I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.
The noise-cancelling JBL Reflect Aero earphones offer a bass-forward (but customizable) audio experience and have the highest waterproof rating we’ve seen.
Active noise cancellation (ANC) is practically a standard feature for true wireless earphones these days, but waterproof ratings have largely stagnated. The exercise-focused JBL Reflect Aero earbuds ($149.95) point the way forward with both decent noise cancellation and a superb IP68 rating, the highest we’ve seen yet from a major brand in this category. Otherwise, they have a bass-forward sound signature that you can customize to taste via a full-featured companion app's EQ. These earphones are ideal for people who exercise a lot or frequently go out in rough conditions, but if you don’t need something quite as durable, you can get better noise cancellation with the $99.99 Anker Soundcore Space A40.
Available in black, teal, or white, the chunky Reflect Aero earpieces rely on fins to ensure a stable fit. JBL includes three pairs of silicone eartips (S, M, and L) and three pairs of removable ear fins (also in three sizes).
Internally, 6.8mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz with an impedance of 16 ohms. The earphones support Bluetooth 5.2 and rely on the AAC and SBC codecs. You can set up multipoint connectivity between two devices and Android users can take advantage of the Google Fast Pair integration.
The outer panels of each earpiece function as capacitive touch panels, but they're so sensitive that it’s possible to accidentally trigger them when you adjust the fit. The default control layout is at least sensible, however. Tap once on the left earbud to switch between the ANC and Ambient modes or twice to enable the TalkThru mode, which optimizes the ambient mics for conversations. Touch the right earpiece once to control playback, twice to skip to the next track, and three times to go to the previous song. A double-tap on either earpiece manages calls, while a long press mutes or unmutes the mic. And to summon your device’s voice assistant, hold down on both earpieces. You can customize these controls in the app to a degree, as well as switch between Google Assistant and Alexa for voice assistance.
These earphones have a fantastic IP68 rating. That means they are both fully dustproof and waterproof. You can submerge them for cleaning without worry, and neither rain nor sweat should be an issue. To date, it is rare for noise-cancelling earbuds to offer a rating higher than even IPX5—the Jabra Elite 7 Pro ($199.99) and Jabra Elite 7 Active ($179.99) models are exceptions with IP57 ratings—so the IP68 designation here is a notable achievement. Keep in mind JBL doesn't extend the waterproof rating to the charging case. As such, just make sure to fully dry the earpieces before you dock them.
The charging case is somewhat bulky and has a long, non-removable lanyard. The front has an LED battery indicator, while the back houses a USB-C port for the included USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable. The flip-top lid reveals the charging docks and a status LED for the earpieces.
JBL estimates that the earbuds can last for roughly seven hours (with ANC on) or eight hours (with ANC off). The company says the charging case holds an additional 16 hours of battery life. Whether you reach these figures in real life depends on your volume level, but you should set aside about two hours to fully recharge the earbuds.
The JBL app (available for Android and iOS) is ever-evolving and improving. The majority of features are genuinely useful and you can simply ignore those that aren't. One unavoidable annoyance, however, is that the app has to reboot and reconnect to your earphones whenever you navigate away from it, even if just briefly. The subsequent connection process is quick, but this constant delay can be maddening.
The main screen shows an image of the product along with battery readouts for each earpiece and the case. Below that is the Ambient Sound Control section where you can toggle ANC, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru modes. You can customize both the ANC and Ambient experiences, but not the TalkThru setting.
The EQ section lets you choose a preset from a long list of options. You can customize any of these profiles or create a custom one. The EQ technically has 10 bands that correspond to precise frequencies between 32Hz and 16KHz, but it's also possible to create points between these bands. In practice, the EQ curve doesn't follow these custom points as precisely as we'd like, but it still offers far more control than most other implementations. One thing to keep in mind is that the maximum output volume drops when you enable the EQ. This is likely to prevent distortion (or hearing damage) from any intense boosting.
Moving farther down the app, the Smart Audio & Video section allows you to switch to a lower-latency Video mode. The Gestures section is where you customize the on-ear controls. The app offers different preset control layouts; so, for example, you can swap the default Playback & Voice Assistant Control setup with Volume Control or Ambient SoundControl options. Single, double, and triple taps perform different functions depending on which layout you choose.
The Voice Aware section has a fader that lets you adjust how much of your voice is audible on calls. Beyond this, you can control Auto-Play & Pause (sound pauses when you remove the earpieces) and hands-free voice assistant functions. Other options let you toggle voice prompts, check the in-ear fit, turn on Find My Buds (uses sound, not GPS), and configure Auto Standby settings.
The earphones deliver decent noise cancellation for the price, but they aren't going to impress anyone who needs top-tier performance. In testing, they significantly dialed back powerful low-frequency rumble like you might hear on an airplane, but a recording of a busy restaurant with clanging dishes and boisterous conversation caused problems. They cut down the volume of lows and mids, but allowed through a wide swath of high-mids and highs. They also seemed to add in a bit of hiss, though we didn't notice any impacts to the sound signature.
Switching between Adaptive and Manual ANC modes in the app didn’t make much of a difference in testing. It almost seems as if Adaptive mode simply always uses the maximum setting and the manual mode just exists to let you adjust the levels with a slider. The Leakage Compensation and Ear Canal Compensation options didn't seem to do much for us either. The latter, in theory, should improve your experience because it uses a scan of your ear canal to customize the noise cancellation profile.
With all that in mind, it's probably best to think of the active noise cancellation as a bonus feature, not a core selling point. If you want class-leading noise cancellation, prepare to spend more for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II ($299) or the second-generation AirPods Pro ($249).
We mostly left the EQ and active noise cancellation settings off for testing the audio quality. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the earphones deliver a powerful low-frequency response. The lows don't distort at top listening levels and still sound robust at more moderate volumes. The highs remain in balance for either scenario.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass, better reveals the sound signature. The drums on this track receive some additional heft but stop shy of unnaturally thunderous territories. If you're after the latter, the EQ can take you there (at the expense of the maximum volume output). Callahan’s baritone vocals get a rich low-mid presence, as well as a crisp high-mid edge. The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits sound bright and clear. The sculpting leaves the mids a bit scooped out by default, but you can always make changes to taste via the in-app EQ.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives plenty of high-mid presence, allowing the drum loop to retain its punch. The vinyl crackle and hiss also noticeably step forward in the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat come across with plenty of thump, though not quite as if there was a subwoofer in your ears. The bulk of the bass energy is in the lows and mids—the sustain of the drum loop gets the most attention—not the sub-bass realm. The vocals on this track sound clear, though we note a touch of additional sibilance.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound bright, with plenty of bass to anchor the mix. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals retain the spotlight, but the lower-register instrumentation occasionally drifts out of its supporting role into a more forward position in the mix.
The six-mic array works well. We didn't have any trouble picking out every word from a test recording we took with an iPhone.
The JBL Reflect Aero earphones have no match in the durability department and we like that their comprehensive in-app EQ lets us adjust the default, bass-forward audio signature. Their noise cancellation performance is fine, though not particularly noteworthy. If you need earbuds for running or other intense workouts, the top-notch IP rating here should propel the Reflect Aero to the top of your list. Just keep in mind that there is plenty of competition if you can make slight compromises. The slightly less weather-resistant Jabra Elite 7 Pro and Elite 7 Active are two strong alternatives, for example, with stronger noise cancellation. We're also fans of the more affordable Anker Soundcore Space A40 earphones, though you only get modest weather resistance. The same goes for the pricey Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, which offer the best active noise cancellation you can get.
The noise-cancelling JBL Reflect Aero earphones offer a bass-forward (but customizable) audio experience and have the highest waterproof rating we’ve seen.
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I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.
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