There’s no “Hey Siri” built-in, no carrying case, no wireless charging, and they lack the more advanced microphone and voice isolating technology. That said, they sound great, offer good noise isolation, a great battery, and are both sweat and water-resistant. Plus, USB-C charging is more future-proof than any other Apple headphones right now. They’re great for the price if you’re looking for everyday headphones that sound good and last through workouts.
This includes a fashion-forward design with personalized fit, lengthy battery life, strong mics for effective call quality and Siri use, and exceptional connectivity on both iOS and Android. You just have to be aware that while audio is decent, there are other better-sounding, feature-laden models available at the same price point. When finding the right tracks, these buds showed me the type of sound quality Beats set out to engineer. Pull up The Police’s “Roxanne” to hear what I’m talking about. The staccato guitar chords hit their mark and will instantly stimulate rhythmic foot taps, while the steady hi-hat and Sting’s isolated vocals are reproduced superbly. I was also impressed by well how the Beats Flex handed the synth basslines on Frank Ocean’s “Swim Good” and opened up the soundscape for the singer to flex his harmonizing talents.
An iPhone will automatically switch to speaker audio when the earbuds get linked together. I wish there was an option to power the earbuds down when magnetically attached, like the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2, but pause is all you’ve got. The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 and the Beats Flex Wireless offer similar performances, and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. They also have a better-balanced sound profile and a longer-lasting continuous battery life. However, the Beats feel better-built and have a W1 chip so that you can seamlessly pair with Apple devices. The Beats Flex Wireless are better in-ears for most uses than the Beats BeatsX Wireless.
The AirPods have the H1 chips, not the older W1 chip like the Flexes. H1 chip delivers a stable low latency wireless connection. Class 1 Bluetooth rating provides connections up to 300 feet that are beyond imagination with class 2 Bluetooth devices. Beats advertise a Fast Fuel feature that allows you to listen for 1.5 hours on a 10 minutes charge.
True wireless earbuds have become very affordable and the connection problems that once plagued these devices have largely been eradicated. This had the effect of making the BeatsX look unnecessarily pricey given their bulkier, behind-the-neck design. From the get-go, I have to admit I’m not the biggest fan of connected earbuds, the cable just seems unnecessary when most wireless earbuds stay in my ears just fine without it. But if you want the extra security from a cable then this one is quite discreet, the cable is thin and the buds themselves are much smaller than true wireless earbuds. However, these headphones measure 86.4 cm with the cable which, to be honest, is too long. It means the extra cable waves around a bit when you run and it can get in the way.
Earbuds lack an official IPX rating or sweat resistance, meaning that even a sweaty workout can pose a problem. That’s primarily due to the neckband, which adds to the weight and can start pulling on earbuds. However, for the price, not everything can be perfect, and beats flex review the overall decent sound quality of the Flex lacks clarity, detail, and transparency. The Beats Flex are one of the easiest-to-recommend pairs of Beats headphones to date. That’s mostly because of the price, of course, but there are no major mis-steps here either.
You may have forgotten, but Apple bought Beats a few years ago for a lot of money. And while the company puts most of its efforts into the AirPods and AirPods Pro, it hasn’t completely forgotten about the Beats brand. The new Beats Flex is basically a tweaked pair of BeatsX at a lower price point. The Beats Flex has Apple-exclusive features, but it also plays well with Android phones. Attached to the Flex cable are two buttons that let you adjust the volume, control playback and activate the voice assistant, which is particularly handy when you’re on the move. IF YOU’RE looking for a pair of cheap wireless earphones to get a loved one for Christmas, you could do a lot worse than the Beats Flex.
With Apple removing pack-in earbuds from new iPhone boxes, the Beats Flex are a fairly obvious replacement if you need a pair of headphones. The good news here is that people we spoke to with the earbuds on said we sounded great – even better than we did over speakerphone or other headsets. That’s a huge feather in the Flex’s cap and could make them great work-from-home or out-on-the-town headphones.
Comfort is great, and you can wear them all day long without experiencing fatigue. However, the fit isn’t ideal, as earbuds quickly pop out during light sports activities. Speaking of chips, despite having one, a companion app for Android gives you the ability to check battery status percentages and lets you customize features, just like on an iOS device. A quick 10-minute charge will give you an hour and a half of music.
The people I talked to said I sounded clear and the noise reduction outdoors in noisier environments was good. You can answer and end calls with the button on the left module, where there’s also a rocker beats flex review switch for volume control. While playing music, tapping the universal control button twice skips tracks forward. I don’t know if the Flex quite measures up to the AirPods for making calls but it’s close.