Jabra Elite 5 vs Jabra Elite 4 Active: Which Jabra buds are best?
Jabra’s Elite 5 and Elite 4 Active earbuds battle it out.
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Reviewed / Ryan Waniata / Reviewed.com
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You’d be forgiven if you’re having a tough time figuring out the difference between the Jabra Elite 5 and the Elite 4 Active. They look similar and have many similar features, including noise canceling, water and dust resistance, and decent battery life. The Elite 5 are a bit more than the Elite 4 Active, however.
So what exactly separates these two Jabra earbuds, and are you better off spending more on the Elite 5, or are the sport-oriented Elite 4 Active the better choice? Here’s how they compare.
Price
The Elite 5 are the newer and more expensive earbuds of the two, priced at $150. The Elite 4 Active, on the other hand, are $30 cheaper and can often be found on sale for under $100. That puts them in the budget buds price range, and a pretty good deal for highly water resistant, noise canceling earbuds.
That’s a solid price difference, even without the sale price, and a clear win for the Elite 4 Active.
Our pick: Elite 4 Active
Design
The Elite 4 Active are available in three different colors including black, navy blue, and mint.
There is more than a subtle family resemblance between the Elite 4 Active and the Elite 5. Both are fairly small, and have a rounded-off triangle outer shape. The 4 Active have no visible seams, while the Elite 5 have a single seam around the nameplate that matches the overall shape of the earbuds.
They also both come with a selection of three ear tip sizes, and each earbud weighs 5g (although the Elite 4 Active’s charging case is ever so slightly lighter at 37.5g vs 40g for the Elite 5).
Apart from the seam around the outer edge of the Elite 5, the color options are the biggest design difference. The Elite 4 Active are available in Black, Navy Blue, and Mint while the Elite 5 come in Titanium Black or Gold Beige.
Not a huge difference, but the lack of a seam and third color option slightly pushes the 4 Active to a win.
Our pick: Elite 4 Active
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Features
Both Jabra earbuds share many of the same features, including ANC and water and dust resistance.
Not surprisingly, the Elite 5 and Elite 4 Active are exceedingly close when it comes to features. Both feature active noise canceling, though on the Elite 5 it’s hybrid ANC and there’s an adjustable, 5-point slider that lets you choose the intensity. ANC between the two is decent with the hybrid ANC of the Elite 5 offering slightly better performance, but both are starting to be outpaced by newer releases. Other features are similar across both models, like adjustable EQs, fast charging (a 10-minute charge gets you an hour of playtime), Bluetooth 5.2, and assignable controls.
Where they start to separate themselves from the crowd is with dust and water resistance. The 4 Active, being intended for those who are more, well, active, offer IP57 to the Elite 5’s IP55. This means the two pairs have similar resistance to solid debris like dust, but the 4 Active can survive 30 minutes in up to 3 feet of water. The Elite 5 can only handle strong sprays of water, not submersion.
The Elite 5 add a few features not included on the Active 4, namely Bluetooth multipoint pairing and support for Apple’s AAC codec (they both support aptX and SBC), so you’ll get better iPhone music performance from the Elite 5.
Better water resistance and more elaborate noise canceling are both worthy features, but choosing between them is largely a matter of how you intend to use the headphones. Multipoint pairing is useful for sure, but we’re going to call this one a tie.
Our pick: Tie
Battery Life
The Elite 5 slightly edges out the Elite 4 Active in battery life.
There isn’t a huge difference in battery life between the Elite 5 and the Elite 4 Active. Without ANC on, the 4 Active can last up to 7 hours, with the case raising that total to 28 hours, while that goes up to 9 hours (up to 36 with the case) for the Elite 5. Both feature fast charging for the earbuds in the case, getting you an hour of playback after 10 minutes of charging.
It’s not a huge difference, but those extra few hours give this to the Elite 5.
Our pick: Elite 5
Sound
The sound quality of the Elite 5 and the Elite 4 Active can both be described as good, but not great. They have different pros and cons, but neither can be considered a sound standout, against one another or in the market at large.
The 4 Active are fairly well balanced and offer an overall pleasing listening experience, but they lack the depth and clarity found in some of their competitors. There is some punch in the low-end, however, which might not impress audiophiles but should work great for workout headphones.
The Elite 5’s high-end is a little shushy (particularly with cymbals), but not in a way that’s too fatiguing. Tracks with a busy midrange can also cover vocals to an extent. Most of this can be addressed, or at least dialed back, with the 5-band EQ. Still, their sound quality isn’t up to similarly-priced competitors.
Since neither are bad, and neither is a particular standout, we’ll call this one a tie.
Our pick: Tie
And the winner is ...
The Jabra Elite 4 Active are less expensive, yet still offer many of the same impressive features as the Elite 5.
The Jabra Elite 5 earbuds offer a compelling mix of features, including hybrid active noise cancellation, good water resistance, and decent battery life.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active, however, still offer ample noise cancellation, and up the water resistance to dunkable levels, for just slightly less playtime. They’re also cheaper, especially when on sale.
We’re going to lean towards the Elite 4 Active. They’re inexpensive, great for working out, have great water resistance, and less than the Elite 5. The Elite 5 aren’t bad by any stretch, but there are better options at or below their MSRP with better overall performance.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.