When the juice does run out, you also get Fast Fuel charging via USB-C cable which gives you 90 minutes of listening time from just ten minutes of charging. So if you realize they’re dead just before you head out for a run, a quick 10 minute charge while you dig out your running shoes and you’ll be good to go. Generally we found the Beats Flex offer excellent audio clarity, both when listening to music as well as YouTube beats solo pro wireless videos and podcasts. It makes them an ideal pair of headphones for your morning run or gym session. While Beats have long been known as the stylish choice when it comes to headphones, they’ve also had something of a reputation when it comes to sub-par audio performance. They’ve done a lot to shake that association in recent years though, and we think that Beats Flex offers a pretty solid performance for the cost.
When the rumors began to swirl that Apple was going to stop including a set of wired earbuds in the box with the iPhone 12, we should’ve seen this coming. The day of Apple’s event, the company’s audio subsidiary Beats announced a set of cheap wireless earbuds that give users a low-cost option. At $50, the Beats Flex covers the basics with beats solo pro wireless a smattering of on-board controls, a different take on automatic pausing and AirPods-quality quick pairing. Unfortunately, features aren’t everything, and there’s one key element the Flex doesn’t do well. While 12 hours of battery life sounds a lot for true wireless earbuds under $50, it’s pretty average for neckband wireless earbuds.
Based on my testing, it’s really about 11 hours, which is still highly sufficient for those who want a week’s worth of playback before charging. I used the earbuds for about 1.5 hours daily over the course of 5 days and still had 30% power left in the tank. That was enough to jump on two very long Skype calls before charging. Speaking of, charging is done through a USB-C port on the left side of the earbuds near the volume controls.
For the benefit of the audiophiles, I’m not implying these are the best earphones on the earth, I’m not suggesting they’re the most tonally accurate things ever produced or that there aren’t better. Actually I’d go as far as to say they’re THE best choice if you want to spend under £50 and not be left with a substandard pair of earphones. Beats has long sold itself as being a premium brand – at least in style if not always in sound profile – but that’s not the market that Apple is targeting with the Beats Flex headphones.
This had the effect of making the BeatsX look unnecessarily pricey given their bulkier behind-the-neck design. The Beats Flex are a well thought-out product with easy controls, enough battery life to last your entire workday, and solid audio quality for the price. The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are better headphones than the Beats Flex Wireless. The Jaybird are better built and have a more neutral sound profile. They also have longer-lasting battery life, and their companion app offers a parametric EQ and presets to help tweak their sound. The good news is they sound better than both the original BeatsX and standard AirPods.