It was only a couple days ago that Jabra announced two new pairs of cutting-edge earbuds - the Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2. Just hours later, Jabra’s parent company, GN, announced their decision to gradually wind-down their presence in the consumer audio space, including the Elite and Talk product lines. This means that Jabra’s new Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active earbuds will be its last.
Since re-focusing towards the premium segment in 2023, the Elite product line has seen a stronger profitability level than before, but it has become a “very competitive space”. GN has deemed the investment required to continue competing with the likes of Apple, Samsung, JBL, Sony, and other headphone brands is no longer worth it given the associated risks. The Talk product line follows a similar logic and is positioned in the declining mono Bluetooth market.
“The decision to gradually wind down the Elite and Talk product lines is part of our commitment to focus on attractive markets where we can deliver profitable growth and strong returns,” says Peter Karlstromer, CEO of GN Store Nord, “...it is today our assessment that we cannot generate a fair return on investment compared to the many other opportunities we have within our Hearing, Enterprise, and Gaming businesses.”
We are sad to see the end of Jabra’s consumer line, especially seeing as the Elite Active 8 is amongst our favourites for workouts and running. Although the consumer product line will gradually reduce, these products will still be available to buy from PB Tech throughout 2024. Additionally, Jabra will continue to service and support customers for several years.
New Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2 Earbuds
The newest Jabra Elite models (coming soon) - Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2 - build upon their predecessors, with enhancements to sound quality, noise cancellation, and more. The biggest enhancement, however, is the addition of the LE Audio smart case. This case can be plugged into an external device - such as in-flight entertainment, a treadmill, or other gym cardio machines - and stream audio over to the earbuds. The Bluetooth LC3 codec ensures solid audio and video sync, alongside Hi-Fi sound quality.
Jabra says the new earbuds offer improved head tracking, improved spatial sound tuning and Dolby Atmos support, as well as new spatial sound benefits. Additionally, improved call performance with 6-mic call technology and enhanced AI call algorithms, improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and a clearer, richer transparency mode are amongst the upgrades you can expect. The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 also features a more durable IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2 is coming soon to PB Tech. In the mean time, head over to the Jabra brand store to browse their full product range.
