Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise-canceling portable ear-insert model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its ear plug-like design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment.
Additional features include:
Has integrated volume control, microphone, and call connect/disconnect control. Either earpiece can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Free Jabra Sound Plus app download for Android and iOS mobile devices adds additional features and software updates. Extended 24-month water and dust warranty when model registered using Jabra Sound+ app.
Sound quality:We found the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. With the noise cancelling mode engaged and set at maximum and the Jabra Sound+ app equalizer set to flat and Music Presets set to Neutral (as received state of the earphone) the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is somewhat prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is a fairly even, a bit hazy, etched (a bit more sharply outlined then it should be), congested (think sonic traffic jam) and a touch sibilant. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended, but a bit prominent, sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) and smeared. While the sound has a good sense of liveliness, it is somewhat closed (sound-wise it's fairly obvious you have something plugging your ears) and does a good job of recovering room ambience. Mixed character - warm bass with neutral midrange and treble. The overall sound can best be summarized as somewhat bassy and a bit hazy and congested. The noise canceling feature does have initially for the first few seconds a faint rush that can be heard when there is no audio program to drown it out but then completely fades away even without background noise to mask it. The tone settings of the app do have a noticeable effect on the sound of these earphones.
Comfort and Fit:As typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening that might be uncomfortable for some.
Users with small ear bowls might find that the earphone body feels a bulky in their ear bowl and that they stick out a bit too far and feel like they may lever out of place, but that they will stay in place during casual use and are very stable even with vigorous head movement.
Users with medium sized ear bowls will probably find that with or without the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are very stable even during vigorous head movement.
Users with large sized ear bowls will probably find that with the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are very stable even during vigorous head movement.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional volume level changes, playing, pausing, track skipping, or ambient sound monitoring.
Some users might find pressing the various earphone controls drives the earphones farther into the ear canal and may cause ear discomfort.
