This comparison is a bit unusual. Usually a comparison has two living competitors. However, in 2024 Jabra announced that it was ending consumer headphone manufacturing altogether. So the Elite 10 is a dead product – a good one, but dead all the same.
We are a company of 14 people. We can’t afford to stop anything, because Henri’s Death Star budget demands constant cash flow. So here’s a comparison between the living and the dead.
How do they differ?
Sound quality is where the NL25 truly shines. Jasse’s tuning and the aptX Adaptive codec mean that music sounds the way it should. Jabra Elite 10 sounded just fine – nothing wrong with it – but Jabra was never an audiophile’s first choice. NL25 has a 20–20,000 Hz frequency response and a bounty of codecs (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive) that makes Jabra’s SBC/AAC duo look a bit drab.
ANC, i.e., noise cancelling. Jabra Elite 10 was perfectly decent at noise cancelling. NL25’s ANC does the same job: it removes airplane drone, office background noise, and most of the neighbor’s renovation drill. Neither will make you deaf. If you expect absolute silence, I recommend a cabin in Enontekiö.
Battery life. NL25 gives 4.5 hours with ANC on, 6 hours without. Jabra Elite 10 promised about 6 hours with ANC. Here Jabra wins on the numbers. That’s an honest fact. But Jabra’s batteries will no longer get updates or support, so in the long run the numbers matter less than you’d think.
Bluetooth. NL25 uses Bluetooth 5.4. Jabra Elite 10 came to market with Bluetooth 5.3. In practice the difference is small, but newer is newer.
Design. NL25 was designed by Jussi Timonen, and it comes with both memory-foam and silicone tips. Jabra’s semi-open design divided opinions – some loved it, others couldn’t get a tight seal. With NL25 you can change the tip size until your head is happy.
Wireless charging. NL25’s case has USB-C and wireless Qi charging. Jabra Elite 10 had the same. A draw.
Why Valco?
The most important reason is simple: we’ll be here tomorrow, too. Jabra won’t. If your Jabra Elite 10 breaks next year, you won’t get spare parts, you won’t get service, you won’t get app updates. Jabra is out of the game.
You can send the NL25 in for service to Kajaani, where Jasse or some other person – a real one, not a chatbot – will fix it. We have a 24-month warranty and our own service. The headphones are repaired, not thrown away. This is the thing no big corporation does, because their business model is based on you buying new ones every two years.
Price is another. NL25 costs a fraction of what Jabra Elite 10 cost at launch. With the savings you can buy beer or support our Death Star project. Both are good options.
And then there’s the sound. Jasse’s ears are insured – not because we’re rich, but because those ears are more valuable than Henri’s Alfa Romeo (which, to be fair, breaks down constantly, so the bar is low).
Who should choose Jabra?
If you find the Jabra Elite 10 on clearance at half price and you know you won’t need warranty, service, or future support – go for it. It’s a perfectly good earbud. It was a perfectly good earbud.
If battery life is the single most important feature for you and a 1.5-hour difference is decisive, Jabra wins on paper. But paper doesn’t repair headphones.
If, on the other hand, you want headphones backed by a real company with real people, it’s worth thinking twice before you invest money in a dead brand.
Summary
| | NL25 | Jabra Elite 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Sound quality | Jasse’s tuning, aptX Adaptive | Pretty OK, basic codecs |
| ANC | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (ANC) | 4.5 h | ~6 h |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes |
| Repairability | In-house service in Kajaani | No more support |
| Warranty | 24 months | Good question |
| Manufacturer alive | Yes | No (on the consumer side) |
NL25 wins in sound quality, repairability, and that small detail that we exist. Jabra wins in battery life. The choice is yours.
Every NL25 purchase funds 0.000001% of our Death Star. Jabra money doesn’t build anything anymore – except maybe office furniture storage. Thanks for your funds in advance.
