Why the Jabra's Elite 8 Active Are the Do-Everything Earbuds You've Been Looking for
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Jabra has released several earbuds in their "Active" collection, but no pair has ever been more feature-packed than the Elite 8 Active wireless earbuds, the latest pair to hit the market. Announced alongside the range-topping Elite 10 wireless earbuds, the latest Active iteration brings a number of improvements over the Jabra Elite 7 Active — all while keeping a budget-friendly under-$200 starting price. The notable highlights include next-level sound with support for immersive spatial audio, stronger noise cancellation, and a tougher build with a higher rating for water and dust resistance.
Elite 8 Active Wireless Earbuds
amazon.com
$149.99
With Jabra’s long track record of making reliable and affordable wireless earbuds in mind, I began testing the Elite 8 Active with high expectations. After several weeks as my go-to set during everything from commuting to exercising, these true wireless earbuds never stopped impressing me, especially during intense workouts. It was clear early on that they lived up to their "Active" moniker, but how did the rest of their features come up to snuff? Here’s everything you need to know about the earbuds’ design and everyday performance.
SCORES
Sound: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10
Design: 9/10
Battery Performance: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
Jabra Elite 8 Active at a Glance
High-quality sound, immersive spatial audio, strong noise cancellation
Supremely comfy
Up to 14 hours of battery life
IP68 water- and dustproof
SOUND: 8/10
Sound-wise, the Jabra Elite Active 8 earbuds performed in aces across the board, given their price point. The buds’ out-of-the-box sound is nicely balanced, presenting an audible harmony between good bass, vibrant treble, and harmonious mid-range. This setup is promptly dubbed neutral in Jabra’s Sound+ companion app.
Available for iPhone and Android, the Jabra Sound+ app has an excellent set of tools for customizing the sound. In addition to quick-access presets like neutral, bass boost, energize, and speech, to name a few, the intuitive app allows you to create your bespoke audio profile via a graphic equalizer.
The Sound+ app can also help you focus or unwind by playing a selection of soothing soundscapes. The functionality was particularly useful during intense work sessions that required my undivided attention.
While testing the Elite 8 Active, I relied most on the neutral sound setting mentioned above. While exercising, I toggled between the bass boost and energize presets, depending on my chosen playlist. Both livened up my workout tracks further, with the former bumping up the bass and the latter enhancing the low range and the treble.
Developed using Dolby tech, the spatial sound feature of the earbuds works well. Enabling it made the tracks — especially live recordings — I played sound more lifelike, creating the impression that I was listening to an audio system with multiple speakers. I tip my hat to Jabra for making spatial audio available even to content without Dolby Atmos encoding.
Spatial sound is a must for streaming video and gaming. Still, turning off the functionality for standard stereo sound brought out more detail from tracks I’m familiar with during my testing. To me, using the feature for music is entirely a matter of personal preference.
The noise cancellation of the Elite 8 Active earbuds is stellar, like their sound. The earbuds swiftly did away with the clanking noises of weights at the gym, helping me enjoy the music and focus on my reps. During my Midtown Manhattan walks to work during rush hour, the earbuds reduced the traffic noise to a barely audible thrum.
Overall, the earbuds’ ability to tune out ambient noise is worthy of their price. Unless you don’t mind spending upwards of $250 on AirPods Pro, Bose QuietComfort UItra, or Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds — the tech equivalents of a mute button for your surroundings — you’ll be hard-pressed to find better noise cancellation for your money.
HearThrough — an essential feature for keeping you aware of your surroundings without removing the earbuds — works reliably on the Jabra Elite 8 Active. I really liked being able to adjust the amount of ambient noise I could hear in their app, though I wish I could tweak the noise cancellation to my liking.
Jabra products have been synonymous with exceptional call quality for many years, and the Elite 8 Active wireless earbuds are no exception. With much success, I could rely on the product for countless calls and remote work meetings. Regardless of whether I was at home, at the office, or walking outside, participants heard me clearly. The Bluetooth 5.3-equipped earbuds linked flawlessly to an iPhone, a MacBook Air, and a Google Pixel 8 while I put them through their paces.
COMFORT: 9/10
I've tested a lot of earbuds, and the Elite 8 Active earbuds are one of the most comfortable pairs I've ever worn. Their lightweight build (each earbud weighs only 5 grams), ergonomic shape with soft silicone tips, and integrated vents for reducing in-ear pressure buildups allowed me to spend hours without removing them. What’s more, their comfy and snug fit brought excellent passive noise isolation, allowing me to spend hours in peace without the need to activate their noise cancellation.
My favorite bit about the ergonomics of the Elite 8 Active is that, unlike many rivals that have additional ear fins to keep them in place, the Jabra earbuds don’t require them. I used the buds on intense treadmill runs and throughout countless jumping jacks and never had to worry about them falling off or coming loose — a rare feat in this product space.
The invisible clicky button controls of the earbuds are excellent and vastly better than the touch-sensitive layouts of many competitors. Their tactile responses make controlling the playback, adjusting the cancellation, and taking calls easy, even with sweaty hands or during a rainy outdoor run.
DESIGN: 9/10
Jabra is based in Denmark, so it’s no surprise that the Elite 8 Active earbuds embody a sleek Scandinavian design philosophy. The compact buds have a sleek and minimalist form that doesn’t suggest even remotely how purpose-built and rugged they are. Their thoughtful design makes the buds equally easy to wear as part of a gym outfit or formal office attire.
The IP68 rating for water- and dust-resistance of the Elite 8 Active earbuds is one of the main reasons to consider upgrading. Such durability is on par with that of high-end iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel phones, ensuring the buds can survive submersion in water and exposure to dust, sand, and dirt particles.
For everyday use, the above rating means you won't have to worry about damaging your earbuds, whether you are an ultramarathoner or just an accident-prone personality. With an official IP54 rating, Jabra’s storage case is splash- and dust-resistant, too.
BATTERY PERFORMANCE: 10/10
The battery performance of the Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds is fantastic. Providing 8 hours of playback with noise cancellation from a set of compact earbuds is excellent and on par with the battery endurance of much pricier Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds.
Better yet, you can get industry-leading 14 hours of playback without noise cancellation from the Elite 8 Active earbuds. That’s nothing short of astounding, given their size and comfort. And thanks to their reliable passive noise isolation, you can rely on this battery endurance if need be.
The USB-C-equipped compact storage case of the earbuds holds three additional full charges. It’s compatible with wireless charging, as expected in this price category.
OVERALL: 9/10
The combination of impeccable comfort, uncompromising durability, and top-notch audio performance made the Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds my new top pick for exercising. The latest Jabra earbuds edged out the Jaybird Vista 2 in this highly contested product category.
Workouts aside, the elegant design, excellent call quality, and amazing battery life also make the earbuds a perfect choice for daily use. If you want a do-everything set of true wireless earbuds that will excel during your exercise and work routines, the Jabra Elite 8 Active is your best option.
Jabra offers the Elite 8 Active earbuds in dark grey, navy, and caramel finishes, each featuring a matching charging case. The audio maker’s Elite 4 Active wireless earbuds, while not as acoustically proficient and durable, are a solid option if you're shopping on a tighter budget.
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