Jabra has been making a few of the finest exercise headphones for a number of years, and its Elite 4 Lively had been my prime decide, not just for gymnasium periods but in addition in our greatest working headphones round-up.
I most well-liked the Elite 4 Lively to the costlier Jabra Elite 7 Lively as a result of the additional options on the 7 Lively weren’t compelling sufficient to tempt me. The Jabra Elite 8 Lively are a transparent improve on the 4 and seven headphones, and are one of many prime units of sports activities headphones in the marketplace. Even so, there stays the choice to go for Jabra’s cheaper buds, or maybe spend extra to get higher sound and ANC from the Apple AirPods Professional 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II.
Jabra Elite 8 Lively Evaluation: Value And Availability
The Jabra Elite 8 Lively headphones launched in August 2023 and value $199.99 within the US and £199.99 within the UK. The Jabra Elite 7 Lively and Elite 4 Lively buds are cheaper choices within the vary at $179.99/£169.99 and $119.99/£119.99 respectively.
How I Examined These Headphones
I used the Jabra Elite 8 Lively for 2 weeks, placing them in for a number of runs, in addition to a energy exercise. I additionally used them when touring and within the workplace. I’ve examined Jabra’s different sports activities headphones, and a lot of the finest exercise earbuds in the marketplace from different manufacturers.
Design, Controls And FIt
The Jabra Elite 8 Lively have the same feel and look to different buds from the model. There’s an in-ear design with a multifunction button on every bud, and Jabra’s ShakeGrip coating to create a safer match. This additionally seems on the Elite 7 Lively buds, however not the Elite 4 Lively.
Jabra’s earbuds have constantly been probably the most secure-fitting in-ear buds I’ve examined, whereas most wingless buds from different manufacturers squirm out of my ears when working. I’ve no such issues with Jabra’s headphones, and the Elite 8 Lively remained safe irrespective of how sweaty I obtained. That is partly as a result of they don’t have wings. The Elite 8 Lively are comfy to put on for lengthy intervals, and I might use them for a run after which a couple of hours of labor with out discomfort.
The Elite 8 Lively have an IP68 score, which suggests they’re waterproof, sweatproof and dustproof. Jabra says they’re drop-resistant and backs up this declare with a two-year guarantee in opposition to mud and water harm. The case is IP54 rated, so it’s not fully waterproof, however will face up to sweat and rain if shoved right into a backpack or working belt. The case is small and pocketable, if not as small as some, such because the case of the Apple Airpods Professional 2.
Jabra deserves credit score for the controls on the Elite 8 Lively buds. Each have a button that means that you can management playback and quantity simply throughout exercises, and it’s arduous to hit this button by accident—an issue I incessantly encounter when utilizing sports activities headphones with a touchpanel as a substitute of a bodily button. You may also flip the buds off with out having to place them again within the case, a uncommon characteristic with really wi-fi in-ear buds.
Sound High quality
The Elite 8 Lively are Jabra’s first sports-focused buds to have Dolby Spatial Audio, and this delivers an improve in sound high quality over the Elite 4 Lively and Elite 7 Lively buds. It’s not accessible on all audio, however I examined it with Apple Music and it added depth to all genres of music. You may alter the EQ within the associate app utilizing 5 sliders, and save your settings so as to add to the presets.
Having examined many units of Jabra buds up to now, the Elite 8 Lively are the perfect for sound high quality. I’ve not come throughout any headphones that sound higher for lower than $200/£200. If you happen to spend extra on the Apple AirPods Professional 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II you get an improve in sound high quality, with buds that sound clearer and brighter to me.
ANC and Consciousness
Jabra has improved the ANC on the Elite 8 Lively buds in contrast with the Elite 7 Lively and Elite 4 Lively. I discovered that the brand new buds filtered out extra sound, specifically when touring. The ANC is 1.6x stronger than commonplace Jabra ANC, based on Jabra.
The buds have a button-activated HearThrough characteristic that means that you can hear exterior noise when it’s mandatory or safer to take action, which is useful when working in built-up areas. Because of the ANC and HearThrough modes the buds do job of filtering out wind noise more often than not when exercising open air, although I’d sometimes get a sudden and unusual blast of wind, maybe owing to the adaptive ANC altering a setting.
As with the sound high quality, the Elite 8 Lively’s ANC is nearly as good as, if not higher than, something I’ve come throughout on buds below $200/£200. Nonetheless, as soon as once more, you’ll get notably higher ANC with the Bose QC Earbuds II and the AirPods Professional 2.
Battery Life
The Jabra Elite 8 Lively buds are listed as lasting for eight hours with the ANC on and 14 hours with it off. Of their case and with ANC off you get 56 hours, which is big. It’s then 32 hours whole in case you are utilizing ANC. A quick-charge characteristic nets you an hour of playback on the buds from 5 minutes within the case.
I had the ANC or HearThrough mode on all through my testing and located the battery drained a little bit sooner than the listed numbers—maybe as a result of I had the quantity pretty excessive with bass ramped up on the EQ. The buds nonetheless lasted round seven hours, although. The battery life is a formidable characteristic, particularly with the ANC off.
Are The Jabra Elite 8 Lively Price It?
The Jabra Elite 8 Lively are wonderful exercise headphones. They’re the perfect you will get at their worth, with a sturdy design that matches nicely, nice sound high quality and ANC, lengthy battery life and helpful controls.
I desire them to their principal rivals on the worth—the Beats Match Professional—that are much less comfy and have annoying controls, although some may have the additional safety of fit your needs get from the wing tip on the Beats buds.
You may improve on sound and ANC by going for costlier headphones just like the Apple AirPods Professional 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II, although I desire the match of the Jabras for sport, and also you get the next IP score and longer battery life with them too. For me, the Elite 8 Lively had been higher exercise and working headphones, however for cross-over use outdoors of exercises as nicely the Apple and Bose buds are tempting.
The more durable query could be whether or not it’s value getting the Elite 8 Lively over the cheaper Jabra buds which can be accessible. The Elite 8 Lively buds are higher in virtually each means, however the worth distinction to the Elite 4 Lively is $80/£80, and the Elite 4 Lively are nonetheless nice exercise headphones with comparable options. The Elite 8 Lively’s ShakeGrip coating helps with the safety of the match in contrast with the smoother Elite 4 Lively buds, however the latter nonetheless stayed in place for me throughout exercises.
