Do you want the best headset? 
Jabra has no shortages of available headsets in their product line. The fact that they have so many models to choose from, can sometimes make it confusing as to what features separate them from one another.
In this blog, I’m going to compare two wireless headsets within their respective lines, the Evolve series and the Engage series. Specifically, I’ll be doing a side-by-side comparison of the Evole2 65, double ear wireless Bluetooth / USB headset, and the Engage 65 Duo Dect USB/ Desk Phone wireless headset. I’ll look at their specifications and see how they’re similar and how they’re different.
| Model | Connectivity |
| Jabra Engage 55 | Computer only via USB Dongle (DECT 6.0) |
| Jabra Engage 65 | Desk Phone + Computer (DECT 6.0) |
| Jabra Engage 75 | Desk Phone + Computer + Mobile (DECT 6.0) |
| Jabra Evolve Series | Mobile phone + Computer (Bluetooth) |
Jabra Engage Vs Evolve Video Comparison
If you’re still with me here and reading along, then let’s break down these two wireless headsets to see how they compare.
Connectivity
The Evolve2 65 is a wireless Bluetooth, double ear headset that’s designed to be used with your computer applications like Skype for Business, Zoom video conferencing, RingCentral calls, Microsoft Teams etc, and connectivity to mobile devices like mobile phones or tablets.
The Engage 65 Duo is a wireless Dect double ear headset that works with desk phones like analog phones, digital, or Voice over iP (Voip), and can also be used with computers in the same way you’d use the Evolve2 65 model.
So the key difference between these two wireless headsets relative to connectivity is one is essentially Bluetooth (Evolve2 65) and one is a Dect headset (Engage 65). This difference does have an affect on wireless talk range which will be covered a little later.
Evolve2 65 uses Bluetooth version 5.0
Engage 65 uses Dect 6.0
Weight of the headset
The Evolve2 65 tips the scales at 6.2 ounces
The Engage 65 Duo weighs 2.9 ounces
As you can see, there’s quite a bit of difference between the two in the weight department. The Evolve2 65 is designed to be more of a media type headset with a lot of focus on music and other similar type uses. As a result, there’s more emphasis on speakers and design. This tends to make media type headsets a bit heavier.
By contrast, the Engage 65 Duo is designed to be used within an office environment. Specifically connecting to desk phones and a computer. As a result, these types of headsets are normally designed to contain less mass, and consequently, they’re lighter.
Another reason they’re made to be lighter is many will wear these kinds of headsets for extended periods of time. In some cases, all day long, so they must be lightweight and comfortable.
Headset manufacturers today have become very skilled at making headsets comfortable. Even though the Evolve2 65 weighs significantly more than the Engage model, you’ll still find the Evolve2 65 to be a comfortable headset though for extended periods of time, the Engage would likely come out on top.
Battery life - talk time
The battery on Evolve2 65 is rated at 35 hours if the busy light isn’t used, and 24 hours if it is. Recharge time is up to 90 minutes, with 40% battery after 30 minutes of charge time, and 80% battery after 60.
The Engage 65 Duo battery is rated to deliver up to 13 hours and 40% battery after 30 minutes of charging.
Clearly the Evolve2 65 has a distinct advantage in battery life over the Engage 65 Duo. It does make sense given that the Evolve2 65 is more geared towards media related applications where the battery life plays an important role.
Microphone
The Evolve2 65 has a noise cancelling microphone to help remove unwanted background noise. It also features a 3 microphone array designed to enhance voice communications clarity and quality of sound.
When the microphone boom is raised up, it automatically mutes the microphone. When it’s returned to the home position, it turns the microphone back on. A very convenient feature.
The Engage 65 Duo has a directional, noise cancelling microphone. This microphone is also designed to remove unwanted background noise like the Evolve2 65. As best as I can tell, the Engage 65 Duo comes with a single microphone where the Evolve2 65 has a 3 mic array.
On the surface that would seem better, and it might be. However, you should judge for yourself by watching the video (above) where I do a side by side sound test of the microphone sound and its ability to remove background noise. So you’ll want to check that out for sure.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
What is Active Noise Cancellation? This is a feature found on some headsets that’s an electronic aid in helping to reduce distracting background noise. In other words, if you’re wearing a headset and the noise in your work area starts becoming hard for you to concentrate, you press a button on the headset and it helps to remove a lot of that noise.
That said, do either of these two headsets have this feature? Simply stated, no. However, the Evolve2 75 and Evolve2 85 models do have ANC.
The next step down from Active Noise Cancellation is passive noise cancellation. What’s that you ask? Good question really. Passive noise cancellation relies on physical barriers to help curb unwanted noise.
This includes things like leather type ear cushions rather than foam. Foam is far more porous than leather like materials, which means foam ear cushions allow more sound to penetrate your ear. Another example of passive noise cancellation is oversize ear speaker cups, or assemblies.
If you have a large ear cup that fully encircles the ear, it serves as a noise barrier. Depending on the size of the ear cup and the design, along with the material used for the ear cushion, this actually works pretty well in a lot of cases.
Wireless Talk Range
The Jabra Evolve2 65 states a wireless range of up to 100 feet.
The Jabra Engage 65 Duo states a wireless range of up to 490 feet
The main reason why the Engage 65 Duo has so much more wireless range is due to it being a Dect headset where the Evolve2 65 is a Bluetooth model. A Dect signal will give you longer wireless range compared to a Bluetooth signal.
Hands down the Engage 65 Duo will give you more wireless talk range. Is this important? To some people this may be. To others, wireless talk range might not be so important. That’s for you to decide when shopping for a new office wireless headset.
Having a longer wireless reach can allow you to move further away from your immediate work area. For example, you can walk into your adjacent warehouse to check whether a product is on the shelf or not.
You might want to talk to someone personally while on a call whose office is on the other side of your building. There are countless reasons why having longer wireless range can be helpful in your day-to-day activities.
If this sounds like something that you could benefit from, then the Enage 65 might be your best option.
As a footnote to the subject of wireless range, here’s something to keep in mind. Manufacturers of headsets typically state their products' wireless range after doing tests in what’s referred to as “open field”.
This means that the headset was tested in an open area where no obstructions between the two communicating devices (headset and base for example).
This is what you might call ideal conditions. Though their test results are no doubt true, these tests don’t represent real world conditions. In the real world, you have obstructions (walls, elevators, partitions etc.) that represent barriers to your wireless signal.
This results in lesser wireless range compared to what’s referenced in the product datasheet. As a rule of thumb, you might cut the stated wireless range in half to arrive at a more realistic estimate.
Ear Cushions
The Evolve2 65 has large, soft, perforated ear cushions. These ear cushions are very soft making it comfortable even for long stretches of time.
The Engage 65 Duo has much smaller ear cushions that are doughnut shaped. Though you will be able to hear fine, the small size of the ear cushion and comparative lack of padding makes the Evolve2 65 a much more comfortable wearing experience.
Warranty
The Jabra Evolve2 65 comes with a 2-year warranty.
The Jabra Engage 65 Duo comes with a 1-year warranty.
Unquestionably the longer the warranty, the better. So the Evolve2 65 gets the nod here.
Price
The following are manufacturer suggested prices
Jabra Evolve2 65 - $299.00 with stand
Jabra Evolve2 65 without the stand - $249.00
Jabra Engage 65 Duo - $394.00
As you compare these two models it’s up to you to decide if you feel that the Engage 65 Duo is worth $100.00 more than the Evolve2 65. Much of that decision would come down to what your application needs are, and what your available budget is.
Final thoughts
Jabra makes very nice headsets, and they have for a long time. Globally, they’re only second to Plantronics (now called Poly), but recently, they appear to be gaining ground on them. My point is the Jabra line of office headsets is solid. You have a myriad of choices, and it’s hard to go wrong with just about any of them. It really comes down to your needs and your budget as noted earlier.
If your needs are more aligned with music, podcasts, video etc. then the Evolve2 65 should no doubt be on your short list. On the other hand, if your applications are more oriented towards business, such as using computer based Softphones, Zoom calls, Microsoft Teams etc., then you might want to strongly consider the Engage 65 Duo.
