The Jabra Elite Active 45e are good sports headphones that let you stay aware of your surroundings thanks to their semi-open design. Unfortunately, their audio quality isn’t the best, and their one-size-fits-all design might be an awkward fit for some. On the upside, they’re well-built headphones with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, which is excellent. They’re also very stable thanks to their ear-hooks and won’t make you sweat more than usual when working out. They’re easy to carry around and fit in pockets. However, consider that these headphones won’t be very versatile for other uses due to their semi-open design. They are a great option for outside runners who want to hear passing cars.
Pros
+ Durable build with an IP67 rating
+ Good control scheme
+ Stable and breathable for sports
Cons
- Poor audio quality
- Design might not fit everyone well
- Poor isolation, by design
Design
Type: Earbuds
Enclosure: Semi-open
The Jabra Elite Active 45e are made for sports, as their name suggests. They have an ear-hook design, which makes them very stable for most physical activity, although they don’t have a typical in-ear fit. Their tip design is quite unique and is one-size-fits-all, as they don’t come with any other tip options, and won’t be comfortable for everyone. It might be hard for some to find a good air-tight fit with these. On the upside, they are very easy to carry around, are very breathable, and are well-built headphones. They have an IP67 rating (which we don’t test internally) for dust and water resistance. Their control scheme is complete and fairly easy to use, even when you’re active. They’ll be a good option for those who want to do physical activities while still being aware of their surroundings thanks to their semi-open design.
Sound
Unfortunately, the Jabra Elite Active 45e are poor sounding in-ear headphones. Their semi-open design results in a very lackluster bass with practically no thump or punch, which are common to bass-heavy genres like EDM and dubstep. While their mid-range is good, there’s also a bump in low-mid, resulting in thick and cluttered sounding vocals and lead instruments. Furthermore, their treble range is fairly overemphasized and uneven. This will make vocals, leads, and most sibilants (S and T sounds) sharp and piercing, especially on already bright tracks. Unfortunately, there’s also a noticeable mismatch with our unit in the treble range. Overall, these headphones won’t be great for critical listeners but will be better suited for outside runners who just want a background track, while still being aware of their surroundings. On the upside, there is an EQ in their mobile app to help you slightly tweak the sound to your liking.
Isolation
Noise Cancelling: No
By design, these headphones have very poor noise isolation performance. Since they are semi-open earbuds, the Elite Active 45e allow noise to seep into your audio, which can be great for active people who want to stay aware of their surroundings. They don’t isolate against low-end frequencies, which means they won’t be ideal for public transit since they won’t block out the engine rumbles. Additionally, they aren’t great for the office since they also don’t isolate against ambient chatter, and do a negligible job against higher frequencies like sharp S and T sounds and fan noises like A/C systems. On the upside, they don’t leak too much so you’ll be able to listen at fairly high volumes. They shouldn’t be used in very quiet environments as surrounding people will hear what you are listening to.
Microphone
Mic Type: Integrated
Like most Bluetooth headphones, the Jabra Elite Active 45e have a mediocre integrated microphone. Your voice will still be intelligible in quiet environments like an empty room, but recorded speech will sound noticeably thin, muffled, and lacking in detail. Also, the microphone doesn’t fare well in noisy environments. This means that making a call in a busy street or in a crowded area isn’t ideal as the mic will struggle to separate ambient noise from actual speech, which will make it harder for people on the line to understand you clearly.
Active Features
Battery Life: 6.0 hours
Charge Time: 2.3 hours
App Support: Yes
Passive Playback: No
The Jabra Elite Active 45e have a fairly short battery when compared to similar headsets. We measured about 6 hours of continuous playback, which will last you a few workouts but won’t be ideal for long continuous listening sessions at work or for use throughout your day. They also take a couple of hours to charge, which feels like a lot for the amount of battery life you get out of it. On the upside, they are compatible with the Jabra Sound+ mobile app, which offers a good 5-band EQ and some music presets. You already have a preset for commuting and a “Focus” one that is defaulted to ocean wave sounds. You can also EQ each preset and create your own.
Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes
Wired: No
Wireless Range: 54 feet
Latency: 218ms
The Jabra Elite Active 45e are Bluetooth-only wireless headphones. They have a good range when in direct line of sight of the source, and an excellent obstructed range as well. This means you should be able to leave your Bluetooth source in one spot and move around a bit in a small office or apartment without too many audio cuts. Their latency is about average for Bluetooth headphones, so some people will notice a delay when watching video content, while some might not be bothered by it. On the upside, they can be connected to two devices simultaneously, which is convenient, and they support Bluetooth 5.0, so you might get even better results if your source supports it as well.
Who Should Buy Them?
If you are looking for well-built sports headphones that will allow you to listen to music while still hearing passing cars during your run, the Jabra Elite Active 45e are an interesting choice. They are rated IP67 for dust and water resistance and their semi-open design doesn’t block ambient noise, which lets you be aware of your surroundings. Unfortunately, they don’t have the best audio quality, but these sports headphones are designed for people who only need a background track during their training and aren’t suitable for critical listeners. Their ear-hooks are very stable for most sports and they won’t fall off your ears during intense sports. Their bud design is also breathable, which won’t make you sweat more. Overall, the Elite Active 45e are good sports headphones that won’t be very suitable for other uses due to their unique design.
To see all our measurements and our test results of the Jabra Elite Active 45e, please go here.
