In testing, the earbuds were easy to insert and pair, but mastering their controls requires some time and effort. The right earbud can be pressed once to stop and resume playback, double-pressed to skip a track, and triple-pressed to play it again. To adjust the volume, one needs to hold down the right earbud for a second and the left earbud to lower it. Pressing the left earbud once toggles between active noise cancellation, HearThrough mode, or neither while double-pressing it activates a voice assistant. Jabra’s Sound+ App for iOS and Android includes an illustrated tutorial that helps learn the controls.
Although the earbuds provide good battery life and noise reduction, the physical buttons on them require a bit more pressure and coordination, making it challenging to change tracks while running or performing any other strenuous activity. The earbuds also lack a physical volume rocker, and the volume change is not always noticeable.
The Elite Active 4 earbuds are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. Android users have access to additional features such as support for Spotify Tap and Google’s Fast Pair tech, and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.
Overall, the Elite Active 4 earbuds are recommended for most people. However, those who need a more secure fit can opt for the Elite 7 Active, which comes with ShakeGrip technology and offers better battery life, faster charging, and a choice between Google Assistant or Alexa. The Elite 7 Active, however, lacks the call controls that are available in the Elite Active 4.
Number 2. Beats Powerbeats Pro
