Faisal Ghaffar 
While people will immediately think about leading smartphone companies on the mention of wireless earbuds, but you should not forget about companies that specialize in audio. The Danish brand Jabra is one such name that has more than four decades under its belt now. A number of wireless earbuds have been introduced by the company, but none of them are as affordable as its Elite range. The Elite 4 is this year’s launch that comes with active noise cancelling (ANC), which is a first.
Design and build
In terms of design, you will find that Jabra has opted to stick with the same as last year’s Elite 3, down to the four colors that were introduced. These are Navy Blue, Lilac, Light Beige and Gray. The case for the Elite 4 is also the same horizontal pillbox-style and the base is connected to the lid with a durable hinge. But, the plastic build will feel cheap and this is not surprising, given the price tag.
The earbuds are meant to be affordable and not high-end. But, one of the most impressive things about the Elite 4 is that they are very lightweight. With both buds, the case weighs just 42.6g, which means you can carry them everywhere easily. The case has the Jabra logo, a USB-C charging port on the back and an LED pairing/charging indicator light on the front.
The good news is that the case may not feel premium, but the buds do. Rather than the short stem design, they come with a more rounded body, which means they sit almost completely inside the ear. This design is more appealing because it lets you enjoy the full benefits of active noise cancellation. As far as ear tips are concerned, Jabra has provided three sizes with the Elite 4.
As for on-bud controls, you have to physically press the button on each bud for controlling functions because they are not activated by touch. The LED indicator has been added on each bud to let you know about pairing, battery and charging status.
Sound quality
As the success of wireless earbuds depend on sound quality, it is good to see that Jabra has done a great job with it in the Elite 4. They can deliver impressive audio across different scenarios. You can enjoy rich sound with the dual 6mm drivers and there is lots of detail and warmth. No matter which genre of music you listen to, the songs will sound good.
The bass might be a bit weak and you may notice some distortion at high volumes, but this is to be expected, as they are not premium earbuds. You can use the Jabra Sound+ app for tweaking the audio. You can go for custom settings, or choose one of six presets.
Noise cancelling and other features
The headline feature of the Elite 4 is active noise cancelling (ANC) and it can be used without downloading the app, but you will need the app to personalize it. You can choose the level of noise suppression and also the balance between the right and left earbud. These can have a big impact on the effectiveness of ANC.
After you have set it up, the ANC proves to be quite effective, as it drowns out background noise. Apart from that, as the buds fit securely, you do not have to worry about sound escaping into the room.
The Verdict
With a price of just $99.99 and a decent battery, the Elite 4 manage to pack quite a punch.
