Jabra's Elite Sport are truly wireless headphones for fitness fanatics.
Jabra's Elite Sport are truly wireless headphones for fitness fanatics.
The sports headphone market is overpopulated right now. How do Jabra's options shape up?
What are they? Jabra's range of sports headphones land at the upper end of the market with two promising offerings: the Sport Pulse, a set of black headphones which has a wire connecting each earpiece; andthe Elite Sport, which does not. Both are sleek, fine-tuned devices that you'll need to connect via bluetooth and offer solid sound for those who are out sweating up a storm. I used both for cycling and jogging, and they held up well - with one option slightly superior.
How do they work? Out of the box, the first thing you'll need to do is tweak the fittings. Both sets have two: a plastic band that helps each speaker fit snugly into your ear, and different sizes of soft in-ear pieces. I prefer the Comply tips, but there are firmer plastic ones as well. It might take you a few tries before you get the right size, so it's definitely worth playing around. You don't want to lose one of your Elite Sport earpieces - replacements cost $145.
Jabra's Sport Pulse headphones include a wire with a volume control.
What's the best feature? For the Sport Pulse, the multi-function button and volume control that sits on the wire connecting the headpieces is inspired. It basically does everything. For the Elite Sport, the charging case included in the box doubles as a handy carry case and also contains two full charges, perfect for travelling. Both sets come with a whopping three-year warranty against sweat. That's a solid promise for a set of headphones getting bashed about while you exercise.
And what's the worst? Charging the Sport Pulse is a pain: you'll need to shift aside the rubber band around an earpiece, then force it in. My review set never felt like it fit properly. And the tradeoff for the lack of a wire on the Elite Sport comes, as expected, with sound. It's lacking a little punch, especially when it comes to bass. If that's a big deal for you, go for the Sport Pulse edition.
Okay, so how much are they? The Sport Pulse retail for $319, while the Elite Sport go for $399. I'd happily recommend both, but if you're sick of those pesky wires, go with the Elite Sport model. Wires are so 2010.
