Our Verdict
Decent mixed usage. Although the JBL Reflect Flow are fairly versatile, they're on the bulky side and may not fit everyone. They're very good for short sessions at the gym, but they may be uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time. The noise isolation is good for blocking out speech, making them great for office use, but for commuting, they aren't as good at isolating you from the rumbles of bus engines.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Good build quality.
- Good for sports.
- Bulky design.
- No app support for customization.
- Uncomfortable for small ears.
Decent for neutral sound. The Reflect Flow sound good, but it's more of a V-shaped sound profile, with a bit more bass and a slight dip in the mid-range, which causes the vocals and lead instruments to sound further back in the mix.
Good for commuting. The Reflect Flow are very portable and have very good noise isolation, but they can become uncomfortable if worn for a long time. They perform well to block out ambient chatter, but won't be able to isolate you from noise in the lower range, such as airplane and bus engines.
Very good for sports. The Reflect Flow have a very stable fit due to their size and the stability fins. They won't fall out when engaged in vigorous exercise and they're rated IPX7 for water and sweat resistance, although we don't currently test for this.
Acceptable for office use. The noise isolation is very good at blocking out chatter in the office and the battery life should last an entire work day, but they may be too uncomfortable to wear for such a long period.
These headphones lack low latency codecs; as such, there's too much latency to recommend them for gaming.
The JBL Reflect Flow can't be used wired.
Mediocre for phone calls. They perform okay in a quiet environment and the speech is understandable, but the microphone will struggle to separate speech from background noise.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 06, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Dec 13, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Nov 28, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Nov 28, 2019: Early access published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The JBL Reflect Flow are pretty basic truly wireless headphones when compared to other headphones of this type. They lack higher end features such as active noise cancelling and customization through a mobile app, but for those looking for a pair to take to the gym, they perform very well. They have a stable fit and shouldn't fall out during exercise. If you're looking for a more versatile pair with more features, see our recommendations for the best truly wireless earbuds, the best wireless earbuds, and the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ears.
The JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless are somewhat better headphones than the JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless. The Live Free NC+ are more comfortable, and their sound profile can be customized using their companion app's parametric EQ and presets. The Reflect Flow are better built and can isolate more noise passively.
The JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless are marginally better than the Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireless. They have similar performance when it comes to noise isolation; however, their sound profiles are quite different, with the Elite 65t having less low-bass and a sharp treble, which can make them sound sibilant. On the upside, Jabra has a mobile companion app that has a good amount of customization options to tune their sound to your taste. Because Jabra doesn't make use of stability fins, it may be harder to get a proper fit. The battery life is also shorter on the Elite 65t, but they take less time to charge and have an auto-off feature.
The Jabra Elite Active 65t Truly Wireless have a very similar performance to the JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless. They're a slight improvement over the regular 65t, but they have a better build quality. They're bulkier than the Reflect Flow and may not fit everyone. The overall sound profile lacks a bit of thump in the bass and the treble can be quite sharp and piercing. However, they're very consistent in their sound reproduction, provided that you're able to get a proper fit.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds are slightly better than the JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless. They're much more comfortable to wear due to their light weight, but their noise isolation isn't as good, especially in the bass range. The Galaxy Buds also sound very different, with a fairly light bass, overemphasized mids and a sharp treble. Fortunately, Samsung has a mobile companion app that lets you tune the sound, albeit the options are limited to a few presets.
The JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless are better headphones than the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless. The JBL have much better noise isolation than the Bose, which are semi-open headphones that let you hear your surroundings, making them great for outdoor runners. The battery life of the Bose is significantly worse, but they have an auto-off feature to help you conserve battery. They do sound good, though, suitable for most genres and don't have any hint of sharpness or sibilance in the treble.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless and the JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless have very similar performance; however, the Sonys are more expensive, due to added features such as active noise cancelling, and have tons of customization options through their mobile companion app. Battery life on the Sony is not as long on a single charge, but they charge faster, and the earbuds have an auto-off feature.
The JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless and the Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless both perform quite well overall, but the Jabra have a couple of advantages. The Jabra are more comfortable, have better controls and are quite customizable too. The JBL isolate a lot more noise passively though, so you might prefer them for commuting.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ are better truly wireless headphones than the JBL Reflect Flow True Wireless. The Samsung are more comfortable, have an incredibly neutral sound profile, and have a better performing integrated microphone. They also have a longer continuous battery life, even though they offer only one additional charge in their case when compared to the JBL's two additional charges, and have a companion app that has EQ presets. The JBL, on the other hand, also have a very neutral sound profile, they feel slightly better built, and isolate a bit more background noise than the Samsung.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
These earbuds have a pretty sleek look with their brushed metallic sides. Although they come in different colors, only the top button is different. They do protrude from the ear quite a bit, but this design actually makes them easier to maneuver, especially when removing the headphones.
The Reflect Flow are rather bulky and may not fit small ears, but for those with bigger ears, they're decently comfortable. However, as with most in-ears, they do need to be inserted into the ear canal, making them a bit uncomfortable for long listening sessions. When using the controls on the earbuds, which are physical buttons, it causes the earbuds to be pushed further in and can be painful. If you want a much more comfortable pair of truly wireless in-ears, check out the JBL LIVE 300TWS Truly Wireless.
There are controls on the earbuds to perform a few basic functions; unfortunately, there are no audio cues except when turning the earbuds on and off, as well as when pairing and using the talk-through function. The buttons also feel mushy.
As these are earbuds, you shouldn't have any issues with heat, which makes them suitable for sports.
Portability is excellent, as both the earbuds and the case are small. The case should fit into any pocket or bag easily.
The charging case is good. It feels well-made and should be quite durable. It can only be charged through the micro-USB port on the back and there's an indicator light to show the current battery level.
The build quality of the Reflect Flow is good. They feel substantial without being heavy. Both the case and the earbuds are made of good quality plastic and should be able to survive a few accidental drops without any issues. They're rated IPX7 for water and sweat resistance, though we don't currently test for this.
Due to the bulkiness of the earbuds, it's difficult to get a proper seal. But once they're in, they're very stable thanks to the stability fins.
- JBL Reflect Flow headphones
- 3 stability fins
- 3 tip sizes
- Charging case
- Micro-USB charging cable
- Manuals
The Reflect Flow follow a fairly typical V-Shaped sound. The bass has a lot of thump, while the mids are slightly recessed. There's a small spike in the treble range, but they're in no way sharp or sibilant.
The frequency response consistency of the JBL Reflect Flow is outstanding. With a proper fit, these headphones should sound the same every time without any deviation from the default sound profile.
The bass accuracy is excellent. There's a bit of overemphasis in the sub-bass, which gives a good amount of thump and rumble. There's also a bit of emphasis in the mid-bass, but the high-bass is nearly flawless, which results in a clear sound without any boominess or clutter.
The mid-range accuracy is exceptional. It's flawless in the low-mid, but there's a slight dip in the mid-mid and the high-mid, pushing vocals and lead instruments back a bit.
The treble accuracy of the JBL Reflect Flow is very good. It's a bit uneven but well-balanced overall. There's an underemphasis in the mid-treble, which can affect the detail and brightness of vocals and leads. The 5dB jump at 10kHz can result in a bit of sharpness in tracks that are already bright or poorly recorded.
The dip in the mids causes vocals and lead instruments to sound farther away with less emphasis, while the 10kHz peak adds a bit of brightness to the sound, but it's not enough to make the headphones sound sharp or sibilant.
The imaging of the Reflect Flow is excellent. The weighted group delay is so low that it's virtually imperceptible. This means that the bass is tight and fast, while the treble remains transparent. Both drivers are also well-matched, ensuring an accurate stereo imaging.
Unfortunately, there isn't really any soundstage to speak of, as in-ears bypass the pinna (outer ear) and are unable to create an out-of-head, speaker-like soundstage. Also, closed-back headphones aren't capable of creating an open sound the way that open-back headphones can, such as the Google Pixel Buds.
The weighted harmonic distortion of the Reflect Flow is very good, resulting in a clean audio reproduction. There's a slight bump in the mid-treble, but shouldn't be audible for most people.
The noise isolation on the JBL Reflect Flow is very good. Their mid-range performance is excellent, good for blocking out speech, but falls a bit short in the bass range, where the rumbles of airplane and bus engines reside. However, the performance in the treble range is simply outstanding, such as noise created by air conditioners.
The leakage performance is superb. There's virtually no leakage at all, so you should be able to turn up the volume without bothering those around you.
The recording quality of the microphone is sub-par. Speech sounds muffled, but should still be comprehensible.
The noise handling of the JBL Reflect Flow's microphone is mediocre. It's fine in quiet environments, but will struggle to separate your voice from background noise.
Although the Reflect Flow were advertised to have 10 hours of continuous playback time on a single charge, they fell a bit short in our tests. The total battery life is also lower than the advertised 30 hours. There aren't any power saving features either, so you'll need to manually turn them off.
Unfortunately, the JBL Headphones App doesn't support the JBL Reflect Flow, which is disappointing, as the app provides a good amount of options to tune the sound to suit your taste.
These headphones are connected through Bluetooth. While the connection range is good, there's too much latency to recommend them for watching videos or for gaming. That said, your results may vary.
The JBL Reflect Flow can only be used through Bluetooth.
As these are truly wireless headphones, they can't be used wired. The case is charged via a micro-USB port located on the back of the charging case.
Thes JBL Reflect Flow can be used with a PC if it's Bluetooth compatible or has a USB dongle, but latency may be an issue when watching videos or playing video games. Unfortunately, they're not compatible with PS4.
These headphones are Bluetooth only and aren't compatible with Xbox One.
The charging case is well-built. It charges via a micro-USB port located on the back of the case. There's also an indicator light below the charging port that indicates current battery level.