And some people just flat-out don’t want completely wireless earbuds, which can be easily misplaced. So Apple-owned Beats made the $50 Flex as an entry-level Bluetooth option for iPhone users . If you need a cheapish pair of wireless headphones – especially for an iPhone 12 given they no longer include bundled buds – the Beats Flex are a reliable set. Unlike most earbuds these days, you won’t find any tap or gesture controls. Instead, there’s a multi-function button on the neckband that can be used for pausing, skipping, or returning to a previous track. While the Beats Flex are wireless buds, they still have a neckband style wire connecting each end.
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.
There’s clear highs and enough low-end to provide a bit of energy. In terms of an everyday pair of earbuds, you can do a lot worse. Suppose your neckband headphone runs low on power you can plug in for a 10-minutes. Fast Fuel charge that will give you up to 1.5 hours of playback. This lightweight headphone comes with Flex-Form cable, which is comfortable for all-day wearing, wherever you run, whatever you do. You can quickly put them in a bag or coil them up into your pocket or pouch.
When you aren’t using them, you can magnetically click the two earbuds together. This pauses any music playing, but also saves battery life. The Beats Flex are a little less intuitive than Apple’s AirPods. Unlike the AirPods, there aren’t any sensors in the earbuds to detect when you take an earbud out of your ear. Playback will only pause itself if it detects that you’ve magnetically attach the two earbuds together. One advantage of the cable being made out of nickel and titanium is that it aligns around your neck, maintaining its elasticated curved shape.
Losing that touch of convenience is the tradeoff you make for the $50 price. If you’re looking for a cheap pair of wireless earbuds specifically for working out, then the Sennheiser CX Sport are a great choice. They’ll stay in place as you move, and offer fantastic audio quality. One of our favorite pair of budget wireless headphones, the E11BT from SoundMagic are super cheap with a great design.
The design is clever, the materials miraculous, and the price tag palatable. They’re feature-rich, pack generous battery life, and paired with the right device and right selection of music feel like beats studio3 a steal for fifty sheets. If there’s one thing you expected to remain intact when Apple bought Beats in it was the asking price of its products, but actually that’s not how it’s played out.
Rather surprisingly, they charge via USB-C, not Lightning, as has been the norm with recent Beats products and battery life is impressive. When fully charged, Beats claims the Flex will deliver up to 12 hours of playback and you can also get 90 minutes of usage from a mere 10-minute beats flex review charge when the battery gets low. Beats Flex is better than AirPods as they have 7 hours longer battery life and 3.5 hours shorter charge time. Passive noise reduction and an inline control panel can also be found in Beats. You can buy the Beats Flex in black, blue, yellow and grey.
It’s like listening to music on cassette tape compared to a vinyl record. Budget buds do make sense, however, considering that Apple no longer bundles in a free pair of headphones inside the box with its new iPhones. These are very much for the casual listener on the hunt for a cheap – and decent – EarPods replacement. Range was solid in my testing, as is to be expected thanks to the W1 chip.
True wireless devices have no cables connecting any part of the device together. This is an important distinction as some wireless earbuds have cables connecting the two earbuds together. These in-ears are pliable, lightweight, and barely noticeable when you sit with them around the back of your neck. And that’s always been the joy and convenience of any neckband earbuds worth their salt. You should be able to wear them around your neck all day, without noticing them, then pop one or both in when you want to listen to music or make a call. Apple’s W1 chip connects your Beats Flex to Siri, so you can ask about the weather or the time, get directions, and more.