Overall Score 7.0 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.0 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | JBL Wave Buds | JBL Reflect Aero TWS |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IP68 |
weight | 9g | 13g | |
has no wires or cables | ✓ | ✓ | |
wingtips included | ✗ | ✓ | |
sweat resistance | ✓ | ✓ | |
is dust proof and water-resistant | ✗ | ✓ | |
has stereo speakers | ✓ | ✓ | |
SOUND QUALITY | has active noise cancellation (noise control) | ✓ | ✓ |
has passive noise reduction | ✓ | ✓ | |
driver unit size | 8mm | 6.8mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20000Hz | 20000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 100dB/mW | 99dB/mW | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 8hours |
battery life of charging case | 24hours | 16hours | |
charge time | 2hours | 1.5hours | |
battery power | 47mAh | ✗ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.2 | v5.2 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✗ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✓ | ✗ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 2only | 6only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
mic sensitivity | -38dBV/Pa | ✗ | |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✓ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✗ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✗ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
multipoint count | 2only | ✗ | |
has a mute function | ✓ | ✓ | |
control panel placed on a device | ✓ | ✓ | |
has voice prompts | ✓ | ✓ | |
travel bag is included | ✓ | ✓ | |
See price on Amazon | See price on Amazon |
IP ratings is the level of protection given by a casing, against solids and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).
Scoring IP54, the JBL Wave Buds'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 of liquids that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.
Compared to the JBL Wave Buds, JBL Reflect Aero TWS have a rating of IP68 meaning that
JBL Reflect Aero TWS has a higher dust resistance than JBL Wave Buds
and that of liquids is that,
JBL Wave Buds has a lower liquid rating than JBL Reflect Aero TWS
JBL Wave Buds have a weight of 9g . We consider a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS, at 13g
are heavier than the JBL Wave Buds with a difference of 4g
True wireless devices have no wires connecting any part of the device together, JBL Wave Buds are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is a key difference as some wireless earbuds have cables linking the two earbuds together.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS also is true wireless because it has no cables linking the pair of earbuds together.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS have wingtips, these are reserved for workout earbuds and are usually an optional add-on to each silicone ear tip for a better fit.
JBL Wave Buds are resistant to sweat
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use during long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, etc
JBL Reflect Aero TWS are both dustproof and water-resistant.
JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both JBL Reflect Aero TWS and JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers
ANC utilises advanced kind of tech to reduce ambient sounds. How it works, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and generates a mirror signal to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like having +1 (noise) and adding -1 (inverted noise) giving zero resulting in a reduced level of noise.
The JBL Wave Buds have ANC enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background sounds.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have Active Noise Cancellation making both earbuds ideal for plane rides and morning commutes. Each work with different noise cancellation modes, pick the setting that you prefer for commute or that enhances your relaxation time.
The JBL Wave Buds sit tightly in place, creating a sound seal that reduces your environment sounds well as preventing the earbuds voice audio from leaking out at the same.
Both JBL Reflect Aero TWS, and JBL Wave Buds have passive noise reduction this implies that they limit ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
The JBL Wave Buds have a unit size of 8mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, and can produce better bass.
A driver unit is the component that makes sound in the earbuds, the unit size dictates the loudness of the device.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS driver unit is 6.8mm in diameter,
which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of JBL Wave Buds 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 yes, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not mean that they deliver better quality sound.
JBL Wave Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio component generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal on its way through.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that
both devices make sound with equal bass
JBL Wave Buds's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well a particular audio component generates high recognizable frequencies and if it changes to the signal on its way through.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, this implies that
both devices produce equal treble
The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, measured in decibels, dB, JBL Wave Buds'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 TWS's sound pressure level measurement is 99dB/mW. The sound pressure level, something is can be considered differently by different people, so we need to have the means to get an objective measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms.
JBL Wave Buds'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 TWS's battery life is
equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds
. Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.
The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and the JBL Wave Buds's case is said to have a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before having to recharge the case itself.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours,
less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 8 hours
It takes 2 hours to fully charge the JBL Wave Buds's battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for extended periods.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 0.5 hours
JBL Wave Buds's battery power is 47mAh, battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can keep.
The JBL Wave Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the device has a low battery. Its lights show the charging status of your device and charging case.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have a battery level indicator, these enable you determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.
JBL Wave Buds use USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current electronics.
JBL Wave Buds have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS has a Bluetooth version of 5.2,
equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
JBL Wave Buds have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds
JBL Wave Buds support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the JBL Wave Buds will work fine with your MacBook. If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.
The JBL Wave Buds support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps).
JBL Wave Buds have 2 microphones.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS microphones are 6,
more than that of JBL Wave Buds by 4
. More microphones record better sound quality and help the earbuds to filter out background sounds.
The JBL Wave Buds use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out background sounds from the desired sound.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have a noise-canceling type of microphone. This is useful in noisy areas.
JBL Wave Buds microphone sensitivity is measured at -38dBV/Pa. The magnitude of the analog or digital output signal from the microphone with its input stimulus is a calculation of its sensitivity. It's the 'loudness' of the voice that the microphone can pick up.
The JBL Wave Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music while being aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a jog but still want to be able to hear traffic.
JBL Wave Buds have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears .
If lost in a room, or can't be found in your bag, JBL Wave Buds support the find earbuds feature.
JBL Wave Buds support fast charging. Most often, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge a device.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in 30 minutes.
The JBL Wave Buds have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.
JBL Wave Buds have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have the mute function. It means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice.
With the JBL Wave Buds, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS also have a control panel on them.
The JBL Wave Buds have voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS also support voice prompts meaning the device notifies you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.
The JBL Wave Buds come with their own special case. Carrying earphones openly, or putting them inside your bag without a cover can easily put them at risk of getting damaged.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.