Jabra Sport Pace

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Jabra Sport Pace Review Facts

The Jabra Sport Pace headphones are an addition to a line of headphones made by Jabra for running. An app syncs with the headphones to track everything the user does. Three ear gels ensure a comfortable and snug fit. Over-ear hooks anchor them in place for high-intensity workouts. All the technology that is included is user-friendly. The sound quality is nearly a perfect balance. For extra safety, a reflective strip is provided. The battery life is short. Having to have the volume high to be able to hear anything has an impact on the already short battery life. Reviewer ratings for the Jabra Sport Pace on the following qualities, where ten was the highest mark are Bass 8.8, Bluetooth connectivity 8.5, Design 8.8, Durability 8.8, Highs 8.9, Midrange 9, Sound quality 9, and Value 8.9.

As mobile devices and app begin to rule the way people work out, Jabra is on the front line of exercise focused Bluetooth earphones. The Jabra Sport Pace is an affordable alternative to previous models. It has the same free app accessibility to help users through crunches and jogs. The secure fit means it will withstand most rigorous exercise routines. Many people find the boosted bass response to be a motivator. It is not the set of headphones for those who seek a balanced frequency response.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Earbuds anchored in place with over-ear hooks
  • Excellent sound quality
  • Free syncing with the workout app
  • Moisture and sweat resistant
  • Powerful audio performance with boosted bass response
  • Secure fitting design
  • User-friendly
Cons
  • Short battery life
  • Volume must be turned up high

Activities

Jabra Sport Pace headphones are an excellent option for running. The hooks that come over the ears ensure the earbuds don’t slip. When connected to a smartphone, the headphones can track details such as route, location, calories burned, distance, and pace.

They work for nearly any activity such as cross-training, strength training, and biking. Workout selections include skiing, hiking, cross-training, walking, cycling, and running. Each category has subcategories such as CardiCare or BellyBurn that are unique workouts.

For instances, the BellyBurn guides the user through a workout of six minutes in which ten-second intervals of rest follow 20 sit-ups. Built-in options such as the Cooper Test allow users to test themselves for endurance.

The headphones can be used to track movement or time of runs. If at first selecting options is confusing, the activity menu brings the list of options back. Connected to Jabra's Sport Life app, the user can customize workouts. Users can be creative. Yard work was added by one user. The headphones are an ideal choice for anything that requires pounding or jumping.

Basic Features

The headphones are the first thing seen when the box is open. Beneath the headphone is the manual. An inner box holds a micro-USB charging cable and two extra pairs of ear gels.

Advanced Features

The Pace headphones use the 4.1 version of Bluetooth. It is not the latest version but is higher than versions used by competitor headphones. The Bluetooth range is 33 feet. It has a voice command microphone for Google Now or Siri as well as for phone calls. The GPS of the phone connected to the Sport Pace is used to collect calories burned, distance, on the left earpiece gives an audio progress report when pressed.

Sound Quality

Previous Jabra headphones leaked noise. The Pace does far better in effectively sealing in sound. The position of the earbuds is responsible for the improvement. Previous models did not have the bass presence users want to hear.

The bass presence of the Pace is stable and robust without being overpowering. To achieve the balance it is necessary to turn the volume to nearly the maximum. A heavy low-mid presence is heard. The details of the highs could be better but are acceptable.

The Sport Life app would prefer the user to listen either to the Jabra app or iTunes. Reviewers successfully tested the streaming quality of Spotify. Jabra provides additional audio options. Considering the fit of the Sport Pace, lows are surprisingly powerful.

The bass response has a somewhat slow quality but still does a five job with aggressive music such as metal. The bass and kick have plenty of impact. They do not dissolve into a muddy sludge pool.

Heavy low-mid presence comes across booming and may be irritating. Some music makes good use of it with bass and guitars playing off each other while leaving room for one another. Nearly all modern in-ear headphones have highs that roll off to prevent harshness that could potentially damage hearing.

The detail is still relatively nice. Various synth trills and electronic percussion show the balance nicely. They avoid becoming an irritation without having to fade into the background. For in-ear headphones in this price range, the soundstage is relatively wide.

It has excellent spatial cues and stereo separation. A critical difference between the Sport Pace and some of its competition is the attempt to keep out sound. It does a relatively good job of it. Some headphones are meant to let in outside sound. Neither is objectively better. While wearing the Sport Pace around the office or the gym, noise isolation comes in handy.

Connectivity

Pace connects to Google Now, Siri, and Bluetooth. The Bluetooth is newer than the 2.0 + EDR version used by many competitors. It is simple to pair with a British-sounding voice that provides instructions on how to pair devices.

The phone call voice quality is excellent. Google Now and Siri are convenient and straightforward to connect. The Bluetooth is the standard 33 feet. Seldom is that much range needed. The controls are standard remote and mic that set behind the right ear.

It takes a bit to be able to reach the controls quickly. There are a malfunctioning button and positive and negative buttons that control the volume by tapping the button. Pressing the button down for a few seconds allows the user to skip backward and forward.

The headphones connect to the free Jabra Sport Life app also. Another button on the right interacts with the Sport Life app. The app helps plan and track workouts as well as other fitness information. The app does not provide a lot of details.

It follows the basics like location, distance, and pace. For music, the headphones connect to a phone’s music library via the Jabra Sport Life app. It also shows the amount of battery life left for the headphones.

The app offers tips on how to properly fit the wireless Sport Pace. They have a proprietary pump-up soundtrack user can try also. Pace gives directions to sync the headphones to a TV, computer, or phone through the headphones.

The earphones go into a standby mode after approximately five minutes of inactivity. The app is available for iOS and Android devices. It requires an easy and quick setup process found in the general menu.

Comfort

Not everyone likes over-ear hooks. Reviewers claim the over-ear hooks are more comfortable than in-ear wings many headphones tend to use. For most athletes, the over-ear hooks are not a problem when it comes to comfort.

They may not be ideal, but they are not bad. The headphones are lightweight and have three sets of ear gels that help get a perfect fit. Overall comfort is superb. They do lack flexibility that can cause discomfort during a workout.

Style

Pace headphones have an in-canal design and behind-the-neck cable. Color options include red, yellow, and blue with black trim. Regardless of the color picked, there is a reflective cord to keep runners visible at night.

The over-ear hooks anchor the buds to provide better sound quality. From a long distance, the headphones are glaringly noticeable. They feature that around-the-neck reflective strip to keep users safe if exercising in dim light outdoors.

According to reviewers, the over-ear hooks are found to be more comfortable than ear-wings used in other headphones. The wireless Sport Pace is a very light 22 grams. When the fit is decently adjusted, they feel as though they are not there.

They were built with working out and runners in mind. The headphones are rated IP54 for rain and sweat resistance. They also resist particles. Jabra offers a warranty of one-year for anything that goes wrong.

A cable management clip and a rigid over-the-ear loop achieve the most secure fit possible. Both elements keep the ear tips stationary. On the left earpiece is a status LED with a voice prompt to pair the earphones.

Durability

A quality build should rank the Jabra Sport Pace high in durability. Jabra drew on standards of the US Military for repelling dust, sand, and water when Pace was designed. The headphones resist sweat. There have been enough user reports of breaking after a few months to say the Sports Pace durability is not what it should be.

Ease of Use

The earbuds are user-friendly especially for those who have used previous Jabra headphone models. An inline remote is found on the cable’s right side. The main button is located between the volume buttons.

There is a microphone for voice commands and phone calls. The microphone engages after holding down the main button for a few seconds. Holding down the main button for four seconds causes it to work as the power button.

The skipping and playback controls are the same as previous models. Two taps on the central button cause the device to redial the last phone number called. If done by accident, it can be annoying. Syncing the Sport Life app with the headphones is easy to understand.

Power Source

The Pace has less than impressive battery life. Users get five hours or less. The battery drains quickly because the volume has to be turned up high. The limited five-hour talk or playback time is not much of an issue thanks to Rapid Charge technology. A redeeming factor is 15 minutes of charging yields 60 minutes of use (less when the volume is at the max). It works as expected even if plugged into a laptop.

Price

The Pace is not as expensive as previous Jabra headphones, but the headphones are still somewhat expensive. The Pace headphones have three pairs of ear gels and a small micro-USB charging cable.

There is no carrying case, but the accessories make the headphones an excellent value for the money. There is no need to worry when it comes to sound quality which is a deciding factor when purchasing headphones.

Key Features

* Bluetooth connectivity
* Includes micro-USB and three pairs of ear gels
* Over-ear hooks secure buds in place
* Reflective behind-the-neck cable for safety
* Tracks workouts in sync with the Jabra Sport Life app

Bottom Line

Jabra Sport Pace headphones have a reputation for two things - using over-ear hooks to ensure they don’t come out regardless of the activity and excellent audio quality.that has a balanced bass presence.

Flaws that keep them from being ideal include the short battery life, the need for volume to be turned up to the max, and discomfort caused by inflexibility. Taking into consideration, the fantastic sweat resistance, the workout app, the Bluetooth connectivity, and other great Pace features, the consumer gets excellent value for the money spent on the purchase of the Jabra Sport Pace.

The Sport Pace wireless headphones are similar to the Sport Coach but do not feature the Sport Pulse heart rate tracking. It still integrates the Jabra Sport Life app. By lowering the price, the company did not make a trade for sound quality.

Jabra has presented a pair of headphones that has a lower price point and better fitness features than some of the competitors. While the over-ear fit does not appeal to everyone, it is hard to find negatives about the headphones when the price is taken into consideration.

The low battery life is not much of an issue due to the Rapid Charge feature. The $99 price tag combined with the sound quality and comfort makes the Jabra Sport Pace an easily recommended device to any fan of the style.