JBL Tour Pro 2 and JBL Tour One M2 - Well This is New

Just when you think we've reached "peak product" the boffins always figure out a way to make what you currently own obsolete.

Earbuds are a classic example. From wired, to wireless, to Active Noise Cancelling, somehow something small enough to fit in your ears has managed to keep evolving - sometimes in obvious, physical ways, sometimes in more subtle, under-the-hood ones.

The same can be said for over-ear headsets. Often these larger devices are the groundbreakers - once features like ANC are perfected on a headset then work can begin miniturising that tech to fit in a pair of buds.

It's always interesting to see which manufacturer will come up with the next clever trick for others to mimic. This time it's JBL.

The Tour range is JBL's flagship line so it goes without saying premium sound quality should be your minimum expectation from both the Tour Pro 2 true wireless earbuds and the Tour One M2 wireless over-ear headphones. To be sure, you're unlikely to be disappointed with what you hear from either device. Occasionally JBL is criticised for a tendency to screw things a little towards a bass-heavy, crowd-pleasing EQ. To that I say, go ahead, please the crowds. I happen to enjoy the rich, warm, phat soundscape I've come to expect from most JBL devices and besides, there's nothing you can't tweak away using the Headphones app if you're not happy with the default mix.

I've always said the true test of any piece of audio gear is not how loud it can get but how quietly can you play it and still get the full musical picture. A classic case in point is Matchbox Twenty's old hit, "Push." The guitars - acoustic at first then merging into a more jangly electric jumble - are mixed with an ear-catching stereo separation that comes across both effectively and pleasingly on the Tour One M2 headset, without having to wind the volume up much past 50%.

Likewise, with Spatial Audio dialed up on the Tour Pro 2 buds, Madonna's double-tracked lead vocals on "Vogue" are mixed left and right while the booming bass beat positively thumps along, even when heard on drivers merely 10mm in diameter.

These aren't just listening devices either, there are obviously mics built in for phone calls or online meetings too - a lot of them - seven in the headset and somehow there are six mics in the earbuds. Needless to say, the call quality is great.

Both Tour devices look and feel extremely classy. The headphones are solid, with no alarming creaking or cracking when adjusting to fit my massive skull. There's just enough shiney bling on the upper half of each earcup to draw the eye - but not in a showy-offy sort of way and the padding on the headband and earcups is like laying your head on a luxury hotel pillow. In saying that, there's almost a tacky quality to the surface of the earpads and while this helps achieve excellent passive noise cancellation, I've found things can get slightly sweaty and warm after prolonged use.

The Active Noise Cancellation is switched on via a button on the left earcup and this works well, although unfortunately there's a very slight delay in the processing which means I can't use the Tour One M2 to monitor live audio using the supplied AUX cable. In other words, they're not for use on my breakfast radio show, so I'll have to use them at home instead. What a shame. (These are very nice headphones indeed).

Then we come to the Tour Pro 2 true wireless earbuds. In exactly the same way the headphones made me say, "Oh yeah" when I first put them on, the Tour Pro 2 buds feel just as luxurious the moment you put them in - the difference being they're so comfy I could happily wear them all day. And I actually could wear them all day because the battery lasts up to eight hours with ANC on - with a headphone-like forty hours of charge including the case.

Oh yeah... the case.

This is the "whole new thing" I was alluding to earlier. The Tour Pro 2 charging case is compact enough, charges quickly, offers my now-compulsory feature - wireless charging and did I mention the smart screen?

Okay, if you're into tech you've probably already heard about this; it's quite the innovation. Out of nowhere JBL suddenly decided to include a 1.45-inch LED touch display on the front of the case. What's more, it works really well.

Much like the small external displays on the folding phones we've seen enter the market lately, the screen on the case lets you swipe through a host of widgets to control and customise your earbuds and perhaps most usefully of all, clearly displays exactly how much charge is remaining in each bud and the case itself.

As well implemented as this new feature is, at first I couldn't help asking myself, "Why?"

What problem is having a smart screen like this on the charging case solving? Personally, when I'm wearing earbuds I usually have my phone in my pocket and my smartwatch on my wrist - both of these offering significantly more functionality than I can access swiping through the small collection of widgets available on the Tour Pro 2 case.

Then I realised I was thinking in terms of how I usually use earbuds; either while doing chores around the house or out exercising (me or the dog). In both cases I have my phone with me and it's no issue grabbing it to do things like skipping tracks or changing settings on my earbuds. But more and more I find myself reaching for my earbuds while using my laptop, for video calls or gaming. Then there's watching TV - thanks to the latest bluetooth 5.3 codec, audio lag is negligible and I've found I actually really enjoy watching my favourite sci-fi shoot-em-ups in my own little wireless world.

When connected to devices like these, you don't necessarily have easy access to the settings you might want to change, like ANC, EQ or AMBIENT SOUND. Now, as long as your case is nearby, you do.

There's even a very useful FIND MY BUDS widget should you lose one of your buds down the side of the couch.

Until now I hadn't necessarily considered JBL to be a major innovator or trailblazer in tech - more a supplier of reliable, reasonably-priced products that deliver what they promise on the box. Now they've put a smart screen on the outside of that box and the rest of the audio world is sitting up and taking notice.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Tour Pro 2.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Tour One M2.

Amazon Kindle Scribe - Take Note

I'm done trying to convert people to eReading. It's like trying to convince a flat-earther the world isn't flat. There's no point. It won't work. They've ignored the facts, made up their mind and then reinforced their misguided beliefs with as much misinformation as they can fill their YouTube feed with.

In much the same way, I don't understand any of the arguments old-fashioned, analogue book readers make for not using an eReader instead... which is actually only usually one argument; it doesn't "feel" like a book.

Seriously?

Guess what? An iPhone doesn't feel like a telegraph machine and a computer connected to the internet doesn't feel like all the encylopedias that have ever been published.

But I'm not doing it. I'm not getting drawn into this pointless argument again. Not when the Kindle has now evolved and doesn't even feel like the old Kindles anymore...

The Kindle Scribe is now more than just a book. With the addition of a stylus, a range of storage options (up to 64GB) and thanks to recent software upgrades, it has become a genuinely useful way to handle documents.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a great way to read books too. In fact, thanks to the all-new 10.2-inch, 300ppi eInk display you could perhaps argue it's the best way to read books ever. The extra-large screen is about the most anti-glare surface I've ever come across. It can be wound up super bright, although it will adjust automatically to the ambient lighting if you choose. The 35-LED front lighting array makes for comfortable nighttime reading, even in complete darkness. You can also dial up the "warmth" setting for a more natural, book-like background or, if you're like me, you might prefer dark mode instead.

Used solely as an eReader, at first the Scribe's XL size may seem a little unwieldy but this is counteracted by a few things; firstly, it's extremely slim and light - much more so than a more conventional 10-inch tablet. Secondly, it has a deliberately wide bezel down one side to make the device easy to hold without accidentally setting off any of the touch controls on the screen. It doesn't matter which hand you prefer to hold the Scribe with - the display rotates around so lefties won't have to learn to read upside down.

But of course, this device was never supposed to be just another Kindle.

Unlike many other tablets, the Scribe comes with a stylus included; either the Basic Pen or for a few dollars more, the Premium Pen which features a customisable shortcut button. Neither version requires a battery or charging... in fact I have no idea how they work, they just do. There's also a packet of spare nibs and a replacement tool included in the box. I personally have never managed to wear out a nib on a stylus like this but I guess some people must get really carried away.

To begin with, the Pen is just a great way to navigate around the Scribe - a fine point is always going to be more accurate than my chubby digits. However that's obviously just the beginning. You can use the Pen to highlight passages from your books, copying them and sending them to any email address of your choosing (the one attached to your Amazon Kindle account is selected by default). These attachments are sent as PDFs and you can add your own notes which are also saved on your own copy of the book for future reference.

It's when you save other types of files to the Scribe when things get really good though.

This is now super easy, thanks to the web-based Send-to-Kindle function. You simply navigate to the Send-to-Kindle page, log in with your account and drag and drop any PDF or Word documents you want to appear in your Scribe's library. This transfer happens in a matter of seconds - a refreshing opening-up of Kindle's previously siloed system of loading content. It was always easy to purchase and download books directly from the official (and very well stocked) Kindle Store, but much more challenging to load original or third-party documents. Now it's a wireless drag-and-drop.

That's if you're not creating content on the Scribe itself.

You can choose from a large selection of notebook templates including lists, charts and schedules, using the Pen to write just as you would on a pad. The Pen can also be used as a highlighter, fountain pen or pencil and erasing is as simple as flipping it over and rubbing out with the other end.

Again, any notebook you create can be emailed as a PDF and a recent software update even allows you to convert your handwriting to text. UI updates like these are pushed out automatically or you can easily download and install them manually as soon as they're released.

My daughter is currently putting the final touches on her Master's degree which involves a lot of back-and-forward with her supervisor getting her thesis just right. I could see her supervisor using a tool like the Kindle Scribe as a great way to offer possible edits, and highlight specific sections to add either praise or criticism.

It's not all good news. There are some features missing. There's no IP rating for water or dust resistance so the Scribe is not perhaps the best choice poolside or at the beach. There's no wireless charging either, although this is forgivable given the size and shape of the device would make it somewhat problematic to position it in exactly the right place on a wireless charging pad.

There are also other eInk tablets out there running a full (or close to full) Android OS experience meaning you can install apps, browse the net and run an email client. The Scribe is not that.

Some of those other tablets even have colour displays which is certainly appealing to users who like comics, graphic novels and anime. The Scribe is only black and white.

But perhaps, ironically, the Scribe's biggest drawback is its size - surely the greatest advantage of a "more conventional" Kindle is how infinitely portable it is. I'm not sure this is the Kindle I'd choose to take on holiday with me, although the Pen does attach to the Scribe magnetically. Of course there are cases available (and even strap-on Pen-holders) and to be sure, if you happen to be a teacher, professor or other professional who needs to review documents on a regular basis, the Scribe will definitely take up a lot less space in your briefcase or satchel than a laptop, conventional tablet or even, heaven forbid, a massive stack of printouts.

With regular UI updates introducing new features all the time, incredible, weeks-long battery life and the ultimate easy-on-the-eyes display, this really does beat sitting down at a desk covered with a pile of paper. And you have all the books you could ever read at your fingertips. Definitely worth a look.

    

(Please note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the Pen does not attach magnetically. This was not correct)

Click here for more information and pricing on the Amazon Kindle Scribe.

Technics EAH-AZ60M2 - The Comeback Continues

Just when everyone thought it was all over for Technics (including the people running Technics) vinyl made a comeback. In fact, by all reports, more people are buying records now than ever before.

That meant Technics, having established a decades-long reputation for producing premium turntables, decided to un-mothball itself and get back in the game. In the course of updating its line of fine home audio and DJ products, the Technics tech was also diverted into a new range of consumer headphones - both over and in-ear options.

Given we hadn't seen wireless headphones from this heritage brand before, they would have been forgiven for needing a few warm-up generations to get up and running but no, Technics hit the market at full pace, with genuinely impressive products - particularly the over-ear EAH-A800 noise-cancelling headset which I still use constantly, especially when travelling.

Now it's time for the inevitable upgrade, so let's find out how Technics has made one of its outstanding offerings even more premium.

Firstly, the EAH-AZ60M2 now charges wirelessly. "How can that possibly be the first thing you tell me about these earbuds?" you may well ask. Well, frankly I've decided wireless charging is now a compulsory feature for earbuds or I'm not interested. There's nothing more portable than the tiny case containing your earbuds. The thought you might also need to fiddle around finding the right cable to charge them with is just silly - although obviously Technics does include a USB-C cable in the box.

Let's carry on from there then and talk battery life; this will always vary a bit depending on volume, distance from source device and whether you have ANC activated or not but you can expect up to seven hours playback from a full charge - and that's with Noise Cancelling on. This is right up there with the best performing buds I've tried.

Including the charge in the case you'll be set for about 24 hours-ish which is more standard and to be honest, I still don't love the charging case that comes with the AZ60M2. I commented in last year's AZ40 review I thought the matte-finish case felt surprisingly cheap and plasticky for some reason. This is just a personal impression thing; that previous case proved to be perfectly functional and durable and I have no reason to believe this one will be any different - other than it now charges wirelessly which makes me irrationally happy.

Although the AZ60M2 earbuds pair smoothly enough with iOS handsets, recent updates to the Android interface make the experience even easier. Most Google-based phones will now automatically recognise buds like these when they're in pairing mode and prompt you to set them up accordingly. Once you do, you'll find a useful notification window appears showing you the current battery level of each bud and the charging case as well.

What's more, the AZ60M2 now introduces multi-point connectivity, letting you connect to up to three devices simultaneously. For example, I might be watching my Apple TV with the audio streaming the earbuds but if a call comes in on my Samsung Galaxy phone, what I'm watching pauses and audio switches to the call. I've found this works well sometimes and not others. Every so often I try to start playing from a different source to the one I'm using and nothing happens, then I'm forced to either reconnect or simply put the buds back in the case and take them out again. Not sure exactly what the issue is but it's currently too inconsistent to rely on, although future firmware updates may sort this out.

Interestingly if you choose to connect via the superior LDAC protocol, which offers a noticeable jump in sound quality, you're restricted to just two multipoint devices and the app recommends you only connect to one at a time. Something tells me this feature is obviously a lot more complicated than it seems.

Speaking of the app, Technics Audio Connect is where things like updates, changing multipoint settings, adjusting EQ and customising controls happen. The controls are touch-only - no physical buttons but I've had no issue accidentally double or triple-tapping or anything like that. In fact, there's a wealth of customisation and tweaking available to you; from the level of noise cancellation to how much background noise is filtered out for your callers.

This is all part of Technics' new JustMyVoice technology which uses an unbelievable eight separate mics to eliminate common audio intrusions like wind and machine noise. 

The Active Noise Cancelling is first rate - and these days it has to be. Most premium earbuds I've used lately have mastered the art of keeping out unwanted distractions and the AZ60M2 buds are certainly in the top echelon. This is thanks to a combination of a perfect fit and what Technics describes as feedforward and feedback mics.

The excellent fit is achieved simply; by offering an impressive seven different sizes of eartips in the box - there's guaranteed to be a size for anyone, ensuring a nice seal and good passive noise cancellation.

The mic combination means there are microphones both inside and outside your ears - add Technics' legendary analogue and digital processing and you're being delivered the purest signal possible. Technics prides itself on being able to reproduce music exactly the way it was recorded, unaltered by any distortion and certainly not juiced up with sonic party tricks like adding extra bass.

This flatline approach to EQ doesn't mean a lack of warmth or life - quite the opposite. RUFUS DU SOL's "On My Knees" is an unrelenting, bass-driven dance track and that booming rhythm sequence comes across with plenty of power, without muddying the rest of the song which is otherwise expansive and detailed.

Conversely, Paul Simon's new one-track wonder of an album, "Seven Psalms" is a mostly acoustic affair and it sounds like he's moved right inside your head, bringing his nylon-string with him. Still, every now and again, other bigger sounds - tubular bells, kettle drums, etc. - will appear unexpectedly yet quite naturally, creating a sense of genuine space - plenty of room for Edie Brickell to offer her raspy voice to compliment Simon's smooth croon as well.

The most fun track I've listened to on the AZ60M2 buds is probably "Take it Away" by L.A.B. The two guitars are mixed extreme left and right with the vocals belting straight down the centre. These earbuds absolutely nail this.

Cosmetically, the look of the AZ60M2's is quite similar to the previous generation with the now classic, vinyl-record-like swirl etched into the outer surface of each bud. You can choose between Midnight Blue, Black or Silver and although they seem kind of large and unwieldy when you first take them out of the case, they actually feel quite light and well balanced once inserted into your ears.

The superb fit and IPX4 water resistance rating make them a good choice for exercise and the long battery life, quick charging and pristine call quality means they're also an excellent commuting solution.

The AZ60M2's are expensive but they do bring pretty much every high-end feature you could ask for to the table and when it comes to authentic sound reproduction, Technics is historically hard to beat.

    

Click here for more information on the Technics EAH-AZ60M2.

Victus by HP - Plenty of Power. Not Many Frills

Gaming laptops are funny beasts. While most of us normies probably prefer a device that's slim, light and has heaps of battery life, it seems gamers have different priorities.

If you're more concerned with Hulk-smashing radioactive robots than presenting the perfect PowerPoint at an online meeting, who cares about a bit of excessive fan noise in the background? You've gotta keep things cool for maximum performance, right?

That said, many gaming laptops come with so many bells and whistles (and lights) you'd have to be a very successful pro gamer to be able to afford one. So there might just be a gap in the market for a more affordable machine. Perhaps we could keep the performance but without the fluff?...

The Victus by HP aims to do just that; HP has its Omen range at upper end of the market but for those of us on a more realistic budget, a Victus like the one I've been sent to review might be just the ticket. My Victus has a massive 15.6-inch display, a more-than-healthy 16GB of RAM, a very capable AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and is fitted with an AMD Radeon RX 6500M dedicated graphics card.

This makes it a very snappy performer indeed.

Apps and games install and load super fast. The dedicated graphics card combined with the low-glare, 144Hz FHD display makes for an extremely responsive, silky-smooth gaming experience and I've had no issue running any game at high-performance settings.

The screen is bright without being dazzling - bright enough to use when sun shines through the window behind me anyway.

So this is all good news right? Not bad for just a tick over two grand.

But just so you've got all the info, there have defintely been some compromises made to keep the price down.

Like pretty much every gaming laptop I've ever used, battery life is not great. You just can't run those big fans and the giant display for any length of time without some serious juice. That means - as usual - you'll probably want to take the 150W external power brick with you which will add yet more weight and bulk to an already oversized mobile computing experience. And no, you can't just whack any old USB-C charger into the USB-C port - it does power delivery but it isn't for charging the laptop itself. This is a worry as I've found the conventional, right-angled barrel-style plug from the power supply tends to push against my leg when I'm using the Victus on my lap and I feel like it's already kind of wobbly in its socket.

I don't love the keyboard on the Victus either. For starters, I get you've got a certain design theme going on here using a certain sci-fi-ish font and yes, I'm a reasonable touch-typist but when the 5 key looks exactly the the S key, you might be taking things a bit far. There's fairly good travel and spacing so the typing process is comfortable and accurate enough but some of the choices have left me scratching my head.

While there aren't standalone media controls or brightness keys, these are doubled onto the function keys, although the keyboard backlight key (F4) merely turns the backlight on or off - there are no varying degrees of brightness you can toggle through as I've encountered on other keyboards.

There's a full number pad - that's good - but no Home or End keys which frustrates me very much indeed.  No Home or End keys yet there are dedicated shortcut keys to launch the calculator and the OMEN Gaming Hub. I find this a weird choice given I've never wanted to use a calculator in the middle of a game and to be honest, the OMEN Gaming Hub is kind of clunky.

OMEN comes preinstalled and you'll usually find some version of this kind of utility on most PC's and laptops these days. The idea is a one-stop app to ensure your computer is running as efficiently as possible and in the case of a high-performance gaming machine like this, that might mean a lot of tweaks to divert as many resources into your game as possible.

If anything, OMEN offers too many options; not only can you adjust fan speed and free up RAM but you can really dig down into the background processes and hidden apps, stopping any or all of them if you desire.

Fine. Whether that's something you need to access mid-game with the push of a dedicated shortcut key seems pretty debatable though.

OMEN also has a gallery where you can store your favourite desktops and screenshots - even sharing them with the wider OMEN community should you choose to. Is there a wider OMEN community? If so, this is the first I'm hearing of it.

You have the option to use OMEN as a launcher for your games - no matter what platform you've installed them from. This is a tidy bit of organisation and will save you cluttering up your destop with numerous shortcut icons.

You can even add to this already full-featured gaming hub by installing the Light Studio plugin; this gives you access to any RGB accessory you have connected and lets you unify them into a grand lighting scheme of your own design, saving you the bother of trying to coordinate different apps for different devices. Light Studio recognised my HyperX mouse right away which is great because ironically I hate flashing lights and I was able to turn the pulsating scroll-wheel off immediately. Even more ironically, the Victus doesn't have any RGB features itself. No accent lighting anywhere. The shiny "V" logo embossed into the lid doesn't light up and the aforementioned keyboard backlighting comes in white, white or white.

One last complaint about the keyboard; no fingerprint reader either. This wouldn't be the end of the world if there was a Windows Hello camera for face unlock. There isn't. That means the inconvenience of a pin every time you need to log back in. A first-world problem. But still a problem.

By the way, the camera is terrible. I thought we'd stopped putting fuzzy 720p sensors like this on flash laptops but apparently not. No HDR and just really bad low-light performance which, given this is a gaming computer, is probably the kind of light you'll be in when you're using it. Not recommended for online work meetings.

Luckily, the mic quality seems okay - so even if they can't see you properly, they'll probably be able to hear you. I suppose this is more important in a gaming situation anyway.

The Bang & Olufsen-tuned speaker array is fine - offering good stereo effects although perhaps a little lacking in bass response and sheer volume.

But surely most serious gamers will be connecting their own headset, right? And I feel like this is what HP is banking on with the Victus; this is something you plug other things into (or connect to via bluetooth or Wi-Fi) - if it's big sound and cinematic video quality you want, add speakers, headphones or an external webcam.

You'll find a decent number of connectivity options; a couple of USB-A ports, the aforementioned USB-C, an HDMI 2.1 slot, headphone jack, SD card reader and a flip-out ethernet port for a hardline LAN connection if you're not satisfied with Wi-Fi 6.

The main event is the thunderingly powerful combination of lots of RAM with the truly impressive AMD Ryzen 7 processor. That and a genuinely decent display are surely all you really need to have a good time gaming. Yes, there are other options out there that have it all; a full light and sound extravaganza if that's what you really want - but you'll be paying three or four-thousand or more for the privilege.

The Victus keeps it real, while still providing the essential performance most gamers are looking for.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Victus by HP.

Jabra Elite 4 - This Is Not an Ad

I shouldn't have to say this but some of our beloved Newstalk ZB audience seem to be under the mistaken impression I get paid to do these product reviews.

I assume when comments like that are left on our website and social media streams they're alleging we've set up some kind of elaborate marketing opportunity for any interested tech manufacturers to pay to have their products featured on the Newstalk ZB technology page, cunningly disguised as an objective review.

I'm here to tell you nothing could be further from the truth. Not only are the makers of these gadgets and services not paying ZB (or me personally) for the privilege, it's not even part of my job. Technically, NOBODY is paying me to do this.

Crazy right?

Even though it takes many hours to write these reviews, photograph the devices and above all else, actually use them in every-day real life, this is basically just something I enjoy doing.

Don't get me wrong; I'd love to get paid for it. I'd love to do it for a "real" job and then I wouldn't have to get up in the middle of the night to work in breakfast radio.

And I get it. When people see the vast majority of my reviews are basically positive - if not glowing - it's easy to be cynical and assume I've been monetarily incentivised to hand out another four stars.

The truth is... I'm just not that interested in reviewing bad products. And that's literally because I'm not being paid. Why would I spend my time trying to use something I suspect is going to be terrible? And why would I waste your time telling you about it?

Anyway, I just wanted you to know what you read here is my honest opinion. And I wanted you to know that because I don't think I've ever said a bad word about Jabra.

The Jabra Elite 4 earbuds are just the latest in a very long line of quality devices from Denmark's 150 year-old trusted name in audio excellence.

As far as I can tell, there's only one thing wrong with them; no wireless charging. I've put that right at the top so you know I'm not just some mindless, Jabra yes-man. I've said it plenty of times before but if there's one product that really suits being plonked down on a wireless charging pad when not in use, it's a set of earbuds in their case. Alas I'm chained to a USB-C cable with the Elite 4s. Oh well. At least I'm getting up to 5.5 hours music time on a full charge with ANC on. (28 hours including the case)

Yes, despite the fairly low price-tag of NZ$149.00 the Elite 4 earbuds offer breathtakingly effective Active Noise-Cancellation, which to my ears seems to work as well as other, more expensive Jabra models. Which is to say, the ANC works very, very well - right up there with the best of any manufacturer.

The ANC is adjustable via Jabra's Sound+ app. I don't just mean cycling through On, HearThrough and off, which you can also do with single presses on the lefthand bud. There's the option to really fine-tune things to your environment for maximum effect, proving very handy in the office or on a plane.

There are other customisations available here, although perhaps not quite as many as you might find on offer with more premium-priced earbuds. There's no real ability to customise what the buttons do but that's fine by me because they do exactly what I would want them to anyway; Play/Pause/Skip etc with single, double or triple presses on the right bud, ANC on the left and all-importantly, volume up and down with long presses on either side.

This is just the way I like it - many earbuds don't have on-board volume controls at all and as I've discussed previously, I prefer Jabra's physical, clicky buttons over other capacitive touch controls that tend to be a lot more hit and miss.

There is a "Find My" function in the app too, a feature that couldn't be more suited to something as lose-able as earbuds.

So, without trying to sound like some kind of pointy-headed music snob, I'm currently listening to Mahler's "Symphony No. 2 in C Minor" via the new Apple Classical app. I know - pretty fancy, right? Anyway, if you're not familiar with it, during the third movement there's a couple of cool bits where a typewriter is used as part of the percussion. So you've got a whole orchestra and a typewriter - and it's important to have just the right amount of typewriter in the mix; too much and it just gets silly. Not enough and well, what's the point? The Elite 4 buds are able to accommodate the scale of this sonic balancing act with impressive accuracy. The triangle comes through pretty nicely too. Just saying.

Inkeeping with the minor key theme, I have now swapped to "Songs in A Minor" by Alicia Keys. The tracks on this album are much more stripped-back than the blast of a symphony orchestra but most are underpinned by a powerful backbeat which certainly sounds beefy enough via the 6mm speakers.

The whole aural experience is warm, without being fuzzy. The details are all there without cutting through too crisply. Of course, you can tailor the EQ to your preference using the Sound+ app.

As you can see by now, the Elite 4 earbuds are very well-endowed considering their affordable price; good battery life, great sound, faultless connectivity (Bluetooth 5.2) with multiple devices and available in four colours; Grey, Light Beige, Lilac or Navy Blue. Yes there are a couple of small compromises - most notably the lack of wireless charging and an IP55 rainproof rating as opposed to the IP57 dust, water and sweat resistance of the more expensive Jabra buds - but that shouldn't deter most people.

Best of all, nothing fits like Jabras do, no matter which model. The Elite 4s are ultra-comfy, they're perfectly balanced and above all else, they stay in. Awesome value.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Jabra Elite 4.