Jabra has been a mainstay in the true wireless headset category since 2018, but it won’t be anymore. After a short time, two new products appeared in the Elite series this weekannounced that the parent company is GN closure its consumer headphone business focuses on other audio devices. The news came as a shock given the timing and quickly quelled any excitement surrounding the second-generation Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active.
“This announcement by GN is intended to focus resources and efforts on Jabra’s enterprise products, including enterprise-grade wireless headsets, as well as audio, including video and OTC hearing aids,” a Jabra spokesperson told Engadget. “While this may hinder the long-term development of the Elite and Talk product lines, it does not mean that the product names will cease to exist and existing products will continue to exist. Customers will be able to purchase them through their usual online and retail channels, as well as on Jabra.com, and the products will be supported throughout their life as normal.”
Jabra wasn’t the first company to make true wireless headphones, but it was one of the first to make a lasting impression. It debuted in 2018 Elite 65t, the first set I felt was really compelling. Jabra’s version was smaller and therefore more comfortable than its competitors. They also offered better sound quality and a more reliable connection than much of the existing competition.
With subsequent releases, the company has revised its formula consistently supported by its parent company. GN’s decade of experience in hearing aids has provided useful insights for Jabra’s truly wireless products, especially when it comes to ergonomic design. Jabra was one of the first companies to dramatically shrink the size of its buds, while some competitors still struggle to balance size and fit today.
Jabra seemed to have carved out a niche for itself with headphones that offered a full feature set at lower prices than its main competitors, such as Apple, Bose and Sony. And until about 2020, the company succeeded in offering an attractive alternative to the big brands. At the time, many headphone companies were still trying to refine their formulas to offer the most complete set of buds with the best performance. Chasing Jabra, Elite 75t, was what I describe as a “leap from good to great.” But even so, the 75t lacked active noise cancellation (ANC), despite its smaller, more comfortable design, improved sound and longer battery life.
Ultimately, the Jabra can never quite match the likes of Bose and Sony in terms of ANC performance and overall sound quality. Nevertheless, Jabra was in fourth place in the headset market at the end of 2023. According to Global Market Insights. It surpassed Apple, Samsung and Sony in terms of overall market share.
Jabra continued to expand its lineup with affordable alternatives Up to $80. Perhaps this expansion was its downfall: the company currently offers five different models as part of its lineup, some with significant overlap.
GN explained this week that it is “refocusing” on more premium true wireless products in 2023. Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active had led to “stronger profitability than before”. However, he saw the writing on the wall: the headphone market is becoming increasingly crowded and competitive. The company knows that the investment required to develop enough “future innovations” to maintain its position was unsustainable. So, even after the launch of its latest Elite product, Jabra is giving up.
“We have demonstrated that we can compete even in the most difficult categories,” GN Store Nord CEO Peter Karlstromer said in a statement. “Markets have changed over time, and it’s our assessment today that we’re not getting a fair return on investment compared to many other opportunities we have in our audio, enterprise and gaming businesses.”
At an exciting time for the company following the introduction of new models, Jabra is instead heading towards the end. The company has committed to supporting the products for “several years”, but I wasn’t expecting any new features. Instead, we’ll see subtle updates focused on maintenance rather than significant improvements. It’s going to be a tough sell for your newly announced product when you’re already packing up the store.
The company will now focus on enterprise, over-the-counter hearing aids and gaming devices. However, this does not mean that Jabra will completely stop producing headphones. While realizing that the consumer market is not a sustainable area for future investment, the company still believes in true wireless headphones. “True wireless innovation is still at the heart of many of Jabra’s products, so the company will remain in the headset market through other product lines,” the spokesperson explained.
However, it is time for the company to act. A few releases after the Elite 65t, Jabra still isn’t on par with Bose and Sony when it comes to noise-canceling capabilities or overall sound quality. Not that it was ever far away, but it wasn’t nipping at their heels either.
Jabra may have been one of the first to truly deliver a reliable set of true wireless headphones, but it blew that lead by failing to outpace the competition. Ahead of its competitors, it introduced conveniences such as multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, a feature now common among newer products. Even its two latest models are equipped with an LE Audio transmission box that allows you to send audio from devices with a USB-C or 3.5 mm jack. Not the first industry, but another area where the company was an early adopter.
However, at some point along the way, Jabra’s headphones went from great to good. Not because they really drop in quality, but because they don’t stand out from the competition.
