VERDICT:
One of the greatest, if not the finest, set of exercise earbuds available right now are the Jabra Elite 8 Active. There is no denying that: it fits well, is IP68 rated for water and dust protection, and is quite robust. However, it is far more than that. The Jabra Elite 8 Active is an obvious choice for almost everyone due to its exceptional feature set, well-rounded sound character, and ground-breaking battery life.
The Jabra Elite 10 and the Jabra Elite 8 Active, the brand-new 2023 flagship completely wireless headphones, were introduced earlier this year. The former demonstrated its supremacy in the market by taking second place in our annual Digit Zero1 Awards’ Premium Truly Wireless Earphones category. Additionally, this year we examined the Jabra Elite 4 (review) and Jabra Elite 5 (review). Here at Digit, we have positive evaluations for each of them. We now have the Jabra Elite 8 Active in our testing facilities.
Design and Fit
The Jabra Elite 8 Active is a masterpiece in fusing design, dependability, and comfort. It’s not just another set of true wireless earbuds. The Shake Grip rubber covering is the most notable characteristic in terms of fit. This invention guarantees a perfect fit, giving consumers a safe and pleasant experience—even while engaging in strenuous physical activity.
However, the pocketable casing gives the entire design an extra degree of practicality. It fits inside pockets with ease and comfort because it is thin and light.
The Elite 8 Active leads the field in terms of durability thanks to its remarkable combination of MIL-STD-810h certification and an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
For those who would rather work with tactile inputs rather than touch controls, the Elite 8 Active’s physical controls are a breath of fresh air. These tactile controls are superior than the touch controls on some competitor earphones, in addition to functioning flawlessly. Users may easily control playback, volume, and answer calls because to these controls’ responsiveness.
How feature-rich are they?
When it comes to genuine wireless earbuds, the Jabra Elite 8 Active is a strong competitor, providing a wide range of features that justify its high price. With features such as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and HearThrough technology, these earbuds reduce background noise rather well, yet they are not as good at blocking out human sounds as rival models like the Sony WF-1000XM5.
With a plethora of customization options, including ANC settings, EQ that can be customized, Spotify Tap integration, custom controls, Dolby Spatial Sound toggle, and more, the Jabra Sound+ app functions as a full command center for consumers. It’s great that the software has continued to get better over time. When switched on, Dolby Spatial Sound functions as it should, however occasionally, it seems to stay on even after you turn the toggle off. Jabra may be able to resolve this problem with an OTA update.
With Bluetooth v5.3, Bluetooth LE, and multipoint connectivity, the Elite 8 Active sets itself apart even more. These features guarantee a stable and smooth connection while providing future-proofing for emerging technologies.
How do they sound?
The 6 mm dynamic drivers in the Jabra Elite 8 Active produce a loud and dynamic sound character. Although the sound signature is well-rounded, it lacks the high-quality audio codec support seen in the Sony WF-1000XM5 and the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) in terms of sophistication. For a product that costs ₹18K, the earbuds only support the AAC and SBC codecs, which is disappointing.
Due to its somewhat V-shaped sound signature, the music is warm and enjoyable to listen to. However, there isn’t much punch in the bass range of 125 Hz to 250 Hz, therefore it falls short in genres where the bass has to have a particular amount of oomph. The timbre and clarity are superb, but the highs roll off sharply.
Battery Life
The Jabra Elite 8 Active has one of the greatest battery lives in the market. These are the charge-once-and-forget-it earbuds that we hope to see more of in the upcoming months, but the statistics are absurd. The earbuds have a 14-hour battery life when ANC is off! You receive an amazing 56 hours of battery life with the charging case, which is equivalent to three more charges.
According to Jabra, you can use the earbuds for almost eight hours of playback when ANC is on. With ANC turned on and the level at 70%, the earphones lasted 7 hours and 42 minutes in our tests. In this regard, Jabra has excelled in terms of battery life.
Should you buy the Jabra Elite 8 Active?
One of the greatest, if not the finest, set of exercise earbuds available right now are the Jabra Elite 8 Active. However, it is far more than that.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active is an obvious choice for almost everyone due to its exceptional feature set, well-rounded sound character, and ground-breaking battery life. For the remainder, this is right up there with the titans of the high-end TWS sector.
