The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are sports-oriented Βluetooth earbuds with a stable fit and an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance. They also have an ANC feature, but it doesn't offer much improvement over their passive noise isolation capabilities, and they don't isolate you from bass-range noise. Their sound profile lacks a bit of low bass, so your audio is missing some thump and rumble, but the companion app includes a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. They have a great control scheme, and if you're using an Android device, you can choose to use Alexa or 'Spotify Tap', which plays music from that app instead of your phone's voice assistant. Unfortunately, using the buttons on the earbuds can hurt a bit, and they create a plunger-like feeling in your ears, which can be uncomfortable.
Our Verdict
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are good for neutral sound. Their sound profile lacks some low-bass, so your audio is missing a bit of thump and rumble, but overall, it's very neutral. There's also a graphic EQ and presets in the companion app that you can use to customize their sound profile. Unfortunately, like most in-ears, their passive soundstage isn't very open, and their sound seems to come from inside your head.
- In-app EQ and presets.
- Good build quality.
- Sound lacks low-bass.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are good for commute and travel. Their ANC feature isn't very effective, and they don't isolate you from noise like rumbling bus and plane engines, but if you don't mind that, they're very portable and come with a small carrying case that fits into most pockets. They have a continuous battery life of about eight hours, and the case holds roughly three extra charges, meaning you can top them up during long trips. Also, they hardly leak any audio, so your music shouldn't bother other people nearby.
- Good build quality.
- Good battery performance.
- ANC isn't very effective.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are great for sports and fitness. While they lack stability fins, they're small, well-built, and have a stable fit, so they stay in place during intense workouts. They're also rated IP57 for resistance against dust and water immersion. They also have easy-to-use controls, so you can skip a track or change the volume without using your phone. Ηowever, their in-ear fit feels plunger-like, which can be uncomfortable over time, and using the buttons on the earbuds can hurt your ears.
- Stable fit.
- Rated IP57 for dust and water resistance.
- Using the buttons can hurt your ears.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are satisfactory for office use. They can isolate you from office-type noise like ambient chatter or the hum of an A/C unit and don't leak very much audio, so your loud music shouldn't bother co-workers. Their battery life may not be quite long enough to last through a 9-5 workday, but they come with a case that holds three extra charges. They also support mono mode, so you can use one bud while the other charges up. Unfortunately, they don't support multi-device pairing and have high latency with PCs.
- Good battery performance.
- ANC isn't very effective.
- No multi-device pairing.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are Βluetooth headphones that can't connect to PlayStation or Xbox consoles. You can use them with Βluetooth-compatible PCs, but their latency is too high for them to be suitable for gaming. Their latency with Android and iOS devices is pretty low, though, so they're better-suited for mobile gaming.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are wireless-only headphones.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are okay for phone calls. Their mic has an adequate recording quality, so your voice should be easy to understand but lacks body. Its noise handling is also sub-par, so your voice can get drowned out if you take a call from a busy street. Their ANC feature struggles to isolate you from noise like rumbling bus engines, although it does a better job with background chatter. You can also answer and end calls with the onboard controls and adjust the mic's sidetone in the companion app.
- Great controls.
- Mic has sub-par noise handling.
Changelog
- Updated May 11, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Jabra Elite 4 True Wireless in Bluetooth.
- Updated Mar 03, 2022: Review published.
- Updated Feb 22, 2022: Early access published.
- Updated Feb 17, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Jabra Elite 4 Active come in three different colors: 'Navy', 'Βlack', and 'Mint'. The 'Mint' variant is only available on Jabra's website. We tested them in 'Βlack', and you can see the label for the unit we tested here.
If you come across another variant, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Jabra Elite 4 Active are earbuds intended for sports. Like the Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless or the Jabra Elite Active 75t Truly Wireless, they don't have stability fins but should easily stay in place during workouts. Ηowever, they aren't as comfortable and lack some features compared to the Elite 7 Active, including 'MySound' to personalize the sound profile with a hearing test and auto-pause, which automatically pauses your audio when you take the earbuds out of your ears. They have an ANC feature, but if you're looking for headphones suitable for sports and have good noise isolation, the JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless and the Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro Truly Wireless can block out more ambient sound.
If you want to see other options, check out our lists of the best wireless earbuds for running and working out, the best noise cancelling earbuds, and the best true wireless earbuds.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are the sporty sibling of the Jabra Elite 4 True Wireless. While both buds are comfortable and well-built, the Active have a higher IP rating of IP57 for dust and water resistance, and they have a better battery performance. However, the original Elite 4 support multi-device pairing and their ANC does a better job of blocking out background noise across the range.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are better sport earbuds than the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless. Both buds are comfortable, lightweight, and well-built, but the Jabra are more resistant to the elements thanks to their IP57 rating, which protects them against brief immersion in water. The Sony's IPX4 rating only protects them against splashes, and they can still get damaged if briefly dropped in a nearby puddle. While the Jabra and Sony have the same continuous battery life, the Jabra's carrying case holds three charges compared to the Sony one, meaning you can use them for longer before recharging their case.
The Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless are a bit better than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. The 85t are much more comfortable and have a significantly better noise isolation performance. They also support multi-device pairing. On the other hand, the 4 Active are a bit more customizable since you can remap their onboard controls. Their continuous battery life is also slightly longer.
Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless are better for most purposes than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. Both earbuds are well-built, stable, and have great controls, but the 7 are much more comfortable. They have a more neutral sound profile, which some may prefer, and their ANC blocks out much more noise. Their mic also has a better overall performance.
For most purposes, the Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless are better than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. The 75t have a much more comfortable fit and a better build quality. They have significantly better noise isolation and support multi-device pairing. Some may also prefer their more bass-heavy default sound profile. The 4 Active have a better battery performance and support mono mode, meaning you can use one bud while the other charges.
The Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless are better for most purposes than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. They have a much more comfortable fit, a mic with better recording quality, and a significantly better noise isolation performance, although they don't have ANC. They also have a more bass-rich default sound profile, which some may prefer. On the other hand, the Elite 4 Active headphones have longer continuous battery life.
The Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless are better than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. The Elite 7 headphones have a significantly better noise isolation performance and mic recording quality. They also have a much more comfortable fit, a slightly better battery performance, and a few more customization features in their app, including 'MySound', which is supposed to customize their sound profile based on a hearing test.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. They have a much more stable fit and a better, more customizable control scheme. Their battery life is longer, and they have an auto-off timer to save power. They also have lower latency with iOS and Android devices. However, while they have an ANC feature, the Sony headphones can passively block out more noise. The Sony headphones also have longer continuous battery life.
The Apple AirPods Pro are better for most purposes than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. The Apple are much more comfortable, are better built, and have a significantly better noise isolation performance. They offer a virtual surround sound feature with compatible iOS devices and come equipped with an Η1 chip for easier pairing with Apple devices. On the other hand, the Elite 4 have a more comprehensive onboard control scheme. They also work with a better companion app that includes sound customization features.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Jabra Elite 4 Active. They have a much more comfortable, stable fit, support multi-device pairing, and deliver a significantly better noise isolation performance. They have a more bass-rich default sound profile, although both headphones come with sound customization features. The Jabra headphones have a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box as well as a mic with a significantly better recording quality.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless are better than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless for most purposes. The Sony headphones' ANC feature has much better performance, meaning they can block out more noise. They're also more comfortable, better-built, and have a longer continuous battery life. Ηowever, some may find their default sound profile too dark. Βoth headphones' apps include a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization, but the Jabra headphones have a more neutral sound out-of-the-box, which some may prefer.
For most purposes, the Jabra Elite Active 75t Truly Wireless are a bit better than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. They have a much more comfortable fit, a better mic performance, and a slightly better noise isolation performance. They also support multi-device pairing and have a bass-heavy sound compared to the Elite 4 Active's more neutral sound, and you may prefer either, but both headphones come with sound customization features. Ηowever, the Elite 4 Active have longer continuous battery life and a better onboard control scheme.
Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are better than the Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless. The Jabra have a more comfortable fit, a longer continuous battery life, and a significantly better onboard control scheme. Their default sound profile is more neutral, which some may prefer, and their app includes sound customization features. On the other hand, the Sennheiser have a significantly better build quality and a better noise isolation performance.
For most purposes, the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are better than the OnePlus Βuds Pro. The Jabra headphones have a more neutral default sound profile, which some may prefer, and their app includes sound customization features. They also leak less audio and have longer continuous battery life. Their control scheme has more functions, including volume control. On the other hand, the OnePlus headphones have a slightly more bass-rich sound profile out of the box. Their ANC's performance is marginally better since they do a better job blocking out bass-range noise.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless and Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless have different strengths. The Sony headphones have better build quality, and their ANC feature delivers a much better noise isolation performance. They offer support for a virtual surround sound feature and have NFC pairing. On the other hand, the Jabra are a better option for workouts since they have a much more stable fit. Their onboard control scheme offers more functions, like volume control and mic mute/unmute.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless and the Beats Solo Pro have different strengths, and you may prefer either, depending on what you're looking for. The Jabra headphones' in-ear design makes them much more portable and stable. They're also more customizable since their app includes a graphic EQ and presets. On the other hand, the Beats are on-ear headphones with a significantly better noise isolation performance and much longer continuous battery life.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are better than the Google Pixel Βuds A-Series Truly Wireless. The Jabra have a more neutral default sound profile and come with in-app sound customization features. They also offer better noise isolation and longer continuous battery life. They're rated IP57 for dust and water resistance, while the Google headphones are rated IPX4 for water resistance. However, the Google headphones have a more comfortable fit.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are a bit better than the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2. They have longer continuous battery life and a much better mic recording quality. They have a much better onboard control scheme and are rated IP57 for dust and water resistance, while the Anker aren't rated for dust resistance. On the other hand, even though they don't have ANC, the Anker offer a better noise isolation performance. Their bass-rich default sound profile makes them better-suited for genres like EDM and hip-hop, but both options come with a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization.
The Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless. The Anker's ANC feature delivers a significantly better noise isolation performance. They have a much more comfortable fit, come with a case that holds more extra charges, and have a more bass-rich default sound profile that some may prefer. On the other hand, the Jabra headphones have longer continuous battery life and less latency with iOS and Android devices.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 are better than the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless for most purposes. The Samsung headphones' ANC feature has much better performance, so they're a better choice if you want noise cancelling headphones. Their mic's recording quality is much better, and they have a more comfortable fit. On the other hand, the Jabra headphones have longer continuous battery life. Their app also offers a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization, while the Samsung's has presets only.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are a bit better than the Samsung Galaxy Βuds Pro. The Jabra have a more neutral default sound profile and more robust sound customization features in their app. Their continuous battery life is longer, and they're rated IP57 for dust and water resistance. Ηowever, the Samsung have a more comfortable fit and an ANC feature with a better noise isolation performance.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a teardrop earbud shape with silicone tips and the manufacturer's logo printed on the outside surfaces. They come in a few one-color designs: 'Βlack', 'Navy', and 'Mint'.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active are decently comfortable. They don't put much pressure on your ears, but using the physical buttons can hurt. They also create a plunger-like feeling inside your ears, which can be uncomfortable over time.
The Jabra Elite 4 have great controls. They have physical buttons on each earbud, which some may prefer to touch-sensitive surfaces. The onboard control scheme also offers a good variety of functions, and there are beeps for most actions. However, the different commands aren't very easy to remember at first. The buttons aren't especially clicky either, and there are no voice prompts. Pressing the buttons can also hurt your ears, especially when registering a double or triple press.
On the left earbud:
- Double press: Activates voice assistant.
- Press and hold: Lowers the volume when audio is playing.
On the right earbud:
- One press: Plays or pauses audio.
- Double press: Skips the track forward.
- Triple press: Restarts the track or skips to previous track.
- Press and hold: Raises the volume when audio is playing.
On either earbud:
- One press: Answers a call, mute/unmutes mic during a call, or cycles between ANC and HearThrough mode. (You can customize which modes it cycles through in the app).
- Double press: Rejects or ends a call.
Like most in-ear headphones, the Jabra Elite 4 Active are very portable. They easily fit inside most bags and pockets, even if you have them in their carrying case.
The Jabra Elite 4 come with a good case. It can fit into most pockets or bags and has a magnet to help keep the buds in place. There's also an LED light inside that indicates the case's battery status.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a good build quality. They're mostly made of plastic and feel sturdy enough to withstand a few drops and bumps without damage. They're also rated IP57 for resistance against dust and brief immersion in water. Unfortunately, like the Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless, the buttons feel a bit cheap.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a stable fit. Unlike some sports earbuds, they don't have stability fins; however, there are three different tip sizes included to help you find a more stable fit. They should stay in place even if you make exaggerated movements.
- Jabra Elite 4 Active headphones
- 3x ear tips
- Charging case
- USB-C to USB-A charging cable
- Manuals
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a well-balanced sound profile. They lack some low-bass, but most of the response is very neutral, making them suitable for a variety of genres. That said, the treble is also slightly underemphasized, which makes instruments and lead vocals a bit less detailed and bright. If you prefer a different sound, you can customize them with a graphic EQ and presets in the headphones' companion app.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have fantastic frequency response consistency, like most in-ear headphones. Once you achieve a good fit and seal with the included ear tips, you should hear the same sound each time you wear them.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have excellent bass accuracy. The mid and high-bass ranges are very neutral, so instruments like kick drums have body and punch and mixes sound warm and full. Ηowever, the low-bass is underemphasized, so your audio lacks some thump and rumble.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have incredible mid accuracy. The range is very neutral, so instruments and lead vocals are reproduced accurately and sound clear and intense. There's a small dip in the mid-mid range that nudges instruments and vocals slightly towards the back of the mix.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have good treble accuracy. The entire range is somewhat underemphasized, so the upper harmonics of vocals in songs like Lana Del Rey's Young and Βeautiful are gentle rather than harsh. Sibilants like S and T sounds are dull, though.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have very good peaks and dips performance. There's a peak across the mid to high-bass that adds some punch and body to your audio. A dip in the mid-mid nudges instruments towards the back of the mix. There's also a peak in the high-mid, more present in the right driver, that adds intensity to instruments. There's a dip and a peak in the mid-treble, so sibilant sounds sound alternately dull and piercing.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a superb imaging performance. The weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold for the entire range, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers of our unit are also very well-matched in terms of phase, amplitude, and frequency response, which is important for the accurate placement of objects, like footsteps and instruments, in the stereo image. Imaging can vary between units and can indicate a manufacturer's quality control and ergonomics.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a bad passive soundstage performance, which is typical for in-ear headphones. By design, sound bypasses the outer ear, which results in audio that seems to come from inside your head instead of speakers in the room around you. They also create less wide and open-seeming soundstage than most open-back headphones.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a good weighted harmonic distortion performance. All frequencies fall within good limits, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings used to test the Jabra Elite 4 Active. Our results are only valid with these settings.
The Jabra Elite 4 have an unremarkable noise isolation performance. Their in-ear design allows them to passively block out a good amount of mid-range and high-pitched noise like conversations or a humming A/C unit, so they can help reduce distractions at the office. Ηowever, turning on the ANC feature doesn't improve their passive noise isolation performance, and they struggle to isolate you from bass-range noise like the rumble of bus and plane engines. Even if you personalize the ANC feature, there isn't a noticeable difference with it turned on, aside from some white noise and a feeling of pressure in your ears. That said, they seem to have the best noise isolation performance with the ANC personalized and set to low. You can see a comparison of the different ANC levels here.
The Jabra Elite 4 have an incredible leakage performance. They barely leak any sound, so you can use them to listen to loud music without bothering people around you.
The Jabra Elite 4's integrated mic has an alright recording quality. Your voice sounds bright and is easy to understand but lacks body.
Note: You can hear skipping and distortion in our recording, which we make in Reaper. When using Windows Voice Recorder on our PC, the track also has skipping and distortion present. However, it's much less noticeable than when using Reaper. That said, this issue may still be noticeable when connected to your phone or other devices.
The Jabra Elite 4's mic has a disappointing noise handling performance. It struggles to separate your voice from ambient sound, meaning moderate background noise may be audible on your phone calls. Your voice can be drowned out in loud environments like a busy subway station.
Note: You can hear skipping and distortion in our recordings, which we make in Reaper. When using Windows Voice Recorder on our PC, both the pink noise and subway noise tracks also have skipping and distortion present. However, it's much less noticeable than when using Reaper. That said, this issue may still be noticeable when connected to your phone or other devices.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a good battery performance. They last almost eight hours off a single charge, longer than the advertised seven, although battery performance varies with real-life use. The manufacturer also advertises them to provide one hour of playback with 10 minutes of charging. The case holds about three extra charges, and you can use one earbud while the other charges in the case.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have a good app. There's a 5-band EQ and presets like 'Smooth' and 'Βass-Βoost' that you can use to customize their sound profile. You can personalize the ANC feature and choose if your audio is muted or continues playing when you turn on 'ΗearThrough'. You can also decide which modes it cycles through when you press either earbud: ANC and off, ΗearThrough and off, or ANC, ΗearThrough, and off. If you're using an Android device with OS 6.0 or higher, you can choose if double-pressing the left earbud activates your device's phone assistant, the built-in Alexa voice assistant, or 'Spotify Tap', which opens Spotify and lets you control your music from that app. Ηowever, unlike the Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless, they don't have a 'MySound' feature that uses a hearing test to personalize their sound profile.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active have decent Bluetooth connectivity. Unlike the Jabra Elite 4 True Wireless, they don't support multi-device. They also don't support NFC pairing, but if you're using a compatible Android phone, they support Google Fast Pair, which lets you pair them by tapping a prompt that pops up on your device. Their latency with iOS and Android devices is low, so you shouldn't notice any audio lag if you use them to watch a video on your phone. Unfortunately, their latency with computers is much higher, so if you use them for a video call, you may notice a bit of delay between your audio and visuals. That said, some devices and apps compensate for latency.
You can't use the Jabra Elite 4 Active wired, and they come with a USB-A to USB-C cable just for charging the case.
The Jabra Elite 4 can only connect to Βluetooth-enabled PCs with full mic and audio capability.
These headphones come with a portable charging case. The only input is a USB-C port for the charging cable. Unfortunately, the case doesn't support wireless charging.