Jabra’s new rugged earbuds could be the durable headphones a clutz like me has been looking for

We first reported the rumors of Jabra’s Elite 10 and Jabra Elite 8 Active a couple of weeks back and now they’re official. Jabra says these are its most advanced earbuds yet and also claims that the Elite 8 Active are the world’s toughest earbuds.

That’s quite a claim, but the buds do pass all the required tests for the US Military Standard for Ruggedized Electronics (810H). And just to be sure, Jabra also subjected them to Highly Accelerated Corrosion Testing, aka HACT. That involved 11 full cycles of testing that included two hours in 40ºC temperatures at 93% humidity, 15 minutes of splash testing in salt water and a further 15 minute heat drying test, again at 40ºC. So if you’re looking for the best workout headphones, the best waterproof earbuds or if you’re like me and just hopelessly clumsy and prone to accidentally standing on your expensive electronics, these are definitely worth a look.

Of course, toughness means nothing if the buds don’t sound good. But we expect that these will. They’re the latest version of the Elite Active and in our Jabra Elite 7 Active review we liked the audio quality but weren’t so keen on the ANC. That’s been given a big upgrade for the Elite 8, with Adaptive Hybrid ANC to automatically adjust to the sounds around you and wind neutralizing HearThrough tech to muffle wind interference without also making you unaware of oncoming traffic. Battery life is 8/32 hours without and with the charging case and there’s Google Assistant, Fast Pair, Swift Pair and Spotify Tap. 

Jabra Elite 10: serious about surround sound

If you’re more interested in immersivity than activity, the Elite Pro may be the more interesting of the pair. This set has jumped a few model numbers – the current model was called the Jabra Elite Pro 7 – and like its sibling it gets significantly improved ANC.

The big draw here is Dolby Atmos, and these are Jabra’s first Atmos earbuds to support Dolby Head Tracking. That works in both Atmos and in stereo, adjusting the sound stage so that you hear what you turn your head towards more clearly. It’s similar to the head tracking in Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, and I think the tech is at its best in movies and TV streaming; in music it’s often more off-putting than immersing, for me at least. 

Battery life here is 6/27 hours without and with the case and there’s Bluetooth Multipoint and fast pairing. A software update shortly after launch will add support for Bluetooth Low Energy and LC3 and LC3plus codecs.

The Elite 8 Active should be on sale now – the press release says August 2023, and today’s the 31st – with a recommended retail price of £199.99. The Elite 10 will appear in September and their RRP is £229.99. If you like the Caramel and Cocoa options you’ll need to buy direct from Jabra.com: the colours are exclusive for 45 days in the US and 60 days in the UK, Ireland and across Europe.

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