Introducing the JBL Wave Flex, the latest addition to JBL’s lineup of budget-friendly earbuds that are now available in the Indian market. Priced between Rs. 2600 and Rs. 3000, these earbuds boast a unique half-in-ear design. While the JBL Wave Flex does not feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) due to the nature of its design, this might not be a dealbreaker for everyone, especially those like me who don’t heavily rely on ANC in earbuds.
Beyond ANC, the JBL Wave Flex promises several noteworthy features out of the box, although a couple of important ones are noticeably absent. Let’s dive into the detailed review and comparison of JBL Wave Flex to uncover what this budget-friendly offering from JBL truly delivers.
JBL Wave Flex Specifications
What’s in the Box
- Earbuds
- USB Type-C Charging Cable
- User Manual
Design & Build
The overall design profile of the JBL Wave Flex looks very simple, or you could say that they look similar to the other recent JBL earbuds. I think JBL needs to be a bit more serious about the design of their earbuds. I am reviewing the black colour variant, but it’s also available in a white colour option.
The one thing you must admit is that, even though the design of these earbuds is quite simple, they still look good, and somewhere, there is a bit of a premium feel.
The best thing I found about the design is the compact charging case. The charging case is also very lightweight, and I think it is the right size and shape for the charging case. Carrying it is very easy and can easily fit even in the tight jeans pocket.
The build quality is also good; it feels durable. The only thing to watch out for is the earbuds have a matt finish on the top, so they’re prone to scratches very easily, so it’s best to keep them away from sharp objects.
These earbuds follow the same design, featuring a simple long stem design. While one might say their look is simple, I wouldn’t call the design simplistic—these are quite well-designed earbuds. I must have tried over 100 earbuds by now, and honestly, very few have a perfectly user-friendly and comfortable design. It’s really easy to take them out of the charging case, hold them, and wear them, all thanks to the good design.
Even using the earbud’s touch controls is very easy—everything works in just one try, without any extra struggle. And yes, you can easily customize the touch controls using the JBL Headphones app.
Comfort
Comfort is the biggest advantage of JBL Wave Flex, which is the main reason someone might buy these earbuds. The half-ear design is generally more comfortable than the regular in-ear design. Still, I would like to give some credit to its design because these are the most comfortable earbuds in this price range that I have encountered so far. Many times, you don’t even feel like you’re wearing anything. You can easily use them continuously for 5-6 hours.
One common problem with half-ear design earbuds is that their fit isn’t always secure—they can easily slip out of the ear. But there’s nothing like that here; JBL Wave Flex offer a decent secure fit. So, you can wear them to the gym and sports activities too. The earbuds have an IP54 waterproof rating, protecting them against dust, sweat, or light rain. Even the charging case has an IPx2 waterproof rating, so it’s also protected against dust and water.
Connectivity & App
I’ve not found any connectivity and range-related problems with these new JBL Wave Flex. It also supports Google Fast Pair for Android, making connecting with any device easy.
To access other earbud features, you’ll need to download the JBL Headphones app, which is available for Android and iOS. The app is well-optimized and user-friendly. Within the app, you get options like ambient sound control with two modes: “ambient aware” and “talk thru,” which are effective during office work, gym sessions, and outdoor jogging. Additionally, there are 4 preset audio modes and a custom equalizer.
You can customize touch controls, use voice commands, find your buds if lost, and it has an auto on/off feature. There’s also a smart video mode (or low latency mode) for watching videos on Netflix and YouTube without noticing delays; though there’s a bit of latency noticeable during gaming, it’s not too much. You can easily use it for day-to-day gaming.
Battery
The battery backup of the JBL Wave Flex is decent. You can expect around 5-6 hours of battery life from the earbuds alone, and with the charging case, the total battery backup comes to approximately 24-25 hours. It takes about 2 hours to charge them fully. Overall, the battery performance is just decent.
Microphone
Each earbud has two microphones for phone calls. Using the VoiceAware feature inside the JBL Headphones app, you can also control how much of your voice you hear on calls. The microphone quality of JBL Wave Flex is decent, and the person on the other end of the line should be fine hearing your words.
Sound Quality
Talking about sound quality, the JBL Wave Flex has 12mm drivers and supports the standard SBC and AAC codecs. The overall tuning is similar to what we’ve seen in previous JBL earbuds; you can feel that the tuning improves over time.
Let’s dive into the details; the overall audio output is very clear and natural, which is what JBL earbuds are known for. It features a proper V-shaped tuning that everyone will like. The bass response (lower frequencies) is promising. The bass response is quite punchy, adding an enjoyable experience to the audio tracks. The low bass is average, but the high bass feels more natural, warming the overall audio. The bass is not very boomy, so it won’t feel uncomfortable.
The high frequencies (treble) are very natural and bright, with good detail. Most instruments and vocals sound clear and have decent detail. The mid frequencies are accurate, again sounding natural and clear. However, the high-mid frequencies can sometimes feel a bit harsh, but this doesn’t heavily impact the overall audio experience. It’s obvious that perfect tuning isn’t possible at this price point, but considering the price, the sound quality of JBL Wave Flex actually good. It delivers a natural and clear audio quality that many earbuds in this price range struggle to achieve.
You also have preset audio modes and a custom EQ option available, although the default tuning is well-balanced enough that you might not always need to adjust it. But if you do need to adjust it, you can achieve the desired tuning through the app. I won’t go into more detail because most people tend to skip this part anyway.
The imaging (sound positioning) is also good, as is typical with JBL earbuds. Similarly, Sony, Sennheiser, and Oppo earbuds also have good imaging because these brands focus heavily on quality control for their audio products.
JBL Wave Flex: Are These Earbuds Worth Your Money?
If someone were to ask me to recommend a suitable pair of budget half-ear design earbuds, then JBL Wave Flex is the name I would drop instantly.
Geekman
Overall, the JBL Wave Flex is definitely a great value buy. Feature-wise, it might lag behind some competitors, but its main strength is its sound quality—a natural and comfortable listening experience. The battery life is decent, and the microphone performs well. I didn’t notice any major drawbacks in JBL Wave Flex, so you can definitely consider buying them. For the asking price, it’s worth the deal!
What should you get instead of JBL Wave Flex?
There are very few good options in this price range for half-ear designs. The top option used to be the Oppo Enco Air 3, but it seems to be discontinued now. I believe the JBL Wave Flex is currently the best option for half-ear designs in this price range.
There are many good earbud options in this budget range for regular in-ear design. One of our top recommendations is the Realme Buds Air 5, Redmi Buds 5, Nord Buds 2, Nothing Buds, and the older Nothing Buds Pro.
When it comes to features and sound quality, I would rank the JBL Wave Flex as my fourth choice, following the Redmi Buds 5. My top pick within a budget of 3000 Rs is the Realme Buds Air 5. The Realme Buds Air 5 and Redmi Buds 5 offer slightly better audio quality and come with advanced features like ANC (Active Noise Cancellation).
The new CMF Nothing Buds is also a good option with ANC, excellent microphone performance, good battery life, stylish design, and features like wear detection. So, the CMF Nothing Buds are also a solid choice within this price range. However, if you prefer a half-ear design, the JBL Wave Flex is perhaps the best option available under 3000 Rs right now.
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