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JBL Reflect Flow Pro wireless earbuds review: All-weather wireless earbuds that audiophiles will appreciate

An excellent balance of weatherproofing and sonic performance, perfect for workouts or hi-fi listening, and sensibly priced.

by Hollin Jones

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Image: JBL

Review Overview

Our rating

9 Our verdict

⊕ Crisp and punchy sound
⊕ Excellent physical and software customisation options
⊕ Weather proofed for use in all conditions
⊕ Attractively priced given the performance on offer
⊕ Solid battery life and wireless case charging

⊖ No USB-A adapter included

JBL’s Reflect Flow Pro wireless earbuds are designed to appeal both to general users and also those needing strong performance in more rugged conditions such as running and other outdoor activities. Happily, they manage to fulfil both of these needs admirably.

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The charging case is lightweight plastic and finished in one of three colours, but still feels sturdy enough and has a loop handle. It charges over USB-C via the included cable and also supports wireless charging, offering 30 hours of playback – 10 in the buds and another 20 in the case.

JBL’s buds go into pairing mode when removed from the case and come with a choice of three sizes of eartips and four fins, which fit into the inside of your ear and offer a more secure hold than regular buds, fixing them in place when exercising. They are also water and dust proofed to the IP68 standard which means they can stand immersion in water, or being cleaned with water.

Upon the first run, they perform an analysis of your ear shape by playing sound, and adjust their playback accordingly. It’s possible to use one bud alone, say for calls, by placing the other one back in the case.

As is becoming commonpl;ace, the buds don’t have any physical buttons but instead use touch surfaces for interaction. These and other settings can be controlled using the JBL Headphones app for iOS and Android, a slick and well-designed system that includes some nice touches including Find My Earbuds, playing a high pitched sound so you can locate them, and EQ with presets and draggable EQ points and curves.

Three Bluetooth modes are available – Normal, Audio and Video – which adjust the bit rate to account for how you’re using them. Although when we tried these, they all seemed very similar, with the connection performing well regardless of how we set it.

The companion app allows you to make a number of other settings including configuring each bud’s touch surface independently to access ambient sound control which turns on listen-through, volume control, playback or Alexa voice assistant, each with a bunch of two or three-tap subcommands.

Adaptive active noise cancelling uses the six onboard mics to continuously monitor your environment and is very effective in use.

The drivers are 6.8mm with a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz and the buds use the A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6 and HFP V1.7 profiles for streaming. Sonically, they are excellent, delivering a much richer and more detailed sound than we expected from buds that are geared at least in part to more sport-centric usage.

The low-end of the frequency spectrum is powerful but controlled, the stereo spread feels cinematic and mids and highs are punchy without becoming harsh. The Prodigy’s More Music For The Jilted Generation positively fizzed from the buds, cracking with life. Call quality was also crisp and clear from the onboard mics.

If you’re looking for a great-sounding pair of earbuds that can also handle the rough and tumble of your exercise regime, these are sensibly priced and will definitely fit the bill.