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The market for wireless earbuds is loaded with quality options, but in the sub-$100 range, the selection is generally a bit spottier. We’ve found Jabra’s Elite 3 to be a standout for those on a budget, though, and as of this writing the earbuds are down to $50 at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Jabra’s online store. We’ve seen the Elite 3 hit this price a few times this year, but the discount is still about $15 off the device’s average street price in recent months and $30 off Jabra’s MSRP.
Buy Jabra Elite 3 at Amazon – $50
The earbuds briefly dropped to $47.49 earlier this month, but this matches the lowest price we’ve seen outside of that. It’s also worth noting that Best Buy is marketing this as the Elite 3’s “Black Friday price” as part of a wider early Black Friday promotion, so this is likely to be the earbuds’ going rate during any upcoming holiday sales.
Our audio expert Billy Steele gave the Elite 3 a score of 88 last year, deeming it “the new standard for affordable wireless earbuds” in the process. We were particularly impressed in the sound department: it’s not purely neutral, and it can’t match pricier models like Apple’s AirPods Pro or Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3, but the overall clarity is greater than what you typically get for less than $100, let alone $50, and the bass-forward profile lends tracks a nice amount of body.
We found the Elite 3’s compact design to be light and comfortable in the ear, with reliable physical control buttons on each earpiece. The buds also an IP55 dust and water resistance rating, which is enough to survive most workouts. Battery life comes in at roughly seven hours of continuous use, which is good, with another 20-ish hours available through the included charging case. A recent firmware update also added the ability to create a custom EQ profile, addressing one of the issues we had in our initial review.
To be clear, these are still Jabra’s “budget” earbuds, so their overall feature set is limited compared to more expensive alternatives. There’s no active noise cancellation, no wireless charging support, no ability to connect to more than one device simultaneously, and no automatic pausing when you remove an earpiece. Call quality is just average, and while there is a “HearThrough” ambient sound mode, it generally sounds more muffled than the equivalent on higher-end pairs. Anker’s Soundcore Space A40 is a good budget-friendly alternative for those who want ANC and other advanced features, though it’s pricier at $100.
Nevertheless, the Elite 3’s overall package is still a strong value when it’s discounted to this extent, so consider this a PSA if you’re been looking for a new set of no-frills wireless earbuds without spending a ton.
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