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Living DNA Kit review

REVIEW – My aunt is big into family ancestry and has been researching our lineage for many years. When the Living DNA kit became available, I wanted to take the opportunity to further substantiate or refute her findings.

What is it?

The Living DNA Kit is a service that analyzes a person’s DNA results. A cheek-swab is sent through the mail and the results are available via the subject’s online account.

What’s in the box?

  • Cheek swab tube
  • Prepaid mailing envelope
  • Instructions

Design and features: 

The materials arrived in a small, unassuming box. Inside was a sheet with instructions for opening an account. After receiving the confirmation e-mail, accessing the site directed me through the simple process of gathering my genetic material. It’s important not to eat or drink anything one hour prior to collecting the sample. Heaven knows I wouldn’t want my DNA to be determined to de descended from the PB&J I had for lunch.

The sample was as simple as it gets – open the container, swab the inside of the cheek for 60 seconds, put the swab back in its holding tube, drop it into the prepaid envelope, seal, and throw it in the mail.

A few days later I received a confirmation e-mail that my sample had been received and I would be informed if another sample would be needed (it wasn’t). Fast forward a few more days and another message graced my inbox stating all was in order and I should expect results in six to eight weeks. About a month later, another email followed declaring my results were complete.

Accessing my account again, I was able to access my family ancestry through both paternal and maternal lines.

It was fascinating to see my aunt’s “motherline” ancestry studies fall spot-on with the findings of Living DNA’s results, but with a few surprises. My DNA indicated small portions of family history that have yet to be discovered.

Interestingly, some of my father’s DNA lineage was unexpected. Much of the data makes sense, but based on known family history, we expected somewhat different results. To me, it’s not a big deal, but it was enjoyable to see nonetheless.

The data and maps are intriguing and informative. I was particularly interested in the migration maps showing the progression of my family from as far back as 180,000 years.

There are numerous articles that made entertaining reading and fascinating history.

Now definitely I can see the sources of my family’s ginger hair!

What I like:

  • Great communications
  • Easy to use on-line instructions and results
  • Reasonably priced

What needs to be improved:

  • It’s my understanding that the more people use these services, the more accurate testing becomes as the pool of information grows larger. 

I think many of us wonder who we are and where we came from. Taking Living DNA’s test helped me reconnect with my ancestors and learn about sources of the blood that courses through my veins. I loved the feeling of connection with our common ancestors from Africa millennia ago and the knowledge that we are all made of the same stuff.

Price: $99.00 ($79.00 special)
Where to buy: Living DNA
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Living DNA.

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Living DNA Kit review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 3, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Trackimo 3G Guardian GPS Tracker review

REVIEW – As GPS technology advances, the devices utilizing this technology continue to shrink in size and as that happens their functionality and usefulness increases. These newer devices are incredibly versatile and adept at keeping track of our loved ones and loved objects. Small GPS units can show you the real-time location of your pets, elderly family members, kids, vehicles, luggage, drones, and pretty much any item big enough to carry the weight of the device. The Trackimo 3G Guardian GPS Tracker is one of the smallest GPS trackers on the market that also utilizes 3G cellular technology. At $198.90, the Trackimo is competitively priced and includes a free year of its cellular tracking service.

What is it?

The Trackimo 3G Guardian GPS Tracker is a personal GPS unit that provides precise location tracking via the Trackimo app or website. The Trackimo is particularly useful because it utilizes WiFi, GPS, and 3G GSM Cellular technology to acquire very accurate and consistent positioning data. The downside to this increased functionality is that after the one year complimentary cellular location service subscription expires, Trackimo charges for access. But, at only $60 for a full year ($5 per month), the service is quite a bargain for everything the Trackimo provides.

The Trackimo arrives in a plain branded white box with everything you’ll need to get up and running, except, oddly enough, a USB power block.

What’s in the box?

  • 1 Trackimo 3G Guardian GPS Tracker
  • 1 Lanyard
  • 1 Carrying pouch
  • 1 Micro USB to USB A charging cable
  • 1 Trackimo Quick Start Guide

Hardware specs

  • GSM Platform: MTK6276
  • GPS Platform: MTK3337
  • Bands: GSM GSM 850/ GSM900/ DCS1800/ PCS1900 WCDMA850/900/1900/2100
  • Sim Card: Included in unit
  • App Interface: iOS and Android
  • Dimensions: 47 mm (1.85 in) x 41 mm (1.61 in) x 17 mm (.67 in)
  • Weight: 30 grams (1.06 ounces)
  • Active battery life: 48-72 hours
  • Stand-by time: > 144 hours
  • Battery Type: Rechargeable Li-ion 520mAh
  • Functioning temperatures: -20°C (-4°F) / 60°C (140°F)
  • Attachment Options: Included lanyard and soft case
  • Power Consumption: Acquisition 24 mv /  Track 17mv
  • GPS Antenna: Ids-passive antenna
  • Channels: 22 tracking / 66 acquisition
  • Accuracy: < 5 meters open sky
  • Acquisition mode: Hot start < 2 seconds / Cold start < 24 seconds
  • Hosted Storage: On board capacity for 1000 tracking points

Design and features

The Trackimo 3G Guardian is very well-designed, featuring a black plastic housing with a diamond shaped pattern. The unit’s three diamond buttons sit unobtrusively on the face just below three green, red, and blue status indicator LEDs.

One side of the Trackimo features two small slots for the speaker, the other side has a hard reset port, a Micro USB charging port, and the main power button.

The left and right buttons on the face of the Trackimo are assignable to send custom alerts to contacts you’ve chosen beforehand.

The SOS button is used to send an alert and your precise location to other contacts you predetermine in the case of an emergency.

The Trackimo needs to be charged before its first use and this is done via an included Micro USB to USB A cable. I was a bit disappointed to find that the Trackimo doesn’t ship with a USB power block. For a price close to $200, a power block should definitely be included.

Once connected to a power source, the device needs to be charged for 12 hours before using. When charging, the red light blinks and when full, the red light will remain on while it is connected to power. One great bonus of the Trackimo is that it works while being charged, so it’s easy to set it up in a configuration, like in a vehicle, where it has constant power.

Two small holes located at the top of the Trackimo unit are for attaching an included lanyard.

The thin end of the lanyard loops around itself and secures to the unit.

With the lanyard, the Trackimo can be worn around the neck by someone you need to keep track of like a child or elderly person.

For another carrying option, the Trackimo also ships with a small soft case.

The Trackimo fits snugly into the small case and it secures with a velcro flap.

There’s both a small metal loop and an elastic belt loop on the back of the soft case for attaching the Trackimo to a person, item, or pet.

Setup

After unpacking and charging the Trackimo, you’re required to set up a Trackimo account and link it to your device. Registration of the unit is done via the Trackimo website or the Trackimo app, which is available for both IoS and Android devices.

Once you set up a Trackimo account, you can link it to your device using the device’s unique ID number, found on the back on the unit.

Performance

After your Trackimo account is activated and linked to your device, the fun begins. The Trackimo app gives you a ton of options, from naming your device (mine is named “Tracky”) to setting up a Geofence which alerts you whenever your device moves out of an area you designate.

The app is very well thought out, the features are clearly labelled and easily accessible. Along with setting up options and alerts, you can also see the location of your device at any time via Google Maps right in the app.

The functionality of the app is mirrored on the Trackimo website. All of the options of the app are available via the website and there are some expanded options as well.

I’ve been using the Trackimo for a few weeks now to keep tabs on my beloved FJ Cruiser as sort of a low cost Lo-Jack system. Every time I’ve signed into the Trackimo app or website I’ve been given an accurate location of my truck. I keep my Trackimo charged constantly while I’m driving and the battery life has been impressive, but I did have to experiment a bit with the update intervals. The shorter the update interval, the shorter the battery life. The Trackimo saves battery alerts along with location data and other alert histories.

The Trackimo has worked consistently and without fail since I’ve registered the unit. I like this device so much, I plan on paying for the location service after my complimentary year is up.

What I like

  • Very easy setup
  • Consistently acquires accurate location
  • Full-featured well-designed companion app and website

What needs to be improved

  • Requires paid subscription after one year complimentary access
  • Battery life dependent on update interval
  • Doesn’t include a USB power block

Final thoughts

The Trackimo 3G Guardian GPS Tracker is an effective, well-built, and reasonably priced GPS tracker with a ton of different uses. The only real drawback of the unit is that the cellular location service is only free for one year. But, without that service, which is quite affordable, the unit loses its main advantages over other GPS trackers in its class. In my opinion, the Trackimo is a great option to use for keeping track of anything and everything you’re concerned about losing.

Price: $198.90
Where to buy: Trackimo or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Trackimo.

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Trackimo 3G Guardian GPS Tracker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 3, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Rock Jaw Audio T5 Ultra Connect Bluetooth wireless earbuds review

 

REVIEW – With apologies to William Shakespeare…

To ear, or not to ear, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The pains and aches of outrageous ear tips,
Or to take arms with compliant materials
And by opposing listen to them all day.

Rock Jaw Audio introduced an updated version of their T5 Ultra Connect wireless earbuds. Let’s see if they’re worth a listen.

What is it?

The T5 Ultra Connect wireless earbuds (T5) are the latest iteration of Rock Jaw Audio’s wireless earbud line.  They have been updated with Bluetooth 5 and IPX5 water resistance.

What’s in the box?

  • T5 Ultra Connect earbuds
  • Large, medium, and small silicone ear tips
  • Large, medium (attached), and small Comply isolation ear tips
  • Neutral (attached), extra base, and extra treble tuning filters
  • USB-A to USC-C charging cable
  • Mesh carrying bag
  • Instructions

Hardware specs

  • Drivers: Titanium-coated diaphragm, CCAW voice coil
  • Frequency response: 15 – 25,000Hz
  • Impedance: 24 ohms (+/-15%) @1KHz
  • Bluetooth range (unobstructed): 12M
  • Chipset: aptX & AAC
  • Microphone: MEMS professional
  • Water resistance: (IPX) Water Resistance: IPX5 – Sweatproof & water resistant, in the gym or outside
  • Battery life: 11 hours

Design and features

The T5s are pretty typical for wireless earbuds.  They have a thin wire connecting the two buds.  Along the wire are a battery and a control pad. The buds themselves are nicely finished in aircraft-grade aluminum. The buds have a small “L: and “R” on them to identify the left and right bud.  They also have a magnet in them so they snap together when not in use.  This is handy if you need to take them out for a few minutes as it prevents the earbuds from falling off your neck.

Setup

Setup is pretty simple.  First, use the included USB cable and your power supply to charge the earbuds.

There is a small LED indicator that lights red during charging.  It turns blue when charged.

The LED doubles as the Bluetooth pairing indicator, flashing blue/red during pairing. Press the power button for 5-6 seconds and the T5 enters pairing mode.  Run a scan from your audio device and choose T5 Connect to pair.

After pairing, you need to decide two things: what type and size of ear tip to use, and what tuning filter to use for your music.

There are three included pair of silicone ear tips in small, medium and large sizes. Since these are standard items, I didn’t test these tips.  I was more interested in the Comply isolation ear tips.  These also came in three sizes.  The tips are made of a soft, pliable, memory foam material. For my mismatched ears, I chose the medium tip for my left ear and large for my right.

After attaching to your chosen tuning filter (more on that later), pinch/roll the material between your fingers to form the tip into a pointed shape.

Place the bud into your ear, holding it as the Comply material molds to the shape of your ear canal.  Once in place, the material does a very good job providing isolation from outside sounds and holds in place very firmly, while still being comfortable.

Performance

After pairing I took a listen and found the music sounded pretty darn good.  I wandered around my metal-stud built home and found the Bluetooth connectivity to be impressive. It was only after I was perhaps 50 feet away and behind walls that the sound faltered.

The next step was to try the tuning filters.  To me, it sounded like marketing fluff.  Could these little screw-in filters really make a difference in the sound?

Here’s what the tips are supposed to do:

  • Silver: This is mainly for genres such as rock, Hip-pop, R&B, and electronic music.
  • Gold: The natural tuning filters are engineered to offer a well-balanced, natural sound signature, suitable for all music genres.
  • Black: Emphasise the higher audible frequencies for enhanced audio in genres including classical, acoustic and jazz.

The gold tips come installed, and they sounded good.  I put the silver tips in place, snapped the ear tips on and took a listen.  Much to my surprise, there was a noticeable increase in bass response.  Wow!  I then replaced them with the black tips and sure enough, the bass was reduced and the treble range was noticeably sharper.  I was suitably impressed.

The T5’s controls are simple.  Press the center “0” button to turn on/off.  You get a British-accented “Power on”/”Power off” audible prompt in the buds. and a “Paired” prompt when connected to your audio source. The “0” button also doubles and the call answer and call hang-up button.

Pressing the “+” and “-” buttons raise and lower the volume.  Holding them briefly skips forward or back one track.  Per the instructions, holding the “0” power button for one second should summon Siri or Android Assistant. This never worked with connected to my Samsung Galaxy S9+ with Android Assistant installed.

What I like

  • Comply tips are extremely comfortable, isolate you from outside sounds, and hold firm
  • Variety of ear tips to provide a comfortable fit
  • The listening experience can be tuned to fit your liking and music style
  • Great sound
  • Great battery life

What needs to be improved

  • The claimed Android Assistant functionality should work, but didn’t

Final thoughts

To come back full circle to the beginning of this review, there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.  According to my thinking, these T5 earbuds are indeed good and are worth a look.

Price: $95.28 direct; $89.95 on Amazon
Where to buy: Rock Jaw Audio and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Rock Jaw Audio.

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Rock Jaw Audio T5 Ultra Connect Bluetooth wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 3, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Moshi 3-in-1 universal charging cable review

REVIEW – Let’s face it, USB cables aren’t exactly exciting to write about or read about. But sometimes a cable can be worth the effort for me to write about it and for you to read about it. Let’s see if the Moshi 3-in-1 universal charging cable ticks both of those boxes.

What is it?

The Moshi 3-in-1 universal charging cable is a USB charging cable that offers a Lightning connector for Apple device fans, a USB-C connector, and a micro USB connector all in one cable.

Hardware specs

  • Apple MFi-certified
  • Supports power for iOS devices up to 12 W (5 V/2.4 A)
  • Supports USB 2.0 data transfer speeds up to 480 Mbps
  • Supports power for USB-C devices up to 3 A

What’s in the box?

  • Moshi 3-in-1 universal charging cable

Design and features

First of all, the cable has one of my favorite features when it comes to high-quality cables – a braided cover. The black Ballistic nylon braiding not only looks cool, but it prevents the cable from getting tangled which is always a good thing.

The cable also has a Velcro wrap that you can use to keep it neat and tidy when the cable isn’t being used.

The Moshi 3-in-1 Universal Charging Cable has a length of X inches from end to end.

The default end of the cable is a micro USB connector but tied to the cable are two adapters that turn the cable into a Lightning cable or a USB-C cable.

When you want to use the cable with your Apple devices, put the Lightning adapter at the end and snap unused adapters into the inline clip.

When you’re ready to use it as USB-C or micro USB cable, replace the Lightning adapter with the USB-C adapter or remove the adapter entirely to use it as a micro USB cable. Easy right?

What I like

  • One cable for 3 device types
  • Nylon braided covering
  • 3 year warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Price

Final thoughts

There isn’t a whole lot that one can say about a USB cable, but as far as cables go, the Moshi 3-in-1 Universal Charging cable does have some nice features going for it from the nylon braided exterior to the ability to be used with 3 different connector styles. The only downside to this cable is that it’s a little pricy. But if the price doesn’t scare you away, this cable is warrantied for 3 years so it’s been made to stand the test of time.

Price: $28.95
Where to buy: moshi
Source: The sample for this review was provided by moshi.

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Moshi 3-in-1 universal charging cable review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 2, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Jabra Elite Active 45e wireless in-ear sport headphones review

REVIEW – I use only earbuds when listening to my music and only those that are tethered together by a wire so that I don’t lose them. Jabra recently came out with their Elite Active 45e wireless in-ear sport headphones. When testing them, I discovered that they were way too loose in my ears, tended to fall out when moving around, and they started to really hurt my ears after just one hour of using them. The open design is meant to protect the user, but I didn’t like the fact that people around me could hear my music. Additionally, the audio quality was decent but lacked some of the deeper bass frequencies of my music because they didn’t seal in my ears. Despite these things, they maintain connectivity to my Pixel 2 XL throughout most of my home because of Bluetooth 5.0, have an adjustable equalizer in the Jabra Sound+ app, play for 9.5 hours, charge in 1.75 hours, and have basic calling features plus a mute/unmute feature.

What is it?

The Jabra Elite Active 45e are wireless (Bluetooth 5.0) in-ear sport headphones. They are IP67 rated and thus are dust-proof and can be submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.

What’s in the box?


  • Jabra Elite Active 45e wireless in-ear headphones
  • micro-USB cable
  • Quick Start Guide

Hardware specs

Audio

  • Ambient and wind noise reduction for calls: Yes (2 microphone noise reduction technology)
  • Customized Call EQ: 3 default equalizer settings
  • Speaker size: φ12.0 x 4.7
  • Speaker sensitivity: 107dB±3dB
  • Speaker impedance: 16 ohm
  • Speaker max input power: 10mW
  • Speaker frequency range: 20Hz-14KHz
  • Speaker bandwidth: Music mode A2DP
  • Speaker bandwidth: Speak mode HFP
  • Microphone type: MEMS
  • Microphone sensitivity: -38 dBV (94 dB SPL @ 1 kHz)
  • Microphone frequency range: 20Hz-20KHz
  • Microphone bandwidth: 100Hz-8KHz (Wideband)
  • Headset bandwidth: 1M Hz

Fit & Comfort

  • Form factor: Wireless In-Ear
  • Secure fit: The adaptable Earhook and the Earwing make sure the headset stays fit and secure on the head
  • Earhooks: Yes, customizable for a perfect fit
  • Earwings: Yes
  • Eargels: Open design, keeps you aware of the surroundings
  • Multi-function button: Power on/off (hold), play/pause music, answer/end call, Bluetooth pair (hold)

Battery

  • Talk time: Up to 9 hours
  • Standby time: Auto-off after 15 min without connection, and 60 min without activity. >73hrs
  • Charging time: dedicated USB wall charger (500mA)
  • Full charge in 120 minutes
  • Quick charge: 15 minutes charging equals 1 hour of battery

Connectivity

  • Connectivity: Bluetooth (R)
  • Connection (mini jack, USB, etc): Micro USB (charging only)
  • Supported Bluetooth profiles: HSP/HFP/A2DP/AVRCP/PBAP/GATT
  • Bluetooth compliance: Bluetooth® 5.0
  • Bluetooth wireless technology: Bluetooth® 5.0
  • Operating range from the device: Up to 10m
  • Multiple device pairing: Up to 8, two devices can be connected simultaneously

General

  • What’s in the box: Earbuds, USB cable, and quick start guide
  • Operating temperature: 0°C – 45°C
  • Storage temperature: -20°C – 85°C
  • Features: IP67, 9 hours battery, Open acoustic design, Wind noise protection
  • Packaging dimensions (LxWxH mm): Case: 390 x 300 x 211, Unit:124 x 55 x 187.4
  • Main unit dimension (LxWxH mm): 40 x 10.5 x 12
  • Gross weight (with cable): 29g
  • Net weight (without cable): 23.4g
  • Materials used (outside): PC/ABS plastic. Silicon rubber. TPEE/TPE
  • Neckband material: TPE
  • Pairing PIN, if applicable 0000
  • Charging plug dimensions: micro-USB
  • Warranty: IP67-rated waterproof design, with a 2-year warranty against sweat and dust with registration through Sound+ app
  • Certifications: Bluetooth® 5.0, CE, FCC, IC, RoHS, REACH, TIA-810-B, TIA-920.130-A

Design and features

The Jabra Elite Active 45e wireless in-ear sport headphones that I received came in navy blue. There are two other colors available: Black and Mint.

The ear hooks and the wire connecting the earbuds together are coated in silicone. The control panels and earphones are made from hard plastic.

Each earphone has a control panel with one button on the face of it. The right earphone’s control panel (the earphone on the left in the photo above) contains the Multifunction button which allows you to perform the following controls: power on/off, Bluetooth pairing, play/pause music, and answer/end a phone call. The left earphone’s control panel (the earphone on the right in the photo above) has the Voice button that allows you to launch your voice assistant or mute/unmute a phone call. 
The tips of the earphones are coated in a thin layer of silicone and contain an earwing (or fin). There are no interchangeable silicone eartips for these headphones. The right earbud contains the volume up and volume down controls. There is also an LED which briefly flashes green when you turn the headphones on and red when you turn them off. It also very slowly flashes blue when the headphones are in pairing mode. The left earbud contains the micro-USB port and an LED that shines red when the headphones are charging and green when they are fully charged.

Setup

Powering on/off
To turn the headphones on, I long pressed the Multifunction button on the face of the right earphone’s control panel for about one second to power on the headphones, after which the LED flashed green and I heard the power-on tones. I then had to press the same button for about three seconds to power off the headphones, after which the LED flashed red and I heard the power-off tones.

Pairing
When I first turned on the headphones they were ready for pairing. If you need to put them into pairing mode, you must start with them turned off. You’ll then need to hold the Multifunction button on the face of the right earphone’s control panel for about four seconds to put the headphones into pairing mode at which time they will very slowly flash blue. You’ll then go into your Bluetooth settings and find and tap on the Jabra Elite Active 45e from the list of devices found to pair them. For Android 9 phones, go to phone settings>Connected devices>Connection preferences>Bluetooth (toggle it on)>Pair new device>tap on Jabra Elite Active 45e to pair.

Performance

Auto shut-off
The headphones are supposed to shut off after about 15 minutes when not connected to a device, but I could not determine when they shut off because there was no indication when shut off occurred. I knew that they had shut off because when I pressed the Multifunction button on the right control panel, the headphones turned on. In addition, the headphones are supposed to shut off after one hour of inactivity. And again, I could not tell when that happened.

Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0 is awesome. All the Bluetooth 5.0 earbuds that I have reviewed maintain connectivity up to 57 feet when in line-of-sight of my Pixel 2 XL. And I was able to listen to my earbuds with four walls separating me from my connected device without drops or interruptions. In addition, there were no connectivity issues when using the Jabra Elite Active 45e headphones.

Fit and Comfort
When it comes to earbuds, fit is everything. In this case, the Jabra headphones did not fit me at all even after adjusting the ear hooks with and without my glasses on. They were way too loose to stay in my ears when moving around, especially when exercising. I know that they were meant to have an open design in order to ensure user safety when running outside, but I only exercise inside my home so for me this is unnecessary. The design actually reminds me of Apple’s EarPods. However, my EarPods fit so much better and were much more comfortable than these.

On top of all that, they really started hurting my ears after only about an hour of wearing them. The ear hooks hurt behind my ears and the earphones hurt where they sit at the opening of my ear canal. These were horribly uncomfortable for me. But fit is different for each person and thus, these may work for some of you.

Jabra Sound+ app



The Jabra Elite Active 45e headphones have an app that works with them – the Sound+ app. When the headphones are powered on, the Sound+ app detects them, after which I was able to customize them. I could turn on location settings so that the app would save the last known location of the headphones, I could select which voice assistant to use, and I could adjust the equalizer settings for the earbuds.

“Moments” bottom tab: The Sound+ app’s default home screen is the “Moments” tab which is the first tab located at the bottom of the screen. The “Moments” tab allows you to select one of three tabs located in the left sidebar of the app: the “My Moment” tab, the “Commute” tab, and the “Focus” tab.

The “My Moment” left sidebar tab: If you tap on the “My Moment” left sidebar tab, this screen shows your current equalizer settings. And if you wish to customize your equalizer settings, you may do so by adjusting the dots above each frequency. However, it is important to note that you cannot save this setting.

By tapping on the gear icon located in the upper right corner of the “My Moment” app screen, I could further personalize my earbud settings like…




… adjusting the “Music equalizer” settings, “Call experience” settings, and “Headset assistance” settings (first screenshot above).

      • “Music equalizer” setting: This is the same as the equalizer settings in the “My Moment” app screen (second screenshot above).
      • “Call experience” settings: you can set whether you hear your own voice on a call or not. If you decide to toggle on this feature, you can adjust how loud your voice will be to you. You may also select whether to hear more treble or bass frequencies of your caller’s voice (third screenshot above). These are pretty cool features.
      • “Headset assistance” settings: allows you to turn on or off voice prompts in the headphones (last screenshot above).



“Commute” left sidebar tab: If you tap on the “Commute” icon in the left sidebar of the Sound+ app home screen, you can select your preset equalizer settings for your drive around town.

“Focus” left sidebar tab: And if you tap on the “Focus” icon (person sitting in front of a laptop) in the left sidebar of the Sound+ app home screen and then tap on the menu icon located just below the gear icon, you can select some “Soundscape” or background noise to help you to focus while you work. Some of the selections include Pink noise, Diving, Waterfall, Rainy day, Songbirds, Cavern, and Crowd. These are pretty cool features too.



“Discover” bottom tab: If you tap on the “Discover” tab located at the bottom of the app home screen, you can get access to the Quick Start Guide for the headphones, register the headphones, share your opinion about the headphones and app, and see a pictorial overview of what each of the headphone buttons does.

“About” bottom tab: The “About” tab located at the bottom of the app’s home screen is a surprisingly important tab. It allows you to do things like check for firmware updates, choose your voice assistant, change the language of the voice prompt, link to the headphone’s FAQ web page, locate your headphones, register the headphones, and rate them.

Music and Voice Assistant controls
I tested the music controls of the Jabra Elite Active 45e headphones. A one-second press of the Multifunction button located on the face of the right earphone’s control panel allowed me to play/pause music or videos on Pandora, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, Netflix, and YouTube. However, I was unable to play or pause Amazon Prime Video content when using the headphones which were connected to my Pixel 2 XL. I think this is an issue with my phone because I’ve had this very same problem with other in-ear headphones.

I was able to increase/decrease the volume levels with short presses of the Volume Up and Down buttons located at the bottom of the right earphone’s control panel. A two-second press of the Volume Up button skipped ahead a song and a two-second press of the Volume Down button skipped back a song.

To launch my voice assistant (when not on a call), I short pressed on the Voice button located on the face of the left earphone’s control panel. I was able to choose between my Google assistant or Alexa (it will work for Siri users too). I chose Google assistant. I was able to successfully use Google assistant to perform the actions I wanted it to.

Playing time
The Jabra website states that the headphones will play for about 9 hours on one full charge. In my tests, I was able to play the headphones for 9.5 hours on one full charge when they were set on a moderate volume level.

Charging
The Jabra Elite Active 45e documentation states that the headphones take two hours to fully charge. I was able to charge them in one hour and 45 minutes. Not bad.

Calling features and call quality
According to the Quick Start Guide, the headphones have the following calling features:

  • Answer/end a call – use a short press of the Multifunction button on the face of the right earphone’s control panel to answer the call; repeat to end the call. In addition, you can use a one-second press of the Multifunction button to put the current call on hold and answer an incoming call.
  • Switch between calls – use a one-second press of the Multifunction button to switch between callers
  • Reject a call – use a double press of the Multifunction button to reject a call
  • Mute/unmute – use a short press of the Voice button on the face of the left earphone’s control panel to turn on mute while you are on a call; repeat to turn off mute
  • Call volume controls – use a short press of the Volume Up and Down buttons on the bottom of the right side control panel to increase or decrease the volume while you are on a call

All of the above calling features worked well, however, there doesn’t seem to be a redial feature.

During my tests, both the caller and I noticed that the call audio quality was very nice on both ends.

Audio quality
The audio quality of the Jabra Elite Active 45e headphones was decent before adjusting the equalizer settings in the Sound+ app. I enjoyed the sound better after adjusting the equalizer settings. However, when listening to bass heavy music like “High Roller” by Crystal Method and “Salute” by Little Mix, I found that I was missing out on the deeper bass frequencies of the songs because the headphones do not seal in my ears. The headphones are better suited for classic rock music like Bob Seger’s “The Famous Final Scene”.

When contrasting the Jabra headphones to my Jaybird X3 headphones, my music sounded MUCH better when using the X3 headphones, which are comparable in price. In addition, the X3s seal in my ears, are MUCH more comfortable, and capture the deep bass of my favorite music.

What I like

  • You can adjust the equalizer settings for the Jabra Elite Active 45e headphones in the Jabra Sound+ app
  • Bluetooth 5.0 headphones like these have great connectivity – they maintain connection for 57 feet and go through four walls without drops
  • Playing time is about 9.5 hours on a moderate volume level
  • Charging time fast (1.75 hours to fully charge)
  • The call quality is nice and the headphones have a mute/unmute calling feature which some headphones don’t have
  • The Sound+ app has a setting that allows you to play background sound to help you focus while you work (waterfall, rain, pink noise sounds, etc.)

What needs to be improved

  • Fit, fit, FIT – they were too loose in my ears no matter how I adjusted them, they were terribly uncomfortable and holy cow, they really hurt my ears after about an hour of wearing them
  • Sound quality – this would be greatly improved if the earbuds sealed in the user’s ear canals
  • The Sound+ app should allow you to save your custom equalizer settings

Final thoughts

Honestly, I couldn’t stand using the Jabra Elite Active 45e headphones. They fit me poorly, fell out when exercising, lacked the bass frequencies of my favorite bass heavy music, and REALLY hurt my ears after wearing them for about an hour or less (note to self: don’t buy open-designed earphones or those with ear hooks). But they maintain connectivity to my Pixel 2 XL throughout most of my home because of Bluetooth 5.0, have an adjustable equalizer in the Jabra Sound+ app, play for 9.5 hours, charge in 1.75 hours, and have basic calling features plus a mute/unmute feature.

I don’t recommend these based on the fit, but if you like ear hooks on your in-ear headphones and like the open design, you may enjoy them.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Jabra or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Jabra.

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Jabra Elite Active 45e wireless in-ear sport headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 2, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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