Visually, the main difference is the company moved the on-board controls from the cable that attaches to the left bud down to the thin pod on the end of the neckband. That band that rests on your collar is where the Flex gets its name. Beats says this “Flex-Form” cable is made of nitinol, or nickel titanium.
Beats Flex boasts up to 12 hours of listening time for all-day use. Apple’s Beats brand today is introducing Beats Flex wireless earphones, which add some upgrades to the previous BeatsX earphones yet come with a much lower $49.99 price tag. The new price makes them the cheapest way to get into Apple’s wireless earphone ecosystem, which is especially important now that Apple is no longer including earphones in the box with its iPhones.
You can also summon Siri on your phone without having to touch the screen using the buttons. The upgraded Beats Flex headphones also last longer between charges. beats solo pro wireless Beats Flex are rated for up to 12 hours — up to four hours longer than BeatsX — so you can get through a long workout or study session without interruption.
The dual-chamber acoustic design with laser cut micro-venting and digital processor make the Beats Flex sound … I never thought I’d say I like the sound of AirPods better, but in this case, I do. For a broader look at Apple’s audio range, read our guide to theBest Beats headphones.
There’s a decent amount of bass here, but these earbuds lack the pleasant thump that can keep you energized at the gym. Ditto for appropriately recreating the kick drum or drum machine from your favorite artists. I’d even say this is the least amount of low-end tone I recall in a Beats product. Sure, these are meant to have general appeal, and the tuning is certainly more middle of the road. In the interest of symmetry, and I would assume to help with battery life, there’s a second rectangular casing on the right side.
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. Thankfully like the more recent Beats earphones and headphones, the Bass isn’t overpowering and you can get a nice, decent balance but still can beats studio3 feel that Bass. However, the Flex isn’t able to deliver that nice, punchy ‘oomph’ compared to the other Beats earphones I’ve tried. 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.