Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 Review: Two Labs, Opposite ANC Verdicts

Two labs, two opposite conclusions

SoundGuys measured about 30 decibels of attenuation below 100 Hz and reported roughly 80 percent of environmental noise reduced, concluding these hold up against the best earbuds available for blocking low-frequency rumble.

TechGearLab scored the same feature 5.8 out of 10, called it just average, and described the pattern the other way round: solid on high frequencies, with 30 to 45 dB of reduction in the treble, and underperforming in the high bass and lower mids.

Those are not different emphases. They are opposite claims about which end of the spectrum works.

Fit is the most likely explanation, since a seal that holds gives active cancellation something to build on and one that does not leaves the low end untouched. These are sports earbuds with a grippy coating and a shallow fit, and that is exactly the design where seal quality varies most between ears.

Trusted Reviews sits between the two, finding traffic noticeably quieter and wind well suppressed on runs.

Take the cancelling as adequate rather than as the reason to buy.

What they are actually for

IP68 on the earbuds, which is dust-tight and submersible. IP54 on the case. And US MIL-STD 810H certification on top, covering temperature, humidity and shock.

The ShakeGrip coating is a textured silicone finish designed to hold when wet. Trusted Reviews contrasts these directly against the first generation, which needed frequent readjustment, and reports that these do not move at all during workouts.

TechGearLab found them stable through hiking and climbing, with a tester saying they could wear them for hours.

That combination of ratings and grip is rare, and it is the whole argument for this model.

The battery, and why the claims look inconsistent

SoundGuys: 9 hours 3 minutes.

TechGearLab: about 10 hours with cancelling off, against what they cite as a 14 hour claim.

Trusted Reviews: about 10 hours, against what they cite as an 8 hour claim.

Both claims are Jabra's. Eight hours is the figure with cancelling on, fourteen with it off, and reviewers quote whichever applies to how they tested. The measurements themselves are consistent, and the case adds three more charges for around forty hours in total.

The sound, honestly

SoundGuys measured a response that under-emphasises the low mids between 200 and 500 Hz and the treble above 8 kHz, while over-emphasising sub-bass below 100 Hz, and concludes they are lacking in the highs.

TechGearLab scored sound 7.7 and separately notes highs sounding piercing at high volume, which is an odd pairing with a measured treble dip and probably reflects distortion rather than tuning.

Trusted Reviews finds them clearer and better balanced than the first generation, with less bass depth than before.

The consensus is a sports tuning: strong low end for motivation, softened extremes, nothing that rewards close listening.

One thing to know before buying

SoundGuys notes that Jabra is discontinuing the Elite line, which means firmware updates and long-term feature support are uncertain.

That does not affect what the earbuds do today. It does affect what you should expect from them in three years, and it is worth weighing against the fact that Trusted Reviews still recommends considering a discounted first generation instead.