Review on 🎧 Jabra Elite 45h Wireless Headphones, Copper Black - Superior Speakers, Extended Battery Life, Rapid Charge by Omar Alradwan

I haven't had on-ear headphones for a long time. I usually use in-ear headphones or true wireless headphones for everyday computing. Over-ear headphones are great for casual use on video calls, podcasts, and the occasional YouTube or Netflix show, while true wireless headphones are great when I need to tune into an all-day meeting and focus on a task at hand with little or no interruption to block the outside world. I don't use ANC headphones because of the cost to get started and a desire for situational awareness (maybe I'll try it one day). I got these earphones as I'm back in the office now and need to keep an eye on my surroundings (I hate when people sneak up on me) but I also have to be on video calls a lot more than I used to be pre-Covid . I figured they would be an easy option to bridge the gap between my headphone and earbud preferences. I don't use them for running, exercising, cycling, commuting, gaming or anything else. These are strictly my work headphones, so my review is based on this use case. Sound: Definitely the best feature. These are the best sub-$150 headphones I've ever used. Even without full noise isolation, I find they offer a truly immersive listening experience when listening to podcasts, rock, metal, and jazz. The initial sound setting in the app probably has something to do with this, but I think they just work fine. Technology/Coupling/Connection: Very easy to connect and use. The connection seems very stable but is compatible with any decent pair of headphones. Nothing special. The pairing process has a toggle switch that makes it intuitive, and you don't need an app to add devices. You can also pair 2 devices with clear audio feedback when those devices are connected. I didn't think I would need this feature, but it was very convenient to have my home phone and work computer connected at the same time. The physical volume buttons are a little hard to find by touch, but this is a very useful feature compared to capacitive buttons/gestures or app-based controls. I miss the 3.5mm connectivity, but that's a small price to pay for well-designed wireless connections. Battery: The battery life is long. I can get through most of the week on a single charge, on par with some of the larger in-ears I've used. It takes a few hours to charge, but the fast charge feature is a good safety net. I don't need it yet, but it's nice to know that a 10-minute charge will keep me going for a considerable amount of time for a video call or an important meeting. USB-C charging is also a welcome upgrade, as many other brands are still sticking with the old Micro-USB. Calls: Things aren't going so perfectly here. The default mode is to play part of your voice through the headphones when the microphone is active. I find this feature just a fuzzy echo that distracts me every time I turn on my mic in a meeting. Luckily you can turn it off. What I haven't solved is that my video conferencing app (Microsoft Teams) doesn't always use these headphones for audio. I have to manually change the speaker settings almost every time. I suspect it has something to do with the Bluetooth connection of multiple devices, but walking into a meeting and fumbling around for 10 seconds to hear someone is frustrating. Fit: This is where these headphones REALLY fall out of favor. I have large, bony ears that get very hot with over-ear headphones. I received in-ear headphones to reduce the heat build-up and fatigue of the in-ear headphones. However, memory foam ear pads cause the same problems. The foam is very comfortable for 5-10 minutes, but then it sinks in and shrinks. This is great for noise isolation as the earcups conform to the shape of your ear, but I didn't buy in-ears for that. Also, anyone who has slept on a memory foam mattress can tell you that it is NOT breathable. The heat build-up is intense. I have to reposition my headphones every 30 minutes to allow my earlobes to breathe. Finally, I think some of the fit issues could be solved if the headband wasn't so stiff/tight. These earbuds don't stay in place when you're very active. So why make a headband stiff and squeeze the earcups too hard? I have a medium sized oval head. People with round, oblong, or very large skulls are likely to experience more fatigue. In general, these are good headphones. The range of functions is well thought out down to the smallest detail, intuitively clear, the sound is excellent. Unfortunately, that's all if they don't feel well. I'm willing to work with connection/calling issues as there is likely a setup solution to fix these issues. I'll definitely consider buying Jabra headphones in the future, but hopefully I'll be able to try them on in a store first.