If you’ve been following along, you know Jabra releases a handful of new earbuds each year, but we wanted something new as an entry-level option, and the Elite 4 are right there. increase.
Sticking to a familiar formula underscores everything about these earbuds, putting as much emphasis on comfort as it does performance. This is a very valuable situation designed to offer real value, but whether it’s the right choice depends on what you give up.
Jabra Elite 4: Pricing and Availability
Jabra launches the Elite 4 in March 2023, available immediately at retail and online stores. They start at $100 and drop oddly in price along the way and will get even cheaper.
Jabra Elite 4: Pros
Assuming you’ve used Jabra earbuds before over the last few years, the familiarity here makes a lot of sense. The Elite 4 is shaped like other models, for example the Elite 5 and the Elite 4 Active. These earbuds are the direct successor to the Elite 3 and are the latest budget earbuds in Jabra’s lineup.
This means that you can basically fit and feel as comfortable as these earbuds, but these Elite 4s are a bit slimmer than the more expensive Elite 5 and 4 Active. is more consistent with It doesn’t have the same rubber coating as the Active model, but the IP55 rating is at least enough to handle training and rain splashes.
As with these cases, you get 3 sets of ear tips. They all have the exact same design and size as the Elite 3. The case also appears to be an exact replica. Without the color difference, it would be difficult to tell the difference.
Jabra has introduced premium features in the form of personalized Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), so ear tips and overall fit are key. Considering in Elite 3 he had no ANC at all, it’s a big change. Test the Jabra Sound+ app in a noisy environment and set the appropriate level. That’s all. Noise canceling is very good for earbuds at this price, and I was pleasantly surprised by the balance. That said, the mids and highs seemed a little more muffled than the standard lows.
HearThrough captures ambient noise and is great for listening to ambient sounds. The onboard controls retain the physical buttons so you can easily toggle between ANC and HearThrough with a single press on the left earbud. It’s also a way to answer incoming calls or mute yourself during a call. The button on the right earbud does the same thing, except it plays/pauses instead of cycling through auditory modes. Double press left to trigger voice assistant, end call, or enable Spotify Tap to hold. Skip tracks on the right, or triple press to repeat one. Press and hold left to decrease the volume, press right to increase the volume. There is no way to customize these controls.
Jabra has completely removed other things from the app to lower the price of the Elite 4, but you still get your money’s worth. I can hear myself. This will make your call clearer. You can also use Spotify Tap to play music on the platform without launching the app. You can’t choose your voice assistant here like you can with his other Jabra earbuds, so the Elite 4 uses the default one running on the phone.
The EQ is certainly one of the most customizable here and is worth experimenting with to get the sound you want. You can choose from the same handful of presets that Jabra offers on other pairs, including the option to create and save your own presets.
Out of the box, the Elite 4 has a crowd-pleasing sound in that it boosts the bass and treble just right for a lively soundstage, but with a more hearty midrange. This will keep the vocals down a bit more. If you find this combination unsatisfactory, we recommend using EQ to find a more acceptable sound profile. The good news is that you have a solid foundation to work from, so there’s a good chance you’ll find something that works for you.
It’s also worth noting that these earbuds support both SBC and aptX Bluetooth codecs, but not AAC. iOS devices play better with his AAC and don’t support aptX, so the Elite 4 is tailored for Android users. This is an unusual step for Jabra, which has usually gone the opposite way, so it will be interesting to see if aptX support becomes a standard part of his Jabra earbuds in the future.
Battery life isn’t bad for earbuds at this price point, and in fact it’s better than I expected based on Jabra’s specs. The Elite 4 was rated at 5.5 hours with ANC on at default volume, but at 60% volume he easily got 6 hours. Given the modest estimates, this is a welcome sight. The case has three more charges, and if wireless charging isn’t available, it connects via USB-C. A quick charge of 10 minutes gives you up to 1 hour of playback.
Jabra Elite 4: The cons
There’s not much to complain about when measuring your expectations. Jabra makes some of the best earbuds on the market and the Elite 4 are among the best you can find for the price. That said, there has to be an issue with the compromises involved. They aren’t the sturdiest and they fit comfortably, but there’s a small chance that the included eartips won’t fit your ears.
Admittedly, these are risks for many earbud pairs, so I wouldn’t single out the Elite 4. I’m just pointing out that they perform above their pay grade, they’re not orders of magnitude better. If you want to connect, it’s not. If you want Alexa in your earbuds, you can choose any of her other Jabra pairs that are capable of it.
Jabra Elite 4: Competition
Elite 4 also faces a number of great competitive options that aren’t necessarily slam dunk options. Jabra’s Elite 5 is worth considering if your budget allows. But in the same price range, the Anker Space A40 offers more features for the same price, including AAC and LDAC support, multipoint, and deeper EQ in the Soundcore app.
The best cheap wireless earbuds are worth considering, even if they’ve been on the market for longer than the Elite 4.
Jabra Elite 4: Should you buy?
You should buy this…
- I want good sound with ANC support.
- I want a comfortable fit with physical buttons.
- EQ needs to be manipulated.
- I’m on a tight budget so I’m looking for good value.
It’s better not to buy this kind of person…
- Your budget has room for more expansion.
- I want more codec support.
- You prefer something more sturdy.
The Elite 4 represents a solid step up compared to its predecessor and is a much better value when comparing the two. Even if you’re tempted by the lower price of the Elite 3, skip them and use these instead.ANC as well as wider performance and app support creates a huge gap between the two .
It’s priced to appeal to those on a budget, but it’s also playable at a very competitive price point, so you’ll want to see if this pair is right for your ears.
The Elite 4 are Jabra’s entry-level earbuds that offer plenty of features at a low price, including great sound, noise cancellation, solid battery life and extremely comfortable fit.
