Jabra - Evolve 65 Bluetooth Headset - Black

Was anxious to receive this complimentary Jabra 65 Wireless Headset for my home/office setup because it was promoted and designed so I could comfortably use this headset all day long. And, after over two weeks of constant use I wholeheartedly agree. This headset only weighs 3.84 oz, and has comfortable ear pieces with ultra-soft foam centers. Of course, they are adjustable and come with a handy zippered, carrying pouch, which is great for me to take on the 'road'. The carrying pouch includes a Jabra USB Cable, Jabra Link 370 USB Dongler, and Quick Start Guide. I went on-line to Jabra's website and downloaded the support manual for even more detail. Features I Love About The Jabra Evolve 65: * Impressive Sound Quality – For music it is designed for the mid-ranges, and delivers crystal clear, crisp voice sound. However, it does not have any adjustable user, Equalizer, settings. * Lightweight and Comfortable – For over two weeks I have worn these daily for 6 to 8 hours. They are on-ear headphones as compared to over-ear. They are not noise-canceling. * Easy Operable Controls – Simple controls, very intuitive, and easy to learn. ON/OFF; Bluetooth Paining, Volume UP/DOWN ; Multi-Function button; Additionally, some information is voice enabled announcing the various status of your headphones. There are also LED lights to indicate, ON/OFF, Bluetooth Pairing, and Battery Charging. * Versatile Drop-Down Mic – This mic delivers crisp, clear voice sound. When not in use you can flip it up to be held by a magnet in the headband. It also can be set-up for use on the Left ear by rotating the mic accordingly, which allows 270 degrees of rotation. The mic arm is flexible and can be shaped to your preferences. When using the mic you cannot hear your own voice through the headphones. * Siri and/or Google Assistant Compatible - I love the ability to use Siri to make calls for me (you can use Google Assistant), completely hands-free. WooHoo! * Provides Great Musical Entertainment – While working in my home/office I love to stream music from Pandora through Bluetooth. This stereo headphone set does just that, It is built for passive noise cancellation, which is good when you have a home/office or office environment,so, you can still be aware of anything that may need your attention. * Dual-Connectivity – I can connect my desktop using the Jabra 370 USB Dongle, or direct connection to my desktop and/or laptop using the supplied USB cable. And, also my cell phone through Bluetooth, both at the same time. * Wireless Range - Nearly a 100 Foot of hands-free connectivity to PC, smartphone and/or tablet. I can leave my home office and go for a snack or beverage at the other end of my house, in the kitchen. YooHoo! * On-Line Phone Services – I use Skype, Google Hangouts, and Chromebox. The sound quality on all services is crystal clear and sharp – works great with all of them. * Battery Charge – Although the specs state you can get 10 hours of battery life, I constantly stream music and make and receive numerous calls. I estimate around eight hours is what I get on a full charge. Charging the headphones takes approximately two hours. But, I use my I-Phone, 120V charger, and it is a lot quicker. * Jabra Direct Software – Allows firmware updates, and additional software control features. * Phone Calls – I enable Siri on my SE I-Phone for making calls. The quality of voice sound sending or receiving phone conversations is outstanding. The mic arm, which is flexible, can be adjusted to be very near your mouth. This feature makes a great difference to me over all other headsets, I have ever tried. Features I Wish It Had: * Auxiliary 3.5mm Jack – It would be nice to connect this Jabra 65 to my Surround Sound Receiver. I could then play my oldie-goldie record collection and take advantage of the equalizer settings to enhance the sound of these headphones. Just a wish. * Washable Ear Cups – No mention of any kind of cleaning process and/or sanitation procedures by Jabra. I highly recommend these Jabra Evolve 65 headsets If you work in an office environment, or home/office setting like I do – these are the headphones for you. If you just want headphones for entertainment only, look elsewhere. Even if you don't work in an office kind of venue, but make and receive dozens of phone calls – this is the headphone set you need. I introduced my neighbor, who is in medical equipment sales and makes numerous calls a day, to these Jabra Evolve 65 Headphones, and she recently bought a set at Best Buy. They are inexpensive and you won't be disappointed.

I've been using a very good USB headset at the office as well as my own BT phones for listening from my phone, and then I had the opportunity of using the Jabra Evolve 65. This is one of the most versatile headsets for using with softphones as well as cell phones. The headset is light and comfortable to wear all day. Battery lasts all day. The design doesn't completely block ambient noise when there is no audio playing so I can hear is someone is coming by. The primary distinguishing feature for me is that it can simultaneously connect to a computer (Windows 7 to 10 or macOS) as well as a mobile phone, wirelessly. Keep in mind that it does not mix the audio from both the phone and the computer. It connects to both simultaneously but the sound is from whichever device is active last, not both simultaneously. After installing the optional 'Jabra Direct' software on Windows, connected the headset with the USB cable and it provided the option to upgrade the firmware on the headset. After it was all set, the software recognizes the softphone installed, (Cisco Jabber in this case), but it also supports Skype for Business and several web conferencing solutions. This is optional but provides controls from the headset like volume, hangup, call transfer, mute, etc. On MacOS, which I use elsewhere, the software is 'Jabra Suite' that works similar as in Windows, it installs a preference pane, a menu item icon and a firmware updater app. It also detects installed softphone software like Bria and Skype, also supports IBM SameTime, Avaya one-X and Equinox. The headset can connect via USB directly, keeping it charged and will also recognize it as an USB Audio device (No wireless required), or it can be connected with the Jabra 370 wireless USB adapter, that is Bluetooth but only for the headset, and the PC recognizes it as another USB audio device. At the same time it can be paired via Bluetooth with a mobile phone, Apple iOS in my case, and there is no app to install for these. The center button on one of the headsets can control calls on the mobile phone, and it also has volume controls, but it doesn't have music controls (prev/next). The headset can be worn with the mic on either right or left side and will recognize how it's worn. It will also go on mic mute if the mic is placed on the center of the headset, which also has a light magnet to keep it in place. Another nice feature is that one of the headsets will light up with a red circle if on a call, so co-workers know when not to interrupt. The light can also be turned on or off manually holding both volume controls. Audio for calls is excellent, and mic works well, as expected from business headsets. For music, audio is rich and clear, but without much bass. It doesn't provide the rich sound of enclosed headsets but then again this is not an enclosed headset. After a while got used to the different tone, and music sounds very nice. I can now keep the same headset for phone calls from PC or mobile, PC videos and music from the phone, without cables. The headset also comes with a pouch which also keeps the USB cable and a holder for the USB adapter.

Upon opening the box you will find a black neoprene zippered case with the headphones inside. There’s a very small pouch inside the top edge of the case with a clear window and it contains the Bluetooth dongle for use in your desktop/laptop. There’s also a bright red USB cable that’s 56” long, a quick start manual, a registration card and a EU Declarations book. The first thing I noticed is that these are really light compared to my other wireless Bluetooth headsets and the ear pieces/speakers are noticeably smaller. Putting them on they are extremely comfortable and the small cushions sit comfortably on my ears with very little pressure exerted on them. The earpieces have plenty of adjustment and I could easily fit them to my head with plenty of room for more. They also rotate 90 degrees one direction “for storage” and about 10 degrees the other way to help them sit on your ears, “my other Bluetooth headsets do not have the small rotation for comfort”. On close to the smallest setting they fit my wife perfectly and she commented on how comfortable and light they are. She also noted that she especially liked/appreciated the orange strip on the headband, as where’s she’s from that orange stipe means “good luck”. She usually hates headphones as they are too heavy and she doesn’t like anything completely covering her ears. The inside of the headband has a soft feel rubber coating and it seems to help keep them from sliding around on my head. Before turning them on I plugged in the provided USB cable, attached that to my charger and let it sit for a good hour before trying them out. Pairing was very simple and straightforward, just slide the on/off switch over to the Bluetooth label and hold there for 3 seconds initiating pairing. My Mi Mix 2s paired without any issue. I also tried the NFC pairing with my Sony XZ2 and upon putting the phone up to the headset I instantly received the “Pair” popup on my phone, no problems there. When a device is paired or disconnected you get a nice voice prompt in the headset stating so. I haven’t tried the included USB dongle as I didn’t need it for my gaming laptop to connect to them with no problem at all and everything worked like it should as it did when they were connected to my desktop computer through the USB cable. I have some hearing issues and need to use either hearing aids or a headset while making phone calls or watching TV otherwise I only catch part of the conversation especially if there is any noise or background music while someone is talking. I made multiple phone calls and one fairly long call “45 minutes” and could understand everything without problem. These actually sound quite a bit better than the Sony ones I have. Voices were nice and clear very clean sounding without distortion. Next I tried watching a movie on my phone “Batman Vs Superman” sounded surprisingly good, especially voices. I handed the headset to my wife for her to listen to and she said “wow it’s like being right there”, she was more than impressed with how these sounded. There’s isn’t an overabundance of Bass but I don’t like heavy Bass due to my hearing problems, for me, these are about as close to perfect as they get. During a phone call the ring around the multi-function button will illuminate “red”, if you don’t like that or it’s distracting just press and hold the volume up/down buttons at the same time for three seconds to disable that feature “simple enough”. Both of us really liked the “busy light” as it lets someone know you are on a call, I could have used that many time letting people know I was busy without having to give hand signals that I was “occupied” at the moment. On the same side as the multi-function button are the volume up / down buttons each one situated above and below the multi-function button. This makes it very easy to adjust the volume levels. The Sony headsets have the volume on the side and I have to feel around for those buttons to find them. The movable “boom” microphone is especially nice, you can rotate it around so you can use this headset with the microphone on either the left or right side, my Sony headset doesn’t have a boom mike but the way the speakers are angled you can’t put the controls on whichever side you wish, “right side only in their case”. I do like that you can swing it up and attach the end in the groove in the headband with the built in magnet. My wife thought this was a really nice feature, you can put it up when not in use and adjust it up/down to perfectly position the microphone during a conversation. I also tried out connecting the included USB cable to an open USB port on my desktop computer. Windows found the headphones and immediately set them up for use. These work really well as a set up computer / gaming headphones and do charge while they are connected to the computer. The one thing that I hate about my Sony Bluetooth headset is you cannot use them while they are charging, they shut completely off once you plug them into USB power, with these you can use and charge at the same time. As far as battery life goes, the 10 rated hours is plenty for my needs, I haven’t even used them long enough in a single sitting to drain the battery and it’s simple enough to plug them in while using to keep them charged. I have multiple portable battery packs and that will make it simple to keep them charged up while traveling. It would be nice if the battery life were longer but the small size and light weight of the headphones would make that difficult to achieve. The “Passive” noise cancelling isn’t that strong but it’s good enough for my needs. It does cut down on ambient background noise, just enough to make it less noticeable. I can definitely tell the difference with them on or off, it’s not a lot but it is noticeable, not as much as the Active noise cancelling one of my other set of headphones has. So far I really can’t find anything to complain about, the price is high, but it’s not as high as some other’s I’ve seen by any stretch, a good set of headphones is never going to be inexpensive. These seem to be very well built and are pretty sturdy for the size and weight. Will be interesting to see how these hold up over time.

PROs - Light as a feather with surprisingly full-bodied sound--music performance was good enough that I didn't feel the need to switch to a dedicated music headset for an audio interlude or two - In a brilliant usability touch, the busy light not only glows when on a call, it flashes when a call comes in so in case you put your headset on the table, you still have a visual cue to alert you to an incoming call even if the ringtone has gone to the headset itself - Boom mic swivels fully front to back so you can set up your mic on the left or right side - Magnetic channel provides a [mostly] secure place to keep the boom mic integrated into the headband and out of the way - Just BARELY perceptible audio delay when watching videos on the iPhone or Netflix on the PC...completely serviceable performance for other uses given that this was clearly designed as an office headset - Convenient controls on ear cup made answering calls, changing volume/tracks, pairing, etc. remarkably easy to do one-handed...raised nubs with one or two dots further added to the experience by providing tactile cues as to whether I was pressing the "up" or "down" control - Carrying case actually includes a very tiny inner pocket for the Bluetooth dongle--another nice usability touch - Microphone performance was outstanding--in a bit of unrealistic torture testing, I dictated a 3-paragraph letter on my Surface Pro using Dragon Naturally Speaking while standing in the bathroom with the exhaust fan blowing--only two words were incorrectly recognized! CONs - Clearly made for a wide head as the headband arch is fairly flat/blunt--both my wife and I quickly developed hot spots at the top of our heads while wearing this headset - No headband padding at all--satin-touch plastic is still just hard plastic on the old noggin - Clamping force is actually a little strong for my tastes--despite how light the headset is, I found the pressure on my ears just a bit uncomfortable (YMMV) - The ear pads pivot up and down while the ear cups (where the boom mic is attached) swivel side to side; if the ear cups pivot a bit to match the angle of your ears (like they do on my head), the boom mic is likely to pop out of (and defiantly stay out of) the magnetic channel designed to hold it in place Bottom line--I really wanted to like this headset a lot more than I do--aside from the odd bit of styling flair consisting of a loud orange racing stripe on both sides, this really was a better-than-decent performer, especially for office duty/dictation and phone calls, and was potent/enjoyable enough to keep on the ears for audio or video "breaks" to recharge the soul. Sound quality was excellent (as I've come to expect from the pricier Jabra Bluetooth products) and the microphone performance for dictation was spot-on; telephone performance was also loud and clear for calls placed and received. My only gripe, sadly a deal-killer for me, was the fit...the headband was simply too flat and hard to sit comfortably on my head--the hot-spot became uncomfortable within about 15-20 minutes requiring constant adjustments of the headband which, incidentally, also resulted in constant adjustments to the boom mic to put it back on the magnetic slot that was holding it down. Now, if you have a chance to audition this headset on your own cranium, you might not notice the fit issues at all; in that case, I think you'll be incredibly satisfied with your purchase. But for me (and for my wife), the ergonomics/fit simply killed an otherwise very promising bit of tech.

To get it out of the way early: the sound is good. We put up our headphones next to our usual standbys at home and the output is decidedly clearer with better separation between the high and low tones. Midtones are crisp, which is good because Jabra advertised the Evolve 65 as being useful for phone and Skype calls. Using it on a regular call over Bluetooth (we avoided testing with VoIP apps because they almost uniformly sound better than a typical call), the quality was very clear, both for the headset user and on the other end. Range is also excellent – I was able to leave my phone on the kitchen table and walk across the entire house and the person on the other end could still hear me fine. I appreciate that the headphones come with a USB cable that doubles for audio output with a computer, and that they shine a “busy light” when you’re on a call. Overall, these two features position the headphones as business oriented, so that just makes the decidedly un-businesslike random orange stripes on the headphones baffle me more. If these are professional headphones, why does the busy light glow a sinister red, and the Bluetooth light alternate red before turning vivid blue? Combined with the orange stripe, these form a mishmash of colors that don’t fit any professional palette, definitely not one I would expect to see used in an office. And that leads to the main thing that bothers me about these headphones. Obviously for true audiophiles, sound quality is everything. But the Jabra Evolve 65 falls into this weird midtier price and quality range where the headphones trade as much on their extra features as their audio, and the features as they arrive are really disappointing. The design of the headphones feels cheap. Orange stripe notwithstanding, the plastic construction is hollow and thin. The boom mic is advertised to have a magnetic slot to discreetly stow it along the headband, but this quickly loses its seamless appearance the second you elongate the headphones for fit, and worse, it doesn’t actually stick at all! The moment you put the headphones on it instantly pops out of its slot and refuses to be put back in, making you look ridiculous – unless you were wearing it in the privacy of your office cubicle and nowhere else. The ear cushions are too small to actually cover anyone’s ears, and this instantly tells you their claim of “passive noise cancellation” is really no cancellation. I was listening to John Legend’s latest single and could easily hear my wife smugly remark “You look like you have an antenna sticking out of your head” from across the kitchen. The 10 hour battery life is on the low end of dedicated over-ear headphones available, which usually run about 20-40 hours. Finally, the active button on the side of the Jabra headphones are labeled “NFC” despite having no NFC functionality whatsoever, and I still am at a loss as to why this would be the case. I hope this review adequately explains why I struggle so much to recommend this product. No doubt these headphones sound good, but it’s important to recognize that for $170 you expect a measure of good design with good sound, or excellent sound with poor design, and the Jabra Evolve 65 satisfies neither of these. I get that my criticisms might sound like nitpicks, but these are nitpicks advertised as features you would pay for but not actually be able to enjoy – which begs the question, why not look at a cheaper set that doesn’t offer these but sounds equally good? The short battery life seals the deal as making this a pair of headphones I could only wear to get through the workday, charge when I clock out and not use again until I return to work. Don’t get me wrong – my wife and I both own Jabra products, and we like them a lot. But for the money, it’s hard to see the value in this one.

I recently received this unit and my initial impressions that this is a light but comfortable headset. The headband is made of plastic but a metal band also reinforces it. The headphones are not over-the-ear but rather on-ear meaning the cups press on to your ears rather than cover around your ears. For some there is a presence for the former but in this case, the cups press softly as the cushions are quite comfortable to the ear. Overall, the headphones seem well built but only time will tell if they will be able to handle day-to-day use. The headphones come with a neoprene case, which is a nice addition not found in most headphones. Also, there is a usb dongle included for use with computers without Bluetooth capabilities and also the charging cable can also be used to connect to the headphones and at the same time charge it while in use. Further, the cable included can be used with any usb plug to charge the headphones. Pairing the headphones is a breeze in devices with built-in usb. And if the dongle is used, it is automatically paired to the headphones. I cannot ascertain if the device’s Bluetooth range is really 100 feet as there are numerous walls in my and connections get dropped from time-to-time. But direct range from the device seems to provide a solid connection. I have tested the headphone on iOS devices and on a Windows 10 machine both via Bluetooth and cable. I have done a Face Time call and call quality is impressive. Voice clarity is excellent both in outgoing and incoming parties. I also experimented with Skype on Windows to a Chromebook and I also got the same call quality. Furthermore, I tested this headphone for music and though the clarity is there, bass seems to be lacking. But then again this is not designed really for music. Still the sound is decent enough for use while working in the office. So far, my wish list includes that the headphones should have manual volume and mute controls, a 3.5mm jack and better documentation. These are what prevents me from giving this five stars. But still I would highly recommend this as the main function of this gadget is above expectations.

I connected Jabra Evolve 65 headphone wirelessly to my iPad Air & my android phone and they worked flawlessly. Setup is quick and easy with Bluetooth. It also comes with USB cable, USB adapter, Pouch and Quick start guide. I was streaming audio from Spotify, Plex, and even watched several movies wearing these. Unlike other products this headphones have very balanced sound and very light weight. While the traditional bass is there, it is very obvious they are providing a much cleaner sound now. I was skeptical to buy these after buying and returning a pair of the high end headphones from other companies. This is best wireless headphone made by Jabra and well worth every dime of the purchase. I have owned wired and wireless headphones previously from multiple companies. Those were replaced by Jabra Evolve 65 as my go-to device for listening music. The carrying case is great for maximum protection. Battery life is so good and i was able to listen more than 10 hours with single charge. It works really great for voice calls and music. With Bluetooth Class 1.5, I was able to use this close to 30 meters (100 feet) away from a connected device. This headset has passive noise cancellation feature which will eliminate high frequency noise such as human voices. I really liked the "Busy Light" feature which will turns red to let people know when you are on the phone. It can be turn it on manually as well. While listening music, you can tuck the boom arm away into the headband. NFC worked without any issues. This headset is definitely versatile, offering Bluetooth and wired options. They are easy to use thanks to the quick power-on, power-off, pairing, and the various physical controls. Overall, I am very happy with these headphones and recommend to anyone.

Whenever I see headphones with a mouthpiece, I always think of truckers or that odd guy at the grocery store that wants you to know he wearing a headset. We have all seen him. But the reality of this headset is that it has several applications and can work for the guy at the grocery store, the person at the office switching between devices and someone that just wants to do work on their home PC. It’s a great device. First off, it’s is much more durable than I thought it would be. They are small and sleek, but they are well made. I like how the microphone can be moved and magnetically connect to the head piece so it is out of the way when you just want to listen to something on the computer. The sound is awesome as well. The speakers really put out some clean crisp sound with no distortion to note. They connect well via Bluetooth and they include a USB adapter to put in your computer for those that don’t have Bluetooth capabilities. You can actually switch between multiple devices when you are using it, not like standard headphones that can only be on one connection at a time. They also say that have a 100 foot range for the Bluetooth connect. I have not tested that, but I have walked upstairs in my house and the connection stayed while I was doing that. I neglected to mention the Evolve 65 has noose cancellation. And since they sit on the ear and don’t cup it like some headphone do, you can still hear important things around you, just at a reduced level. It works really well by the way, just like some of the high end brands such as Bose or the like. Personally, I didn’t expect it to work as well as it did. I was happily surprised. One complaint I read is that it doesn’t have a 3.5 mm connection. Well, if you are buying a Bluetooth product, in this day and age you have to expect that don’t you? If you want that sort of device, you should get the Jabra Evolve 40 vice the 65. It’s comes with that connection and appears to be identical as far as features go. All and all, this is an outstanding product and it comes with everything you need including a case to carry it in. I’d say it’s great for extended wear, as it does not cause a lot of pressure anywhere and the pads on the ears are soft and conforming. I’d recommend this to anyone that routinely wears such a device for work, or the person that just wants to talk to family and friends with greater ease. The price is reasonable for what you get. I’m very happy with it.