I recently reviewed the top-of-the-line Jabra Elite 10 earbuds, and although they are the top of the line, I prefer the Jabra Elite 8 active buds. Read on to understand why in this Jabra Elite 8 active review.
What is a Jabra Elite 8 Active wireless earbuds?
The Jabra Elite 8 active earbuds are Bluetooth, noise-cancelling, and rechargeable, designed for exercise use. Jabra is a Danish company that specialises in audio equipment.
WHY should you buy sports wireless earbuds?
Earbuds are a convenient way to listen to music podcasts or conduct a phone call without wearing traditional on or over-ear headphones. They are not bulky and will not mess up your hair.
A sport or active earbud is designed to stay in your ear whilst exercising and be more tolerant of environmental consequences such as sweat or rain.
Having the ability to listen to music or perhaps a podcast whilst exercising can be motivating as well as add to your enjoyment.
What is in the Box?
In the box, you will find the charging case containing the two earbuds, a USB A to USB C cable and an extra 2 sets of eargels. The ear gels are used to match different-sized ear canals to ensure you get the correct fit.
Many sports earbuds have an extra ear wing to help hold the bud in place. Jabra has designed a new feature they refer to as ShakeGrip, where the silicone body of the bud helps hold the bud in place. The net result is unless you twist the bud out of your ear, it stays firm during exercise like jogging.
Each earbud weighs 5 grams, and the charging case is 46 grams. The charging case dimensions are 65x24x47 mm. The charging case has an extra battery to charge your earbuds, allowing extended time away from a mains power source.
The case must be charged via a USB-C cable (included) to a mains charger (not included), a PC, a car USB, etc. The charge time is up to 3 hours and will provide up to 56 hours of listening time by using the case. When fully charged, the earbuds will provide up to 14 or 8 hours with noise cancelling switched on. The case also supports wireless charging.
If you run out of power in the buds, 5 minutes in the case will give you one hour of listening.
Pairing these buds is super easy, with my phone and PC recognising as soon as I removed them from the case.
At $329, Jabra Elite 8 active are available in four colours. The included warranty is 2 years, protecting you from failure due to dust and water if you register your product on the App.
Using the Elite 8 active earbuds
A feature I like about the whole Jabra earbud range is the large physical button on each earbud, which allows various operations like pause, skip Siri/Google Assistant, etc. This button gives a reassuring click.
You can pair these earbuds with up to ten Bluetooth devices, such as a PC or smartphone, and easily change between them. Connection is done via Bluetooth 5.3 with a range of approx. 10m. Leaving my phone in the centre of my house, I can continue to listen in every room.
The earbuds can be used independently, just one, not two earbuds. However, with the hear-through technology, there is no real need other than personal preference to leave one earbud out. While wearing both earbuds, any media playback is immediately paused if you remove one. I find this a courtesy thing when talking to someone, as with the hear-through feature, you can hear just as well, leaving the earbuds in.
These next features are not listed on the website, and I do not know why, as it is why I have fallen for these earbuds. When riding my bicycle, I like to listen to podcasts whilst, at the same time, I am very cautious that I must be alert to traffic and any noise that may present danger. The Elite 8 hear thru technology amplifies new noises to the point I can hear noise better through the buds than without. The 2nd part of this noise, if it is a constant noise like a lawn mower with no change in tone, cancels out that noise. This feature also deals with wind noise, which can be annoying when using earbuds. With a strong wind, you can get an annoying whistling noise in your ears. The Elite 8, after a few seconds, filters out this noise so you can clearly hear what you are listening to. My practical example is cycling down a long hill; the wind noise caused by the speed is filtered out.
The disappointment of these earbuds is the ability to use them for phone calls. Unfortunately, this aligns with a recent review of the Elite 10 earbuds. In a phone call with a fellow journalist, I resorted to switching back to the phone as I could not be heard. They work fine in a quiet environment; a recent software upgrade has helped.
The Elite 8’s sound reproduction is excellent, and the noise cancellation works well. Traffic and train commuter noise are cancelled out, and the single touch hear thru quickly allows any conversation to be heard. They are not designed for aircraft, and so far, I have not been able to test their effectiveness in this environment. If you like an echo/live effect, the Dolby spacial feature adds this, but I am not a fan.
The Jabra 8 active earbuds are built to last with military standard certifications. The earbuds themselves are rated to IP 68. We do not recommend you take them swimming or place them in water. They could survive 30 minutes on the bottom of a 1.5 metre pool. This same resistance also means they will survive dust. So, these earbuds will be fine if you end up in a rain or dust storm.
Our Take Jabra Elite 8 review.
The Jabra Elite 8 actives have become my daily exercise go-to earbuds. I noticed a dramatic change from previous earbuds from Jabra and other vendors. New noises are quickly noticed, and monotone repetitive sounds are quickly phased out, which is exactly what you want when out and about for safety.
The battery life is excellent, and so far, I have been unable to dislodge a bud from my ear unintentionally. Earbuds are not something you can trial, but if you are using these for an active pastime, you will not be disappointed.