IP ratings refer to the rating of protection given by a casing, against solids and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value represents protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (sweat).
Having a value of IP54, the JBL Wave Beam's rating for solids indicates that ingress of dust is not totally prevented but dust does not enter in harmful quantities to interfere with the correct operation or impair safety, and the second number of 4 means that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes. In comparison to the JBL Wave Beam, JBL Reflect Aero have a rating of IP68 meaning that
JBL Wave Beam has a lower dust resistance than JBL Reflect Aero
and that of liquids is that,
JBL Reflect Aero has a higher liquid rating than JBL Wave Beam
JBL Wave Beam have a weight of 8.8g . We consider a lower weight best because lighter devices are easier to transport.
The JBL Reflect Aero, at 13g
weigh more than the JBL Wave Beam with a difference of 4.2g
For a device to be true wireless it should have no wires linking any part of the device together, JBL Wave Beam are true wireless for this matter since they don't have wires. This is a key distinction as some wireless earbuds have cables linking the two earbuds together. JBL Reflect Aero also is true wireless because it doesn't have wires connecting the pair of earbuds together.
JBL Wave Beam have sweat resistance
JBL Reflect Aero's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc
JBL Wave Beam have stereo speakers, what this means is that JBL Wave Beam's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience. The JBL Reflect Aero also have stereo speakers
Active noise cancellation utilises more advanced kind of tech to actively counter noise. How it works, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and generates a mirror signal to cancel it out.
In simple terms, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) then producing -1 (inverted noise) to make zero thus "diluting" the noise.
The JBL Wave Beam have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue since you don't need to crank up the device volume to overcome background sounds. The JBL Reflect Aero too have Active Noise Cancellation making either of the earbuds ideal for plane rides and morning travels.
Each operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the mode that you prefer for commute or that enhances your chill time. JBL Wave Beam stay tightly in place, creating a sound covering that tones down background noise well as preventing the device voice audio from leaking out .
Both JBL Reflect Aero, and JBL Wave Beam have passive noise reduction which means that they reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out. JBL Wave Beam have a unit size of 8mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that makes sound in the device, the unit size corellates with the sound made by the device. JBL Reflect Aero driver unit is 6.8mm in diameter,
which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of JBL Wave Beam by 1.2mm
, as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not indicate that they produce better quality sound.
JBL Wave Beam's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well an audio device generates low audible frequencies and if it alters the signal while at it. JBL Reflect Aero's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that
both devices can produce equal bass
The JBL Wave Beam's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well a particular audio component generates high audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. JBL Reflect Aero's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this means that
both devices produce equal treble
The sound pressure level, is the level of pressure of sound, measured in decibels, dB, JBL Wave Beam's measurement is 100dB/mW.
Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source. JBL Reflect Aero's sound pressure level measurement is 99dB/mW. How loud a device is can be perceived differently by different persons, so we need to have a way of getting a standard measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms.
JBL Wave Beam's battery life is 8 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is usually given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings. JBL Reflect Aero's battery life is
equal to that of the JBL Wave Beam
. Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing time.
The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to. This is given by the vendor, and JBL Wave Beam's case is said to have a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before having to recharge the case itself.
JBL Reflect Aero's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours,
less than that of JBL Wave Beam by 8 hours
It takes 2 hours to fully charge the JBL Wave Beam's battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time. JBL Reflect Aero takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of JBL Wave Beam by 0.5 hours
The JBL Wave Beam have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the device has a low battery.
The battery indicator lights show the charging status of your earbuds and case. JBL Reflect Aero too have a battery level indicator, these enable you determine the charging state of your device, if charged fully, or having a low battery. The JBL Wave Beam have USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
JBL Reflect Aero too use USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current electronics. JBL Wave Beam have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
JBL Reflect Aero has a Bluetooth version of 5.2,
equal to that of the JBL Wave Beam
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers. The JBL Wave Beam have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth. JBL Reflect Aero have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the JBL Wave Beam
JBL Wave Beam have 2 microphones.
The JBL Reflect Aero microphones are 6,
more than that of JBL Wave Beam by 4
. More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds. The JBL Wave Beam have a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are made to filter out noise from the earbuds' sound. The JBL Reflect Aero too use a noise-canceling type of microphone.
This is useful in noisy environments. The JBL Wave Beam support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises to still be heard even when wearing them
The JBL Reflect Aero support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music while being aware of what’s happening around you, say you’re having a run but still want to hear traffic. When lost in a room, or can't be found in your bag, JBL Wave Beam have a find earbuds feature.
The JBL Wave Beam support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the time it takes to fully charge a device. Also the JBL Reflect Aero too support fast charging.
It's very similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in 30 minutes. JBL Wave Beam have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The JBL Reflect Aero too have the mute function. It means that you are in position turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party's voice. With the JBL Wave Beam, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
JBL Reflect Aero too have a control panel on them. JBL Wave Beam have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.
The JBL Reflect Aero also have voice prompts .i.e the device notifies you if the battery is running low, and you need to recharge them. The JBL Wave Beam come with their own special case. Carrying earphones without a case, or putting them in your bag without a cover can easily put them at risk of getting damaged.
JBL Reflect Aero too have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.
