They’re not the most exciting headphones revealed at the tech show, but they’re certainly some of the best performing wireless headphones for the price, with active noise cancellation, decent battery life, and a design that makes them ideal for use during workouts.
In practice, these are a good quality pair of headphones that you can easily use while playing sports. They’re comfortable, have on-ear controls, and boast an IPX4 water resistance rating that protects them from sweat and rain. The Jabra Elite 4 Active aren’t the best performing in-ear headphones on the planet, as they don’t offer the extended soundstage you’d get from a pair of audiophile headphones.
Also, the noise cancellation is good, but not great. Nevertheless, the Jabra Elite 4 Active are definitely worth considering if you want a pair of running headphones that sound decent but won’t break the bank. Available in black, navy, and mint green, the Jabra Elite 4 Active are as functional and well-built as any Jabra earphones we’ve tested so far.
The sleek housings don’t come with wing tips to keep them in place in your ears during training, but the Elite 4 Active are still very comfortable. Plus, they come with a range of ear tips in different sizes so you can find your perfect fit. Like other Jabra headsets and earbuds, the Elite 4 Active present a pleasant listening experience; but they’re not best-in-class in terms of audio performance. The Jabra Elite 4 Active contain 6mm drivers and a customizable equalizer via the Jabra Sound+ app, allowing you to tailor the sound to your taste.
Jabra claims the Elite 4 Active can last up to 28 hours with the charging case, with the headphones themselves providing seven hours of playback. Battery life is longer than Apple’s AirPods 3 and Sony’s WF-1000XM4, but it’s well below Lypertek’s PurePlay Z3 2.0, which offers 80 hours of battery life. That said, Lypertek’s headphones don’t have active noise cancellation, which can significantly reduce battery life.