The manufacturer of wireless headsets and earphones Jabra unveils two new models in its Elite range… But at the same time announces its withdrawal from the general public market. What consequences for customers?
The new Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 and Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 will be the brand’s latest headphones. “Collector” models since GN Store Nord, the company that owns the Jabra brand, announced on the same day of the release of these new devices, the closure of its consumer division in order to concentrate all its resources on the business world : “The decision has been made to phase out the Elite and Talk product lines (…) the investments required for future innovation and growth in this highly competitive space are deemed unjustified in the associated long-term risks”we can read in a press release published on June 11, 2024.
A hard blow, therefore, for the Jabra teams, but also for customers who are offered new headphones without being truly assured of follow-up updates and after-sales service. Even if the Danish GN tries to reassure in its press release: “GN will, however, continue to serve and support customers for several years.”
Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 and Elite 10 Gen 2: original headphones before the end
Jabra thus throws in the towel on the general public market and it’s a shame since these new Elite 8 Active Gen 2 and Elite 10 Gen 2 seem to have good arguments to seduce with in particular an interesting innovation. They indeed offer a box connected in Bluetooth LE which can act as a Bluetooth relay when the source broadcasting the sound is not Bluetooth.
Thanks to this ingenious system, it is possible to use the headphones to connect to the multimedia system of an airplane, to a television, to an audio guide in a museum, to a games console or even, for the more sporty, on a treadmill. The small box has a USB-C port for this purpose to which a cable with a two-ended plug, USB-C and 3.5 jack, is connected. The box thus connected to the source acts as a Bluetooth relay with the headphones. Clever and above all, this process avoids having to settle for the wired headphones provided but of poor quality, particularly in planes and museums.
In addition to this concept, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 (designed for sports activities with their resistance to water and perspiration) and Elite 10 Gen 2 benefit from the management of spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, active noise reduction which is intended to be twice as efficient as the previous generation.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 will be available at a price of 229 euros and the Elite 10 Gen 2 at a price of 279 euros from this month of June. It remains to be seen whether they will have any success under these conditions. On the consumer side, however, we can expect great promotions in the coming weeks, while merchants empty their stocks.