Totally wireless earphones meant mostly for runs and workouts have almost become a category of their own, so many are the products that are coming out in this space. The Jabra Elite Sport aren’t, strictly speaking, all that new, but they have just been launched in India at a hefty price of ₹18,990. That’s more than Samsung’s IconX, which does much the same thing and Apple’s AirPods that don’t coach without the help of some specific apps, but do sound wonderful.
The Elite Sport earphones come out of a box that looks most interesting on the inside. The earphones themselves sit in a little grey case that snaps open and shut and charges them. It’s a pity that the case doesn’t have a better placing for the buds or a magnetic fit-in because as you open the case, the earbuds pop out and roll away. The rest of the box houses a whole selection of silicone ear-gels, foam ear-gels and wings, along with charging cable and manual. You’ll need the manual all right as these little things are quite complex, so it’s best to have a look online or flip through the literature before using them.
The earphones happen to be rather chunky, as is the case with many sport earphones I find these days. For normal sized ears, they wedge in well enough and stay there, but if your ear canal is on the small side, you may have a bit of trouble with it. I could actually barely keep them in but saw no such reports from other reviewers who stated they never fall out. Interestingly, you can use the ear buds separately from one another. You have to watch not to let them roll away, which I found happened with me often enough. If they drop, they don’t just stay in one place like a rock or bounce once or twice, but roll off so be on the alert for them falling into something. If it’s a puddle though, they will emerge safe enough because they’re IP67 rated and water and dust resistant. That’s always nice to know. The two grey chunks that make up the Elite Sport earphones have buttons on the outer side. On one earphone, the buttons handle the volume and track skipping and on the other you have the play and pause and call functions as well as a ‘hear-through’ feature which brings the sounds around into better focus for safety. These buttons could have been of a softer kind or even been touch sensitive because pressing them is a bit difficult even when you’re not wearing them — there isn’t enough travel in the buttons for you to be sure they’ve been pressed hard enough.
Serious sport
You absolutely need to download the companion Jabra Sport Life app on either your iOS or Android device because that’s where you can see the features come alive. These earphones are not the option if you just want to listen to music, but if you need freedom from wires while you workout or run and want sports features, it’s this category that you would need to consider. While they sound fine with music and while you can take calls with them, they’re best at their main function — getting you through an efficient and effective workout. Because the earbuds sense your heart rate through your ears, they give you feedback on when to step up your workout or when to slow down. Wearables haven’t yet achieved foolproof accuracy with heart rate, but they are certainly more than a good indicator of what’s going on. But even more useful is the rep count feature, which does the counting for you and gives you notifications or lets you check on your phone’s display. You can also see on the screen how to do the exercise correctly. You also get a VO2Max level, which is an indicator of whether you’re working out at the correct cardiovascular level. With this, you can keep adjusting the exercise level. Best of all, you get recovery advice so that you don’t need to guess or wonder whether you’re tired enough and need a rest.
The earphones charge via a regular USB cable when they’re in the case and the case itself charges them for a round or two. This isn’t all-day battery but these are not all-day earphones either and not really designed to be worn comfortably for hours. Luckily, no one works out the whole day.
Price: ₹18,990
Pros: Focused well on workout parameters, water and dust resistant, packed with features, generous accessories
Cons: Pricey, somewhat clunky