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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.4
Reviewed Jan 31, 2019 at 10:33 am
Latest change: Test bench update Feb 05, 2020 at 08:53 am
Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Picture
7.2
Mixed Usage
6.9
Neutral Sound
7.7
Commute/Travel
8.2
Sports/Fitness
7.0
Office
5.7
Wireless Gaming
5.5
Wired Gaming
6.5
Phone Calls

The Jaybird Tarah Pro are great wireless sports in-ears that are fairly versatile for everyday casual use. They are an upgraded version of the regular Tarah model with better battery life, lower latency, slightly better sound quality, and new magnetic earbuds. They are also compatible with the Jaybird MySound app that lets you EQ the sound to your liking. Jaybird kept the same overall design of the Tarah, meaning the Pro version is also very portable and breathable for sports. Unfortunately, they have a new proprietary charging cradle that is cumbersome and restrictive, and for some reason, the Pro version can’t connect to two devices simultaneously, while the regular Tarah and Jaybird X4 can. On the upside, they have an amazing wireless range and isolate a good amount of ambient noise.

Our Verdict

7.2 Mixed Usage

Decent for mixed usage. The Tarah Pro have good sound quality for in-ears and are fairly comfortable thanks to their earbud-like design. They have decent noise isolation performance and barely leak, making them a good option for commuting and at the office. However, these are great sports-oriented headphones that have a stable and breathable design. Unfortunately, they won’t be ideal for watching TV or gaming due to their high latency.

Pros
  • Stable and portable design for sports.
  • Decent and customizable sound.
  • Good battery life.
Cons
  • Cumbersome and restrictive charging cradle.
  • Doesn’t offer multi-device pairing like previous Jaybird headphones.
6.9 Neutral Sound

Decent for neutral listening. They have a deep, consistent and well-balanced bass, an even and clear mid-range and a great treble. However, their bass is slightly boomy, their mid-range is a bit recessed, which nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix. Also, their treble may be sibilant for some people, and the dip in this range is also going to make vocals lack a bit of detail and brightness. You can also EQ them with the Jaybird app. However, the in-ear fit might not be comfortable enough for long listening sessions.

7.7 Commute/Travel

Good for commuting and traveling. These headphones have a good isolation performance and barely leak, so you’ll be able to mask a decent amount of background noise. Their wireless design is portable, but the in-ear fit might not be comfortable for everyone, especially for long rides and flights. On the upside, they have great battery life that should last you about 13 hours of continuous playtime.

8.2 Sports/Fitness

Great sports headphones. The Tarah Pro are sports-oriented headphones with an IPX7 rating for sweat and water resistance. Their wireless design is very portable and breathable, which is great. You shouldn’t sweat more than usual while using them during your workouts. They also have a great control scheme that offers quick access to simple and useful functionalities. Their great battery life will also last you a few workouts.

7.0 Office

Above average for the office. The greater battery life compared to the normal Tarah will let you enjoy your music during your whole workday without a problem. Their fit also blocks a good amount of ambient chatter and A/C system noise, so you’ll be able to concentrate on your tasks. They also barely leak so you won’t bother your colleagues with your music. Unfortunately, they don’t connect to two devices simultaneously, which would be useful if you’d want to switch between your phone and office computer. Also, the in-ear fit won’t be the most comfortable to wear for many hours.

5.7 Wireless Gaming

Sub-par for gaming. These headphones are sports-oriented and shouldn’t be used for gaming due to their high latency and mediocre microphone. Even if you don’t play online and don’t need a mic, these headphones won’t be a good option for this use case.

5.5 Wired Gaming
6.5 Phone Calls
  • 7.2 Mixed Usage
  • 6.9 Neutral Sound
  • 7.7 Commute/Travel
  • 8.2 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.0 Office
  • 5.7 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.5 Wired Gaming
  • 6.5 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  3. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  4. Updated Jun 25, 2019: We've updated the Build Quality score to better reflect how durable the Tarah Pro are.
  5. Updated Jan 31, 2019: Review published.
  6. Updated Jan 29, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Jan 29, 2019: Early access published.
  8. Updated Jan 27, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Jan 16, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Compared To Other Headphones

Comparison picture

The Jaybird Tarah Pro are great sports headphones that are versatile for most use cases. They are very similar to the normal Tarah model, but are an upgrade in some ways. The main difference is the better 13-hour battery life on the Pro version. They have a decent sound profile and you can customize their sound to your liking thanks to their great companion app. They can also be used for commuting and at the office thanks to a decent noise isolation performance. However, they can’t connect to two devices simultaneously, which is disappointing since most recent Jaybird headphones can do it. See our recommendations for the best earbuds, the best closed-back headphones, and the best earbuds for running.

Jaybird Tarah Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are an upgrade over the normal Jaybird Tarah Wireless model. The main difference is battery life, as the Tarah Pro lasts twice as long on a single charge. The Tarah Pro have rotating and magnetic buds and a braided cable. They also have much lower latency, which is good for watching videos. On the other hand, if you only use these for workouts and don’t necessarily need long battery life, the less expensive Tarah model could be a better option.

Jaybird X4 Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are better headphones than the Jaybird X4 Wireless in pretty much every single aspect. They have lower latency, have a slightly more accurate treble range, and have a way better battery life. Their designs are very similar, other than the fact that the Tarah Pro have magnetic and rotating earbuds and have a braided cable. However, the X4 support multi-device pairing, offer more fit options, and are less expensive.

Bose SoundSport Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro are better sports headphones than the Bose SoundSport Wireless. Also, due to their closed-back design, they isolate more and leak less, making them more versatile for everyday casual use as well. The Tarah Pro feel better-made, and their fit is more stable than the bulkier and heavier design of the SoundSport Wireless. They also have better battery life and have a companion app to EQ their sound. On the other hand, the Bose are more comfortable and don’t need a proprietary charging cradle. They also have a slightly better default sound quality.

Anker SoundCore Spirit X Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are better headphones than the Anker Soundcore Spirit X Wireless. The Jaybird are better-made, and you can also customize their sound to your liking thanks to their companion app. The Jaybird's amazing wireless range is also better, and you get better default sound quality, even before EQ’ing them. On the other hand, the Anker are very comfortable in-ears and come with plenty of fit options. They also come with a nice hard case and have good sound quality for their price point, which might offer better value for most users.

AKG N200 Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are more versatile headphones than the AKG N200. While the AKG have a slightly better sound quality, the Jaybird have a better isolating fit, which makes them ideal for commuting and at the office. The Jaybird also have unique rotating earbuds that let you wear the cable normally or over your ear. They are also compatible with the Jaybird MySound app which offers a good EQ. The Jaybird also have a longer battery life and a proper IPX7 rating, which is great for sports.

Jaybird Run XT Truly Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless and the Jaybird Run XT Truly Wireless are both great pairs of headphones for sports. The Tarah Pro have better controls, feel slightly more durable, and last much longer off a single charge. On the other hand, the truly wireless design of the XT makes them more portable, as well as eliminates the possibility of their cord getting snagged while working out. The XT's case also charges via a standard micro-USB cord, while the Tarah Pro use a proprietary charger.

Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are significantly better than the Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless in most uses. The Jaybird have much better noise isolation and leakage performance, but battery life is much shorter. Also, the Jaybird have a significantly better build quality and they can be customized through Jaybird's mobile app. However, the Sonys are more consistent and will perform similarly from one person to another.

Mpow Flame Pro Truly Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are better sports headphones than the Mpow Flame Pro Truly Wireless. The Jaybird feel better built, have a better-balanced and more versatile sound profile, much better noise isolation, a longer single-charge battery life, and a dedicated companion app with customizable EQ settings. On the other hand, the Mpow charge faster, have a longer overall battery life thanks to their charging case, are more comfortable, and have a better carrying case.

Bose Sport Earbuds Truly Wireless

The Bose Sport Earbuds Truly Wireless are marginally better for sports and fitness than the Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless, however, the Jaybird are better for mixed usage. The Bose are more comfortable and more stable than the Jaybird. However, the Jaybird have a better noise isolation performance, leak less noise, and have a longer continuous battery life. Also, thanks to their parametric EQ and presets, they're more customizable than the Bose.

Beats Flex Wireless

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are better headphones than the Beats Flex Wireless. The Jaybirds are better built and have a more neutral sound profile. They also have longer-lasting battery life, and their companion app offers a parametric EQ and presets to help tweak their sound. However, the Beats are more comfortable.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Jaybird Tarah Pro have a very similar style to the normal Tarah model, with slight variances. They still have a more sport-oriented look, the in-line remote is now curved, and they have a braided, black and white cable. You can also wear the headphones with a normal fit or put the cables over your ears since the earbuds rotate to help you get a better fit. These headphones come in three different color-accent schemes: black-flash, mineral blue-jade, or titanium-glacier.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.04 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

The Jaybird Tarah Pro are decently comfortable headphones, but like most in-ears, the fit might not be for everyone. They have the same eargels as the Tarah, but the size equivalences are smaller (the medium-sized tip of the Tarah Pro is the same size as the small-sized tip of the Tarah). They have an earbud-like fit that doesn’t enter your ear canal as deeply. Ear tips and stability fins are still mixed in one unit, giving you fewer fit options as you can’t mix and match different sizes together.

6.8
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

Update 08-21-2019: The Tarah Pro are compatible with voice assistants like Google Assistant and Siri for voice-enabled controls. The review has been updated. The in-line remote is very similar to the previous Jaybird X-series and Tarah model. The remote is now slightly curved, but the available controls are still the same. You get common functionalities like call/music management, volume control, and track skipping. You can also trigger your device voice assistant with the multipurpose button. The remote feels more clicky than the Tarah, and you also get audio feedback during the pairing procedure. You’ll also have a voice prompt telling you how much battery is left (rounded to the nearest 20%), which is nice.

9.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.8 °C

Like most in-ears, their design doesn’t trap heat inside your ears, and you shouldn’t notice a difference in temperature while using the headphones. They are a good option for sports as you won’t sweat more than usual.

8.8
Design
Portability
L 2.5"
W 2"
H 1"
Volume 5 in³
Transmitter Required No

Like most wireless in-ears, these can easily fit in most pockets or a bag. They can be rolled into a more compact format easily without damaging the cable. They also come with a small pouch that doesn’t add too much bulk, and should be able to fit in pockets. For even more portable headphones, take a look at the Beats Flex Wireless or the Jaybird Run XT Truly Wireless.

6.0
Design
Case
Type Pouch
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

The Jaybird Tarah Pro come with a small pouch, unlike the previous Tarah model. This pouch is very similar to the X4's pouch, which slightly protects the headphones from scratches and minor water exposure. Unfortunately, this isn’t as protective as the Jaybird X2 hard case. On the upside, the pouch is fairly small and portable.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

Update 06/25/2019: We revised the Build Quality score of the Tarah Pro as we feel they are one of the better-built sports headphones available right now. The text has been adjusted to reflect this.

The Jaybird Tarah Pro are well-made wireless in-ears that have a few differences with the Jaybird Tarah Wireless model. First, their cable isn’t flat but is braided. They have new magnetic earbuds which is great for easier cable management. They also have rotating earbud casings for how you want to wear the headphones. They are still IPX7 for sweat and water resistance, but we do not currently have a test to measure this accurately. They have an overall high-end feel and don't feel like they'll break during physical activity.

8.0
Design
Stability

The Jaybird Tarah Pro are very stable for most physical activities. Unfortunately, like the Tarah, they only come with 3 eargels options so you can't mix and match fins and tips sizes like the Jaybird X3. On the upside, the Tarah Pro have what Jaybird calls the “Switch Fit” which allows you to rotate the earbud, helping you in finding the best fit for you. You can wear the headphones’ cable under or over your ears, which is a bit more stable. Their wireless design also means the chance of getting a wire hooked on something is lesser than wired headphones, and it won’t yank the headphones out of your ears. If you want more stable earbuds, check out the Bose Sport Earbuds.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Jaybird Tarah Pro headphones
  • 3x eargels
  • Carrying pouch
  • Charging cradle
  • Shirt clip
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
1.05 dB
Treble Amount
-1.8 dB
9.0
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.2 dB

The frequency response consistency of the Jaybird Tarah Pro is excellent. If the user can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, then they should be able to get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.3
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.37 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10.15 Hz
Low-Bass
0.03 dB
Mid-Bass
2.02 dB
High-Bass
3.87 dB

The bass performance is great. Their LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 10Hz, which is excellent. Low-bass and mid-bass are flat and within 0.5dB of our neutral target, which results in a deep and punchy bass with just the right amount of thump and rumble. However, the high-bass, which is responsible for warmth, is overemphasized by about 3dB, bringing a bit of muddiness to the bass.

8.7
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.72 dB
Low-Mid
1.49 dB
Mid-Mid
-2.06 dB
High-Mid
-0.01 dB

The mid-range performance is also great. The range is fairly flat and even, which is important for the clear and well-balanced reproduction of vocals and instruments. However, there’s a 4dB dip in the mid-range around 800Hz that will slightly nudge vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix.

7.2
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.67 dB
Low-Treble
-1.49 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.88 dB
High-Treble
-4.19 dB

The treble performance is also great. The range is fairly even, but there’s a dip around 4-5KHz which is going to negatively affect the detail and brightness of vocals and lead instruments. Also, some sibilances (S and T sounds) can feel a bit sharp for some users, but not everyone will hear it as intensely. This will be most noticeable on cymbals and vocals.

7.3
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.67 dB
Dips
1.42 dB
8.8
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.08
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.08
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.74
Weighted Phase Mismatch
1.45

The stereo imaging of the Tarah Pro is great. Their weighted group delay is at 0.08, which is among the lowest we have measured so far. The group delay graph also shows that the entire response is well below our audibility threshold. This ensures a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our test unit were very well-matched in frequency, amplitude, and phase response. This is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video games effects) in the stereo image. These results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

0.6
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
2.9
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.2

The soundstage of the Tarah Pro is poor. This is because creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is largely dependent on activating the resonances of the pinna (outer ear). The design of in-ears and earbuds is in such a way that fully bypasses the pinna and doesn't interact with it. Also, because these headphones have a closed-back enclosure, their soundstage won't be perceived to be as open as that of open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless or the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No
7.5
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.273
WHD @ 100
0.161
Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Unknown
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
Default
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
In-line
Isolation
7.1
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-19.39 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-6.47 dB
Mid
-19.4 dB
Treble
-33.57 dB

The isolation performance of the Tarah Pro is about average. In the bass range, where the rumble of airplane and bus engines sits, they achieved 6.5dB of isolation which is mediocre. In the mid-range, important for blocking out speech, they reduce outside noise by more than 19dB, which is very good. In the treble range, occupied by sharp S and T sounds and fan noises like A/C systems, they isolate about 34dB, which is good.

9.8
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
22.25 dB

The leakage performance is excellent. These in-ears practically do not leak, so you don't need to worry about disturbing people around you unless you are blasting your music in a very quiet room. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at 22dB SPL and peaks at 36dB SPL, which is noticeably quieter than the noise floor of an average office.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
In-Line
Yes
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
6.4
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
343.96 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
2.47 dB
HFE
3,179.16 Hz
Weighted THD
5.021
Gain
44.44 dB

The mic has a mediocre recording quality. The LFE of 344Hz results in a recorded/transmitted speech that is relatively thin. The HFE of 3.2KHz is poor and suggests speech that is muffled and lacks detail. Overall, the intelligibility of speech on this microphone will still be decent in quiet environments.

6.1
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
13.2 dB

The in-line microphone of the Tarah Pro is mediocre at noise-handling. In our SpNR test, they achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 13dB, indicating they are best suited for quiet environments and will struggle to separate speech from ambient noise in moderate and loud situations.

Active Features
7.4
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
13.3 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
13.3 hrs
Charge Time
1.9 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
No
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port Proprietary

The main difference between the Tarah Pro and Tarah is a way better battery life on the Pro version. They offer about 13 hours of continuous playback, while the regular Tarah have about 6 hours, and they take about the same time to charge. They also have a useful quick charge feature that gives you 2 hours of battery life for only 5 minutes of charging, according to Jaybird’s specs sheet. Also, they automatically turn off after 15 minutes if the magnetic buds are snapped together, saving battery life. Unfortunately, they come with a proprietary charging cradle, and it is very restrictive as you’ll always need to carry it around to charge the headphones and the cradle's cable is very short.

8.0
Active Features
App Support
App Name Jaybird MySound
iOS Yes
Android Yes
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
Parametric + Presets
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
Yes
Button Mapping Yes
Surround Support
No

Update: 03/05/2019: We've updated the review since a software update now gives you new features like button mapping for the multi-purpose button, customizable audio cues and you can now set the Auto-off timer to 15 or 60 minutes, or completely turn it off. We also incorrectly listed that the app didn't have an in-app player, but you can connect through Spotify if you have a Jaybird account as well.

Update: 08/03/2019: We've updated the app score of the Jaybird MySound app to reflect the customization level of their Equalizer. Unlike most phone apps, they have a parametric EQ compared to a typical 5-band graphic one like on the Jabra Elite 65e.

Like most recent Jaybird headphones, the Tarah Pro are compatible with the MySound app which offers good customization options like an equalizer and lets you access sound profiles created and shared by other Jaybird owners. The app doesn’t offer room effects but has an integrated Spotify in-app player for Premium accounts. The app is a good tool to find the best sound profile for your mood and music genre.

Note: The Personal EQ setting was used to demonstrate how the available customization options looked like and was not used to measure the frequency response of these headphones.

Connectivity
7.0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
238 ft
PC Latency (SBC)
151 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
208 ms
Android Latency
122 ms

The Tarah Pro support Bluetooth 5.0, so you might experience even better results in wireless range and connection stability than what we’ve measured with our Bluetooth 4.2 dongle. We do plan to upgrade this in our next test bench. Unfortunately, they only connect to one device at a time, which is disappointing since previous Jaybird headphones could connect to two simultaneously.

Their latency is slightly too high for watching videos and gaming. However, they perform better than most Bluetooth headphones so you might not notice the delay as badly as with other headphones unless you’re gaming. Also, some video content apps like Netflix and YouTube offer some sort of compensation depending on your device so you may not notice it at all.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

These Bluetooth-only headphones cannot be used with a wired connection.

Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC/PS4 Analog
No
PC/PS4 Wired USB
No
PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock

The Jaybird Tarah Pro do not have a dock or a base, like most sports-oriented headphones.