Two new products have been added to the range of Jabra earphones, the Elite 10 is designed for those looking for comfort and perfect sound, and the Elite 8 Active is for those who want to listen to music while doing sports. We already wrote about the first earphones last week, and now we took a closer look at the active version.
External
Jabra usually releases new models in pairs, which usually have a lot in common. The Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active duo are no exception to this rule, which is reflected, for example, in the similar design and the fact that the two products offer very similar services. On the other hand, the Elite 8 Active is made for sports lovers, so it can withstand more stress – moreover, not only the earphones themselves are robust, but also the case, which you can use for storage and charging.
But let’s not run so far ahead! The packaging of the Jabra Elite 8 Active, as usual from the manufacturer, is extremely demanding. It is made of high-quality paper, and several important pieces of information are printed on the inside, which is a great help in setting it up: it shows, for example, how to pair it with the phone, as well as what functions can be accessed with the buttons on the earcups. The earphones are not visible at first, as they are hidden in the storage box. The package also includes a short USB cable and two sets of silicone pads – we would have been happy if we had found three pairs for this model as well, since it would be easier to find a size that fits the ear size perfectly with four pairs than with three.
Elite 8 Active belongs to the family of TWS earphones, that is, there is no wire even between the left and right units. Moreover, even the storage box does not necessarily need to be charged with a cable, as the storage also supports wireless charging according to the Qi standard.
The Elite 8 Active fits into the ear canal. For us, the factory ear cushion provided a perfect fit, compared to it, a larger and a smaller pair were included in the box. Unlike the Elite 10, the cushions on this model are circular, as a result of which the earcups follow a closed design and effectively filter noise passively – that’s why there is also active noise filtering, but more on that later. Despite the relatively large size of the earphones, it sits perfectly stable in the ear, and it is not likely to move when jogging or even jumping. The ShakeGrip coating plays a big role in this; it is a specially textured silicone that provides a very good grip without extra lugs or supports, even in situations where sweat drops are flowing everywhere. The coating covers almost the entire surface of the earphones.
Although the shapes of the Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active are similar, an important difference between them is that the latter is as unified as possible. Namely because, unlike its counterpart, it is protected against dust and water according to the IP68 standard, not IP57 (it can even be immersed in water up to a depth of 1.5 meters). This also includes the fact that not only the earphones, but also the case received some protection, albeit “only” IP54-rated. Fortunately, Jabra has stuck with the physical buttons on this model, even if they are invisible. The controls are comfortable to use – they don’t require much force to press.
The box also has a sophisticated design, but in terms of size it is only medium – we have seen cases smaller than it. The color of the box rhymes with the color of the earphones; For now, the black version is officially available in Hungary.
During use
Pairing the Jabra Elite 8 Active can be done in a few steps, and after that the headset can even be used immediately. However, it is worth downloading the Sound+ application, which not only allows you to easily configure the earphones, but also allows you to adjust the sound world completely to your own ears with the help of a short test. And there is an equalizer. Fortunately, Jabra has now also solved the multipoint connection, which means that the headset can be connected to two devices at the same time – in which case the call always takes priority.
As for sound quality, in addition to AAC and SBC, LE Audio, which is part of the Bluetooth 5.3 standard, is also supported, but AptX is not and will not be, since the earphones do not use a Qualcomm chip. Additional extras include support for Google Assistant and other voice assistants; the former can even be called by voice command only.
The buttons on the headphones can be used to perform several actions, depending on how many times the button is pressed or how long it is held down. Of course, it also matters whether we are listening to music or on a call. In addition to starting and stopping playback, you can change the volume, and you can not only answer and end calls, but also reject them. Of course, it is also possible to turn the ANC function on or off, or to activate the HearThru function. In the latter case, the earphone transmits environmental noises into the ear. In addition, the music can be stopped automatically, because both units of the earphone can detect whether it is currently in the ear or not.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active can work for 8-14 hours in one go, depending on the volume and whether the ANC function is turned on or not. The shorter value is understood with normal volume and ANC on, to which the case can add an additional 24 hours. The extra feature of the case is the fast charging function: the completely discharged earphone can be used for 1 hour after 5 minutes of charging. This also includes the fact that the earphones can even work solo, i.e. you can use only one while the other is in the case and charging.
The 6 mm drivers in the earphones provide great sound; the sound image is clear, rich in detail and balanced, which does not do without the deep sounds. As is typical for Jabra products, the bass is stronger than average, but not yet intrusive – but if you need it, the sound image can be perfectly customized with the help of EQ. There is also Dolby Spatial Audio, which provides a convincing virtual surround effect for both music and movies. This function can also be switched on in the Sound+ application, so everyone can experiment freely to find the best settings for them.
The noise cancellation can be used in several modes, depending on the nature of the background noise – for example, the same setting on the street does not give the best results as it does on an airplane or in a car. In general, we can say that low-frequency noise is effectively filtered by the earphones, but it works “only” well for medium and high sounds.
Summary
The Jabra Elite 8 Active offers excellent sound quality and overall good active noise cancellation for active movement enthusiasts, and the headset also offers a range of extra features such as Dolby Spatial Sound and the Sound+ phone app. The operating time available with one charge is also considered very good – but everything has a price, the earphones cost approx. It costs HUF 75,000.
Source: geeks.hu
