Pros
- Comfortable snug fit design
- Rich sound stage and powerfull bass
- Smudge-resistant and rugged design
Cons
- Basic case design
- Noise cancellation could have been more refined
Jabra is a seasoned player in the audio segment and has been showing its expertise with the wireless audio products globally. The Elite Active series is Jabra’s premium audio product lineup which is refreshed frequently with new and advanced models. Catering to the fitness enthusiasts is the latest model from the brand called the Jabra Elite Active 8.
An upgraded version of the Elite Active 7, this new TWS comes at a price of Rs. 15,999 in India and is amongst the most premium TWS earbuds in the market. That said, the TWS market has evolved exponentially and we have numerous options with ANC and other advanced features available at a cost lower than the Elite Active 8. So what makes it worth a buy despite a higher price range?
At Giznext, we got the Jabra Elite Active 8 for review and after fiddling with the unit for long, we are sharing our feedback. Whether or not this TWS earbud stands out from the crowd and offers all the punch an audiophile needs? Here’s what we think:
Retail Box Contents
- Main TWS charging case
- Earbuds
- Extra eartips
- USB Type-C to USB Typ-A cable
- User manual and warranty cards
Design
Jabra has stick to the basics with the Elite 8 Active TWS earbuds’ design. Nothing’s overdone to make it look funky. In fact, the straightforward design looks subtle yet premium at the same time. The Elite Active 8’s design highlight is its ergonomic and rugged build that makes it the perfect sports TWS earbuds.
Both charging case and the TWS earbuds have a soft silicone grip that adds to the overall grip and also a luxurious feel to touch. The durability is enhanced with the IP68 certifications which safeguards the pair from dust, sweat, and water. Additionally, this TWS earbuds is said to drop-proof by up to 1 m.
This is what makes the Jabra Elite Active 8 the best pair for workouts and other extensive outdoor activities where you need your music along. Jabra is touting this pair to be the “world’s toughest earbuds” and they couldn’t be wrong here.
What impresses us about the design is the snug fit design that is not just comfortable but also enhances the noise cancellation. The earbuds also ships with additional eartips that you can use depending on the comfort levels.
The Jabra Elite Active 8’s earbuds feature physical controls for music and audio levels. The manual controls ensures that there are no accidental song change or audio adjustments which generally is the case with touch sensitive earbuds available in the market.
Besides, audio and playback control using the physical keys is a decent experience. The clicks are soft and precise and doesn’t feel flimsy at all. The set of controls offered by each earbud are mentioned below:
Left Earbud Controls
- Single Tap: Toggle on/ off ANC and Hear Through mode
- Single Tap During Calls: Answer, mute/ unmute call
- Double Tap: Summon voice assistant
- Double Tap During Calls: Disconnect or reject call
- Triple Tap: Can be configured with the supported Jabra app to set new function
- Press and Hold: Volume reduce
Right Earbuds Controls
- Single Tap: Play/ pause audio
- Single Tap During Calls: Answer, mute, and unmute
- Double Tap: Play next song
- Double Tap During Calls: Reject and disconnect an ongoing call
- Triple Tap: Restart playback
- Press and Hold: Volume increase
Also Read: Audio- Technica ATH-SQ1TW TWS Review: Tiny Beasts
Audio And ANC Performance
Jabra has loaded the Elite Active 8 with 6mm drivers. Despite being tiny in size, these earbuds can easily please any audiophile. The soundstage is rich and you’ll start grooving as soon as you put the pair on. Throughout our music listening sessions, these earbuds performed extremely well. Sound clarity is high and you wouldn’t hear any muffles or white noise when the volume levels are tuned to max.
Bass produced has ample punch and you wouldn’t be left disappointed here anyhow. Besides, the Elite Active 8 includes several advanced sensors and features that helps it to offer the best-in-class audio. Well, the biggest competitor of the Elite Active 8 is the Sony’s top-of-the-line WF-1000XM5 TWS earbuds. And with the premium sound experience, the former establishes itself amongst the top spot.
All the audio aspects are at point which includes balanced lows, mids, and high. No overlapping with the vocals and instruments. Audio delivery here is crisp and you’ll be able to clearly distinguish the vocals from background music. Its the enhanced dialogue delivery that enhances the overall high-res video playback.
As for the ANC, it does a good job overall to silence the ambient or surrounding noises that can hamper the listening experience. We have been using the ANC mode during commutes in noisy public transport and have been impressed by its performance. You hardly get to listen to any of the chaos when you toggle on the ANC.
In addition to the music listening experience, the Jabra Elite Active 8 is a delight to listen when binging on shows and movies. In fact, the sound quality is so refined that even if you are streaming videos from OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime videos, the audio response is of high quality.
Pairing, Calling, And Companion App
Besides, you can additionally refine the audio by using the equalizer from the Jabra companion app. Apart from the default set of equalizer, you can also customize the EQ as per your requirements. Enabling the Dolby Spatial Sound feature is also an option using the supported app.
Notably, you can easily download the Jabra Sound Plus app on both Android and iOS devices. Some of the preset music equalizers include Neutral, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Smooth, and Energize.
Pairing experience is also smooth and the connections takes place in a jiffy. You would simply need to take out and wear the earbuds and press and hold the control keys once to activate the pairing mode.
Speaking of the calling experience, the Jabra Active 8 offers a hassle free and crisp calling experience. It is integrated with in-line microphone that allows it to deliver a clear and crisp calling experience.
Also Read: OPPO Enco Air3 Pro TWS Earbuds Review: Takes The Top Spot?
Battery Backup
Battery backup claimed by Jabra for the Elite Active 8 is up to 8 hours. This backup is for the earbuds without the charging case. At higher audio levels, the backup is a bit lower than the claimed time. However, with moderate audio levels the earbuds do last close to 8 hours. Additional backup is provided by the charging case which saves hassle of a plug reconnect.
Also Read: OPPO Enco Buds2 Budget TWS Earbuds Review: Is It The Perfect Buy?
Final Take
The Jabra Elite Active 8 is a premium option for audiophiles; specifically for the fitness freaks who can’t compromise on the audio quality during workouts or other sports activities . It has a plethora of advanced features and allows it to deliver the best-in-class audio performance and also the wearing comfort despite usage with extensive outdoor activities. The rich and realistic sound stage offered by the Jabra Elite Active 8 makes it worth a purchase.
