Beats Flex Review EarPods’ Eulogy

I’m also a fan of the built-in battery indicator light, something that is often missed on minimalist in-ear headphones like these. It’s easy to skimp on those details when you have such a small product footprint to work with, which is why it’s worth a tip o’ the cap to Beats. It’s a simple enough configuration—the indicator light near the power button turns red when you have less than one hour of battery left, and flashes red when you’re running out of juice.

Similarly, all the other elements of its performance make it dependable and convenient. There’s the first-generation W1 chip that makes the Flex really convenient and easy to pair with your iPhone. It also means instant sharing with any other iOS or Apple device you have.

These earbuds are essentially an evolution of the neckband-style Beats X from 2017. They now charge via USB-C and have longer battery life , while a ten-minute ‘Fast Fuel’ charge that gives 1.5 hours of playback. They have also been reworked for better sound quality and improved mic performance. The Beats Flex bring the brand-name wireless headphones to the masses at a lower price, but it’s not without making some big sacrifices in sound quality and design.

When I try to pass those 65 feet, the audio starts to choke a little but continues playing, nevertheless. Nevertheless, that’s still a reasonable duration, enough for a full day of constant use. Considering the brand and the price, Beats Flex are made quite well.

beats flex review

Surprisingly, the sound signature is very balanced, with just a slight boost throughout the bass region. While the sound is pleasing and smooth, it lacks details and clarity. Voice quality on both ends of a call was pretty good, although not quite as clear as with AirPods. The Beats Flex do have a port on the top of each tough plastic earpiece, which can often limit passive isolation, but these do not seem to leak much noise at all. The Beats Flex have dynamic drivers with a “layered” design claimed to improve stereo separation.

Considering the price difference we’re really impressed with the Flex’s audio quality. Beats Flex are wireless “all-day” Bluetooth headphones with USB-C charging that beats solo pro wireless are both sweat and water-resistant. They have the Apple/Beats look going for them, and they offer great sound quality, but they are light on additional features.

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.

You can even leave them paired to a device for hours, inactive, and the battery levels will barely drop. I attribute the cleaner audio presentation and small glimpses of bass resonance to the Beats Flex’s great isolation. A proper fit establishes a tight seal that blocks out ambient noise from coming into the soundscape, so you can enjoy full sound to the best of the buds’ capabilities. The inclusion of four ear tip options beats studio3 provides a variety of fits to accommodate different ear shapes. Sure, it would have been awesome if Beats added some of the wing tips bundled with the BeatsX, but that doesn’t take away from the Beat Flex’s acceptable fit. If you’re worried about them slipping out during runs, don’t, because the tips grip onto the ear canal and the modules on each side do a fantastic job with weight distribution to keep the buds stabilized.