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Updated April 11, 2024·
If audio quality for music and a wide soundstage are top priorities, consider the Focal Elex, but beware they're open-back and won't isolate noise well, making them less ideal for noisy environments or commuting. The Jabra Elite 4 is significantly cheaper, offers very good sound for music, and is better suited for calls and meetings, exercising, and travel due to their wireless design, sweat and dust resistance, and active noise cancelling. The Jabra also has an app for customizing your experience but doesn't perform as well for gaming or watching TV due to lower sound quality in those areas. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Focal Elex
- Good for music
- Very good for TV and video
Advantages of the Jabra Elite 4
- Very good for phone calls
- Good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.7
6.6
The Focal Elex is good for music, while the Jabra Elite 4 is only fair.
Gaming
6.9
5.4
The Focal Elex is only fair for gaming, while the Jabra Elite 4 is poor.
Phone Calls
4.3
8.8
The Jabra Elite 4 is very good for phone calls, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.1
8.6
The Jabra Elite 4 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Elex is good.
TV and Video
8.3
6.0
The Focal Elex is very good for TV and video, while the Jabra Elite 4 is only fair.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The Jabra Elite 4 is good for noise reduction, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Battery
N/A
5.5 Hours
The Focal Elex does not have a battery. The Jabra Elite 4 has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$749
$100
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Focal Elex has a price of $749 and the Jabra Elite 4 costs $100.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Focal Elex and Jabra Elite 4 both have excellent build quality.
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How the Focal Elex and the Jabra Elite 4 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Focal Elex | Jabra Elite 4 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$749 | $100 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Focal | Jabra | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2017 | April 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.8/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.4/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.9/10 | 5.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.4/10 | 6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 5.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 3.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 21 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 450 Grams | 4.6 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Shopping
Focal Elex
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Dig into reviews and images
Golden Sound
Golden Sound | October 2021
"The Focal Elex are an excellent pair of headphones for the money and a great all-rounder that will suit many tastes. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, well built, that looks good, and will work with just about any genre."
Jabra Elite 4
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Dig into reviews and images
SoundGuys
Jasper Lastoria | September 2023
"The Jabra Elite 4 is a good midrange option with solid isolation and aptX codec for Android. It sounds consumer friendly from the box and the app has some EQ to adjust to taste. Some included luxuries include multipoint, sidetone, and Spotify Tap"
Get a great deal on the Focal Elex or the Jabra Elite 4
About Jabra
Jabra is a subsidiary of GN Store Nord, a 150-year-old Danish company that specializes in the manufacturing of hearing aids, headsets and earphones. Jabra has a focus on fit and comfort and quality control over everything else. According to Peter Karstromer, Jabras CEO, they “design and engineer technology that frees people to work, live and communicate how and where they want to, equipping them with the tools to live their life to a new rhythm”.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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