Jabra Elite 4 Active is a fully featured pair of truly wireless earbuds, perfect for fitness enthusiasts looking for an inexpensive pair to take to the gym or jogging.
What is it like to use Jabra Elite 4 Active?
The overall build quality of the Jabra Elite 4 Active is slightly lower than that of the Jabra Elite 7 Active or Elite 7 Pro. Nonetheless, the all-plastic construction is typical when compared to similarly priced true wireless earbuds. There are no ear wings and no solid coating to hold the earbuds in place, but Jabra includes three sizes of silicone earbuds in the box.
The shape of the earbuds inserts them deep into the ear canal so that they fit securely in most ears. The earbuds felt secure in my ears, but your experience may vary depending on the shape of your ears.
How long will the battery last in my Jabra Elite 4 Active?
In our battery test with continuous playback at 75dB(SPL) with ANC on, the Jabra Elite 4 Active lasted 7 hours and 17 minutes. This is above average for true wireless earbuds, especially at this price. The charging case allows for 3 additional charges and up to 28 hours of total play time.
There is no wireless charging support, so you must plug in the charging case via USB-C to turn them on. A quick charge of the earbuds provides 60 minutes of play time, starting with 10 minutes of charging in the charging case.
How does the Jabra Elite 4 Active sound?
Out of the box, the Jabra Elite 4 Active has a similar sound to many other consumer earbuds. There is no significant under- or over-emphasis of frequencies in the audible range and the frequency response roughly follows our target consumer curve. If you don’t like the sound of the earbuds, you can easily change the EQ preset or make your own using the custom five-band equalizer in the Sound+ app.
Bass, Midrange and Treble
In the graph above, the frequency response starts to taper off below 50Hz; this is the edge of the human hearing range and most people probably don’t notice it. From 50 to 100Hz, there is a slight emphasis on the sub-bass notes, which provides additional intensity to the 808 bass line in Juice WRLD’s Cigarettes.
The earbuds lower the midrange frequencies from 200-700Hz by a few decibels. This is where the fundamental frequencies of most notes are located, so vocals on tracks like Doja Cat’s Kiss Me More sound a little quieter than they should.
Jabra Elite 4 Active review: verdict
The Elite 4 Active is a better value than the Elite 7 Active. It’s a great mid-range model with plenty of ANC, great call quality, rich sound, great connectivity and waterproof protection. Access the Sound+ app for audio customization to sweeten the deal.
The cheaper price means losing popular features like multi-point technology and wireless charging, as well as some of Jabra’s newer settings. More effort can also be put into multifunctional button design for optimal comfort.
All of Jabra’s sporty wireless earbuds are good value for money, especially the Elite Active 75t, which comes fully packaged but at a premium price. However, the Jabra Elite 4 Active is the most compelling purchase for active lifestyle and fitness types on a budget.
