On the same day that Jabra announced its latest generation of wireless earbuds, the company has unexpectedly called it quits for the entire consumer audio category. In a press release that cites the rising costs of competition, GN (Jabra’s parent company) announced its intent to “gradually wind-down its Elite and Talk product lines to further increase focus and resources on more attractive parts of GN’s business.”
The new Gen 2 products — the Elite 8 Active and Elite 10 Generation 2 — will be the last two product introductions in this product line, but they will remain available through 2024 and beyond. A Jabra spokesperson told Digital Trends that “customers will be able to buy them in the usual online and retail channels, as well as Jabra.com, and products will still be supported throughout their lifetime, as normal.”
The decision, in part, is about refocusing on other categories like professional audio, video, and OTC hearing aids, all of which are areas where Jabra has fewer competitors and commands a much greater market share.
“The markets … have changed over time,” said GN Store Nord CEO Peter Karlstromer, “and it is today our assessment that we cannot generate a fair return on investment compared to the many other opportunities we have within our Hearing, Enterprise, and Gaming businesses.”
The announcement marks the end of an era. Jabra was one of the first companies to create wireless earbuds, and its Elite line of products continuously met with positive reviews. At Digital Trends, Jabra Elite earbuds have had an almost constant presence on our list of the best wireless earbuds you can buy.
The company’s earbuds developed a reputation for solid sound quality, excellent fit, great controls, and tons of customization via the Jabra Sound+ companion app for iOS and Android.
However, pressure from major brands like Apple, Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose at the top end of the market, as well as competition from budget-friendly options from 1More, Soundcore, and Earfun, squeezed Jabra’s efforts to make products that were both competitive and profitable.
It’s worth noting that Jabra will continue its line of Evolve products, which bear a strong resemblance to the Elite lineup, but are geared toward enterprise/office communication. The Evolve2 Buds share the same basic design and features as the Elite 7 Pro, while the Evolve2 85 is based on the Elite 85H headphones and the Evolve2 65/75 share DNA with the Elite 45H.
