Jabra Elite 4 review: Cheap earbuds that play to the crowd

If the Jabra Elite 3 posed as the answer to the question of how much a good set of truly wireless earbuds should cost, then the Jabra Elite 4 are seeking to solve a riddle in the same neighborhood. How much should a good set of noise-cancelling ones cost?

The Jabra Elite 4 don't make a complicated pitch, even if they make one that's nice enough on the ears. They're a set of baseline buds that don't compromise on noise cancellation. Even if they fall short of the silencing capabilities seen in the category's finest, they're still cheap enough that those looking to get some cheap noise-cancelling earbuds will want to take notice.

At $139, the Jabra Elite 4 fits right into the space between the entry-level Jabra Elite 3 earbuds and the sports-savvy Jabra Elite 4 Active. As far as true wireless earbuds go, they're cheaper than AirPods - which is probably one of the biggest selling points here.

If that's still not cheap enough, you might want to keep your eyes trained on the table below. This rounds up how each Australian retailer compares when it comes to Jabra Elite 4 pricing and who has the best deals going.

For better or worse, the Jabra Elite 4 are content to recycle and reuse the design established by the Jabra Elite 3. To the eye, there aren't many visual differences between the two. In terms of feel-factor, there's basically none.

Like the previous model, the Jabra Elite 4 are made of a rubberized plastic that's light in weight and stem-less in shape. If you're not a fan of the blockier buds that Jabra tend to field, these probably won't win you over.

The material is functional and practical but lacks flair. I wouldn't say that the Jabra Elite 4 feel cheap, but they don't feel particularly exceptional or expensive either. They're comfortable enough to dodge complaints as easily as compliments. Speaking of, the Jabra Elite 4 includes several complementary ear-tips in the box to help you find the right fit.

Regardless of which one you go with, you'll be forced to reckon with the touch capacitive sensors built into the exterior of the earbuds from day to day. Fortunately for the familiar, the control scheme here is the same as the one seen in the Jabra Elite 3.

The Jabra Elite 4 rarely sound better than you would expect them to, but they don't stumble short of expectations either. These are $139 earbuds. They do not sound quite as immersive, crisp or dynamic as more expensive options do. Still, they mostly sound good enough. If you're the kind of person who doesn't care that much about sound quality, you'll probably be able to get by with them.

My regular listening experience was mostly positive, but occasionally punctuated by minor dropouts and sound bleeding in from the world around me. Fortunately, the degree to which the active and ambient noise cancelling can prime your ears for audio content meant that the listening experience never sounded terrible, even when it did feel a little compromised.

Subject to the usual testing routine, the Jabra Elite 4 fared better on some fronts than others.

The Jabra Elite 4 proved to manage an even-handed effort when it came to bass-heavy tracks like Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Didn't Just Come Here To Dance" and treble test tracks like "Humming" by Portishead. However, these earbuds definitely struggled when it came to the finer details of Childish Gambino's punchy "3005" and the chaotic soundscapes of Opeth's "The Funeral Portrait".

Meanwhile, the microphone on the Jabra Elite 4 managed to fall into the same comfort zone as the rest of the hardware. It's not terrible, nor is it terribly different from the one found in Elite 3. You could answer a call with them in a pinch, but I wouldn't voluntarily take them to your next Zoom meeting.

While the cost-cutting present in the design and performance of the Jabra Elite 4 is hard to miss, it's equally easy to live with. The same can be said when it comes to battery life. To be honest, it's a little disappointing that Jabra hasn't tried to be more ambitious on this front.

The Jabra Elite 4 fall short of the seven hours of playtime per charge offered by the Jabra Elite 3, with 5.5 hours of noise cancelled audio. Combined with the charging case, this works out to be 22 hours of playback all up. You can always disable the ANC and reach the 28 hours offered by the Jabra Elite 3, but at that point, you have to question why you're paying extra for it.

If the one thing giving you pause with the Jabra Elite 3 was the lack of noise cancelling, then these are the obvious solution to that problem. The Jabra Elite 4 fill in the gaps left by predecessors, but they don't try to reinvent the wheel.

Jabra isn't looking to offer many surprises here. Instead, the Jabra Elite 4 play to the crowd in all the obvious ways. The results are likely what budget buyers want to hear, though they rarely rate an encore.