If that stuff matters to you more than the name, then maybe the Beats Flex aren’t right for you. This is why they’re one of our top picks in our best Beats headphones guide. The Beats Studio Buds is a middling pair of noise cancelling earphones that actually works as well with Android phones as it does with iPhones. While the Studio Buds is significantly pricier than beats solo pro wireless the Beats Flex, it’s still more affordable than the Beats Powerbeats Pro and is much more portable thanks to the compact design. Listeners who are drawn in by the AirPods Pro’s noise cancellation but want to express their style a bit more should grab the Beats Studio Buds. There’s a new trick when it comes to the earphones being put together with the magnets.
The Flex are Beats most affordable earphones to date, and they’re ever so close to being considered a bonafide bargain. The magnetic buds that debuted on the X make a welcome return, and the cable is a little longer than you might expect as Beats’ style is for it to curl round and sit on either shoulder. Sounds fiddly, but in practice the Flex do this naturally, and that’s down to what they’re made from.
An advanced built-in microphone helps reduce wind noise for elevated voice clarity and call performance. On-device controls allow you to adjust volume as well as manage music, take calls, or activate voice assistant. Yes, these are “budget” headphones, but Apple didn’t skimp on the audio quality. They come with 4 silicone ear tips for an air-tight seal in your ear, so most will find the audio quality much better than Apple’s standard AirPods. We wouldn’t be surprised if some find the audio quality to be as good or better than AirPods too, just because of this tight seal. The more expensive PowerBeats would be the closest comparison, but those have a little extra detail and oomph.
These earbuds come with wingtips that can be attached for a more secure fit. Wingtips come in handy for sports and other physical activities. When used correctly, they prevent the earbuds from falling off.
Turn the Beats Flex on and bring them close to your Apple device and you get quick pairing functionality, for example. Android users have to pair either manually via Bluetooth or by downloading the Beats app for Android, which offers quick pairing access, firmware updates and battery level information. Another thing to be aware of is that the Beats Flex aren’t rated for sweat or water resistance. If you need that reassurance, you’ve got to pay more money for the Powerbeats — also a neckband-style design — or the completely wireless Powerbeats Pro.
The first impression of wearing the Beats Flex and testing it with some music was just okay – compared with the Powerbeats Pro, or even the Powerbeats 2020. Note that I’m also get used to listening to the awesome sound quality from the recent Jabra Elite Active 75t before switching over to review. However, that costs A$329 so it’s not really a fair comparison with Flex’s A$79.95. Apple’s solution to not including headphones with the new iPhone seems to be the Beats Flex. Fortunately, Flex is a budget pair of Beats that pack the premium audio quality you’d expect from Apple and Beats, but for a fraction of the price of AirPods. However, they are missing a handful of the features we’re used to seeing from Beats and they have a semi-awkward neckband design.
Hopefully, this is a sign that Apple will soon ditch lightning cables altogether so that we can have one USB charging standard to rule them all. Fortunately, there’s an impressive 12-hour battery packed into these headphones, and even more impressive is the Fast Fuel feature that gives you 1.5-hour of battery life from a 10-minute charge. View Gallery 10 imagesBeats Flex are wireless headphones where the buds are tethered to a flexible neckband. The end of each side of the neckband has an end-cap that houses the battery, buttons, and technology. The cable is flat linguini style and the neckband portion is thicker and with some reinforcement to mostly keep it shaped for your neck.
You can even pay monthly if you want – it’s $8.33/mo for 6 months plus a $3 down payment (for a total cost of $52.98). You get great bass output, which is basically a requirement in Beats headphones beats flex review which made their name from punchy bass . Tracks like Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name of and White Stripes Seven Nation Army had the kind of punch that we’d hope for.
I’ve given the Flex praise for their bass-forward, midrange-friendly soundscape, and for many casual listeners, those elements are crucial. However, the snug fit and tiny drivers don’t always treat higher-pitched treble frequencies with the same interest. I stacked these up against some of the pricier headphones I have on hand, and found that the Flex held up decently when compared to some Audio-Technica open-backs, a favorite pair of mine that retail around $200. Get accurate bass and ultra-low distortion with an advanced acoustic platform featuring custom layered drivers, and then use one-tap Audio Sharing to sync with other Beats headphones or AirPods2.
The battery life of 12 hours is on par with the rest of the wireless earbuds, but not among the best ones. Above all, you have to understand the beats solo pro wireless pros and cons of the neckband design. While it’s handier to carry your earbuds around, it also worsens the fit and produces microphonics.