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What features are important for a good pair of sport headset models for active people? They must be securely fixed in the ear, have effective protection against moisture, sweat, and shock, and the listening mode of the environment should also be maintained to eliminate noise along with high-quality sound. But there are many similar models in the market. How does JBL’s wireless noise cancelling headphones stack up against their background? Let’s see this JBL Reflect Flow Pro review below.
Features
Reflect Flow Pro sport headset received an adaptive noise reduction system. Earlier, such a feature was available only in high-end best noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones. And of course, no such option was available in sport headset. The latter often do completely without ANC, as it is important to listen to the environment during the game. That’s why the new JBL is attractive: truly wireless headphones for active people. You can do a workout while wearing them, and you can listen to music in any noisy place after training.
Control of the environment is determined by the Ambient Aware mode, which is activated by touching one of the earbuds (by default, on the left). The additional tap turns off adaptive noise reduction, except at idle. There is also a TalkTru function. It allows you to carry on a conversation while wearing headphones. Owners of ordinary sports TWS devices are deprived of such a feature.
An interesting function – “Check my best fit” is sure to come in handy. It allows you to find out if the caliber of the silicone tips is correctly selected and how the headphones fit in the ear canal. This is a useful feature, especially for inexperienced users. Note that the JBL’s true wireless model is completed with high-quality attachments with an ideal density of silicone. They sit securely on the waveguides and are comfortable in the ears while ensuring sufficient tightness.
All mode switching in the earbuds is accompanied by voice prompts. You can also turn off the automatic playback pause when you remove one earbud.
Since TWS headsets are lightweight, they can be easily lost. And it is not always possible to quickly find an accessory even at home. Here the “Find Headphones” function will help. Another interesting section of the utility is “Smart Audio and Video”. Inside there are three states: “Normal Mode” (most stable connection), “Audio Mode” (best sound), “Video Mode” (video and audio sync). There is also a nice equalizer.
Battery life
On a single charge, the Reflect Flow Pro sport headset works without ANC for up to 10 hours, and with noise cancelling – up to 8 hours. The capacity of the case is enough for two recharges, that is, in total, it turns out to be 30 hours and 24 hours, respectively. Due to the increased capacity of the battery, the dimensions of the case had to be increased. Two more reasons why the case is bigger: equipped with wireless charging function and huge earbuds design, and equipped with fixing hooks. With the help of the cord, you can hang the case itself. You can’t detach it, so you’ll have to get used to it.
We especially note the convenient charge indicator on the case. It is made in the form of an LED strip, which clearly shows how much energy is left. Although, it is easy to find out in the JBL Headphones mobile application, which displays the charges of the earbuds and the case. You can also override control gestures in the app. True, with one limitation: these must be teams from the same group. For example, in one case, you can select the mode of audibility of ambient sound and noise cancellation, on the other – playback control or volume control.
The battery life matches the declared if you use the SBC codec for the connection and don’t listen to very loud music. With better AAC and more volume, the device will last about an hour less.
Call quality
The sport headset has six microphones (three on each earbud). They are used for noise cancellation and listening to the environment, and are also responsible for handling the calls. Most TWS models have problems with hearing the user’s voice. But JBL Reflect Flow PRO has complete order with this: during call conversations, the interlocutor hears you perfectly.
If your phone is in the kitchen and you leave a room and hide it in the cupboard in your bedroom, then there may be some disturbance in the connection.
JBL Reflect Flow Pro specifications
- Design: Closed in-ear
- Noise Cancelling: Active adaptive
- Control: touch, via the mobile application
- Drivers: Dynamic 6.8 mm
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Codecs: SBC, AAC
- Battery life: Music playback time up to 8 hours (with ANC) / 10 hours (without ANC); In the Case 24/30 hrs
- Charging: USB-C, Wireless Charging Support
- Water protection: IP68
- Earbud Weight: 8 g (each)
- App: JBL Headphones
Sound
All the JBL accessories we tested (or some of them) had a recognizable sonic character. Reflect Flow Pro also has this feature. It manifests itself in thick and juicy bass. The frequency balance is fine, nothing sticks out, the scale of the sound images is reliable, the tones in the scene take exactly the position necessary for correct perception. The sound seems neutral, but not monotonous. The emotional charge of the music is fully transmitted. HF is clean, does not tire, and is with shine. No touch-ups and gags: You’ll hear exactly what was recorded.
We haven’t put too much metal sound in the review, but it does have a lot of heavy sounds. We tested the King Buffalo Group’s 2020 album in the Reflect Flow Pro: expressive, energetic, and not as depressing as it might sound in other headphones. Led Zeppelin’s collection “Mothership” sounds surprisingly good with a questionable remastering. Pat Metheny’s “Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)” pulls into his intricate sound space just as well as with many times more expensive headphones. Of course, the harmonic resolution is not that high, the degree of realism and detail is weak, but we enjoyed listening to music from them. Isn’t this the main thing?
Final line
Best noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones are not easy to find today. But the JBL Reflect Flow Pro Sport Headset can be called a model for every day. Playing sports, listening to music on the street, watching YouTube – in all situations, the true wireless earbuds manifests themselves in the best possible way.
The past few months have seen many big launches in the mid-range true wireless noise cancelling headphones segment, with brands such as OnePlus Buds Z2, Shure Aonic Free, Marshall Minor II, Beats Fit Pro, Jabra Elite 7 Pro, and Elite 7 Active. The JBL Reflect Flow Pro is a very good pair of truly wireless earphones for $179 on Bhphotovideo.com, Amazon.com, and Newegg.com stores, and it gets things right in terms of comfort, battery life, and sound, for the most part.
