Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 review

Alongside the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are the last in the Jabra Elite line of earbuds. Does Jabra go out with a bang, or whimper? That’s what we’re finding out in this Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 review.

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2?

The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 retain the same form factor as the Jabra Elite 8 Active. The earbuds are covered in the ShakeGrip coating to prevent slippage, and I found the earbuds comfortable to wear for a few hours at a time. I would have liked to see some wings or hooks as are typically found on the best workout earbuds, but I didn’t experience any fit issues while lifting or running.

As with the prior generation, the earbuds get IP68 water and dust resistance. This means they can handle sweaty workouts in any environment, though for swimming you’ll probably want earbuds with onboard storage to avoid connection dropouts. The charging case has an IP54 rating, which means it should handle beach days without a problem.

Ear detection sensors automatically pause your music when you take an earbud out, and resume when you place it back in your ears. Each earbud has physical button controls that aren’t too difficult to press. Still, I would prefer tap controls to ensure the earbud doesn’t get pressed deep into the ear canal.

Should you use the Jabra Sound+ app for the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2?

The Jabra Sound+ app is an essential part of the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 experience, as it provides a plethora of features and customization options. You’ll need the app to enable Dolby Spatial Sound for the earbuds. Within the Spatial Sound settings, you can also enable a Stereo Spatializer mode, which increases the perceived width of sounds.

To customize the sound of the earbuds, there is a five-band equalizer, as well as six presets to select from. Speaking of customization, you can fully customize the controls within the app. There are also many call controls to adjust such as the strength of the sidetone and even a microphone equalizer. If you lose your earbuds, there is a Find My tracker. The app even has soundscapes to help you sleep. This is one of the most comprehensive app experiences on the market, and it has every feature you would expect to see in a companion app.

How do the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 connect?

The headline feature of the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 is the LE Audio smart case. You can plug the case into pretty much any source via 3.5mm out or USB-C out, and then transmit audio from the case to the earbuds. This is ideal for listening wirelessly on an airplane or from a TV or gaming console without the need for Bluetooth. I found the latency low enough to comfortably watch YouTube while streaming from the case.

For regular wireless connectivity, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 have Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC and AAC. You also get Bluetooth Multipoint to stay paired to your phone and laptop at the same time. A few times I’ve experienced a single earbud drop out, but putting the earbuds back inside the case solves the problem.

How long does the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 battery last?

In our battery testing, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 lasted 9 hours and 3 minutes. This is significantly above average for wireless earbuds. The charging case also provides an additional three charges, for a total power capacity that hangs with the best. You can power up the case via USB-C or wirelessly.

How well do the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 cancel noise?

The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 have great noise canceling, though not quite as good as the Elite 10 Gen 2. Most environmental noise is reduced by 80%, with low-frequency noise below 100Hz attenuated by about 30 dB. This easily blocks out most of the rumble from an airplane engine and holds up against the best noise canceling earbuds when it comes to blocking out low-frequency noise. The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 aren’t as good as the best in the category like the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds when it comes to attenuating mid-range noise such as the sound of people talking, but for most environments the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 handle ambient noise very well.

How do the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 sound?

Most people will enjoy the sound quality of the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2. They come with the added bonus of Spatial Sound, and you can tweak the sound using the app equalizer.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the sound of the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.

A simulated panel of listeners rates the default sound of the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 very highly, with a near-perfect rating in Timbre. Across Distortion and Immersiveness the earbuds also score well, leading to one of the highest Overall scores among wireless earbuds.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Objective Measurements

The chart above shows the default frequency response of the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 compared to our headphone preference curve. As you can see, the earbuds under-emphasize low-mid frequencies from 200-500Hz compared to our target, which makes some vocals and pianos sound quieter than you might expect. There is also an under-emphasis in the high frequencies above 8kHz, and a relative over-emphasis in the sub-bass below 100Hz. If you’ve experienced some age-related hearing loss, you’ll likely want to boost the highs in the equalizer to hear cymbals and other high-frequency sounds. Those seeking a boost in the low-end to power through workouts won’t mind this one bit though.

Can you use the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 for phone calls?

When it comes to putting microphones in headsets, Jabra tends to know what it’s doing. The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 is up for the task with six onboard microphones. In both quiet and loud environments, the microphones focus in on your voice, so the person on the other end of the line shouldn’t have a problem hearing you.

Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Should you buy the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2?

It is a real shame that Jabra is shutting down its Elite division, as the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are fantastic wireless earbuds. Beyond features for athletes, I would recommend these earbuds to almost anyone. They are extremely durable, have good sound quality, solid noise canceling, and a great app experience. The plug-and-play smart case also makes these some of the most versatile earbuds on the market, as you aren’t limited to Bluetooth-compatible devices for playback.

Since Jabra is looking to clear stock, expect big discounts on the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 towards the end of 2024. Once they run out of stock though, the Jabra Elite will be gone for good, so don’t hesitate to buy if you like what you see.

How do the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 compare to the Jabra Elite 8 Active?

If you can find the Jabra Elite 8 Active available for purchase, they are still a great option. While the first generation of the Elite 8 Active doesn’t have a transmitter case, it still has great durability, battery life, noise canceling, and sound quality. The Elite 8 Active was one of our favorite workout earbuds for a long time, and for good reason.

What should you get instead of the Jabra Elite 8 Active?

There aren’t many earbuds that come with a transmitter case. You can check out the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 for $299 at Crutchfield, but those earbuds make a few sacrifices in battery life, noise canceling, and sound quality. If you haven’t already checked them out, the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 are worth a look, $279.99 at Amazon. They share most of the same functionality as the Elite 8 Active Gen 2, plus some extras like spatial audio with head tracking and a more comfortable design.

If you’re seeking workout earbuds, the Beats Fit Pro are a good option, $139.95 at Woot!. They have great noise canceling, good sound quality, and some water resistance. Serious athletes may want to take a look at the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport, $329 at Amazon. These earbuds cost a pretty penny, but come with heart-rate and body temperature tracking.

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