JBL Wave Buds
See price on AmazonOverall Score 8 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS
See price on AmazonOverall Score 7 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 | 20,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 100dB/mW | 99dB/mW | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 8hours |
battery life of charging case | 24hours | 16hours | |
charge time | 2hours | 1.5hours | |
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 rating of protection offered by an enclosure, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating means protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (water).
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.
In comparison 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 Reflect Aero TWS has a higher liquid rating than JBL Wave Buds
JBL Wave Buds have a weight of 9g . We prefer a lower weight best because lighter devices are easier to transport.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS, at 13g
weigh more than the JBL Wave Buds with a difference of 4g
For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires linking any part of the device together, JBL Wave Buds are true wireless for this case since they have no cables. This is a key distinction as some wireless earbuds have wires connecting the 2 earbuds together.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS also is true wireless because it has no wires connecting the pair of earbuds together.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS have wingtips, these are commonly used for earbuds for workouts and come as an optional add-on to the separate silicone ear tip for a better fit.
JBL Wave Buds have sweat resistance
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use while doing sports such as long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, etc
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS are both dustproof and water-resistant.
JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both JBL Reflect Aero TWS and JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers
ANC uses advanced kind of tech to actively cancel noise. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. Simply put, it's like having +1 (noise) and adding -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 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 device volume to outcompete background noise.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have ANC which makes both devices ideal for flights and morning commutes. The JBL Wave Buds and JBL Reflect Aero TWS work with different noise cancellation modes, pick the setting that suits your commute or that enhances your chill time.
The JBL Wave Buds stay well in place, this creates an acoustic seal that reduces background noise well as preventing the device voice audio from leaking out .
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction this implies that both tone down ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
The JBL Wave Buds driver unit is 8mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size dictates the sound made by the earbuds.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS driver unit is 6.8mm in diameter,
which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of JBL Wave Buds by 1.2mm
, a common assumption 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 indicate that they produce better quality sound.
JBL Wave Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio component produces low recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that
both devices produce equal bass
JBL Wave Buds's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio component makes high audible frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal on its way through.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this means that
both devices can generate equal treble
The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, 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 separate people, so we need to have a way of getting an objective measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms.
The 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 longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often.
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 barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.
The battery life of the charging case is given by the manufacturer, and JBL Wave Buds's case has a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables 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 requires 2 hours to fully charge the JBL Wave Buds's battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 0.5 hours
The JBL Wave Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights indicate the charging status of your device and case.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you to tell the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.
JBL Wave Buds use USB TYPE-C, an industry-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.
The JBL Wave Buds 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 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 to connect 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 that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the JBL Wave Buds will work fine with your iPhone. If you are planning on using these with Android you need to pay even closer attention to codec support for if they only have AAC they won't provide the best audio quality possible, 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).
The 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 device to filter out background sounds.
JBL Wave Buds use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to reduce noise from the desired sound.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too use a noise-canceling type of microphone. This is useful in noisy environments.
JBL Wave Buds microphone sensitivity is measured at -38dBV/Pa. The vastness of the analog or digital output signal from the microphone with its input stimulus is a measure of its sensitivity. It's the 'loudness' of the sound that the microphone can pick up.
The JBL Wave Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound so that they can still be heard even while wearing them
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music while being aware of what’s happening around you, for example when 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 they are removed from your ears so that the music is paused.
If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, JBL Wave Buds support the find earbuds feature.
The JBL Wave Buds support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to fully charge a device.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS too support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in thirty minutes.
The JBL Wave Buds have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can seemlessly switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.
The JBL Wave Buds have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
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.
The JBL Wave Buds, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.
The 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 an issue with the connection.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS also support voice prompts meaning the earbuds will notify you when the battery is low, and it's time to recharge them.
JBL Wave Buds come with their own special case. Carrying earbuds openly, or placing them in your pockets 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.