JBL Reflect Mini NC review | Laptop Mag
Our Verdict
The JBL Reflect Mini NC are great sporty wireless earbuds if you want dynamic sound and noise counterfoil in a damage-proof bundle.
For
- Warm and well-balanced audio
- Earbuds have stable battery life
- Very effective noise cancellation
- Durable craftsmanship
- Strong connectivity
Against
- Unreliable controls
- Not very comfortable
- Bulky charging case has subpar battery life
Laptop Mag Verdict
The JBL Reverberate Mini NC are not bad sporty wireless earbuds if you want dynamic sound and noise counterfoil in a harm-proof packet.
Pros
- +
Warm and well-balanced sound
- +
Earbuds have stable bombardment life
- +
Very effective noise cancellation
- +
Durable craftsmanship
- +
Strong connectivity
Cons
- -
Unreliable controls
- -
Not very comfortable
- -
Bulky charging case has subpar battery life
The popularity of dissonance-cancelling wireless earbuds has soared over the past year, even ushering in a new sub-category: noise-cancelling wireless sport earbuds. Sony helped set things off with the WF-SP800N, a model that delivered strong bass and active noise cancellation in a durable beat. At present, JBL is looking to follow suit with its latest release: the Reflect Mini NC. These fitness-centric buds bring ANC into the mix, while keeping intact several JBL hallmarks, including stable battery life, Signature Sound technology, and waterproof protection.
- Our expert picks for the best wireless earbuds, per budget and style
- Bank check out our Apple AirPods Pro review
- …and our Sony WF-SP800N review
But while the category is express to only a handful of models (well, at least, skillful ones), the Reverberate Mini NC does face some potent contest. Marketplace favorites like the AirPods Pro are being used at the gym, then in that location are critical darlings similar Jabra Elite Agile 75t, which have just received a free over-the-air ANC update. Then, how does the Reverberate Mini FC fare against the field? Answer: Incredibly well.
- JBL Reflect Mini NC at Best Buy for $149
JBL Reflect Mini NC: Availability and price
The JBL Reflect Mini NC is available for $149 at major online retailers, including All-time Buy or directly from JBL. These buds are sold in four colors: Black, Blue, White, and Green (Best Buy exclusive). Bundled with the buy are a charging instance with lanyard, three extra sets of tips, a USB-C charging cable, and two quick guides.
Make sure to bookmark our cheap headphones deals page to stay informed on the latest JBL headphones sales.
JBL Reverberate Mini NC: Design and condolement
Most of JBL'southward products are well built and have bonny elements. The Reflect Mini NC won't outshine stylish creations like the Beats Powerbeats Pro or Jabra Elite 85t, but these buds practice have a ruggedly handsome appearance, highlighted by shiny accents and a robust exterior built to withstand the daily abuse you'll put them through. The casing is congenital from a composite plastic-like fabric that can fend off scuffs and scratches, while protecting the internals from hard falls to the concrete or moisture harm cheers to IPX7 sweat and waterproofing. Small details like the silver band around the touch panel and brand logo complement their premium look.
The charging case is basically ane thick piece of plastic that comes in a capsule shape and has some heft to it (0.5 ounces). It isn't something that will easily slip into your pockets similar the AirPods Pro case; expect an unflattering bulge if you lot effort to practise so. What I practice find absurd is the built-in lanyard for users to wrap around their wrist during runs, making portability effortless. The casing is sturdy as well, though the lid is very flimsy.
Regarding comfort and fit, the Reverberate Mini NC is a mixed handbag. I of the problems that arises when using difficult, damage-proof materials is that they can often cause discomfort. The inner role of the earbud next to the audio port pierces the concha, which can make wearing the buds very uncomfortable after an hour of use. It isn't something you lot will notice during workouts, but I wouldn't suggest using the buds for casual listening.
The ear fin stabilizers that come installed benefit runners with larger ears; they didn't mold perfectly or stay put on my pocket-sized ears. Luckily, JBL included three other sizes to adjust my ear size, so once I found a proper fit, the buds remained in place.
I will say that the Reverberate Mini NC offers a more reliable fit than the WF-SP800N, mainly because the chunky outside and weight of Sony's buds creates stability issues. All the same, I can't deny that the AirPods Pro's weightlessness and Ear Fit Tip Test do make sporting Apple tree's wireless danglers more appealing.
JBL Reflect Mini NC: Controls and digital assistant
The controls on the Reverberate Mini NC are not the almost trustworthy. JBL's touch panels didn't always recognize taps, nor did on-ear detection always work to automatically break playback when removing the buds from my ears. On the plus side, JBL programmed these buds with several multi-taps and hold gestures that tin can exist individually assigned to each bud, giving you full functionality at the tip of your finger.
One redeeming quality in the controls department is the digital assistant. You get Google Banana and Alexa integration, forth with Siri support for iOS/macOS, and all iii provide speedy results. JBL's mic array does a fine job of picking up vocals and registering voice commands, while the AI bots deliver authentic responses as quickly every bit they receive them. Not many buds come with Alexa, so it's nice that JBL gives it to you as third option, particularly for those tied to Amazon's ecosystem.
JBL Reverberate Mini NC: Active dissonance cancellation and transparency fashion
I have never thought much of JBL's ANC technology, just I must say that it is surprisingly good on these sporty in-ears. Granted, I still adopt the WF-SP800N's noise neutralization, but the Reverberate Mini NC is no slouch at minimizing external sounds. I barely noticed family members shouting to each other across the living room. The dawdling noises from our centralized AC unit were muted, along with other mutual household noises like door buzzers and kitchen appliance timers.
The buds do struggle with high-frequency sounds, which isn't shocking since I feel the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are really the only wireless earbuds equipped to handle that level of dissonance, and even they don't completely silence them. My newborn grabbed my attention every time he belted out feed-me cries, while ambulance sirens made their way onto the soundstage. Despite these noises being aural, they weren't distracting plenty to pull me away from whatever I had playing at the moment. That is a huge plus. Too, JBL lets you adjust the ANC levels to your liking in the companion app (search for ANC Tuning on the Settings page), which is a feature very few models offering.
Smart Ambient and TalkThru modes are available as well, each serviceable in their own way. The former helps increase awareness when exercising outside, meaning you'll be able to hear your surroundings more clearly and avoid accidents, while the latter drops the volume downwardly to 30% so you tin communicate more easily with commuters. These modes work well on the Reflect Mini NC, though I felt they operated better on the JBL UA Wink X.
JBL Reflect Mini NC: Audio quality
Anyone who has endemic a pair of JBL headphones or earbuds know exactly what they're getting: bass-frontwards sound. Since we're dealing with sport wireless earbuds, information technology'southward fitting for the Reflect Mini NC to be engineered with an emphatic low end, which is exactly what you get, only it's been adjusted and properly balanced. I say that because bass on the Alive 300 TWS was "either absent or bogged down with distortion" on many records.
Gearing up for a jog, I played NaS' "Detest Me Now" and was immediately energized by the song's intense product, which consists of pounding pulsate snares and synth effects. Even Diddy's distorted vocals on the hook were cleaned up to hear him conspicuously, granted, that could also be viewed as a negative to some listeners. I'm kidding. Still, it was an intense listen that got my adrenaline pumping, and i that will appease bass aficionados.
I proceeded to blast Muse's "Hysteria" shortly later to get a greater feel for the JBL Reflect Mini NC'south lows. To say I was impressed would exist an understatement. What I heard put my legs into second gear, as the loud and infectiously driving bassline fueled my free energy levels. The only matter more than captivating was how the soundstage emphasized the production'south fuzzy bass elements without compromising clarity.
The Reflect Mini NC also dishes out some compelling highs, which I came across when listening to Jazz classics during recovery fashion. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers' "Hipsippy Blues" was pleasantly soothing to hear, rewarding my ears with mellow how-do-you-do-hats and polish horn play.
A word of communication is to play music with ANC manner on, every bit this will boost the bass levels and volume a smidge. In addition, brand sure to swap out the EQ profile from Jazz (the default) to Bass.
JBL Reverberate Mini NC: App and special features
The JBL Headphones app is where you tin can personalize functionality on these buds. It hosts a number of features, though other apps similar Jabra Sound+ and Sony Connect Headphones take a wider range of options to play with. On the front screen are battery level indicators for each bud and the charging example, likewise equally toggle controls for the several listening modes.
Below that is the app's biggest feature, the EQ, which comes with three presets (Jazz, Vocal, Bass) besides as a custom ane to create your ain sound profile. The latter is easy to use, so that even wannabe audiophiles can tweak the low, mid or loftier range to their liking. The app's second standout feature is Smart Sound Modes, where you lot get 3 options to improve functioning in certain areas: Normal (stable connectedness), Sound Way (music listening), and Video Style (audio latency on videos). All work well, in detail, Video Style, which drastically improves lip synchronization when watching videos versus Normal mode.
Select the Settings icon on the top right to access other features such equally control customization, slumber mode, and ANC Tuning to adjust manually noise cancelling levels. Another sweet inclusion is Find My Buds to help locate misplaced or lost earbuds. Overall, JBL blesses you with a dainty set of features to work with.
JBL Reflect Mini NC: Battery life and charging example
JBL rates bombardment life at 7 hours, which is misleading since JBL doesn't state whether this is with ANC on or off. I reached out to the make and they confirmed that music playtime is seven hours with Bluetooth on, 6 hours with Bluetooth and ANC on. This was pretty accurate based on my testing. Information technology is a sufficient corporeality of playtime to accept for at least a calendar week's worth of exercising. Not to mention this is higher than many other ANC wireless earbuds, including the AirPods Pro (iv.5 hours) and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (half dozen hours).
The charging case holds upward to 21 hours on a full accuse and comes with quick-charging technology to generate an hr of apply on a 10-minute accuse. Not the shortest, nor the longest, but good enough to keep the buds juiced when travelling around the earth. However, I experience any case that has a shorter playtime than the AirPods Pro's example (24 hours) should be considered a disappointment. The lack of wireless charging must likewise exist acknowledged.
JBL Reverberate Mini NC: Call quality and connectivity
The Reflect Mini NC is OK as a calling headset. I was able to have loud and clear conversations on the telephone with my wife. Skype chats with clients were the aforementioned. Background dissonance was minimal with only a few clients hearing keyboard clatter. Performance was hindered a little when talking outside, as the missus noticed my voice sounding more than muffled. I thought this was due to the cars speeding past the house, but she made no mention of them, which suggests that JBL's mic array has potent wind resistance.
Bluetooth 5.1 operates superbly. Connections remained strong across all of my devices, and I enjoyed a 37-foot range for wireless listening. More impressive were the buds' wireless capabilities. I was able to instantly pair to devices via Google Fast Pair and re-pair manually past pressing the push button on the charging case. JBL'south proprietary Dual Connect + Sync characteristic helped strengthen wireless operation by connecting the buds independently. Multipoint engineering science was besides bachelor to pair the buds with ii devices simultaneously.
JBL Reverberate Mini NC: Verdict
JBL has taken multiple stabs at creating high-quality wireless earbuds, and though several of their attempts have come up short, the Reflect Mini NC rises to the occasion. These buds aren't just a great versatile pair of wireless sport earbuds, they are relatively affordable buds with really good ANC. Durable aesthetics, longer battery life than the AirPods Pro, and a user-friendly app with several features add to their value.
But these buds are not without their drawbacks. The controls can exist frustrating to use at times, which is something that will annoy runners who like to skip tracks or change listening modes on the go. Depending on your hurting threshold, y'all ears may exist pulsating after workouts due to the hard casing. The bulky charging case may seem similar a nitpick, merely just know that there are smaller charging cases out in that location that concord longer playtimes.
All criticisms aside, at $150, the Reflect Mini NC gets you lot more bang for your buck, specially if you're non looking to splurge on the AirPods Pro or Sony'southward sub-luxury WF-SP800N earbuds.
Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/jbl-reflect-mini-anc
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