If you are in a hurry! here is a quick comparison of Jayrid Run XT vs Jabra Elite Sport.
|
Model |
Jaybirds Run XT |
Jabra Elite Sport |
|---|---|---|
|
Fit |
In-Ear |
In-Ear |
|
Battery life |
4.2 hours |
4.5 hours |
|
Charging case |
Adds an additional 8 hours |
Adds an additional 9 hours |
|
Quick charge |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Waterproof |
IPX7 |
IP67 |
|
Active Noise Cancellation |
No |
No |
|
Bluetooth |
4.1 |
4.1 |
|
Microphone |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Voice controls |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Colors |
Black, Nimbus Gray |
White |
|
Rating |
||
|
Price |
There are many different wireless earbuds to choose from nowadays. Even some of the products from new companies can rival some of the old-time leaders in this category.
When it comes to fitness earbuds, the key points to look for is durability, sound quality, and comfort.
Since Jabra Elite Sport and Jaybird Run XT fulfill all of the things mentioned above, it is time to put them head-to-head.
Both of these wireless earbuds have great ratings, so we wanted to find out which is better Jaybird Run XT or Jabra Elite Sport.
About Jabra
Even though it might be your first time hearing about Jabra, they are actually in the sound business for more than 150 years ago. Actually, they are a part of GN Group dedicated to innovations in the sound industry.
They are also responsible for several important developments, such as the first intercontinental telegraph connections and the 2.4GHz technology in hearing aids.
This means that we are talking about a serious company that puts so much effort into producing the best products available on the market.
Jabra Elite Sport
Jabra has been making fitness-related wireless earbuds for a long time, and this is the upgraded earbuds from their original Elite Sport.
Since they are sport-related, Jabra is focused on creating very durable wireless earbuds, and fortunately, they have done a fantastic job with the Jabra Elite Sport.
They are fully waterproof with an IP67 certificate, and they are built from sturdy plastic that can withstand hits and drops. Their bulky design is blocking out environmental noise, making them sound much better.
Since they have a tight seal in your ear, you can use the microphones to hear things around you. This feature is called Passthrough, and it is pretty impressive.
They also come with physical buttons on both earbuds that will help you control your music.
The best thing about Jabra Elite Sport is that they come with a built-in heart rate sensor, alongside a handy health-centered app.
In terms of connection, they work great even at long distances. Unfortunately, just like most true wireless earbuds, battery life isn’t great. They have a battery life of about five hours, which is good enough, considering the many features that they are equipped with.
On top of that, they come with a quick charge, which means that you’ll get an hour of playback for 15 minutes of charging.
Pros
- Good Connection
- Very durable
- Water-resistant
- Passthrough feature
- Heart rate sensor
Cons
- Sound quality is not brilliant
- They are not the best looking earbuds
About Jaybird
On the opposite side, we have Jaybird, which is actually a company owned by Logitech. They have a wide range of products, and their main focus is creating the ultimate fitness fully wireless earbuds.
Their products are built with high-quality standards and can rival even some top brands in the industry. The best thing is that their products’ price is much lower, considering the features they offer.
Jaybird Run XT
Jaybird Run XT is not the most fitness-related earbuds you can find on the market, but they are still decent earbuds.
These earbuds are the refined version of their original Jaybird Run, which had a lot of connectivity issues. Fortunately, they managed to remove that problem with the XT.
They are very comfortable earbuds, and in terms of design, nothing has changed over its predecessor apart from few extra ear tips.
The most significant upgrade was the new IPX7-rated waterproof design. They decided to add double hydrophobic nano-coating that protects all the components from water damage.
When it comes to sound quality, they are perfectly fine. Of course, you cannot expect the best sound quality from fitness earbuds, but they still manage to pull off a good sound quality. The Jaybird Run XT come with an app that lets you fine-tune the lows, highs, and mids to your preference.
They are excellent looking earbuds, and since they used high-quality materials, they turn out to be very durable.
In terms of battery, they offer a 4-hour battery life, with an additional 8 hours packed in the case. This is not the best battery life, but it is still enough to support your fitness activities.
Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Durable earbuds
- Waterproof design
- Good sound quality
Cons
- No heart-rate sensor
- No ambient-noise option
Face-to-Face
Which Earbuds Are Better Jaybird Run XT or Jabra Elite Sport?
To declare the winner between the Run XT or Elite Sport, we have to dig deeper into their specifications.
Design and Build Quality
The main focus on Jabra Elite Sport was providing the best fitness earbuds. That is why they didn’t pay any attention to the design. If you decide to go with the Elite Sport, you should not expect something catchy that will turn heads.
They are all-black earbuds with few physical buttons. In terms of design, the Jaybird Run XT are much more visually appealing.
The Jaybird Run XT has two-toned color contrast with the logo strapped on the back of each earbud.
Additionally, the Jaybird Run XT is significantly smaller than the Jabra Elite, but that doesn’t mean that the Jabra Elite, is uncomfortable. In fact, they are built with soft and comfortable materials ensuring comfort for long hours.
To control the music, both earbuds have physical buttons. On the Jabra Elite Sport, you have buttons on each earbud that are used to answer calls, control volume, or play pause songs.
The Jaybird Run XT also has buttons on each earbud that control many options, apart from volume control, which is a common feature with true wireless earbuds. Additionally, the buttons on the Jaybird Run XT are hard to operate. You need to press hard to be activated, which is hard since you are applying pressure directly to your ear.
Both earbuds come with few different sized ear tips, as well as adjustable ear fins that will make sure a secured fit in your ear.
The Jaybird Run XT earbuds have an IPX7 certificate making them fully waterproof. On the other hand, the Jabra Elite Sport earbuds have an IP67, which can be submerged in a meter of water for half an hour.
The charging case that comes with the earbuds is also bigger on the Jabra Elite Sport. The really compact design on the Run XT makes it very portable. It also has a micro USB port for charging and LEDs on the outside that indicate the battery level.
Winner: Jaybird Run XT
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Sound Quality
One of the key features to compare to decide the winner is sound quality. Fortunately, both earbuds provide decent sound quality. They are not the best, but still enough considering that they are sport earbuds.
Jaybird earbuds are known for their outstanding sound quality capably of rivaling even the best earbuds in the industry. The situation is the same with the Run XT.
The Run XT earbuds provide a decent sound balance between the lows and highs. With their intelligent design, they fit tightly in your ear and block most of the surrounding noise.
However, in terms of noise-cancellation, the Jabra Elite Sport has a better ambient noise blocking. In fact, they block the outside noise so well that they fitted them with Audio Pass that uses the microphones to let in ambient noise.
Both earphones don’t have an active noise-cancellation, which will improve the sound quality even more.
Overall, both wireless earbuds offer excellent sound quality, but the Jaybird’s Run XT have a slight edge over the Jabra Elite Sport.
Winner: Jaybird Run XT
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Comfort
If you want to choose the best fitness earbuds, you need to pay a lot of attention to comfort. The fact that both of these earbuds are wireless makes them comfortable and easy during workout sessions.
Since the Jaybirds Run XT are slightly lighter and smaller, they are a bit more comfortable to wear for long hours. However, the difference is not astronomic. Despite the larger size of the Jabra Elite Sport, they are also comfortable to wear, even for long listening sessions.
Fortunately, they both come with different sized ear tips that are made from super-soft silicone, so you can choose the right size for your ear. Additionally, the ear fins are adjustable and provide a secured fit, so you don’t have to worry about losing your earbuds while you exercise.
The only issue with the Jaybird Run XT is the controls. Most of the time, the buttons are hard to press, causing pressure to your ear. However, once you get the hang of it, this will not be a significant problem for you.
Winner: Jaybird Run XT
Battery Life
In terms of battery life, both earbuds have an average battery life like most other earbuds. The Jaybird Run XT has a battery life of around 4.2 hours, and the Jabra Elite Sport have 4.5 hours of battery life.
Of course, the battery life depends on factors such as type of musical, volume, and use of other features, so in the real world, you will probably get around 4 hours on both earbuds.
They both have fast charging even though they have an old Micro-USB port. The Jaybird’s Run XT will be fully recharged in 0.8 hours, and the Elite Sport will be fully recharged in 2 hours.
The charging case plays an essential role in your battery life since you can recharge your earbuds wherever you go. So, the charging case on the Jabra Elite Sport has 9 hours of extra battery, and the case on the Jaybird’s Run XT only provides 8 hours of extra battery.
Overall, the Jabra Elite Sport has a total of 13.5 hours of battery, compared to the Jaybird Run XT, with a total of 12.2 hours of battery life.
Winner: Jabra Elite Sport
What Is The Difference Between Jabra Elite Sport and Jaybird Run XT?
Heart Rate Sensor
If you want to purchase the best fitness earbuds, you will be surprised to head that the Jabra Elite Sport is fitted with a heart rate sensor. This means that they provide great in-ear fitness analysis that can be accessed through the app.
With the combination of the Jabra Pulse (heart rate monitoring) and Jabra Coach (fitness app), they are great fitness earbuds.
You will be able to check your pulse every time you wear the Jabra Elite Sport. On the other hand, the Jaybird Run XT doesn’t come with a built-in heart sensor.
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Noise Reduction Technology
Jabra claims that they’ve introduced a noise reduction technology in their fitness earbuds. Bear in mind that we are not talking about active noise cancellation like the AirPods Pro.(check our comparison for AirPods Pro vs Jaybrid Vista). This is a technology that is featured in the design of the earbuds.
They very effectively block ambient noises, so you won’t be bothered by things that are happening around you. However, since these earbuds block so much noise, you have to be careful of potential hazards.
That is why the Jabra Elite Sport comes with a feature that let’s ambient noise into the earbuds through the microphones.
On the other hand, the Jaybird Run XT doesn’t block ambient noise just as efficiently, even though they have a similar shape.
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Connectivity
Since the previous Jaybird Run had connectivity issues, they went back to the drawing board and come up with a perfect solution for the Run XT.
They Jaybirds Run XT come with an impressive 160 ft line of sight range, and a 70 ft obstructed range. Compared to the Elite Sport, which has only 88 ft line of sight range and 34 ft of obstructed range.
Verdict
Choose the Jaybirds Run XT if:
- You want better sound quality.
- You want waterproof earbuds.
- You want a beautiful design.
- You want comfortable earbuds.
Choose the Jabra Elite Sport if:
- You want more durable earbuds.
- You want water-resistance.
- You want better battery life.
- You want heart-rate monitoring.
- You want better ambient noise blocking.
You won’t make a mistake by purchasing each of these earbuds. They both perform excellently and very durable.
The only difference between these earbuds is that the Jabra Elite Sport is more fitness related, whereas the Jaybirds Run XT are more like casual earbuds.
The Jaybirds Run XT may provide better sound quality, but the Jabra Elite Sport is much more useful if you are exercising, especially with the great fitness app that allows you many options to choose from.
