Jabra Elite 8 Active ANC in-ears are one tough mudder
IP68 'buds land alongside new comfort-focused Elite 10 flagship
There are durable wireless earbuds, and then there’s the Jabra Elite 8 Active. These true wireless in-ears redefine the concept of tough tech, and aren’t just aimed at fitness fanatics who spend every waking hour at the gym. With IP68 water, sweat and dust resistance, plus a MIL-STD-810H rating for extreme thermals, shocks and drops, they’ll do a lot more than survive a sweaty workout. Jabra’s gone all out for what it’s calling “the world’s toughest earbuds”, with adaptive noise cancelling, multiple microphones for crystal clear calls, and spatial sound powered by Dolby.
But what if comfortable all-day listening is more crucial to you? Well the Jabra Elite 10 has got you covered, with a semi-open design sculpted to fit every different ear shape. It also brings head-tracking Atmos audio, more advanced ANC, and enough battery life in its compact charging case to get you from breakfast to bedtime.
The grateful eight
Each Elite 8 Active ‘bud is built into a single-piece liquid silicon rubber outer case, which gives a tight enough seal to stop water seeping into where it shouldn’t. They’ve also been tested for high humidity, salt water dips and fast-drying scenarios, so “my headphones might get damaged” won’t ever be an excuse for skipping your next park run.
They should have enough juice for up to eight hours of listening, with the charging case supplying an extra 24 hours when you need it. Wireless charging is built-in for convenience, while USB-C promises faster wired top-ups. The case itself is IP54 water resistant, so can also shrug off a rain shower or two.
Inside Jabra’s Adaptive Hybrid ANC silences the outside world when you want it to, and HearThrough transparency keeps you aware of your surrounds when you need to be. Automatic wind noise filtering kicks in based on how fast you’re moving; pick up the pace and it’ll swap from the four exterior mics to the two interior ones. Wind-protecting mesh and noise-cancelling algorithms should keep your voice clear when making calls, too.
It has HFP, A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth profiles for stable connections to compatible smartwatches, as well as all the usual smartphone connectivity goodies including Microsoft Swift Pair, Google Fast Pair, Multipoint pairing and Spotify Tap. Last but not least, 6mm dynamic drivers deliver Dolby-approved spatial sound.
You’ll be able to snap up a pair right now, directly from the Jabra website. They’re available in Caramel, Navy, Dark Grey and Black colours for $199/£199.
A perfect ten?
It might not be quite as sporty, but the Jabra Elite 10 promises upgrades in other areas – most notably comfort, courtesy of an all-new shape that shifts the centre of gravity from previous efforts. Over 60,000 pairs of ears were scanned to tweak the oval-shaped EarGels, which should keep each bud locked in your ear but without causing discomfort. Jabra reckons you’ll be able to wear ’em all day.
There are beefier 10mm dynamic drivers inside, with support for Dolby Atmos spatial audio including head tracking, and the Advanced Active Noise Cancellation is supposed to be twice as effective as Jabra’s previous efforts. It adjusts on the fly based on how much exterior sound is making its way into your ear canals. Faster processing and newer, smarter algorithms give the 6-microphone array a big helping hand when it comes to muting wind noise, too.
The buds themselves should manage six hours of listening, with the charging case providing up to 21 hours more. It’s been slimmed down and made a little curvier than last year’s Elite 7 Pro, so should slip into a pocket that bit easier.
Expect all the same connectivity options as the Elite 8 Active, whether you pick one up in Titanium Black, Cream or Cocoa colours. Later down the line, both models will get a firmware update adding Bluetooth Low Energy Audio, and the LC3 and LC3plus Bluetooth codecs for high quality listening at lower bandwidths.
The Jabra Elite 10 will be available to buy from mid-September for $249/£229.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
