Jabra Elite 4 Review vs EVERY Jabra! (vs Elite 3, 4 Active, 5, 7 Pro, 7 Active)
The Jabra Elite 4 is Jabra’s new entry level offering that effectively replaces the Elite 3, keeping everything we liked from that product such as aptX codec and Sound+ app support, while adding features like active noise cancelling and Multipoint pairing.
That’s awesome because even now, its sister model, the Elite 4 Active, still does not have multipoint, which is the ability to connect up to two devices at the same time to your earbuds.
But if we take a closer look and compare the Elite 4 to Jabra’s entire lineup, there are some compromises you’ll have to make should you choose the Elite 4.
Sound Quality
First, let’s talk about the Elite 4’s sound quality. You can expect it to dish out some really tight punchy bass, accompanied by full and rich bass extension. In this area, it’s very similar to the Elite 3 and the more premium 7 Active which have some of the richest bass in Jabra’s lineup. It’s much closer in tuning to its predecessor, the Elite 3, but its most noticeable improvement over its predecessor is the noise floor.
Compared to the Elite 3, there is no hiss in the background anymore when nothing’s playing. So it’s a cleaner, much blacker background. Much closer to that of the premium Jabra earbuds. It’s also very mid-centric. Vocals have a closer, more aggressive feel compared to the others without sounding too shrill or hissy. Listen to the following sound samples comparing the Elite 4 to the different Jabra earbuds.
I think overall, the Elite 4s sound really good. But of course, if you think in terms of vocal clarity and mid range detail, the 7 Pro and 7 Active is better. And if you like a more laid back sound signature, the Elite 4 Active is better for that, without sounding too thin in the bass.
The Elite 5 has the weakest bass and lower-mids which completely sucks the gravity out of my music. So to me, as someone who likes bass, the Elite 4 trumps the Elite 5 in terms of sound. So if I were to rate its sound quality to the others, the Elite 4 sounds better to me than the Elite 5, comparable to the Elite 4 Active. But of course the 7 Pro and 7 Active sounds better overall, compared to the Elite 4.
App
If you want to tweak the Elite 4’s sound, perhaps you want more bass or treble, it is supported by the Sound+ app which allows you to customize its sound quality using EQ presets or a graphic EQ.
The app also comes with some other ways to customize the Elite 4s, like turning off Sidetone if you don’t want any transparency when making phone calls, and toggling between noise canceling and hearthrough modes.
But compared to the more premium 7 Series Jabras, what you don’t get with the Elite 4s is MySound calibration, which customizes the sound quality to the sensitivity of your ears. You also don’t get to customize the control buttons, and you cannot adjust the volume of Hearthrough transparency (*and ANC) - things which you do get with the 7 series but not on the Elite 4.
Call Quality
In terms of call quality in quiet conditions, it’s not bad, it sounded just like the other Jabras. And in noisy conditions as well, it was comparable to the Elite 3, 4 Active and 5. It is also cleaner, and less choppy sounding than the Elite 7 Pro and 7 Active in noisy conditions, which is great. But if we were to compare its call quality to other earbuds in the market, its background noise reduction is still not quite up to par yet. I tested the Elite 4’s call quality against Jabra earbuds in both quiet and noisy conditions (with wind) in this video clip.
ANC
In terms of active noise cancelling, the Elite 4’s ANC is really weak. In fact, it has the weakest ANC out of the entire group of Jabra earbuds. I wouldn’t say that the rest of the Jabras have great ANC either. Theirs are pretty weak too compared to competing products from Sony, Bose or Sennheiser. But the Elite 4’s ANC is a special case of weak. Listen to the samples here.
Join to compare all sound quality, noise canceling, and microphone samples.
Hearthough Mode
In terms of transparency mode, Jabra earbuds are great for that, and the Elite 4 is no exception. I’ve used its Hearthough transparency mode in public, and it does sound transparent, almost like I’m not wearing earbuds. If not for the fact that it does tend to amplify the lower-mids a bit too much that it drowns out voices a bit, it could even rival the AirPods Pro 2.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Elite 4 is one of Jabra’s best moves in recent years. Yes, you do have to give up certain things compared to the premium models like some features in the app, wireless charging, it also has a bit less battery. These have up to 5.5 hours in the buds and 22 with case compared to the typical 7 hours in buds and 28 with case.
But it is still overall a compelling choice because it sounds decent, and it still checks some important boxes like multipoint pairing and custom EQ, while keeping its price much, much lower. Definitely worth a look if you’re looking for something more pocket-friendly.
Check the latest Amazon prices of these earbuds by clicking on the links below.
Jabra Elite 4 - https://amzn.to/3JHxek1
Jabra Elite 5 - https://amzn.to/3esLnoE
Jabra Elite 4 Active - https://amzn.to/3Wl5TLW
Jabra Elite 3 - https://amzn.to/3Qr7NXJ
Jabra Elite 7 Pro - https://amzn.to/3Whv6XL
Jabra Elite 7 Active - https://amzn.to/3WnnWRN
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