The struggle to find the perfect fitting and sounding earbuds was almost seeming unending for me until I finally got my hands on the JBL Mini BT Reflect Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds.
For the uninitiated, I've been trying the following earbuds for the past couple of months.
1) Jaybird X2 Bluetooth Earphones
2) RHA MA 600 Earphones - Wired
3) Samsung S7 Stock Earphones
4) Apple Earpods
So, having tried all of the above, I didn't find the right fit anywhere. They all sounded really good. But, they couldn't stay in the way they are expected to.
I don't blame the buds, but term my own ear canals or ear shape slightly variable. So, yeah, they didn't FIT, to say the least.
The JBL Mini BT Reflect was out of stock on the Indian JBL and Harman Sites for like eternity. It was out of stock on so many online portals like Amazon, Flipkart and even Snapdeal, which I barely use.
I had almost lost hope, but found the earphones on Tata CLIQ, a portal I never thought I'd use. Found both the Blue and Red Variants in stock for Rs. 5999.
The order was placed for a blue bud and the order went to CROMA Surprisingly. So, after a long wait, due to logistical issues thanks to Diwali, received my earphones 2 weeks back and have been trying them on ever since.
UNBOXING Experience :
The box was pretty neat. The earphones were already wearing the Medium SPORT buds. Two other options are bundled. A Small Sport fit and a regular fit. Medium is my size and decided to try the sport fin first.
Experience : The earphones won't fall off. They provide a fantastic seal and instantly cut off ambient sound from the background. The sound quality is good and feels like a premium $100 earphone which retails for Rs. 5999 in India. I'm not a sound techie, but from everything I've heard, they sound great for the price point.
For the uninitiated, I've been trying the following earbuds for the past couple of months.
1) Jaybird X2 Bluetooth Earphones
2) RHA MA 600 Earphones - Wired
3) Samsung S7 Stock Earphones
4) Apple Earpods
So, having tried all of the above, I didn't find the right fit anywhere. They all sounded really good. But, they couldn't stay in the way they are expected to.
I don't blame the buds, but term my own ear canals or ear shape slightly variable. So, yeah, they didn't FIT, to say the least.
The JBL Mini BT Reflect was out of stock on the Indian JBL and Harman Sites for like eternity. It was out of stock on so many online portals like Amazon, Flipkart and even Snapdeal, which I barely use.
I had almost lost hope, but found the earphones on Tata CLIQ, a portal I never thought I'd use. Found both the Blue and Red Variants in stock for Rs. 5999.
The order was placed for a blue bud and the order went to CROMA Surprisingly. So, after a long wait, due to logistical issues thanks to Diwali, received my earphones 2 weeks back and have been trying them on ever since.
UNBOXING Experience :
The box was pretty neat. The earphones were already wearing the Medium SPORT buds. Two other options are bundled. A Small Sport fit and a regular fit. Medium is my size and decided to try the sport fin first.
My earbuds were already precharged but I don't know how much. I could instantly pair it with my Galaxy S7 and get a feel of the JBL Legacy Sound as they call it.
Pairing : Pairing is a breeze. And it connects within 2 seconds with already paired devices. I've tried the device with around 4-5 phones and they pair pretty rapidly each time.
The bluetooth range is pretty remarkable and I could listen to crackle free audio with my phone kept away around 20 ft. Bluetooth audio cracks when penetrating walls and so that's not recommended.
One peculiar thing is an annoying pause of a second when I took the earbuds for a run with the phone in my back pocket closed with a zip. Probably a minor connection instability.
Design :
The earbuds fit in pretty well. And they aren't too heavy. But they aren't having a tiny footprint. I can't wear them inside my helmet. The best element of the design is that they don't fall off. Even while running very fast which is the whole point of the BT Reflect Mini.
The earbuds have a central inline controller which houses a volume up and volume down rocker and a power of pause/skip multipurpose button. This controller houses the USB Slot for charging the device. There is an indicator LED for identifying the status. It also houses a microphone.
Earbuds are made of silicon while the buds are made of plastic probably. The wires are pretty flexible and don't annoy while running. They are made of reflective materials. JBL Mini BT Reflect is IPX4 resistant.
Experience : The earphones won't fall off. They provide a fantastic seal and instantly cut off ambient sound from the background. The sound quality is good and feels like a premium $100 earphone which retails for Rs. 5999 in India. I'm not a sound techie, but from everything I've heard, they sound great for the price point.
Try a variety of EQ modes for a better experience.
The Little Things And The Cons :
1) The earphones are slightly big and stick on your ears. Could have been smaller and better.
2) The earphones could have had a dedicated app for controlling basic properties like sound, EQ etc from JBL.
3) Android phones cannot see the % battery left.
4) The LED lights on the device aren't too helpful. Just let us know if the device is on or not.
5) No included clip for attaching the spare wire that stays hanging at the back.
Overall, a good product for those who want a secure fit, with good sound isolation, for the price point.
