If you are keen on upgrading your existing headphone to a luxury model, then today is your lucky day. We are going to be talking about two top-end models that are from popular manufactures in the world.
They are the Jabra Elite 85H Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones vs the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Industry Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones. As you might know, Jabra has managed to make a name for itself with several models released in the market.
It looks like things are going to get better for them with the release of the Jabra Elite 85H noise-cancelling wireless headphone. If you have read our reviews, then you would know that we do not mention this; it is quite versatile.
You can make use of it for several purposes. Its audio reproduction is quite sublime. You can prefer using it for any kind of music genre that you would like. The ANC is phenomenal and comes with plenty to talk about.
It can block out unwanted noise and give the user a beautiful listening experience. The unit is quite similar to other high-end ANC headphones. The fitting is quite exceptional, and the microphone can do its job.
We may want to mention the battery working life that is one of the best in the market. Its wireless capabilities can be put to the test, and excel there. They can provide any user with the kind of response that offer great value that they expect from it.
Sony produces some exceptional headphones for the market. Their models are quite exciting and are well accepted by users globally. The WH-1000XM3 was quite a hit among the people because it came with several top-notch qualities in it.
They went ahead and made the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphone with sublime features embedded in it. We can say that the unit has outdone the predecessor quite a bit. For example, the design style and the battery life are almost on par with the earlier model.
However, there were minor issues in the previous model. They are the sound performance, touch-sensitive control, multi-device pairing, and lengthy battery life. These have been sorted nicely, and the headphone excels in almost every department that they were put to the test.
It has powerful noise isolation features due to the ANC feature that comes in them. Besides, they are elegant in looks and have good bass. Not to mention, you can enhance the sound performance using the graphic EQ and presets found on the Sony Connect app.
So, when you compare the design, audio quality, microphone, price, and connectivity, how does the Jabra Elite 85H headphone do against the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphone. That is for you to know by reading the review and finding out the winner we mentioned in the end.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Jabra Elite 85H | Sony WH-1000XM4 |
| PROS | PROS |
| The unit comes with remarkable comfort. The model is outstanding for its audio reproduction. It has an exceptional wireless range. It comes with magnificent battery working life. The headphone comes with SmartSound. | The model is able to provide you with a comfortable fit for prolonged hours The unit comes with touch sensor controls. It comes with opulent noise cancelling having dual noise sensor technology. It has the edge-AI that was developed with Sony Music Studios. The headphone can work for more than 30 hours with a quick charge. |
| CONS | CONS |
| The in-ear headphones ANC is average for the price range. | The headphone can fall off your head with moderate movement. |
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4 – Specifications
| Jabra Elite 85H | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Elite 85h Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones | WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones |
| Brand | Jabra | Sony |
| Noise Cancelling Active | Yes | Yes |
| Sound Mode | Stereo | Stereo |
| Connection Type | Wireless | Wireless |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth | Bluetooth, NFC |
| True Wireless | No | No |
| Maximum Wireless Range | 98 feet | |
| Water Resistant | Yes | No |
| Built-In Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone Features | Noise cancelling | Noise cancelling |
| Headphone Fit | Over-the-Ear | Over-the-Ear |
| Adjustable Headband | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 36 hours | 30 hours |
| Battery Charge Time | 2.5 hours | |
| Works With | Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 Year |
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Design & Comfort
The Jabra Elite 85H noise-cancelling wireless headphone is compact and come with a beautiful design. Users can say that it is unconventional and has a fabric covering them. That gives the model a nice look and feel to it.
Its earcups are quite big, and the padding is exceptional. The headphones have a monochrome color scheme on them. You can find that the model comes in various tones like navy, black, titanium black, and gold beige.
We found most of the tones appealing, and you can choose the color depending on your taste. However, lighter colors tend to attract more sweat and dust on them. So, it is always best to choose dark tones like black and blue.
They tend to last longer also. These are premium headphones, and users can expect them to look amazing, which they quite do. Since the padding is quite unconventional, they are quite comfortable also.
They can cover your ears nicely and efficiently. Some may find it tight because of the large head. Otherwise, the unit does not expand much at all. You can note that the model feels remarkably light when you wear them for prolonged hours.
You do not feel any sort of fatigue on them. The control scheme on them is fantastic. Some common functions like music management, making calls, skipping tracks, volume controls can be done magnificently.
As they are closed-back headphones, they tend to trap the heat quickly. If you reside in a hot place, you might want to think again. Likewise, the Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling wireless headphone comes with a splendid design.
Many users have said that the design pattern is the same as the earlier headphone. While it is true, the comfort factor cannot be denied. Sony has always produced opulently comfortable headphones for the market.
The padding and the finish are outstanding and right on the money. It’s the padding on the earcups. It is remarkable. Users can find them in three color tones, black, silver, and midnight blue. However, you can get a limited edition of the silent white to celebrate Sony’s 75th anniversary.
It is lightweight and nicely padded. They offer ample protection to your head. You can be able to wear them for several hours. There is no fatigue when you put them on for long periods, and you can think of the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 model.
A new feature is there, the speak-to-chat function in them. Its breathability was very disappointing. You can notice that the heat gets inside quickly, decreasing the airflow. You can consider using them for casual purposes, but you can sweat more if you wear them physically.
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Build Quality
The Jabra Elite 85H headphone is bulky and not very portable. You may not consider them for your journey’s. But you can fold them and place them inside a carry case that is quite robust. They come nicely built and have dense earcups in them.
It has a nice build quality in them that are quite robust. Our tester found the hinges designed weirdly but acceptable. We cannot say that they are similar to the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9i Wireless design.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphone comes with the decent build quality. Sony has managed to produce durable products over the years. However, the headphone segment is not one of them. They are quite large and traveling with them can be a bother.
It has an opulent carry case that enables you to place them inside and take them with you when you want to. But the look and feel are superb. You can feel the headband’s durability when you move it around, and they are quite flexible.
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Audio Performance
Both the design & build quality was almost close between the two headphones. How about their audio performance? Being premium headphones, your expectations can be quite high. Let us see if they are able to justify it.
The Jabra Elite 85H noise-cancelling wireless headphone has microphones that are able to remove the sounds effectively. This lets you to listen to amazing quality music. The moment the microphones are activated, the ANC is also turned on.
This is a nice feature in the headphone. Through the companion app, you can customize the degree of the model. It can block the sound of the air conditioning system effectively. You can now do your work peacefully.
The sound is heard exceptionally well if you listen to any kind of song or genre. The bass is magnificent and balanced. You can listen to all the notes clearly. That is what you can expect from a top-end model that is sold in the market.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling wireless headphone comes with remarkable sound quality. If one were to compare these to most of the units in the market, then this is a clear winner out there.
It has an in-house spatial 360 reality audio feature. They first introduced it in the Sony WF-SP800N wireless earphones. This audio format makes use of object-based spatial technology. Using this, proper hearing experience is given to you.
Additionally, streaming apps like Deezer and Tidal can be used for listening to songs with the format on the headphone. The amount of noise cancellation can be customized using these headphones.
However, the best part of the headphone would be the noise cancellation. This is possible due to the Q1N processor that is present on them. Everything is removed from your view. Only the song is heard if you wear the headphone in a subway station and turn on the ANC.
It is that good and has to be experienced to be believed. The quality of the songs is also acceptable. It has a dynamic sound coming with punchy bass. Users would like the fact that they support both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Microphone Performance
The microphone performance in both the headphones do not necessary, have to be a main criteria for choosing them. The Jabra Elite 85H headphone has a good microphone performance.
It comes with a total 8 microphones. Close to 6 microphones are used during a call and then reduce the background noise. This immensely enhances the quality of the conversation that you have.
The individual at the other end will be pleased with hear your voice quite clearly. It is the same with recording audio or chatting during the games. The recording quality is matchless and outstanding.
It also has a mute microphone button. The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphone provides you with a decent microphone quality. It supports hands-free calling and comes with 5 built-in microphones.
The voice can be picked up quite clearly because of the precise voice pick technology. You find the HD noise-canceling processor QN1 that uses the advanced audio signal processing. The audio is clear for you to listen.
All in all, both the models offer you with a stunning microphone. But the Jabra was more controlled and offered you eloquent noise quality. Users on the other side of the conversation can hear consumers quite well.
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Compatibility
The Jabra Elite 85H headphone comes with physical buttons. You can find the buttons on the left as well as on the right side of the earcup. The connectivity on the headphone is good and fantastic.
It can maintain a stable connection from 10 meters of range. There is no decrease in the connectivity having the same radius. There is ample support for Bluetooth 5.0 and multi-point connectivity.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphone has touch controls. The touch control scheme feels good and is easy to work with. You can do anything you want to with the control buttons. They can be done with a tap.
It may take some time to get used to. The model comes with a slight advantage over the counterpart as they support LDAC codec, AAC, and SBC. The sound quality and the higher bandwidth make this unit a little better.
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Price
The Jabra Elite 85H wireless headphones are priced under $276. It comes with the sound cancelling feature in the form of the SmartSound Audio technology. The environment is calculated, and it then automatically applies personalized audio likewise.
It has a lengthy battery working life. The model can work for 36 hours on a single charge. The microphone capabilities are tremendous and have 8 built-in microphones. Out of them, close to 6 can block out unwanted sound and enhance the quality of the calls.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones are priced under $299. It comes with the touch sensor controls that help you to play, pause, and skip tracks. The control volume also answers phone calls and activates your voice assistant.
Users can also make use of the speak-to-chat feature that decreases the volume. It is able to reduce the volume when you are having a conversation with somebody else. You can use the wearing detection feature found in it that pauses the playback when the model is removed.
Jabra Elite 85H vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Verdict
We have concluded our comparison review between the Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones vs the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Industry Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones.
We hope that you were able to make up your mind about the models. If you have not, then we suggest that you read it again. The Jabra Elite 85H wireless headphone is good for neutral listening.
It comes with punchy bass, and it is also thumpy that some consumers may like. You would also like the mid-range that is splendid. Our tester also noticed the treble range is also quite fantastic.
However, there might be a lack a bit of detail and brightness on the leads. All in all, the headphones have a remarkable audio reproduction that is excellent for using to hear for various sound genres.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphone is quite magnificent for use when travelling and commuting. It is not very portable or lightweight. The unit has a hard carrying case that you can use for protecting the headphone from getting damaged.
You can wear them for long hours without having to worry about getting fatigued. Besides, the active noise cancelling feature present in them blocks out the bass noises effectively. Consumers can enjoy the music without any distractions.
The Jabra Elite 85H unit could be the better one as it comes with 6 hours longer battery working life. It is resistant to sweat, has 3 more microphones, has a 0.5-hour short charge time. It has a 1-year extra manufacture warranty and is free from cables.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 unit might be better with the 6Hz lower low-frequency, 20000Hz higher high-frequency, and it also comes with a neodymium magnet. It is 43 grams lighter, comes with an L-shaped plug, and supports NFC Bluetooth pairing.
Our winner in this comparison review between the Jabra Elite 85H Wireless headphone vs the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless headphone is the Sony unit. The build quality and the active noise cancellation features in them is second to none.
Jabra has made a phenomenal model with the Elite 85H wireless; it is truly elite in its own way but falls just short of the WH-1000XM4. Other features present on the Sony model make it sublime, like bass, using the graphic EQ, and presets.
James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.