[ahaadam]

Has anyone actually got a pair?

I know, I know they're Beats – but would love to hear an audiophile actually makes of them.

There been a few decent reviews, but unsure if that's purely because expectations are so low...

 

[robertjwarren]

I don't know what driver difference there might be but have been using the predecessor BeatsX for over a year and they still sound great to me. The BeatsX are a little "bright" to me when i change to my EarSonics ES3's but for the price and convenience i am thinking of buying the Flex also.

 

[ahaadam]

That's useful thanks. Begrudgingly coming round to the connivence of wireless, even if it means trading off some sound quality. What I can't stand though is the environmental impact of it all.

 

[tinyman392]

That's useful thanks. Begrudgingly coming round to the connivence of wireless, even if it means trading off some sound quality. What I can't stand though is the environmental impact of it all.

I wasn’t a fan of the BeatsX, my OG AirPods sounded better than them; not by much, but even then, that’s saying quite a bit. There are lots of wireless headphones, even truly wireless headphones that will likely do you better. Don’t let this stop you from trying them though, especially when they only cost like 50 bucks. Beats has improved since Apple acquired them, still not the best, but still an improvement nonetheless.

 

[jiddu]

Bumping this, needed a pair for work so didn't want to spend too much and ended up with the beats flex. There's a lot I like about them, but the sound overall gets beat out by the $20 AKG wired iems that come with a Samsung phone lol. That's not to say they're terrible sounding, the AKGs have been a hidden gem at that price for me, much better than what was typically recommended here for budget iems like jvc and philips so it's not a total miss to be outperformed by them.

Still, I had to find the EQ to use them and for non work use I'm searching for something better. Unfortunately my preference is having the neck wire and controls whereas the fad seems to be "truly" wireless. I can't have nice things like that because I will lose/break them and I don't need an extra thing in my pocket. If anyone has a recommendation I'm totally game to try something new.

 

[jiddu]

Ok, I should update. If anyone is considering the Flex they're actually a pretty nice phone with Comply tips, the included silicones muddy the lower end making them sound like cheap Sonys I used to get in the past for work which always had mid bass boost. Comply tips clean all that up in the flex and you'll actually be able to discern between the ranges in the lower end, with the separation everything else sounds cleaner now (thank God lol).

So, not a bad phone around $50, good battery life, connectivity seems flawless on Android, music pauses when you click the magnets together. Maybe not such good value if you're spending on comply tips, you'll have to decide for yourself.

 

[SilverEars]

I think BeatsX sounds at minimum better than Airpods. They have a good tonality. Airpods are not in-ears with any kind of fit. I do like the stock Samsung AKG wired as well, they are probably the best of any stock earphones you get with any phone. You have to get good fitting aftermarket tips to get them to sound right. Stock tips didn't work for me.

I've used the Samsung AKG earphone a lot due to the quality inline mic. The wired inline mic picks up voice much better than any wireless offerings. BeatsX and Flex should be good due to being inline and near the mouth. Mic on BeatsX or Flex will be much better than any TWS and should be on par with wired inline mics. This is what I dislike about TWS, the mic quality. When there is ambient noise, the other end cannot make out what you are saying. On the other hand, inline mics are near the mouth so the amplitude of the voice is easier to distinguish from far away sounds.