Beats Flex review: The cost of $50 wireless earbuds

From the $250 AirPods Pro to the $150 Powerbeats, where do the Beats Flex fit into Apple’s headphone lineup? These are the headphones you get your kids for Christmas alongside their new Apple Watch or iPhone SE. These are the earbuds you get for working remotely for convenient pairing across your Apple devices. These are the Beats you buy because you can’t justify spending $100 more on those Powerbeats, but you really like the brand.

Beats’ upgraded mic array does provide improved voice calling, though the Beats Flex’s call quality remains a level below any of the Powerbeats models and the BeatsX. When taking my wife’s calls outside, she could hear my voice clearly, but also heard the external noises around me; the construction taking place next door and wind were unavoidable. She did praise the volume levels and liked that even with such distractions, I was still audible. Being on Zoom calls inside the house was more rewarding, with a few clients complimenting how loud and clear I sounded.

A paperclip you throw in the trash has more metal than one of these earbuds. Just like with the Lightning port on BeatsX, the USB-C port on Beats Flex does not have any sort of cover on it. That leaves the port open to the sweat, rain, and dust, but it doesn’t appear that should be a significant concern and it avoids the awkward port covers seen on many other devices. When it comes time to charge Beats Flex, you’ll need a USB-C cable, which is another change compared to BeatsX that used Lightning.

He has also written countless songs and recorded five albums in professional studios across America. Today he is a hobby musician but still loves the guitar after over 15 years of playing. There you can search for and download the Beats app (it’s called simply “Beats”). Once you turn your phone’s Bluetooth on, turn on the headphones, and open this app, you will be given an option to pair. These headphones can work with Apple products like the iPhone and iPad, but they can also be used on Android phones and tablets. That said, they are designed for use with Apple products, so you might not find them working to 100% efficiency on Android.

This is a dialed-up, bass-forward sound signature with equal doses of brightness. The sound lacks clarity, detail and feels slightly muffled. The competition isn’t perfect but at least has a better technical performance. The sound signature is more balanced than with other models in this range. The same performance continues with mobile games, which is very impressive. The delay is so minimal that it’s suitable even for more competitive games.

In fact, so far, the biggest fault of the Beats Flex’s design is that they don’t come with wing tips to secure them in your ear – without them, getting that perfect seal can be finicky and can come undone easily. The Beats Flex are a cheap pair of earbuds that are a solid choice for many people, but not everyone. The integrated microphone has a mediocre recording quality.

From there, just look through Bluetooth settings in your device and select . The Bluetooth compatibility of the Flex wireless earbuds is adequate. It’s quite frustrating but acceptable at this price point. Yet, beats flex review they lack IP ratings for dust and water resistance. It is disappointing that the earbuds seem like they are prone to ripping. You can also manage calls and music automatically with the Beats magnetic earbuds.

beats flex review

According to Beats, the headphones have a 12-hour battery life and fast charging that can provide an hour-and-a-half of playback off a 10-minute charge. The Beats Flex Wireless are colorful budget-friendly in-ears with a neck cable. They have a simple, comfortable, and lightweight design that feels well-built.

Their bass-heavy sound profile is better-suited for genres like EDM and hip-hop, especially as their underemphasized treble range veils vocals and dull sibilants. Due to their closed-back, in-ear design, they also don’t have a very immersive soundstage. Their companion app is very limited and doesn’t have an EQ or presets to allow you to adjust their sound to your liking. While I can’t say I’m personally ready to go back to wires, the Flex is a solid neckband-style style pair of earbuds that I mostly enjoyed using.