Although this falls short of the listed specification, you can always rely on the quick charge feature, which gives you an extra 90 minutes after just 10 minutes on the charger. Thankfully, the neckband houses a USB-C input, so you can charge this with the same cable that charges your Android phone and laptop. The price is very fair for what you get — you’ll be hard pushed to find a better pair of wireless earphones at the price. I listen to dance-y tracks when beats solo pro wireless I run outside, and though the Flex lacks active noise cancellation, I couldn’t hear much ambient street noise while I pounded the pavement. Saweetie’s “Tap In,” which uses Too Short’s signature “Blow the Whistle” hook, absolutely slaps on the Flex, as does Bad Bunny’s “Yo Perreo Sola,” which features a classic reggaeton beat and drums. The underlying heart of the Beats Flex for pairing is Apple’s own W1 chip, as found in the original generation of AirPods.
Get one with both the USB-A and USB-C slotsthat will be more versatile and let you charge other devices. Bass is a little lacking too, a bit of a surprise for a pair of Beats. Yes, when compared to EarPods there’s definitely more oomph in bassy tracks – but it pales in comparison to even the AirPods, which I wouldn’t class as particularly bass-heavy. The Beats Flex charge via USB-C, which is good news if you’re on Android but a little annoying if you have an iPhone.
The Beats are more comfortable, stable, and have a better build quality. They also isolate more noise and have a W1 chip so that you can seamlessly pair them with Apple devices. These headphones have a comfortable fit and have over 11 hours of continuous battery life, which should last through long days at the office. While they don’t have active noise cancelling , they can still passively cut down a fair bit of ambient chatter around you. They also don’t leak a lot of audio, so you can listen to your audio at a high volume without disturbing others around you.
If you search for something affordable but with many features and a faithful sound signature, Beats Flex are the right pick for you. I’ve seen a similarly excellent performance from Apple AirPods Max. It’s good to know Apple doesn’t skim on quality antennas in their products. Bluetooth connection on Beats Flex is proof that wireless connectivity can be reliable, even in earbuds for under $50. There’s no active noise cancellation.Of course, adding music to the equation eliminates any sign of ambient noise.
But, because a significant part of that weight rests on your strong neck and shoulders, they feel very lightweight. So, you’d expect Beats to have put more battery power in there, and you’d be right. Once you get close to a quarter of an ounce in each ear, they start to feel heavy and uncomfortable.