The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are ANC-equipped wireless earbuds. They're an updated version of the Jabra Elite 8 Active, with a slightly tweaked formula that makes them a worthy upgrade for some users. This iteration maintains the same sweat-resistant 'ShakeGrip' coating and ergonomic design that made the original a hit with the running crowd, but adds functionality in the form of a 'smart case' that acts as a Bluetooth LE transmitter between wired devices and the buds themselves. Jabra also advertises some fine-tuning to the ANC, 'Hear-Through,' and Dolby Spatial Audio features.
Given these buds are effectively Jabra's last dance in the consumer market, are they exiting with a whimper or a bang?
Our Verdict
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are great for sports and fitness use. Their ergonomic shape and ShakeGrip rubberized coating make for a stable and comfortable fit, and their IP68 rating means you can bring them with you on wet hikes and dusty bike rides alike. Their simple yet intuitive control scheme makes it a breeze to input controls mid-stride, and their almost eight-hour battery life is enough to get you through all but the most grueling endurance events without a recharge.
- Outstanding noise isolation performance.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- IP68 rating against dust and water submersion.
- Mic can sound thin and unnatural.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are impressive for commuting and travel. They're comfortable, extremely portable, and well-built enough to endure long-term use on the road. They also feature an outstanding noise isolation performance: a happy marriage between a great ANC system and the high degree of passive isolation provided by their silicone ear tips, which can attenuate traffic noise, airplane engine rumble, and everything in between. They feature almost eight hours of continuous battery life, which is enough for a week's worth of commutes (or one transatlantic flight), with three extra charges available via the case.
- 'Smart case' offers wired playback support.
- Outstanding noise isolation performance.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- IP68 rating against dust and water submersion.
- Mic can sound thin and unnatural.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are very good for office use. They have a comfortable, stable fit that leaks minimal amounts of audio. Their continuous battery life is just shy of eight hours, which is enough to get you through the average workday without needing a recharge. Their ANC system and passive seal excel at cutting out the sounds of scraping chairs and corporate chit-chat prevalent in the office, so you can focus on your work. Plus, the ability to transmit audio to the buds via the 'smart case' and its wired input means you can play audio from the most ancient of office PCs. Finally, the mic is decent enough if you need to hop on a midday conference call.
- 'Smart case' offers wired playback support.
- Outstanding noise isolation performance.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
LC3/LE Audio codec support.
- Mic can sound thin and unnatural.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are passable for wireless gaming. They can connect to a PC over Bluetooth, but their latency via the SBC codec is too high to be practical for gaming. Subsequent firmware updates now include LC3 support for compatible devices, which can lower latency; however, support is limited. However, the mic sounds alright for true wireless buds, and the headphones are comfortable to wear. That said, these aren't a substitute for purpose-built gaming headsets, and they lack tools like PC software. While you can also use the 'smart case' like a dock to connect to wired devices and listen to the buds wirelessly, the mic is disabled in that mode. Still, the latency with the 'smart case' is lower than that with standard Bluetooth, which improves the gaming experience for single-player games.
- Outstanding noise isolation performance.
LC3/LE Audio codec support.
SBC latency is high via Bluetooth, not much lower when wired.
- Mic can sound thin and unnatural.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are okay for wired gaming. You can connect them to PCs and PlayStation and Xbox consoles by using the 'smart case' as a transmitter. You can plug into its USB-C port using either a conventional USB-C cable or the included USB-C to analog adapter. While latency is lower than via Bluetooth, it's still high enough to be a nuisance for any moderately competitive gamer. You also can't send audio using this connection type, so you'll have to use an outboard mic.
- Outstanding noise isolation performance.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
SBC latency is high via Bluetooth, not much lower when wired.
- Mic can sound thin and unnatural.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 have decent audio reproduction accuracy. They don't deviate much from their satisfactory sound profile and have decently matched left and right drivers. The bass response will have you grooving to basslines without masking the balanced mid-range, which renders vocals and lead instruments transparently. The treble range is also balanced, and the buds have low harmonic distortion. There's a graphic EQ and presets available in the app for further tuning possibilities, though. However, you can always use the Dolby Spatial Audio feature to help create a virtual soundstage instead.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless have superb noise isolation. They do a remarkably good job blocking out the low rumble of train engines, as well as the sound of chatty coworkers in an office. In fact, they excel at blocking out mid-range sounds, like blaring car horns, and also do a good job of blocking out high-pitched sounds, like fan whine.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 have a decent mic. While the mic doesn't render your voice in the most natural way, you'll still be easily understood on calls, thanks to its great noise handling performance. Even if you're in a busy office, the person on the other end of the line will hear you clearly. If your device is compatible, the LC3 Bluetooth codec can also provide a higher-quality recording.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 have great frequency response consistency. Once you find a good fit, you can expect consistent audio from one wear to the next.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Dec 02, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated Nov 25, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
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Updated Aug 22, 2025:
We've updated the verdicts for the Wireless Gaming and Phone Calls boxes, and the Recording Quality, Battery, and Bluetooth Connection boxes after retesting with firmware 2.4.4 (1033) to check LC3/LE Audio functionality.
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Updated Apr 25, 2025:
We've updated Noise Isolation with results from our investigation of user-reported ANC issues.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are the next generation of the Jabra Elite 8 Active, and you can see their label. They come in four color variants: 'Navy,' 'Black,' 'Coral,' and 'Olive.' If you encounter another variant of these headphones, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
TheJabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are an updated version of the Jabra Elite 8 Active. They come with some notable improvements over the last iteration, like a 'smart case' that allows you to connect devices via a wired connection and send audio, which the case then transmits via Bluetooth LE to the buds themselves. The noise isolation performance is a notable step up, both across the full range and in common scenarios. There's not much to differentiate their noise isolation performance from that of the flagship Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2, either, and we even found the Elite 8 Active performed better in our full-range isolation testing. That said, the more premium model offers Dolby Atmos compatibility with head-tracking capabilities, which can help create a more immersive listening experience.
If you're looking for similar options, consider our recommendations for the best headphones for running, the best Jabra earbuds and headphones, and the best earbuds and in-ear headphones.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are a better choice for most use cases than the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless. Both buds offer similar levels of comfort and stability, though the Jabra are better built with an IP68 rating against dust and water damage. The Jabra headphones have a 'smart case' that allows you to connect devices via a wired USB-C or AUX connection. While the Sony headphones are well-known for their excellent noise isolation performance and passively isolating tips, the Jabra buds offer even more attenuation, and their silicone tips also provide a solid seal. The Jabra have a better-quality mic with better noise handling. That said, the Sony headphones have access to Hi-Res audio through their proprietary LDAC codec.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 represent a better value than the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2. While both buds offer a comfortable, stable fit, the 8 are designed for more rugged use, featuring an IP68 rating against dust and water damage. Although you'd expect the 10, Jabra's flagship earbuds, to perform better in noise isolation, we found that there was practically very little difference in performance between them, with the 8 performing slightly better in our full-range testing. As a result, there's not much to justify the additional outlay on the 10 unless you're dead set on their Dolby Atmos head-tracking capabilities or prefer their oblong-shaped tips.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are the next generation of the Jabra Elite 8 Active. They keep many of the features that made the original popular: a comfortable fit, great build quality with the slip-proof ShakeGrip coating, and the ability to tweak the sound further via the EQ and presets in the app. The newest iteration has some notable upgrades that make it a better choice for most uses. A new 'smart case' allows you to playback audio from wired sources by plugging them into the case's USB-C port. There's even a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter provided, though it can be a bit finicky to use. The new version also has a substantially improved noise isolation performance, which more effectively blocks out ambient noise in common scenarios.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are better than the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for most use cases. Both buds have a similar level of comfort, though the Jabra are more stable thanks to their 'ShakeGrip' rubberized coating. The Jabra also have better noise isolation and microphone performance. The Google headphones do have a slightly longer continuous battery life of 8.1 hours compared to the 7.9 hours of the Jabra. They also support head tracking in their virtual soundstage implementation. It's worth noting that spatial audio features require a supported Pixel device and content to work on the Pixel Buds Pro 2, though.
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Test Results
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