JBL’s Reflect Flow Pro noise-cancelling true wireless earphones ($179.95) face tough competition in the sub-$200 category. In their favor, they boast strong audio performance, solid active noise cancellation (ANC), and a fully waterproof and dustproof design. We’re also fans of JBL’s companion app, which offers several useful features including an effective, adjustable EQ. For only slightly more money, we prefer Jabra’s $199.99 Elite 7 Pro earphones, which offer slightly better sound out of the box and more customizable ANC settings, though their aren’t quite as durable.
Fully Protected Against the Elements
Available in black, blue, or white, the Reflect Flow Pro earphones look a little chunky. That said, the earpieces offer a secure fit that’s ideal for exercise. They ship with three pairs of silicone eartips (S, M, and L) and four pairs of sleeves (XS, S, M, and L) that wrap around the earpiece to add stability.
Internally, 6.8mm drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz and an impedance of 16 ohms. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 and support the AAC and SBC codecs, but not AptX.
The earpieces sport touch-sensitive, non-mirrored controls. On the left, a single tap cycles through Ambient Aware, ANC On, and ANC Off modes. A double tap puts the earphones in talk-through mode (the audio volume decreases and the mics emphasize nearby voices) and handles incoming calls, while a long press summons your mobile device’s voice assistant. A single tap on the right earpiece controls playback, a double tap skips forward a track (and answers or ends calls), and a triple tap skips backward a track.
An IP68 rating is as good as it gets for consumer products. The first number (6) means the earphones are dustproof. The second number (8) means they are fully waterproof; you can submerge them beyond depths of 1 meter for longer than 30 minutes. Bluetooth connections don’t work underwater, so this credential is more indicative of their durability than their utility in those conditions. In any case, rain, sweat, swimming pools, and faucets pose no threat. The rating doesn’t extend to the charging case, however, so make sure to fully dry the earpieces before docking them for charging.
The charging case is a bit bulky and its exterior is slippery, but we like its sporty, built-in shoelace-like strap. You can charge it either via the USB-C port on the back or wirelessly with a Qi-compatible charger. JBL estimates that the earphones can last roughly between 8 and 10 hours on battery depending on ANC usage. The case provides another 20 hours of charge, but your results will vary based on your volume levels.
Companion App
The JBL Headphones app (available for Android and iOS) has vastly improved over time. Here, you can use it to change your voice assistant to Alexa (via the Alexa app) and switch between ANC and Ambient modes. You can also choose between various modes that target different listening activities; for example, Gaming mode ensures the lowest latency, while Audio mode prioritizes sound quality.
But the best audio-related feature is an adjustable EQ that includes presets and customizable settings. We like JBL’s signature EQ; it increases the high-mids and highs, plus adds a little clarity and definition to the mix. That said, you can just as easily design and save a custom EQ curve. As we note later, the drivers don’t reach their full potential unless you dive into these EQ settings.
In the app, you can also adjust the on-ear controls, change the auto-off settings, and check your in-ear fit. JBL’s low-tech Find My Earbuds feature (it helps you locate your earbuds by sending loud, high-pitch tones through them) rounds out the options.
Avoids the Typical ANC Pitfalls
The Reflect Flow Pro earphones offer quality noise cancellation for the price, with no trouble dialing back deep, low-frequency rumble, like you hear on an airplane. Mids and highs provide a bit more of a challenge, however. When we played a recording of a busy restaurant at high volume through near-field monitors, the earphones cut back the lows and some mids, but the high-mids and highs pass through the ANC circuitry without much change in intensity.
Most affordable ANC-enabled in-ears perform similarly across these frequencies, but JBL’s largely avoid adding any hiss to the signal, which isn’t something all competing pairs can claim. The ANC mode also doesn’t affect the audio performance, which is another issue we often experience with budget-friendly pairs.
Strong Audio That Benefits From EQ Tweaks
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the earphones deliver powerful low-frequency depth. At top, unwise listening levels, the lows come across cleanly and without distortion. And at more reasonable listening levels, the bass still sounds robust.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, better reveals the pair’s sound signature. The drums on this track get some serious bass boosting and, as a result, sound heftier and more thunderous than usual. The drivers deliver Callahan’s baritone vocals with plenty of low-mid richness, but perhaps a smidge less high-mid presence than we typically like to hear on this track. The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits are bright enough, but again, we could use some additional high-frequency presence. The sound isn’t ideal out of the box, but the EQ is an effective tool for improving the mix.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives just enough high-mid presence to retain its punchy attack, but again, you can use the EQ to bring these frequencies out even more. The loop also gets some additional thump, while the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beats come across with force—this is ideal for bass lovers. The vocals on the track sound clean and free of any additional sibilance. If you enable JBL’s signature EQ setting, the track gets significantly brighter but retains its bass boosting.
On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the drivers emphasize the low frequencies a bit more than is necessary, and as a result, the lower-register instrumentation sounds too forward. It doesn’t overpower the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals, but it steps a bit too far outside its supporting role. Again, the EQ can easily remedy this issue.
Each earpiece features two beam-forming mics and another that suppresses distortion from the wind. We tested the mics using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone and had no trouble understanding every word we recorded. Signal quality is strong and the mics also keep Bluetooth artifacts to a minimum.
Top-Notch Durability and Solid Sound
The JBL Reflect Flow Pro earphones are an excellent value—their audio performance is strong (and stronger with the in-app EQ), their ANC is solid, and their companion app unlocks useful functionality. We also like their secure fit and outstanding build quality. For exercise-focused listeners who want both ANC and ambient listening modes, this is an excellent option. That said, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro earphones remain our top pick for ANC-enabled, waterproof earphones in the $200 range—they sound better out of the box and work with a companion app that’s just as capable as the one that JBL offers. In this price range, we’re also fans of Jabra’s $179.99 Elite 7 Active earphones, which offer a slightly more exercise-friendly fit than the Elite 7 Pro, as well as the audiophile-friendly Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless ($179.95).
