I swapped a motorbike intercom for these headphones and I haven't looked back! Save 30% now!

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These Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 headphones might be a great alternative to a full motorcycle intercom if all you want to do is listen. They’re not a replacement for a full Mesh intercom but from audio and practicality points of view, I find them a simpler option.

Plenty of riders – myself included – use their motorcycle intercoms for listening to music or podcasts on the move rather than speaking with a pillion or other riders in a group and so a full intercom might be overkill. The speakers in an intercom aren’t ideal for audio quality once you’ve added wind noise and earplugs to the equation, either.

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But these wireless earbuds from Jabra are sleek enough to wear underneath your motorcycle helmet (I’ve tried at least eight different makes and models and it was possible with all) and they do a superb job of getting the sound straight into your ear.

They’re also convenient if you wear several different helmets as you don’t have to swap any hardware over or buy extra mic/speaker kits.

Do the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 headphones have good sound quality?

I can be a bit snobbish about sound quality and I’ve had plenty of in-ear headphones over the years that have disappointed me. I’m pleased to report that the Jabras are not in this list – far from it, in fact.

They’ve got a naturally bass-heavy sound reproduction but you can tune that out with the equaliser in the app to get somewhere near flat response but I actually quite like using the Dolby Spatial Sound mode, which gives everything a lift without turning the clarity to sludge.

Most importantly from a motorbiking point of view, there’s an adjustable ‘Hear Through’ function that lets you decide how much of the outside world gets through. That means you can finetune to get rid of the wind noise but still hear the traffic around you – which is obviously much safer.

I’ve been using the Jabras mostly for podcasts lately and you can have the volume really very low without losing the ability to hear what’s being said. I couldn’t do this with intercoms I’ve used previously because I was straining to hear the words and losing concentration on the ride!

Are the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 headphones comfortable?

I’ve not yet worn them for more than a couple of hours at a time, but the Jabra Elite 8 Actives have been extremely comfortable for that length of time. I wouldn’t go so far as to say you forget you’re wearing them, but it’s close.

The soft touch rubberised coating doesn’t irritate your ears but is still grippy enough to hold itself in place. I was concerned about the lack of an ear hook (more for running than on the bike) but if you use the right ear adapter (there are three sizes included) then they stay put really well.

I’ve worn them under loads of different helmets and am yet to find one they don’t fit beneath.

Are the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 headphones durable?

Time will tell but I’ve been using these for running, dog walking and motorcycling, meaning they usually get used several times a day and there’s no sign of any wear and tear yet.

I deliberately picked the Actives as they’re designed for exercising so they’re water and dust proof and should stand up to more abuse than the non-Active variants from Jabra.

Can you use voice control for the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 headphones?

You can choose between Google Assistant or Siri but I’ve had a tough time getting it to hear me on the move with a helmet on so I wouldn’t bank on either being an option. This is another area that a dedicated intercom with a microphone has an advantage.

It’s the same story for making or receiving voice calls, in my experience it’s not an option once you’re competing with so much wind and engine noise. If that’s an important requirement for you then look at an intercom instead.

The verdict

Since getting hold of a pair of these headphones, I’ve stopped using an intercom. And unless I have a group ride I need to connect to in the near future, I won’t be going back any time soon.

The advantages in audio quality and how easy they make life swapping between helmets make them perfect for the way I use my Bluetooth connection – to listen to music or podcasts.

Sure, there are downsides such as having to set what you are listening to at the start of your ride and then put up with it or pull over to change, but this is outweighed by the advantages for me.

If you’re shopping for an intercom but have no intention of using it for Mesh or phone calls then you really should consider these as an option, too.

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