It does a poor job of rejecting background noise, so you may want to do everyone a favor and either use your smartphone, or get a dedicated headset for extended calls. If you’re on Android, the process is a little different. Apple sneakily includes the easy connect card onto Android phones, but this requires you to download the Beats app first.
However, by design, in-ears bypass the outer ear altogether. As a result, the soundstage is perceived as small and as if it’s beats flex review coming from inside your head. Since they also have a closed-back design, they won’t seem as spacious as open-back headphones.
Just like the Beats X they snap together, but now they can trigger play/pause to happen when you disconnect or reconnect them respectively. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had them snapped together, had a call come in, or started to watch a video to find the audio going to the earphones that aren’t in my ears. beats solo pro wireless There are some differences in these things when it comes to features and accessories. I never used them and I don’t know anyone else who did either, the PowerBeats were a better choice if you wanted that kind of bond with your earphones. Other than that, it’s the same old Beats X sound and that isn’t a bad thing.
You can hook them up to the Beats app where you can switch features on or off. That’s limited to automatic pausing and playing of the music as well as automatic call answering which will pick up your calls when you detach the buds from one another and put them in your ears. The earbuds are magnetic so when you aren’t using them and they’re hanging around your neck, they’ll automatically snap together which also pauses the music so you don’t miss a beat.
The right-side housing includes just a single button along the edge that’s easy to identify by feel, and that’s the power/pairing button. Pressing and holding the button will turn Beats Flex on or off, and activate pairing as needed. If you’re using them with an iOS device, you’ll get quick pairing functionality by simply bringing Beats Flex close to your device after initially turning the earphones on. In terms of on-board controls, what you’ll use the most is located on the left side.
They just feel flat, and that’s consistent across genres. Sometimes you can hear ample boom, others it can get lost from one song to the next. More atmospheric indie rock bands that create songs that have a lot of dimensionality don’t have that airy quality on the Flex. Artists like The Appleseed Cast that usually layer textures of drums, guitars, synths and more lack that carefully constructed spatial component on the Flex. Where the real functionality comes into play is in Apple’s W1 chip. It’s the older sibling to the more powerful and faster H1 chip found in the AirPods Pro and recent Powerbeats models, but it’s still a smoother operator.
We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you. Where our site links to particular products or displays ‘Go to site’ buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. Beats has a reputation for bass-heavy tuning, but that’s only moderately present in terms of audio presentation. The actual audio is quite pleasant for headphones in this price range, although not to the level of, say, the PowerBeats Pro or Apple’s AirPods Pro.
The right controller handles power, while the left features a rocker button for volume control, the USB-C input, and a small button for play/pause or track skipping. The simplicity and low price are what makes the Flex so appealing in the first place, though. They’re a great upgrade from the normal wired earbuds that ship with many phones, like the standard EarPods that used to come with iPhones. If you’re still using an old set of wired buds, this is the best upgrade path for you (assuming you’re not willing to drop at least double the price on a set of true wireless buds, of course). They sound pretty good, are incredibly comfortable, and last about 12 hours on average. For a budget pair of earphones, a lot of thought has gone into the design.
In the interest of symmetry, and I would assume to help with battery life, there’s a second rectangular casing on the right side. It holds the power button on the beats solo pro wireless bottom ridge — exactly opposite the USB jack. The button also has a multi-color LED that lets you know when the Flex is charging, connected or in pairing mode.