I tried earbuds that swap from in-ear to open-ear, but they prove you must specialize
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It takes a lot to surprise an audio geek in 2022. However, I was really excited to learn more about the JBL Tune Flex; an affordable, water-resistant, ANC-toting pair of earbuds that also features two different wearing styles – open or closed.
When receiving a set to try, I also see the translucent case with the battery pack, connections and other glorious innards. I had the black/grey pair to try, but there is also a beautiful retro purple color.
As I said when JBL’s transformative product was released, you’ve never seen earbuds like this and I applaud the ingenuity. Also, small details like this can be of great value.
To clarify the point: unlike Oladance’s admirable fully open design that doesn’t come close to the recesses or creases of your ear, JBL’s solution includes included tips to prevent the buttons from simply resting in the well-placed. like part of your outer ear or concha (in the likes of Apple’s EarPods or AirPods (2019) do), to longer tips that enter your ear canal to create a seal — often necessary for the best wireless earbuds.
Back to the JBL Tune Flex (short for ‘Flexibility’ because of those two wearer options) and there’s a new sound setting to toggle in the app depending on whether you’re wearing “Open Ear Tips” or “Sealing Ear Tips” – yes JBL considered the implications and shaped the audio experience accordingly. Admirable!
You get eight hours of playtime with the earbuds and 24 hours with the case with ANC off, or six hours with the earbuds, 18 with the case on. The cover has a sensible lip to keep it from snapping shut and you actually get a good plastic cover for the various tips – more on that later.
So far it looks good…
And where Nothing’s unreleased Clear (Stick) earbuds remain shrouded in, er, weird bags, the JBL Tune Flex is now available, with a fully expanded spec sheet – definitely a shoo-in to our best guide to noise-cancelling earbuds, isn’t it? We will…
Analysis: open ear is uncertain, closed ear a bit muffled
The JBL Tune Flex’s open earcups are pre-assembled and must be removed before switching to the closed, sealing earcups, although the small open earcups are almost perfectly flush with the driver housing (see above, left) – and note on that there is a right and wrong way to orient them.
Unfortunately I can’t get any kind of security with the open ear tip option. I have to note that I find the fit of Apple’s original AirPods quite appalling (to the point of looking at dedicated earbuds to compensate and improve the sound), but still found this to be slightly worse. The buds just wanted to burst out of my ears as soon as I pushed them into the shell-like recess in front of my actual ear hole.
The fit here is no different from the tip-free stem earbuds that come with the new Nokia 5710 XpressAudio, but again, I found the JBL Tune Flex a little more difficult to fit.
Any kind of valid discussion about the sound is therefore unfair. I just can’t keep the open ear wearing style in my ears long enough to relax and enjoy the music. I think the problem may have to do with how they’re weighted – they just feel like they’re actively trying to work their way out of my ears.
Switching to the closed-ear style ensures a snug fit and seal, using the smallest of the three options provided in my case. Switching is also a breeze, and again, that plastic case, with little hooks to keep all the tips secure, is a classy touch — one I wish more companies would think about.
Unfortunately I find the ANC (operated by two microphones) less than great, even with good security and a closed fit – and even at the highest level (you can choose between 1 and 6) I can hear the semi-constant planes flying over my flat in London. While this isn’t a full starred review, Ambient Aware and TalkThru also proved somewhat ineffective during my initial testing.
Turn off all ambient noise controls, Lady Gaga’s love game lacks a bit of stark detail in terms of the rough, leading edges of the backing track. Gaga’s insatiable voice is also a little, well, muffled. Switching to Cambridge Audio’s Melomania 1 Plus, which can also be had for about the same price as the JBLs, sounds more three-dimensional and with an extra ounce of detail as the star blares through her incredible and emotional range.
Halsey’s Without me sounds a bit clogged and muddy due to the bass synths and drums on the JBLs, to the point where I lose elements of the backing track (vocals, a top hat) that I should be able to distinguish more clearly. Switch to the Melomania 1 Plus from Cambridge Audio and the sound field expands revealing space around the various instruments.
While listening I felt a little disappointed – and it pains me to write this piece.
On the one hand, JBL offers a product that looks great and is finished to a very high standard. The battery life, flexibility of use and feature set are also excellent (and in some cases unheard of) at the level. On paper, I like things. It’s just that for me the proof of the pudding is in the food and as a sonic proposition these earbuds fall a little short but I was tried to wear them.
What did I learn? In the same way that it is not possible to eat and eat your cake, with a set of excellent open-ear and closed ear earbuds in one box is a bit much to hope for. It may sound harsh, but I tested the JBLs with a competitive product at the same price – and found they fell short in terms of sound quality no matter how hard I tried.
The overall design of the best noise canceling earbuds is crucial to their performance. Seems like you really need to specialize.