Jabra is using CES 2022 to bring our attention to the newest member of its Elite family of true wireless earbuds: The $119 Elite 4 Active, a set of waterproof, active noise canceling (ANC) earbuds that fit between the $99 Elite 3 and the $180 Elite 7 Active. They’re available starting January 3, in navy, black and light mint.
Like the more expensive Elite 7 Active, Jabra says the Elite 4 Active offer a secure and comfortable fit without the need for hooks or wingtips, but don’t expect the 4 Active to be quite as secure as the 7 — they don’t have the 7’s ShakeGrip rubber coating. With an IP57 rating, however, the Elite 4 Active have the same level of protection from water and dust as the Elite 7 Active.
Battery life looks very good: Jabra claims seven hours per charge in the earbuds, with a total of 28 hours when you include the charging case. A 10-minute quick charge can give you an extra hour of playtime in a pinch.
As with Jabra’s other true wireless earbuds, the Elite 4 Active have a transparency mode that lets you bring the outside world in, whether for a quick conversation or for general safety in potentially hazardous places like busy intersections. Sound quality should be very good if other Jabra buds are any indication, and Jabra has included support for both AAC and aptX Bluetooth codecs.
Android owners get some nice extra features with the Elite 4 Active, like a simplified set-up procedure thanks to Google Fast Pair technology, and a choice of built-in access to Amazon Alexa, or Spotify Tap, which lets you start a Spotify stream with just a single tap on an earbud.
Each earbud can be used independently for calls and for music in mono mode. Wondering what you get with the more expensive Elite 7 Active? The pricier buds get a slightly longer battery life (8/30 vs. 7/28), the grippier outer layer, wireless charging, wear sensors that can auto-pause your music when you remove an earbud, and with a firmware update coming later in January, they’ll have Bluetooth Multipoint capability.