The simple black cardboard box isn’t much bigger than a deck of cards, there’s virtually no plastic inside or out, and it can all be easily recycled. Our Halloween Tidal playlist continues to Danny Elfman’s orchestral original score, Tales From The Crypt, and the brass section comes through musically strong and full-bodied. The cymbal crashes, darting strings and woodwinds feel slightly recessed, but it’s a competent performance nevertheless. So, while Android users get a basic Bluetooth experience, Apple’s W1 chip here elevates things to the next level for iOS users. Audio Sharing, which lets you connect two pairs of compatible AirPods and Beats to a single device, to simultaneously listen to the same content, is another bonus. The earbuds can magnetically link together when you’re not using them.
That means all you’ll have to do is turn on the Flex near your iOS device and a pairing pop-up will automatically be displayed. That message will also tell you the current battery level for the earbuds and allows you to connect to that phone or tablet quickly when you need to do so in the future. Right now, that pop-up card only says Beats Flex, but doesn’t have an image of the device.
The earbuds magnetically attach to each other when not in use, which pauses the music too. The inside of the left pod has the mic and a multi-function playback and voice assistant button. The Beats Flex are one of the easiest-to-recommend pairs of Beats headphones to date. That’s mostly because of the price, of course, but there are no major mis-steps here either. To see a company like Beats fit this in at $50 would constitute a minor miracle.
Beats Flex sound quality will not blow anything out of the water but with the price of A$79.95, its combination of sound, design, and comfort combined makes it a good value, wireless earphones from Beats. If you are looking to replace your Apple EarBuds without paying too much, Beats Flex makes a great choice. The main issue with the sound quality is that everything feels a little bit flat. Whether you’re listening to pop or rap, there’s no sense at all of a wide soundstage that gives songs their individual identity.
The neckband is also the most comfortable I’ve used, even more comfortable than Powerbeats. The area that rests against your neck is molded so it rests perfectly against the next. The controls are on both sides of the buds, the volume, play/pause, and beats flex review Siri controls are on the left while the power/Bluetooth button is on the right. 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.
Again, the best sound is experienced outside of music, with Beats’ drivers emphasizing vocals to hear dialogue better. I loved using these buds to take in my daily dose of political news via CNN clips, along with other YouTube content I normally binge during downtimes. Even poorly recorded podcasts like The Game Informer Show received a boost in clarity. Beats keeps the full plastic construction intact, along with the tangle-free beats solo pro wireless wire and magnetized earbud housing, all of which still feel premium. You’ll notice the inline mic and multifunctional button on the left module have been modified for enhanced usability; no more pulling the mic close to your mouth on phone calls. We’re testing with an older iPhone 8 running on the most recent iOS update and find the promised auto-pause functionality when the buds’ magnets click together a little hit and miss.
The button lets you play or pause tracks with a single press, or skip tracks with a double-press. You can also summon Siri with a long press for more granular music controls using your voice in Apple Music. The Beats Flex uses a neckstrap design to deliver way more battery power than true wireless earbuds. You also can’t lose one or the other, although you can lose both. And that’s why there’s a place for them in today’s highly competitive headphones market.
On the left side, the three-button remote is gone, replaced by a single, round multi-function button for pause/skip/back and a separate volume rocker on the side. There’s a pill-shaped grille covering the integrated microphone, and on this side you’ll also find the USB-C connector. The Flex-Form cable that conforms to your neck feels a little thinner than what was on the Beats X, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly concerned about long-term durability. Beats assured me that the Flex earbuds have passed the company’s usual set of reliability tests. The Beats Flex are simple, colorful in-ears with a neck cable design. They have 11 hours of continuous playback time and can be seamlessly paired with any Apple product, thanks to their W1 chip.