In one look
Expert rating
Benefits
- Good CNA
- Comfortable fit
- Reasonable price
The inconvenients
- Slightly sharp sound
- Voices can sound unnatural during calls
- Audio not suitable for classical and jazz music
Our opinion
The JBL Reflect Aero have good adaptive noise cancellation and are comfortable to wear while exercising, although the sound isn’t impressive in all musical genres.
Best Prices Today: JBL Reflect Aero TWS
$99.95
The JBL Reflect Aero are earphones specially designed for those who like to exercise. This is made possible by the combination of what JBL calls Powerfins, as well as oval tubes. The Powerfins are small wings that find their socket in the auricle and the oval tubes are for the ear canal.
Three pairs of Powerfins and Oval Tubes are included in the box, so users can find the shape that works for them. The “Find My Best Fit” test in the JBL headphones app will help you with this.
The box also includes a USB-C charging cable and a charging case, which comes with a loop to avoid misplacing the buds.
Thomas Bergbold
Build and Features
The JBL Reflect Aero comes with a range of features including Bluetooth 5.2, Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC), touch controls and an IP68 dust and water rating. JBL says they can be used up to 1.5 meters deep for 30 minutes, including in salt water.
ANC uses four microphones to analyze ambient noise. You can turn on Smart Ambient Mode to automatically adjust levels based on your surroundings. It worked very well during testing – both on a flight and in the car (as a passenger), as well as outside among the public.
Noise cancellation isn’t extremely strong, but it can be adjusted easily. JBL has even integrated ear canal compensation and ear canal testing into the app.
Noise cancellation isn’t extremely strong, but it can be adjusted easily
The headphones are suitable for phone calls, with the six microphones improving the audio quality. That said, electronic aids can make your voice sound a little less natural.
The 6.8mm speaker is claimed to produce powerful sound, and it largely succeeds. As with so many in-ear Bluetooth headphones, it lacks a natural liveliness, but doesn’t sound obnoxious. The audio is suitable for hip-hop, dance and pop. The app’s equalizer allows you to adjust the sound to your own preferences.
Thomas Bergbold
A chunky battery won’t fit in the small case, but the capacity is still enough for about seven hours of music. The charging case provides approximately 16 hours of additional battery life. When noise cancellation is active, playback time is reduced by approximately one hour. JBL quotes a playtime of four hours after 15 minutes of charging, which was reflected in the tests.
The case is charged via the USB-C port.
You probably won’t find better headphones at this price that are suitable for sports
Companion app
JBL’s headphone app is well-designed and offers a decent level of customization. In addition to the already mentioned configuration of adaptive noise cancellation and tests for the correct fit, the app shines with even more practical functions.
Thomas Bergbold
This includes button configuration for music control, voice assistant, Voice Aware and an “Auto Play & Pause”, to name a few. An important function for Bluetooth headphones is the equalizer, which JBL has implemented very well.
Price and availability
The JBL Reflect Aero headphones cost $149 / £119. US readers can buy them from JBL, Amazon and Walmart, while UK readers can get them from JBL, Amazon and Currys.
This price is lower than other fitness-friendly headphones, including the Beats Fit Pro and Jabra Elite Active 75t. However, if ANC is more of a priority, you might want to consider some other budget wireless headphones that are cheaper than JBL’s product – although not all of them offer waterproofing.
You can find more options in our list of the best true wireless earbuds.
Verdict
The JBL Reflect Aero are an ideal choice if you want headphones to accompany your workouts. They offer decent ANC, a comfortable and durable build, and decent sound that can be easily adjusted via the EQ.
The audio isn’t impressive across all genres, especially on classical and jazz tracks. Of course, acoustic instruments are a badass for Bluetooth headphones anyway. You probably won’t find better headphones at this price that are suitable for sports.
This review has been translated and localized for Tech Advisor – you can find the original article on Macwelt.
Specifications
- IP68 rating
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Up to 24 hours with charging case
- 7 hours of listening on a single charge (without ANC), 6 hours with ANC
- 6.8mm driver
- USB-C charging
Table of Contents
