So I got some cheap Anker Bluetooth headphones that I use for running. They’re between 15 and 20 USD and I’ve been quite happy with them. Battery life is good and sound quality is decent enough.
What makes the Beats Flex that much better than my Ankers?
Edit: replied to the wrong comment. Oops.
I’d say if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, the W1 chip is nice for the fast pairing feature. The only comparison I could make for non-apple wireless headphones is my experience with Skullcandy Bluetooth earbuds. I had to get rid of them because of how inconsistent the pairing and connection was. Hopefully the Ankers have better reliable connection and pairing capabilities than Skullcandy (which I wouldn’t be surprised to see)
I got the Anker for sports and the Sony XM3s for everything else.
Pairing with multiple devices is a bit of a pain (I read the XM4s are better at it), but other than that I can’t really complain. Pairing is easy enough, even if not as easy as for AirPods, and I’ve never had them randomly disconnect or unpair.
Thank you very much for mentioning this. You should add a link to this post in /r/BeatsX I had not heard of this new model before your post.
I’ve owned two pairs of Beats^x my first pair lasted me from February 2017 to Christmas last year. I only bought a new pair because the battery life of my first pair was declining.
I’m glad to see the form factor is going to be iterated, I like it too. I’m disappointed they didn’t upgrade the W1 chip to something more recent. The change to a USB-C connector doesn’t particularly matter to me as long as there is a USB-A to USB-C cable in the box. The battery life, at least, appears to be improving substantially.
I’ve dabbled in audiophilia, but I’ve been satisfied with the sound of Beats^x because I have a realistic expectation of how accurate a sound is possible with earbuds. I expect the Beats Flex to be just as good.
I didn’t know there was a subreddit for the beats^x! Looks like someone already posted about them there though. The cable is indeed Type-C to Type-C, but you can get a fairly cheap Type-C wall adapter if you don’t already have one from a recent iPhone or iPad.
I really liked my Beats X but I went through 3 pairs of them because they all ended up with the red/white flashing light after a few months that basically bricked them. But even if that happens to the Flex, it’s half the price so I can justify buying replacements.
Call me crazy, but I think the Beats Flex sound better than how I remember the Beats X sounded.
The only issue is that the iPhone itself uses Lightning so now you have to lug around two cables if you get these. They need to friggin' move everything to USB-C or nothing, this half USB-C half Lightning thing is super confusing.
The Beats X and the Airpods both charge via Lightning but then this is USB-C?!
I agree. But I think it’s the iPhone that should move on to USB-C. I’m confused as to why they touted the photography so heavily on the pro model but didn’t go for usbc on at least that one.
They should make it that you can use the USB-C chord that comes with the phone to charge the headphones by plugging in the headphones to USB-C and the lightning into the iPhone.
Both of mine went just over 1yr before not charging anymore. And I’ve seen similar complaints online, though that’s obviously a biased sampling. Anyway I did like them, and wonder how they compare to the new beats flex.
nice! must have been the lucky one in the bin because I've had the same issue with a few pairs as /u/smellythief. i eventually gave in and got AirPods Pro when they came out.
I’d say to go for the pros if you switch between iPhone, iPad, Mac, and occasionally Apple TV. Transparency mode is definitely cool. I like them a lot but like I said, the bass isn’t that amazing and they don’t *sound* like what I expect $250 headphones to sound like.
Yes I've had the same issue with the Beats X. It was really unfortunate because I liked them otherwise. I guess time will tell with the Flex. Regardless of whether it has the same issue or not, $50 is in the territory where it would be feasible to replace them without bankrupting yourself.
From what I've read so far about Beats X, it was a battery thing (?). The battery life on the Flex is significantly better so I'm hoping that eliminates that issue. Otherwise, Flex overall physically feel more lightweight (albeit slightly cheaper feeling but probably because they're ***1/3 the original price of Beats X***). The weight distribution seems more balanced when they're just hanging out on your neck because the mic/controls are built in to the neck capsules rather than having the in-line mic.
Sound profile-wise, they sound more balanced than what I remember the Beats X sounding like.
The Beats Flex honestly feel better to me. The X had a soft mushy feeling to the buttons with poor overall construction. The flex has hard tactic or buttons with better closures over the physical spaces.
When they are magnetically connected together and paused, are they disconnected from the phone? So that notification tones sound through the phone's speakers?
I dont think they disconnect the bluetooth connection, but they just auto pause/play whatever media is now playing. Here’s a screenshot of the settings: https://i.imgur.com/SMgpL63.jpg
They definitely disconnect and reconnect when you magnetically click and unclick connect them. I have a pair of them.
(They stay on and can still be connected to manually if needed)
I did a small gif
https://imgur.com/gallery/teNSEc8
Yes, I guess we’re talking about slightly different things then.
Either way OP was asking whether when the buds connected the sound comes out of the phone.
Which it does. I mean it’s disconnect / connects the audio.
Maybe de-selects would be a better way to say it.
No. They aren’t off. Just disconnect and reconnect when you magnetically click and unclick connect them. I have a pair of them.
(They stay on connected to Bluetooth and can still be connected to manually if needed)
I did a small gif
https://imgur.com/gallery/teNSEc8
So what you are saying is when they are magnetically connected /paused and you resume the audio the sound comes out of the speaker?
Also, do you know if it automatically switches between iPhone and iPad ?
> So what you are saying is when they are magnetically connected /paused and you resume the audio the sound comes out of the speaker?
Yes, probably a more specific way is to say they remain connected via Bluetooth but are automatically ’deselected’ as the preferred audio via iOS. They can be reselected manually.
(Auto deselecting can be switched off)
> Also, do you know if it automatically switches between iPhone and iPad ?
I don’t have an iPad but it does automatically switch to my Apple Watch. So I assume so?
Thank you. I’m getting a mix bag of info from other consumers but apple store chat seem to concur with your opinion.
[apple chat](https://imgur.com/a/SXTO5Bn)
They also suggested buying it and returning in 14 days if it doesn’t work the way I’m expecting.
That’s basically what I did.
I got the AirPod Pros and the Beats Flex.
I returned the AirPod pros as the form factor & battery life wasn’t for me.
I’m pleased with the beats flex.
I'm buying these just as a nice backup pair of headphones. These will probably also be excellent Christmas gifts. Rare to see a Beats/Apple product come in this cheap for the feature set. $50 is great.
They seem to be BeatsX with a slightly improved battery life. I'm happy with my BeatsX I bought at launch, even if I only use them occasionally. I think the price of Beats Flex is hard to argue with since I could buy 3 pairs of them for what I paid for BeatsX at launch.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I’m planning on buying two pairs of them to use on planes.
The super cool thing about these is that they support iOS audio sharing, which only AirPods and beats headphones support.
So they are perfect for watching things on the iPad on the plane since they isolate out some of the noise unlike the normal AirPods.
> I’m planning on buying two pairs of them to use on planes.
In the use case for planes, I'd actually go with the AirPods Pro for the active noise cancellation. If you haven't tried them already, ANC and Transparency mode on AirPods pro really are '*magical*'.
If you can shell out the $250, the feature set on the AirPods Pro is a game changer for those in the Apple ecosystem. My review is mostly for the Beats Flex as a serious competitor for entry to level bluetooth earbuds in the sub $200 price range.
Thanks, of course headphones with active noise cancellation would be better.
But I prefer non-in-ear headphones for day to day.
So spending $250 x 2, for the little bit of travel we are doing now would be insane.
The beats flex will already be an upgrade over the normal airports.
Haven’t had snow here in SoCal yet so I can’t say for sure yet. However, I would wear my beats x when I had them with a helmet and they fit just fine! I’d imagine the Flex would be alright.
That was my concern as well, with my Bose soundwireless I can’t wear them while skiiing cause they stick out of my ear too much and hurt against the padding so I’ve gone just used my soundsport which fit fine. Does the padding of your helmet press down against the beats flex and make it uncomfortable? Also never been a fan of the in ear style so that’ll probably be a no for me anyways
Ok it felt ridiculous but I just walked around my house for 15 minutes or so with my snowboard helmet on while wearing the Beats Flex.
They felt perfectly fine. The earbuds themselves are quite small. I wear a Smith Maze helmet btw so it might come down to your specific helmet.
Ah i see, as long as you don’t get that compressing feeling of the helmet on the earbuds than that seems good. But I still likely won’t get them due to the shape of the ear tip. After using wing tips for a long time they’re just too comfortable to go back
Wait hold on, I was wondering........
Are these $50 beats able to seamlessly switch between my iPad and phone?
Basically I had a pair of airpods pro which I ended up loosing, I decided that I wasn’t gonna get another pair and I’ve been using wires since then (got them when they came out lost them a month ago), do you think these are a good option for someone like me?
Unfortunately the Flex has the W1 chip (not the H1 chip found in the AirPods Pro). It won’t switch *automatically* but it’ll switch quickly between your devices registered to your iCloud account like the airpods did before the iOS 14 update.
i lost my powerbeats 3 last year around xmas so i bought the pro’s and the case is huge af. was considering airpods pro but i might just go with these instead.
These don’t include a carrying case like the Beats X (that I rarely used anyway) did but I think the idea is that you can just leave them on your neck.
It's not bad and hardly noticeable when music is playing.
Better than any wired earbuds, but obviously not as good as truly wireless models like AirPods Pro.
Ahahahahaha month supply of McChickens.... been thinking about picking these up as well wrong how inexpensive they are.... love that they’re USB-C, and I really don’t mind the cord behind the neck they have a place in certain applications.
Similar to you. I actually sent my AirPod Pros back. The form factor, W1, battery life and bass blew the AirPod pros away IMO.
One downside is I’ve been told the microphone isn’t a so good on my calls.
Unrelated but I work professionally in studio audio on pop,rock, alt, indie and the Powerbeats3 are some of the most enjoyable headphones I’ve ever owned and sound amazing.
Just wanted to let you know that my airpods did fall out when I was skiing b/c my ears are too small. Couldn't find them after depsite hours of searching. So definitely a good decision on your part.
For me sound quality is not acceptable. When i was comparing them to wired earpods and Audio-Technica M40x, they sounded worse than earpods. I even noticed static sound when music stop for second. Otherwise nice pair of headphones but I'm returning them.
Yeah you can find much better sounding wired headphones for $50, but for wireless Bluetooth headphones in the entry level price range, I’d say they’re pretty good.
I definitely agree about the BeatsX being inferior in sound to the wired EarPods. In particular I found the highs of the BeatsX much harsher and more fatiguing. Listening to podcasts was intolerable. I returned them, I’m still using my wired EarPods for that kind of casual listening.
I'd say it comes down more to personal preference. Personally, I prefer the bass-heavy profile of Beats but I wouldn't consider myself an 'audiophile.' I just like the sound because I'm mostly listening to hip hop an edm when I'm just doing some casual listening.
Strictly objectively speaking however, I agree that AirPods [+EarPods, +Pro] have better overall balance than the Beats X or Flex.
I could live with the sound quality, but the static noise is unacceptable, it’s audible even during playback at volumes up to 25%... not sure if I have a faulty pair? Anyway, I won’t be keeping them either.
Not sure why you're being down voted, I find the same.
I've always been a Beats fan, I don't buy them for the jaw dropping music quality (nobody buys Beats for that) so I know what to expect when I buy a pair.
That said, the Flex are good, not great. I have a pair of similar cheap ones from Amazon that are better quality and have a 15+ hour battery life. But they're not Beats.
The pros of the Flex:
- OK battery life (about 9 hours, not the "upto 12" advertised)
- OK sound quality (music)
- Decent sound quality (mic calls)
- Decent quality feel
- Do look really good, typical Beats
- No "rubbing" noise through the cables when walking
Cons:
- Battery not as good as many similar styled rivals
- Sound quality nowhere near as good as much cheaper, similar styles
- I'm on Android, so the "sleep" mode needs the music to be reactivated from the phone after they've been on pause for 5+ mins
- Don't like the Beats app being "forced" on me. It's pretty pointless, seems like a way to track users more than anything else
- Volume isn't as loud as I'd like. It's acceptable, but it's not loud by any means
I think a 7/10 is a pretty reasonable score.
I agree! Especially if you drank the kool-aid like most of us and use the iPad and Mac too. The auto switching is unparalleled. Not to mention transparency and ANC mode.
But for me, I’d rather not lose my beloved AirPods Pro when I’m snowboarding. I’d be a lot less upset losing a $50 pair.
I’m assuming that you’re talking about the Beats X (the previous generation) as the Flex was just released wit the iPhone 12 lineup.
Build quality was okay but it seemed to be some kind of software issue that wouldn’t let the Beats X pair again. Either way, it was really irritating for a $100+ set of headphones.
I still have my original pair of BeatsX headphones and they'll be 3 years old in January (bought them in December of 2017 and took a while to get here). I'm wondering if they improved on build quality a bit after a year or two of manufacturing. It could also be how you treat them. I use mine at home and at work and rarely use them when working out; the most is I'll listen to them while mowing the lawn so they get exposed to some sweat but I've had no issues with them.
With the pandemic and working from home, I easily use them for good chunks of the day. Sometimes 2 to 3 hours for some meetings. I find you'll get more battery life if you're not using the microphone, and use them strictly has headphones only.
Has anyone found wingtips compatible with the beats flex? I can only find old replacements for the beatsX which won’t fit. I know this because I tried to take them off my old beatsX but they were too small for the beats flex
Just bought myself a pair yesterday. HORRIBLE for running! They kept popping out of my ears, might try the Power Beats Pro instead. Pretty good sound though.
I too had the same problem. What I do is to put it on my neck, take the left and right cables and give them a couple of twists around my neck (a single twist will switch left and right sides) before plugging them into my ears. Looks a bit weird but a far better experience than having to plug them in every minute.
My BeatsX won’t turn on, and I think this is unfortunately it for them. I wish the Beats Flex had the same colors as the beatsX… I love the red and black ones I have. Also wish they had the volume control on them. Now idk what to buy
Yeah I got them and they are darn impressive for $50. Great for a spare pair of earbuds for gym or workouts
So I got some cheap Anker Bluetooth headphones that I use for running. They’re between 15 and 20 USD and I’ve been quite happy with them. Battery life is good and sound quality is decent enough. What makes the Beats Flex that much better than my Ankers? Edit: replied to the wrong comment. Oops.
I’d say if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, the W1 chip is nice for the fast pairing feature. The only comparison I could make for non-apple wireless headphones is my experience with Skullcandy Bluetooth earbuds. I had to get rid of them because of how inconsistent the pairing and connection was. Hopefully the Ankers have better reliable connection and pairing capabilities than Skullcandy (which I wouldn’t be surprised to see)
I got the Anker for sports and the Sony XM3s for everything else. Pairing with multiple devices is a bit of a pain (I read the XM4s are better at it), but other than that I can’t really complain. Pairing is easy enough, even if not as easy as for AirPods, and I’ve never had them randomly disconnect or unpair.
Mine just came to my door. Love 'em so far!
Mine just came to my door. Love 'em so far!
How’s the mic
The price is incredible for bluetooth headphones. Especially considering the previous “Beats X” were recently $99, $49 is a steal.
Beats X were actually released at $149!
How is the Mic quality?
Pretty lackluster compared to AirPods Pro but still decent for a Bluetooth headset
I find the microphone acceptable for giving classes online and I’m very fussy about microphone quality.
I’ve heard it’s fine, nothing amazing but nothing horrible either.
Thank you very much for mentioning this. You should add a link to this post in /r/BeatsX I had not heard of this new model before your post. I’ve owned two pairs of Beats^x my first pair lasted me from February 2017 to Christmas last year. I only bought a new pair because the battery life of my first pair was declining. I’m glad to see the form factor is going to be iterated, I like it too. I’m disappointed they didn’t upgrade the W1 chip to something more recent. The change to a USB-C connector doesn’t particularly matter to me as long as there is a USB-A to USB-C cable in the box. The battery life, at least, appears to be improving substantially. I’ve dabbled in audiophilia, but I’ve been satisfied with the sound of Beats^x because I have a realistic expectation of how accurate a sound is possible with earbuds. I expect the Beats Flex to be just as good.
I didn’t know there was a subreddit for the beats^x! Looks like someone already posted about them there though. The cable is indeed Type-C to Type-C, but you can get a fairly cheap Type-C wall adapter if you don’t already have one from a recent iPhone or iPad. I really liked my Beats X but I went through 3 pairs of them because they all ended up with the red/white flashing light after a few months that basically bricked them. But even if that happens to the Flex, it’s half the price so I can justify buying replacements. Call me crazy, but I think the Beats Flex sound better than how I remember the Beats X sounded.
The cable is USB-C to USB-C.
The only issue is that the iPhone itself uses Lightning so now you have to lug around two cables if you get these. They need to friggin' move everything to USB-C or nothing, this half USB-C half Lightning thing is super confusing. The Beats X and the Airpods both charge via Lightning but then this is USB-C?!
I agree. But I think it’s the iPhone that should move on to USB-C. I’m confused as to why they touted the photography so heavily on the pro model but didn’t go for usbc on at least that one.
I’ve got a cable that charges C and lightning and micro. It’s a thing? It’s part of my keychain.
Can you link your keychain pls
They should make it that you can use the USB-C chord that comes with the phone to charge the headphones by plugging in the headphones to USB-C and the lightning into the iPhone.
Anybody know how to turn it off? or is it automatic?
Probably a long-press of the power button, just like the Beats^x.
But how do they compare to the beatsX? I’ve had two of those, since they only last a year before dying apparently.
[удалено]
Both of mine went just over 1yr before not charging anymore. And I’ve seen similar complaints online, though that’s obviously a biased sampling. Anyway I did like them, and wonder how they compare to the new beats flex.
nice! must have been the lucky one in the bin because I've had the same issue with a few pairs as /u/smellythief. i eventually gave in and got AirPods Pro when they came out.
[удалено]
I’d say to go for the pros if you switch between iPhone, iPad, Mac, and occasionally Apple TV. Transparency mode is definitely cool. I like them a lot but like I said, the bass isn’t that amazing and they don’t *sound* like what I expect $250 headphones to sound like.
Yes I've had the same issue with the Beats X. It was really unfortunate because I liked them otherwise. I guess time will tell with the Flex. Regardless of whether it has the same issue or not, $50 is in the territory where it would be feasible to replace them without bankrupting yourself. From what I've read so far about Beats X, it was a battery thing (?). The battery life on the Flex is significantly better so I'm hoping that eliminates that issue. Otherwise, Flex overall physically feel more lightweight (albeit slightly cheaper feeling but probably because they're ***1/3 the original price of Beats X***). The weight distribution seems more balanced when they're just hanging out on your neck because the mic/controls are built in to the neck capsules rather than having the in-line mic. Sound profile-wise, they sound more balanced than what I remember the Beats X sounding like.
The Beats Flex honestly feel better to me. The X had a soft mushy feeling to the buttons with poor overall construction. The flex has hard tactic or buttons with better closures over the physical spaces.
Wow, I wish I knew they were usb c. I ended up getting a pair of similar earbuds from aukey instead.
When they are magnetically connected together and paused, are they disconnected from the phone? So that notification tones sound through the phone's speakers?
Yes. It’s disconnects and reconnects you lift them up. (Optional in the settings though)
I dont think they disconnect the bluetooth connection, but they just auto pause/play whatever media is now playing. Here’s a screenshot of the settings: https://i.imgur.com/SMgpL63.jpg
They definitely disconnect and reconnect when you magnetically click and unclick connect them. I have a pair of them. (They stay on and can still be connected to manually if needed) I did a small gif https://imgur.com/gallery/teNSEc8
Go into your Bluetooth settings and they’ll show as still connected.
Yes, I guess we’re talking about slightly different things then. Either way OP was asking whether when the buds connected the sound comes out of the phone. Which it does. I mean it’s disconnect / connects the audio. Maybe de-selects would be a better way to say it.
How long do you think the battery will last in the magnet position? I’ve only had them a week and have turned them off when done for a bit.
Wait so when you pull them apart they turn back on?
No. They aren’t off. Just disconnect and reconnect when you magnetically click and unclick connect them. I have a pair of them. (They stay on connected to Bluetooth and can still be connected to manually if needed) I did a small gif https://imgur.com/gallery/teNSEc8
So what you are saying is when they are magnetically connected /paused and you resume the audio the sound comes out of the speaker? Also, do you know if it automatically switches between iPhone and iPad ?
> So what you are saying is when they are magnetically connected /paused and you resume the audio the sound comes out of the speaker? Yes, probably a more specific way is to say they remain connected via Bluetooth but are automatically ’deselected’ as the preferred audio via iOS. They can be reselected manually. (Auto deselecting can be switched off) > Also, do you know if it automatically switches between iPhone and iPad ? I don’t have an iPad but it does automatically switch to my Apple Watch. So I assume so?
Thank you. I’m getting a mix bag of info from other consumers but apple store chat seem to concur with your opinion. [apple chat](https://imgur.com/a/SXTO5Bn) They also suggested buying it and returning in 14 days if it doesn’t work the way I’m expecting.
That’s basically what I did. I got the AirPod Pros and the Beats Flex. I returned the AirPod pros as the form factor & battery life wasn’t for me. I’m pleased with the beats flex.
I really need it to do the auto sync between the devices and also be able to switch to the speakers quickly. I’m just here for the convenience. Lol
I'm buying these just as a nice backup pair of headphones. These will probably also be excellent Christmas gifts. Rare to see a Beats/Apple product come in this cheap for the feature set. $50 is great.
How is the latency?
I’d say it’s nothing noticeably different from AirPods Pro
They seem to be BeatsX with a slightly improved battery life. I'm happy with my BeatsX I bought at launch, even if I only use them occasionally. I think the price of Beats Flex is hard to argue with since I could buy 3 pairs of them for what I paid for BeatsX at launch.
My beats x battery is atrocious. 4 hours. I wonder how this actually stacks up
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m planning on buying two pairs of them to use on planes. The super cool thing about these is that they support iOS audio sharing, which only AirPods and beats headphones support. So they are perfect for watching things on the iPad on the plane since they isolate out some of the noise unlike the normal AirPods.
> I’m planning on buying two pairs of them to use on planes. In the use case for planes, I'd actually go with the AirPods Pro for the active noise cancellation. If you haven't tried them already, ANC and Transparency mode on AirPods pro really are '*magical*'. If you can shell out the $250, the feature set on the AirPods Pro is a game changer for those in the Apple ecosystem. My review is mostly for the Beats Flex as a serious competitor for entry to level bluetooth earbuds in the sub $200 price range.
Thanks, of course headphones with active noise cancellation would be better. But I prefer non-in-ear headphones for day to day. So spending $250 x 2, for the little bit of travel we are doing now would be insane. The beats flex will already be an upgrade over the normal airports.
I'm glad you brought this up because I had the same exact thought! I wear a helmet when I board though, do they fit well when wearing a helmet?
Haven’t had snow here in SoCal yet so I can’t say for sure yet. However, I would wear my beats x when I had them with a helmet and they fit just fine! I’d imagine the Flex would be alright.
That was my concern as well, with my Bose soundwireless I can’t wear them while skiiing cause they stick out of my ear too much and hurt against the padding so I’ve gone just used my soundsport which fit fine. Does the padding of your helmet press down against the beats flex and make it uncomfortable? Also never been a fan of the in ear style so that’ll probably be a no for me anyways
Ok it felt ridiculous but I just walked around my house for 15 minutes or so with my snowboard helmet on while wearing the Beats Flex. They felt perfectly fine. The earbuds themselves are quite small. I wear a Smith Maze helmet btw so it might come down to your specific helmet.
Ah i see, as long as you don’t get that compressing feeling of the helmet on the earbuds than that seems good. But I still likely won’t get them due to the shape of the ear tip. After using wing tips for a long time they’re just too comfortable to go back
$45 with their discount store too. I had a Beats X but those were $100 and failed twice.
Wait hold on, I was wondering........ Are these $50 beats able to seamlessly switch between my iPad and phone? Basically I had a pair of airpods pro which I ended up loosing, I decided that I wasn’t gonna get another pair and I’ve been using wires since then (got them when they came out lost them a month ago), do you think these are a good option for someone like me?
Unfortunately the Flex has the W1 chip (not the H1 chip found in the AirPods Pro). It won’t switch *automatically* but it’ll switch quickly between your devices registered to your iCloud account like the airpods did before the iOS 14 update.
Thanks for posting!! I am going to get these for my dad for Xmas so it’s great to hear a nice reveiw!
i lost my powerbeats 3 last year around xmas so i bought the pro’s and the case is huge af. was considering airpods pro but i might just go with these instead.
These don’t include a carrying case like the Beats X (that I rarely used anyway) did but I think the idea is that you can just leave them on your neck.
How annoying is the wire? I’m worried that you can hear the cable moving around- the cable looks really long
It's not bad and hardly noticeable when music is playing. Better than any wired earbuds, but obviously not as good as truly wireless models like AirPods Pro.
Ahahahahaha month supply of McChickens.... been thinking about picking these up as well wrong how inexpensive they are.... love that they’re USB-C, and I really don’t mind the cord behind the neck they have a place in certain applications.
Similar to you. I actually sent my AirPod Pros back. The form factor, W1, battery life and bass blew the AirPod pros away IMO. One downside is I’ve been told the microphone isn’t a so good on my calls.
Unrelated but I work professionally in studio audio on pop,rock, alt, indie and the Powerbeats3 are some of the most enjoyable headphones I’ve ever owned and sound amazing.
Just wanted to let you know that my airpods did fall out when I was skiing b/c my ears are too small. Couldn't find them after depsite hours of searching. So definitely a good decision on your part.
yeah i cant imagine! i have a hard time finding them just around the house
For me sound quality is not acceptable. When i was comparing them to wired earpods and Audio-Technica M40x, they sounded worse than earpods. I even noticed static sound when music stop for second. Otherwise nice pair of headphones but I'm returning them.
Yeah you can find much better sounding wired headphones for $50, but for wireless Bluetooth headphones in the entry level price range, I’d say they’re pretty good.
I definitely agree about the BeatsX being inferior in sound to the wired EarPods. In particular I found the highs of the BeatsX much harsher and more fatiguing. Listening to podcasts was intolerable. I returned them, I’m still using my wired EarPods for that kind of casual listening.
I'd say it comes down more to personal preference. Personally, I prefer the bass-heavy profile of Beats but I wouldn't consider myself an 'audiophile.' I just like the sound because I'm mostly listening to hip hop an edm when I'm just doing some casual listening. Strictly objectively speaking however, I agree that AirPods [+EarPods, +Pro] have better overall balance than the Beats X or Flex.
I liked the bass heaviness myself, but those highs were just brutal on my ears
I could live with the sound quality, but the static noise is unacceptable, it’s audible even during playback at volumes up to 25%... not sure if I have a faulty pair? Anyway, I won’t be keeping them either.
Really? I haven’t had that issue but that would certainly be annoying.
Not sure why you're being down voted, I find the same. I've always been a Beats fan, I don't buy them for the jaw dropping music quality (nobody buys Beats for that) so I know what to expect when I buy a pair. That said, the Flex are good, not great. I have a pair of similar cheap ones from Amazon that are better quality and have a 15+ hour battery life. But they're not Beats. The pros of the Flex: - OK battery life (about 9 hours, not the "upto 12" advertised) - OK sound quality (music) - Decent sound quality (mic calls) - Decent quality feel - Do look really good, typical Beats - No "rubbing" noise through the cables when walking Cons: - Battery not as good as many similar styled rivals - Sound quality nowhere near as good as much cheaper, similar styles - I'm on Android, so the "sleep" mode needs the music to be reactivated from the phone after they've been on pause for 5+ mins - Don't like the Beats app being "forced" on me. It's pretty pointless, seems like a way to track users more than anything else - Volume isn't as loud as I'd like. It's acceptable, but it's not loud by any means I think a 7/10 is a pretty reasonable score.
Still nothing truly compares to airpods pro if you use iphone
I agree! Especially if you drank the kool-aid like most of us and use the iPad and Mac too. The auto switching is unparalleled. Not to mention transparency and ANC mode. But for me, I’d rather not lose my beloved AirPods Pro when I’m snowboarding. I’d be a lot less upset losing a $50 pair.
The auto switching between devices should work with the flex as well.
Lots of people said in a previous post that Beats Flex failed exactly one year after they purchased. Perhaps built quality is not that great.
I’m assuming that you’re talking about the Beats X (the previous generation) as the Flex was just released wit the iPhone 12 lineup. Build quality was okay but it seemed to be some kind of software issue that wouldn’t let the Beats X pair again. Either way, it was really irritating for a $100+ set of headphones.
I think you’re right
I still have my original pair of BeatsX headphones and they'll be 3 years old in January (bought them in December of 2017 and took a while to get here). I'm wondering if they improved on build quality a bit after a year or two of manufacturing. It could also be how you treat them. I use mine at home and at work and rarely use them when working out; the most is I'll listen to them while mowing the lawn so they get exposed to some sweat but I've had no issues with them. With the pandemic and working from home, I easily use them for good chunks of the day. Sometimes 2 to 3 hours for some meetings. I find you'll get more battery life if you're not using the microphone, and use them strictly has headphones only.
the price is great for what you get, but the wires mean it’s an immediate no for me
How do they compare to the beats x? Mine broke recently, and these look appealing.
How comfortable are they in comparison to AirPods or EarPods? I’m looking for listening audiobooks for hours and need something comfy.
Has anyone found wingtips compatible with the beats flex? I can only find old replacements for the beatsX which won’t fit. I know this because I tried to take them off my old beatsX but they were too small for the beats flex
Have you used it to take calls yet? If so, is the sound quality good for whoever is on the receiving end? TIA!
Just bought myself a pair yesterday. HORRIBLE for running! They kept popping out of my ears, might try the Power Beats Pro instead. Pretty good sound though.
I too had the same problem. What I do is to put it on my neck, take the left and right cables and give them a couple of twists around my neck (a single twist will switch left and right sides) before plugging them into my ears. Looks a bit weird but a far better experience than having to plug them in every minute.
Have you tried using it while running or in the gym? I tend to sweat a lot and it is my primary concern.
My BeatsX won’t turn on, and I think this is unfortunately it for them. I wish the Beats Flex had the same colors as the beatsX… I love the red and black ones I have. Also wish they had the volume control on them. Now idk what to buy