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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want sealed in-ear sport earbuds with a charging case and up to 30 hours of total playtime, choose JBL Reflect Flow; if you need open-ear bone conduction so your ears stay uncovered while you run, ride or hike, choose Silisoundtech Bone Conduction Headphones. Both carry an IPX7 waterproof rating, which is the number that matters most here — it's the spec that decides whether sweat, rain and a post-run rinse are a problem or not.
• JBL Reflect Flow — biggest strength: true wireless in-ear design with a charging case, up to 10 hours in the buds plus 20 more in the case, Ambient Aware and TalkThru, and a full IPX7 rating.
• JBL Reflect Flow — biggest trade-off: they sit inside your ear canal, so you're relying on Ambient Aware when you want to hear traffic, and the case is one more thing to charge and carry.
• Silisoundtech Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest strength: sound travels through your cheekbones and your ears stay completely open, with a 27-gram titanium band that bends 360° and Bluetooth 5.3.
• Silisoundtech Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest trade-off: no charging case, no ambient-mode trickery needed (your ears are already open), and the spec sheet notes it is not for swimming despite the IPX7 rating.
• Pick JBL Reflect Flow if you want immersive, bass-forward music in the gym and you're fine with buds in your ears.
• Pick Silisoundtech if you want your ears free for traffic, conversation and fresh air on every outdoor session.
The Reflect Flow is a true wireless in-ear sport earbud, and the spec sheet backs up the "sport" label properly. The IPX7 waterproof rating means the buds are built to survive the toughest workout in any weather — sweat, rain, a splash at the water fountain. That's the same top-tier water rating the Silisoundtech carries, so neither one loses on that front.
What sets the JBL apart is the ecosystem around the buds. The charging case adds 20 hours on top of the 10 hours in the earbuds, and a 10-minute rapid charge buys you another full hour — the kind of thing that saves you when you grab them on the way out the door. The 14-ohm dynamic drivers and 20Hz–20kHz frequency range point to the familiar JBL signature sound, which is a bass-forward tuning that most people find genuinely fun for training playlists. Bluetooth 5 handles the wireless connection, and touch and voice-assistant controls let you change tracks and take hands-free calls without digging out your phone. Passive noise cancellation is listed, which really means the in-ear seal is doing the blocking.
The two features worth understanding are Ambient Aware and TalkThru. Ambient Aware pipes outside sound in so you can hear what's happening around you without pulling a bud out. TalkThru drops the music volume so you can hold a quick conversation. Both are useful — but both are workarounds for the fact that a sealed earbud blocks your ears in the first place.
Buy the Reflect Flow if you want a conventional true-wireless setup with a case, long total battery life, and rich sound for the gym, treadmill or commute. Skip it if you run on open roads and want your ears genuinely unobstructed rather than digitally unobstructed, or if you dislike the feel of something seated in your ear canal.
The Silisoundtech takes the opposite approach: nothing goes in your ears at all. Sound is transmitted through your cheekbones, so your ear canals stay fully open. If you've ever wanted to hear an approaching car, a cycling buddy, or a trail runner behind you without pressing a button first, that's the entire point of this design — and it's the reason open-ear headphones have such a following among outdoor athletes. The spec sheet also notes it can help people with hearing impairments perceive sound.
The hardware is light. At 27 grams with a soft, skin-friendly frame, it's the kind of thing you forget you're wearing, and the titanium alloy band bends 360° without deforming, so it survives being stuffed in a bag. Bluetooth 5.3 is a step up from the 5.0 on the JBL — lower latency, better anti-interference, lower power consumption, and multi-device pairing. Battery is 10 hours of continuous music or calls from a 230mAh cell that charges fully in about 1.5 hours, and it uses magnetic charging rather than an exposed USB port, which is more dust- and water-resistant and generally lasts longer.
On audio, the sheet promises enhanced processing, high-resolution detail and powerful bass, plus a built-in noise-canceling microphone for calls on the move. Be realistic about physics here: bone conduction bass will never hit like a sealed dynamic driver in your ear canal. It's clear and detailed, but it's a different experience — more like a personal speaker near your head than a wall of sound.
Buy the Silisoundtech if you run, cycle, hike or walk outdoors and safety awareness comes first, or if in-ear buds irritate your ears. Skip it if you want maximum bass impact, a charging case, or you plan to swim — the sheet explicitly says IPX7 here is not for swimming.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for maximum total battery life → JBL Reflect Flow. Up to 10 hours in the buds plus 20 in the case beats a single 10-hour charge.
• Best for bass and immersive music → JBL Reflect Flow. Sealed in-ear fit with 14-ohm dynamic drivers.
• Best for all-day comfort and light weight → Silisoundtech. 27 grams on a flexible titanium band.
• Best for the newest wireless connection → Silisoundtech. Bluetooth 5.3 versus Bluetooth 5.
• Best for workouts where buds fall out → Silisoundtech. No ear tips to work loose; the band stays put.
• Best for calls in noisy places → JBL Reflect Flow. TalkThru and a mic built for hands-free voice work, with voice-assistant access on the buds.
• Best for swimming → neither. Both are IPX7, and the Silisoundtech sheet explicitly rules out swimming.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: do you want your ears sealed or open? If you train indoors, care about bass, and want a case that keeps you going for days, I'd buy the JBL Reflect Flow — the 30-hour total, rapid charge and Ambient Aware/TalkThru combo make it the more versatile everyday pair. If you run or ride anywhere near traffic, I'd buy the Silisoundtech Bone Conduction Headphones instead. Open ears and a 27-gram band are a safety and comfort advantage you can't replicate with a sealed bud, and Bluetooth 5.3 plus magnetic charging keep it modern. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit — that's the one variable that can flip this call either way.
are headphones waterproof
Not all of them — it depends on the rating. Both headphones here are IPX7, which means they're built to handle sweat, rain and splashes, and the JBL sheet specifically says the rating lets you get through the toughest workout in any weather. IPX7 is not the same as swim-proof, though: the Silisoundtech spec sheet states outright that it's not for swimming.
are headphones water resistant
what's the difference between IPX7 earbuds and bone conduction headphones?
The water rating can be identical — both of these are IPX7 — but the design differs completely. JBL Reflect Flow puts sealed dynamic drivers in your ear canal with a charging case and 30 hours of total playtime. Silisoundtech transmits sound through your cheekbones with your ears open, weighs 27 grams, and runs 10 hours per charge with no case.
The JBL wins on total time. It gives up to 10 hours in the earbuds plus an additional 20 in the charging case, and a 10-minute rapid charge adds another hour. The Silisoundtech delivers up to 10 hours of continuous music or calls per charge from its 230mAh battery, fully charged in about 1.5 hours — but there's no case to top it up on the go.
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