Welcome to The Run Testers In this video we’re talking running headphones. Specifically The Run Testers Award winning Jabra Elite 8 Active 2. There’s been some minor updates to the second edition of these in-ear running buds. Mainly to improve the ANC and Awareness modes. That’s good news in some ways because the first-gen also won our award for the best running headphones 2023 and we didn’t think much needed changing. So if you want to know why we crowned these the best running headphones two years in a row, hit play for our Jabra Elite 8 Active 2 review.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:26 – What you need to know: Key specs, price
3:24 – The Run Test
13:36 – Verdict
19:46 – Now watch this
Hey people welcome to the Run testers And in this video we're talking running Headphones specifically the Run testers Award-winning Jabra Elite a active 2 There has been some minor updates to the Second edition of these inar buds that's Mainly to improve the active noise Cancellation and the awareness modes the Fact they haven't changed too much is Good news in some ways because the first Generation also won our award for best Running headphones last year so if you Want to know why we've crowned these the Best running headphones two years in a Row you need to watch on Now before we get into the design the First thing you need to know is that Jabra is getting out of the headphones Business so while these are fantastic The software support and all that you Know the app support might not last Forever so there is a caveat to this the Changes to the jabber Elite 8 active 2 Though are minimal the hardware stays Largely the same and the it's the Software and the algorithms that have Been updated to improve the sound Quality the updates include enhanced Hearr transparency mode for better Awareness Outdoors is optimized to Reduce wind noise strong adaptive hybrid Active noise cancellation with improved Mid and low frequency noise cancellation There there are a total of six mics
Still in these to try and guarantee good Core quality on the move and Jabra says That's also been improved thanks to new Enhanced AI Core algorithms there's a New smart case which is the big Hardware Change and this connects to any device Via the supply dual end USBC or a 3 and A2 mil Jack so you can now stream Spatial sound direct to your earbuds Without Bluetooth so you can use these Now with non Bluetooth friendly kind of Treadmills and airplane screens by Linking the case into those and then Using your headphones beyond that you're Getting the same wingf free light and Compact buds that sit snug in the ears With a shap grip liquid silicone Compound coating that gets grippier when It gets wet the buds are nice and Lightweight they weighing at just 5 G or 0.2 o the charging case is Compact and Running belt friendly weighing in at 472 G or 1.68 o on paper the battery life on The buds is 8 hours with active noise Cancellation on there's a further 24 Hours of active noise cancellation Charge in the case or up to 56 case Plugs buds total run time if you use Them with the active noise cancellation Off a 5 minute fast charge Banks and Hours run time when it comes to Durability Jabra says these are the Toughest headphones it's ever made the Buds are ip68 rated so they can be
Submerged up to meter and a half in Water they can be rinsed underwater they Can get splashed during water sports Running soaked on a rainy day all that Kind of stuff they're dust proof as well And they're military tested the case is Also ip54 rated so that's dust protected And splash proof which is good news if You want to carry it with you on a run Good thing for Ultras if you're packing Them in your belt and all that kind of Thing the sound is powered by six mil Speakers with Dolby spatial sound Customizable music EQ and music EQ Presets in the partner R other clever Tricks include Spotify tap for launching Your most recent Spotify play track with A single tap find my buds for locating Misplaced headphones and on connectivity They pack Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint so You can connect to two devices Simultaneously and switch from laptop to Phone without having to reconnect you Can also pair with up to 10 devices and There's that ell audio mode for wiring Into things like airplane monitors when You can't connect via Bluetooth on price The RRP was £229.99 in the UK but you Can find the jabrai a active gen now for Around £160 for context you can pick up the First gen now for around £99 as well on [Music] Deals so there's not a huge amount to
Report on the design side of things with The Gen 28 active they're identical to Gen one and that goes for the kind of Look that kind of understated kind of Stylish kind of matte look that I think Makes it quite nice to use for when You're you know running but also when You're using outside of running as well Too it uses that kind of shake fit grip Uh design to keep them in your ears so There's no ear hooks no wing tips and You know like gen one they've worked Very well for me I've used them for a Mixture of runs a mixture of paces and They have stayed put I think the other Thing I really like that's kind of stuck Around has been the controls I think you Know you know some airbuds really Struggle in terms of implemen those Controls but Jabra do a really good job With their kind of physical controls It's a case of pressing on the outside Of the airbuds and you know I love the Fact they've got volume controls there Which you know work really well for me And I kind of like adjusting volume you Know the kind of skipping tracks all Works very well for me the key Difference really kind of lies in the Case it's minor differences it's maybe Slightly heavier than the one with the Gen one airbuds you got a similar Similar kind of look in terms of Portability but the cables have slightly
Kind of changed you're getting a USBC to 3.5 mm cable which enables kind of Spatial sound mode which not really for Running but also you know uh can you Know make it better for kind of Traveling and using um kind of in Inflight Entertainment Systems as well Too so those are really kind of Non-running kind of benefits but Everything else from a design point of View from a running perspective is all Very similar here so terms of sound Quality effectively you are getting the Same setups with the Gen 2 to the Gen One vers version it's the same Components it's the same in terms of the Modes that you're getting you're getting A hearr mode active noise cancellation Mode with that active noise cancellation Mode Jabra is promising that thec is Going be two times more effective than The version used on the Gen one version But it essentially uses the same version Of that kind of hybrid active noise Cancellation as gen one and it's not the Best kind ofc support offered on a pair Of Jabra earbuds now in terms of that Perform I would say it has been pretty Similar for me and you know that's not Necessarily a bad thing you know the Jabra Elite a active gen one sound very Good and it's all the same kind of Things I'm seeing here in terms of that Sound Performance it's bright energetic
It's Customizable it's good kind of General Base warmth there as well as I said with Gen one I think out of the box The Sound Performance or quality isn't the best And I think once you kind of pair it With that sound companion app uh um on IPhone or Android you know go and see What you can play with in terms of Settings in terms of the EQ mode I think You get something a lot more rewarding And that's ultim what I had to do with Gen 2 in terms of having more effective Active noise cancellation I can't say That's something I really did notice in My time with him you know it isn't the Bestc support I have experienced on a Set of earbuds I still think the Airpods kind of and Sony's kind of um Kind of top end airbuds kind of offer The best perform performance there that I've experienced it's the same with the Hearr mode as well too it's very good It's not the best available on a set of Earbud but I think ultimately I really Enjoy the Sound Performance and the Profile that you get on the jabber a Active Gen 2 it's not that far off the Gen one the promises of improvements I've not really seen in terms of battery Life again I would say it is very Similar if not identical to my time with The Gen one version of the elite a Active it's promising the same numbers
And that's whether you're using Inc mode Or without ANC now when I used them for Kind of generally for over an hours Worth of running withc I saw a drop of Around 30% I think for similar amount of Running time withc disabled it was half That so if you kind of look at those Numbers that kind of you know adds up to What those kind of numbers are promised By Jabra and as you know as I said it's Not a promised Improvement on gen one It's it's matching what gen one offered And if you're happy with the level of Performance that we've got on gen one That's what I've experienced using the Gen 2 versions Elite 8 active so Jabra Elite 8 active Gen 2 the last ra I think For jabra's Consumer side headphones is A bit of a shame because they've always Made very good headphones always Headphones that we've rated very highly As running headphones and that's Certainly the case with the elite eight8 Active Gen 2 so a lot of the stuff I Like about these buds is the same as on Other Jabra headphones the previous Models of these headphones in particular Starting with the fit in general I don't Really get on that well with iner buds For running they just squirm loose and Drop out for me and that kind of unless I have some kind of wing or a ear hook On them which can come a little bit Uncomfortable over time but jabra's
Headphones have always stayed in place For me and that's the case with the Elite a active gen 2s as well they just Sit pretty comfortably in my ear they Don't fall out on the run runs of any Length they feel comfortable you know And it's an exceptional aspect of those Headphones for me I lots of other people Get on fine with all in a headphones but I do think the jabas are the ones that Have always fit the best for me the Controls are still very good on these Headphones like they have been on Previous models you get a nice clear Button that's easy to hit while you're Running you can also turn them off which You can't do most truly wild headphones Without putting the back in the case and I do find that quite annoying if I want To just take the headphones with me on a Run then maybe take them out and you Know be able to turn them off put them In the pocket so that's a nice little Plus point you get there the battery Life is also exceptional as it was with The previous models for headphones that Are this small you get amazing battery Life the outlasts most of their peers Whether you're using the ANC or not Cases small enough to carry with you as Well and that really bumps the battery Off to a very high figure and they've Been hitting the marks that Jabra Suggests as well like I tend to probably
Have thec or hearr mode on but they're Still lasting you know good long time on The run and for General use as well and Then the stuff that has been upgraded a Little bit compared to the previous Model of the Elite 8 active is the sound Quality and thec so sound quality for me Was very good on the previous model of Headphones and it remains very good here I haven't really noticed a huge upgrade There but I'm sure people will who maybe Have a slightly more finely tuned ear Than I do but they sound very very good For sure do think thec has received a Noticeable little bump if you're going To be traveling a lot going on trains And planes you that is a benefit but I Wouldn't say those little upgrades are a Reason I'd rush out and buy these over The previous model like the original Elite a active had very good sound Quality Inc like I really enjoyed using Them all the time as well you know a Little bump up is no bad thing but I Wouldn't say it's it's a huge upgrade That's can massively change your life But like I said if you're a bit more of An audio file than me you might really Appreciate that little bump you get There the hearr mode remains excellent As well I think that's one that's worth Flagging up in the run test here is lots Of headphones have these transparency Modes I think this Jabra mode and the
One on the Apple airpods Pro are the Ones that I really find are good on the Run As in that you can hear stuff around You quite clearly it doesn't just become Like a wind mode where just you know get Noise as you're running along you can Actually filter that out and still hear What's going on whilst keeping your Headphones in your rears like it's not The same level of awareness that you get From open buds or even open fit Headphones like the airpods 4 but know It is a really handy feature as a runner If you'd rather not just take both Headphones out so you can still hear Your surroundings whilst listening to Music or podcasts so let's have a look At the run test and starting with the Case well this is nice and Compact and Running belt friendly I think overall There's a comprehensive Suite of Additional features to these two active Noise cancellation he through find my Buds I love the duw simultaneous Connections that make it really easy to Switch between phone and laptop they Work really well I've come in from runs Sort of onto calls quite a lot so that's A really easy thing to do and in my test When it came to battery life it's solid 90 minutes running with ANC on burned 30% 90 minutes running withc turned off Burn 10% that's with the volume up Pretty high on both I listen really loud
They'll cope with Marathon easily and Single day Ultras with the case regular Topups with a quick charge feature also Really alleviate the need to charge them Fully and when you factor in the kind of Case most Runners are likely to get Through a month running an hour a day or So on a single charge with these or at Least with very minimal charging which Is it's a good on battery life now inar Headphones tend to be okay for me and I Find the jabas fit nice and reliable 99% Of the time occasionally I have to Fiddle a bit once I start moving just to Ensure that I've got them kind of more Firmly and securely in place but I think The fit really benefits from how light And compact the buds are I don't get any Tug like you can with some heavier Bulkier buds that sort of move Themselves out of your rears over time And running it flat on flat at any Pace Was fine with me however I wouldn't 100% Back them to stay put on got a big Impact sort of steep descent or Downhills trails and that kind of stuff Now I don't tend to fiddle with my Headphones that much once I'm running I Usually stick a playlist on pop the buds In and then I'll just start running but The controls when you need to use them On the elite a active to are nice and Simple the presses are nicely responsive You don't have to jab too much which
Helps with that kind of fit security I Also like that you can customize many of The controls in the app and I like that Kind of single tap Spotify feature that Automatically plays your most recent Track it's a nice welcome touch now I'm Quite easily satisfied when it comes to Sound I Like it Loud Rich Bassy with Plenty of energy and I think the jabber A active to tick those boxes like they Did with the first gen of these uh There's good depth to the sound I think It's full and Rich with a decent amount Of subtlety to it at least for my sort Of slightly simplistic non-audio file is Is it's got great top volume plenty of Bass if you want it I don't get any Distortion at the top levels and I love The fact you can flick between presets Or create your own custom sound profiles For different settings like in the gym On a treadmill versus being outdoors Cool quality on the Run was good for me On the odd occasion that I took a call All the people I tested this with said I Came across loud and clear with no Cutouts and importantly with limited Wind interference now one of those extra Sort of boosted sound profiles the Active noise cancellation and that I Don't personally use ANC or the Transparency modes that much on the Run Mostly I'll fire it up in a shared Working space cafes that kind of thing
And for me it's pretty effective for Filtering out the general hubub works Well on public transport too if you're a User of awareness modes the wind Filtering is now pretty good on these Improved for the last generation samees Here as well and overall the buds do Everything better in the sound Department for this upgraded generation But I didn't find the difference was That staggering on the sound that I'd Really pay the extra for those upgrades I'm kind of happy with the last gen Performance some people might find the Subtleties worthwhile but I pretty happy With what the last gen Did verdict I do think it's a real shame That Jabra are discontinuing this kind Of headphone I think they will be Supported going forward so I think you Can buy without worrying about it too Much but it's a shame because I do think They do make the best workout and Running headphones with this range like These are the in buds that I found the Best for running and other times of Workouts consistently across the past Few years the top active model in Jabra's range is generally the best Running headphones I think if you're Looking for that crossover of really Good sounding headphones that have Usable controls great battery life Really good ANC and transparency modes
Like really good sound qus you can use Them for General use but they also stay In place reliably on the run you feel Good on the Run are easy to use on the Run and that's exactly what the elite a Active Gen 2 are they you know they're Fantastic all round headphones so you Got a lot of similar qualities actually To something like the Apple airpods 2o But that fit is what really sets them Apart for me like as someone who like I Said who struggles with in a headphones A lot of the time the elite a actives Just stay in place and that's not the Case with the airpods and lots of other Smaller in a buds like that so that Means they're quite comfortable because I don't have to wear a wing with them However I don't think they're a huge Upgrade on the previous model of these And in general that's always I think the Thing that undercuts the top models in Jabra's range is they do have an Extensive range of headphones there Elite 4 Active there's even the Elite 3 And even if they're not necessarily Active headphones they do tend to have a Very good fit I think Jabra headphones For running and they have a lot of Similar features across the board you're Getting an upgrade as you go up the Range certainly in terms of things like Sound quality and ANC and this is the Pinnacle of jabra's range in that sense
But I think it's pretty close between These and the previous model which if You're going to find them in a sale or They're just cheaper at their standard Price I'd probably look at that myself Like if you're someone who travels an Awful lot and are very very keen on Sound quality then yeah make maybe make The upgrade to the new ones because the Extrac will help on traveling and you Might notice more of a bump and sound Quality than I did but I think the Original Elite 8 actives are amazing Headphones and you could definitely look At those then the Elite 4 Active if You're just looking for a really solid Set of headphones that can do everything Pretty well they're now going you know For really low prices in sales and they Are still excellent headphones like they Don't have the same ARR features there Or as good sound orc as you're getting Here but everything's pretty much Passable on there and you still get a Really good fit pretty good battery life A nice small compact set of headphones That are great for running as well as General use and they're coming in a lot Cheaper so yeah probably the main Competition here is jabra's other buds Which are such good value but these are The best ones Jabra has made and I'm Sure they'll be a regular feature in Sales themselves as Jabra kind of winds
Down this consumer side of its business And you're going to get a really good Set of headphones for running and General use if you do find them at a Good price verd it then well I'm a fan Of jabra's running headphones they tend To offer good quality and value so it's Sad to see them exit this space and I Think the active 82 build on what's gone Before will be it for me in my use case In a small way if you're looking for Good fit solid sound big battery life The a active 2 offers that all round Package that you got with the last gen There's balanced sound that packs plenty Of top volume punch with clear Rich deep And nuanced audio that's easy to tweak And tune and get personal sound profiles Sort of tailored in in the app I found The fit secure thanks to a nice compact Design the controls are easy to to use Nicely responsive the customization is Great the active noise cancellation Battery life is pretty competitive with 8 hours on the buds that's plenty enough On the buds for a marathon rising to an Ultra now throwing good durability and a Feature app and I love what these kind Of offer all around however that's also True I think of the previous generation So if you can find the active 8 for Cheaper I think they're as good for Running basically the jabber Le a active 2 offers a fantastic all round package
For the price but I think you can get it Slightly better on the cheaper ones so Might take on the jabber Elite active Gen 2 is that these are like gen one Fantastic truly wise airbuds for running And if you are looking for a set of Airbuds that really Excel for Non-running uses but really kind of Deliver on the running front as well Then there's very few better airbuds Than the jab a active Gen 2 now in terms Of being an upgrade from gen one there's Not a huge amount here really the you Know core things here like design and Fit Sound Performance battery life Performance are identical and it really Kind of does boil down to whether you Want that smart case and that support For that kind of spatial sound if you're The kind of person that likes to kind of You know run a lot in the gym and likes To be distracted by films and TV shows If you don't then I wouldn't be Upgrading to Gen 2 and I think you know Some of the promised sound you know Performance upgrades don't really kind Of ring true for me on the Gen 2 Compared to gen one so you look at the Other options that are available outside Of jabra's range and I'm really talking Talking about things that I think work Kind of in those kind of as I said Non-running kind of scenarios but also Running scenarios and I think you're
Looking at things like the Apple airpods Pro 2 you are looking at things like the Beats fit Pro you're looking at things Like the Bose Ultra open earbuds as well Which with starting with the bows they Are you know they're pretty expensive Airbuds they use that kind of open a Approach slightly kind of more unique Design now those sound great I think the Fit in general is fine but I when I've Race with them or to raise them I found The fit more problematic and using Controls more problematic as well when I've been running I think you look at The Beats fit Pro I think sounds are is Great on those I think what I found with The beat fit Pro is that the fit has Been uncomfortable over longer runs and It's been a lot more reliable with the Jabra airbud in comparison the Apple Airpods Pro 2 I think sound fantastic The active noise canellation is more Impressive on the Apple airbuds compared To the jabas but I think in terms terms Of you know having a more reliable fit For more people the jabber is probably Going to work a lot better I think if You look at the price ranges they're all Pretty expensive airbuds but if you kind Of look on the kind of Jabra side of Things things are dropping in price now Jabra is going to kind of step out of The consumer airphone uh business so While you know they're not going to kill
Support straight away you know further Down the line this is something they're Committing to making more of but I think I think you're going to be fine getting Them now you know IB comfortable kind of Still picking them up you're still going To deliver and still be usable for a Long time and think you know if you are Looking as I said for a good set of Truly wise airbuds that kind of work Well when you're not running and really Come alive really deliver on the running Front then these are some of the best And if not the best that you can buy so There you have it that's been our review Of the Jabra Elite 8 active I hope it's Been useful as ever hit us up in the Comments if you have any questions don't Forget to like subscribe and ring the Bell to get alerts when new videos land Go check out the other headphone reviews On the Channel I'm going to pop one up Now that you should have a look for if You're interested in bone conductors at All otherwise thanks very much for Watching and happy running people
