When they said my  voice sounded quite muffled I thought it must be the face mask, but it didn’t seem to get any clearer even after I took the mask off while walking down the road.

I liked the fact that I could dial up the intensity of the ANC depending on where I am and how much I want to tune out. While the ANC customisation during set-up is extensive, the overall effect of the ANC wasn’t as powerful as its competitors such as the latest-gen Apple AirPods Pro. Also, when the ANC kicked it, it didn’t create that uncomfortable pressure some earbuds do, so at least that’s a win!

Battery Life

Jabra claims that the earbuds can last up to eight hours per charge with ANC on, or up to 10 hours without it. It pretty much lived up to the claim. The case went through two charging cycles for the earbuds before I had to plug that back in.

Verdict

While Jabra Evolve2 Buds gets the acoustics right, and offers the user a fair bit of freedom in customising their experience with the buds, it falls short when it comes to powerful ANC and also pricing the device right. With competitors like the Apple AirPods and the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Jabra needs to up its aesthetic, user interface and ANC game to stand as an equal in this price range. 

Snapshot
Price - Rs 39,122
Pros: Sound quality, customisation options
Cons: Expensive for what it offers, average ANC  
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