The Rox wireless earbuds are the latest from Jabra. These are touted as offering an ultra-secure fit and massive wireless sound. We've spent quite a bit of time with some of the other Jabra products, and quite honestly, we have really been digging the lineup. Having said that, when Jabra reached out with an offer to check out a set of the Rox wireless earbuds we were pretty anxious. What follows are some thoughts after a week of use.
We suppose everyone has a special reason as to why they like, or prefer wireless headphones. For us that reason is to go running. And to a lesser degree, to wear while doing yard work. Given our past experience with Jabra products we weren't all that worried about the sound quality. Our main concern here was comfort, the overall fit and feel.
We can begin with this, the Jabra Rox wireless earbuds didn't disappoint in terms of sound quality. Similar to other products in the Jabra lineup, these offer Dolby Digital Plus sound and can be paired with the special Jabra sound app. We listened to a mix of music (Play Music), podcasts (DoggCatcher) and audiobooks (Audible) and were happy with the quality across the board.
Jabra includes a variety of "EarGels" and "EarWings" to help achieve the perfect fit. Despite having a set of EarGels that felt like they offered a tight fit, we ended up needing to attach a set of EarWings to keep the earbuds from loosening up and slipping out. Overall not a big deal, an ultimately this setup proved comfortable even for extended time periods (roughly 2 hours at a stretch).
The overall setup feels sturdy and solid. That thought applies to the earbuds and the cable that runs around the back of your neck. In regards to the cable, Jabra has that loaded with a set of inline controls which can be used to play/pause and also raise and lower the volume. Additionally, those same controls allow you to answer any incoming calls.
Jabra suggests these have a battery life of up to 5.5 hours. We were able to get really close, say, about 5 hours. Our longest test was a 2 hour run, which was followed by a bit of down time with the headphones in standby. After that we had them back in for about another 2 hours doing some work around the house, then again back in standby mode overnight. The following morning we knocked out another hour as we settled in to work. All said and done, no reason to complain about battery life.
These earbuds can easily be put in to sleep mode by attaching them (they stick together with "built-in power-saving magnets"). They charge over microUSB, which can be found tucked under the cover on the left earbud. Charging takes a little more than 2 hours to go from empty to full. There is also an LED indicator light on that same left earbud.
A few other highlights here include the easy initial pairing. These are Bluetooth and can be paired like any other set of Bluetooth headphones by heading into the settings on your phone (or tablet). Jabra also has NFC pairing available on the Rox wireless earbuds. To pair using NFC you'll need to slide your phone over the inline control.
Being a runner and living in Florida (which means being outside in hot and humid conditions, with frequent rain storms) -- the IP52 rating was a plus. Essentially, you shouldn't have to worry about being drenched in sweat or getting caught out in a downpour. And in our experience, both of those happened, and the earbuds kept on working.
Bottom line here, these have kept our high opinion of Jabra products and we wouldn't hesitate to offer a recommendation. The Jabra Rox wireless earbuds are currently available (in black or white) and priced at $129.95.
