The wires that connect the control panels to the earbuds are a little awkward — they’re thick and flat to help avoid tangling, but they are so stiff they feel weird. These connected wireless earbuds are a bargain, they have loads to offer for Apple users. You can hook them up to the Apple Find My network and you can share your audio with other Beats headphones and Airpods. You will have to make some sacrifices in sound quality but overall they offer a lot for your money. As our Beats Flex review explains, inconsistent audio performance theatens to put a downer on things, though at this price it would be foolish to look past altogether. But if that’s my biggest gripe with the $50 Beats Flex, I think they’re a pretty clear success.
Our detailed summaries should help you narrow down your research on finding the best Beats headphones. Their housing is light and remains comfortable for long listening sessions. With the help of ear fins, they’re also more stable than the beats solo pro wireless Flex. They’re the cheapest earbuds to have a W1 chip for better iOS and macOS integration. They’re also one of the best Beats headphones and a great pair for your Apple ecosystem, although they work equally well on both operating systems.
The Flex are a mix of wireless and traditional earbuds; Bluetooth to the phone but with a cable that sits around your neck and wires to earbuds themselves. The Beats Flex are a simple set of quality Bluetooth earbuds that get the basics right for at a more affordable price. We test dozens of earbuds every year, and few of them offered as poor of a fit as the new Beats Flex. Without wingtips to hold them in, the Flex can easily fall out, making them a poor choice for the workout crowd and anyone who’s ever had problems keeping earbuds seated properly.
Apple has stuck the older W1 headphone chip in its new buds, rather than the new H1 chip, but you still get all the instant setup and synced pairing across devices that make Apple’s audio tech a joy to use. For me, the design doesn’t look as good as that of true wireless earphones like the AirPods, but ensures you won’t lose one of your buds. Beats, which is owned by Apple, is best-known for producing stylish, pricey over-ear headphones, but has chosen a different route for the Flex neckband buds. If you are searching for wireless headphone and don’t want to go with bean-sized TWS earbuds or giant-sized Over-Ear headphones, the next best option for you to choose is the wireless neckband.
They barely leak sound and are also able to cut down ambient chatter around you. The Beats Flex work nicely as running and gym earphones, even without official IP ratings or water resistance. Suppose your product fails due to a manufacturing defect in the battery and the Apple One Year Limited Warranty still covers it on consumer law. In that case, they will either repair your product or replace it. In claim of accidental damages, you need to pay an additional fee for repairing service.
However, unlike the Beats Studio Buds True Wireless, they have a W1 chip so you can seamlessly pair them with Apple devices. While they have high audio latency on PC, their latency on iOS and Android is a lot lower, making them better suited for streaming video. That said, some apps beats solo pro wireless and devices compensate for latency differently, so your results may vary. If you tried the BeatsX before, then you know what to expect here. The emphasized bass response is much needed to hear low notes, because these earbuds don’t isolate you from your surroundings very well.
In order to switch between devices, you will have to take the time to enter your phone’s Bluetooth settings. You must manually disconnect from the current device, before connecting to the desired device. This isn’t an issue if you live in the Apple ecosystem thanks to the W1 chip, but for the rest of us, that time adds up quickly. At this price, the Beats Flex is a fine deal as they offer a lot of the features found on the AirPods, minus the true wireless design.
Flex earbuds are compatible with any Apple device that is synced to iCloud. You can also use them with windows ten and android smartphones. Your earphones are now ready to set up with your devices again. Hold down the power button and it will automatically enter pairing mode. From there, just look through Bluetooth settings in your device and select . They are mostly made of silicone and rubber, which makes them very bendable.
They have also been reworked for better sound quality and improved mic performance. The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless are better wireless headphones for sports and fitness than the Beats Flex Wireless. The Powerbeats Pro have a more stable fit and a better-balanced sound profile.
If they’d come out at $100 or even $75, they would’ve been a hard pass from me. But at $50 they’re worth considering, especially if you want Apple-friendly earbuds and don’t want to shell out more for AirPods. For a lot of people that pesky wire is a dealbreaker, and I personally hadn’t regularly used a neckband-style headphone for a couple of years, so it was a bit of an adjustment to go back to it.