The second generation of the Jabra Elite 8 Active are perhaps the best sports earphones you can currently buy. With no real weaknesses, they are Olympic-ready all-rounders and can also keep up with the best in individual disciplines.
When professional athletes end their careers, they want to go out strong with one last big performance. Jabra has achieved something similar with the Elite 8 Active Gen 2, the last sports earphones from the Danish manufacturer as it retires from the industry. They leave almost all the competition behind with excellent overall performance.
You can't tell from the earplugs how sporty they are.
(Photo: kwe)
The small, five-gram plugs don't look like typical sports earphones because they don't have any additional holders like silicone fins. Nevertheless, with their pleasant matte rubber coating, they sit absolutely securely in the ear and stay in position even during violent movements. They are so comfortable that you hardly notice them and can wear them for several hours without any problem.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are also extremely robust. The earphones are dust and waterproof according to IP68 and have been tested according to US military standards (MIL-STD-810H). The charging case can also withstand a lot with IP58, which is not an everyday occurrence even for sports earphones.
Talented charging case
With an adapter, the charging cable can also be used to connect the transport box to other devices.
(Photo: kwe)
But that's not all that makes the box exceptional. You can also use it as a Bluetooth transmitter by connecting it to a TV, on-board system or other playback source using the included USB-C jack cable. The box then streams the sound in LCR quality to the earphones. In the practical test, this worked without any problems, and the Bluetooth connection proved to be very stable.
The controls are also suitable for sports, as they use mechanical buttons that are hidden under the outer surfaces of the plugs. The pressure point is pleasant, only the clearly audible popping noises of the buttons are a bit annoying.
Easy to use
It is also easy to use. You control all functions for playback and phone calls by pressing once, twice or three times. You can also control the volume using the mechanical buttons by pressing and holding the left or right side. If necessary, you can also customize the functions in the app.
Among other things, the app offers a comprehensive equalizer.
(Photo: kwe)
There is also reliable wear detection. This means that playback pauses automatically when you take one or both earbuds out. If you want, you can use one earbud on its own. This isn't actually necessary, because the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 have a good transparency mode, which allows you to hear outside noises fairly naturally and at a reasonable volume despite a significant amount of background noise. If necessary, you can also set it lower. If you take one earbud out, the mode is activated automatically.
The active noise cancellation is not quite as effective as in the Elite 10 Gen 2, which Jabra launched together with the sports earphones. But the noise cancellation is still good. It reliably dampens constant noise on the train or in traffic, for example. The option to prevent wind noise is great. This is somewhat at the expense of the ANC, but it is effective.
This also applies to noise suppression during phone calls, as long as you are not in a very noisy place. You can be understood well and have no problems hearing the person you are talking to. Very good: The volume of your own voice can be adjusted.
Great sound, great endurance
The earphones do not support LCR or high-resolution Bluetooth codecs such as aptX, but their sound is also of a high standard. If you like powerful bass, they also leave the Elite 10 Gen 2 behind. Jabra has probably emphasized it a little more in the basic settings because you like to have a little more oomph in your ears, especially when training. The bass is not dominant, however, and gives priority to excellent mids. The highs are clear, provide plenty of detail and are not painful even at high volume.
The app has a comprehensive equalizer with various modes and manual settings to change the sound. There is also the option to activate 3D sound. This significantly expands the stereo stage, but does not always sound natural. The function is particularly effective on the TV, but there is no head tracking here, although the music remains centered when you turn your head. The 3D effect is counterproductive with Dolby Atmos content and Jabra recommends not using it in these cases.
The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 also have great endurance. According to the manufacturer, they last up to eight hours with ANC activated. The times in the practical test result in just over seven hours, which is still strong. The transport case has additional reserves for around 24 hours. Empty buds are fully charged again in around three hours, and after five minutes in the box the earphones last for around an hour. The case can also be charged inductively.
Conclusion
The Jabra Elite 8 Active currently costs around 230 euros. For that, you get sports earphones that have no weaknesses but many strengths. They are comfortable to wear and robust, the sound and ANC are strong, and the endurance is high. There is also a charging case that can be used as a Bluetooth transmitter. It's a shame that the earphones won't have successors, but Jabra promises to provide them with updates for several years to come.
