The JBL Tune Flex ranks #173 out of 1448 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: JBL
Prices on this page were last checked October 20, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#173 JBL Tune Flex: $49.95 TWS Amazon $49.95 eBay
Pros: Budget ANC earbuds at about $50 with AAC and IPX4 whose bass and mids sit within 1.3 dB of target, for full, natural sounding bass and voices. Battery life is 8 hours, 32 with the case.
Cons: Presence and treble from 2 to 8 kHz sit about 2 to 3 dB low with dips near 3.7 and 6.1 kHz, so detail is softened and the tilt is warm. The score rests on a single measurement.
Is the JBL Tune Flex right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 79).
- your taste runs warm: it scores 87 for that sound.
- you are sensitive to bright or sharp treble (treble sits 2.8 dB below target).
- you want sub-bass rumble that reaches down to 20 Hz.
Skip it if
- you want the best value: the higher-rated QCY HT05 MeloBuds ANC costs about $16 less.
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (32 with case) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | True wireless |
| Deviation From Target | 1.59 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 12mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 79 (1 squig.link measurement, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.49 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 95 out of 100, up from 79.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -0.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +2.4 dB | 2.65 |
| Peak | 70 Hz | -1.8 dB | 1.84 |
| Peak | 325 Hz | -0.8 dB | 2.48 |
| Peak | 2,035 Hz | -1.3 dB | 2.39 |
| Peak | 3,649 Hz | +2.3 dB | 5.96 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +3.9 dB | 1.06 |
| Peak | 7,405 Hz | -1.1 dB | 3.13 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 93 out of 100, up from 39.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -8.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 67 Hz | -2.3 dB | 1.51 |
| Peak | 2,037 Hz | -1.3 dB | 2.41 |
| Peak | 3,648 Hz | +2.3 dB | 5.96 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +3.9 dB | 1.06 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -4.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 20.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -11.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +1.8 dB | 2.70 |
| Peak | 109 Hz | -2.1 dB | 0.40 |
| Peak | 344 Hz | -1.1 dB | 2.08 |
| Peak | 3,620 Hz | +4.6 dB | 1.37 |
| Peak | 6,641 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.25 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -2.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 87.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 3,709 Hz | +2.1 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +1.9 dB | 1.54 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -6.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 96 out of 100, up from 78.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +2.6 dB | 3.18 |
| Peak | 69 Hz | -1.6 dB | 1.54 |
| Peak | 327 Hz | -0.8 dB | 2.63 |
| Peak | 2,035 Hz | -1.3 dB | 2.39 |
| Peak | 3,649 Hz | +2.3 dB | 5.97 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +3.9 dB | 1.06 |
| Peak | 7,409 Hz | -1.1 dB | 3.12 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 87 out of 100, up from 27.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -9.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 68 Hz | -2.3 dB | 1.51 |
| Peak | 2,038 Hz | -1.6 dB | 2.35 |
| Peak | 4,321 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.35 |
| Peak | 5,732 Hz | +2.6 dB | 6.00 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 84 out of 100, up from 69.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +2.3 dB | 3.04 |
| Peak | 64 Hz | -1.4 dB | 1.97 |
| Peak | 174 Hz | +1.7 dB | 2.18 |
| Peak | 1,967 Hz | -1.4 dB | 1.70 |
| Peak | 4,056 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.27 |
| Peak | 5,679 Hz | +3.1 dB | 5.83 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the JBL Tune Flex measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is a single measurement, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: a single measurement from the squig.link database of filk. Thanks to them for publishing their work.