As with many of the budget headphones on the market right now, the highs and lows are brilliant, but the mids not so much. So, though the sound is clear and crisp, songs which don’t rely as much on bass tend to struggle slightly. Beats Flex are great entry-level earphones that give you most of the Apple-specific features you see on more expensive Beats and AirPods models. With solid sound quality for the price and a comfortable fit, it’s hard to find much not to like about them.
Sure, these are meant to have general appeal, and the tuning is certainly more middle of the road. Find the best wireless earbuds under $50 for sports, commuting, or daily listening. You don’t have to spend a lot of money for a decent pair of earbuds. For under $50, you can’t expect them to shower you with features.
There’s a real depth to proceedings, with a nice nuance to her vocals and Beats’ signature high bass output ready and willing when required. No more so than on the more expansive soundscapes of Pan Amsterdam’s jazz-influenced ‘Ha Chu’. Poorvika follows all Covid safety measures as prescribed beats studio3 by the government. Our Delivery team is well trained and keeps your safety in mind while delivering the sanitized products to your doorstep. He has extensive experience in tech and games journalism, with work published on IGN, Kotaku UK, Waypoint, GamesRadar, Trusted Reviews, and many more.
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 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.
Music doesn’t automatically pause when you take an earbud out, either, only when the earbuds click together magnetically, and there’s no water resistance rating. Unlike “true wireless” earbuds, the Flex are still connected by a fairly long wire that can hang either in front or behind your neck while you wear them . Considering both sides of the wire feature an in-line controller, the Flex are surprisingly light.
The Beats Flex have redesigned controls with a volume rocker and multi-function button. If you have a hard time getting earbuds to stay in your ears or want buds for working out, these might not be the right buds for you. Without wingtips to hold them in, the Flex can easily fall out. After trying a few combinations of eartips we eventually landed on a decent seal and were finally able to test out the Beats Flex’s audio quality.
The staccato guitar chords hit their mark and will instantly stimulate rhythmic foot taps, while the steady hi-hat and Sting’s isolated vocals are reproduced superbly. I was also impressed by well how the Beats Flex handed the synth basslines on Frank Ocean’s “Swim Good” and opened up the soundscape for the singer to flex his harmonizing talents. Since Beats has been on an IPX4 kick with its last two wireless earbuds releases beats solo pro wireless , we were expecting some form of water-resistant/waterproof protection on the Beats Flex. Beats did mention the USB-C connector is waterproof and that the buttons are sealed to prevent liquid from seeping in. Whether that’s enough assurance to exercise or swim with the buds, well, that’s a risk you may or may not want to take. Personally, I thought the buds staved off excessive sweat well during cardio workouts.