Beats Studio Buds + vs Beats Flex
Quick take: The Beats Flex costs $60 less; the Beats Studio Buds + has active noise cancelling while the Beats Flex doesn't; the Beats Flex lasts longer per charge (12 hrs).
| Spec | Beats Studio Buds + | Beats Flex |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$100 | ~$40 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Wireless Earbuds | Wireless Earbuds |
| Noise Cancelling | ANC | None |
| Battery (single charge) | 6 hrs | 12 hrs |
| Battery (with case) | 36 hrs | 12 hrs |
| Quick Charge | Fast Fuel: 5 min = 1 hr | Fast Fuel: 10 min = 1.5 hrs |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Multipoint | No | No |
| Driver Size | — | — |
| Weight | 5 g | 18.6 g |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 | — |
| Wireless Charging | No | No |
| Transparency Mode | Yes | No |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | No |
| App EQ | No | No |
Pros & cons
Beats Studio Buds +
- ✓Native one-touch pairing on both iPhone and Android
- ✓Find My on iOS, Find My Device on Android
- ✓Genuinely natural transparency mode
- ✓Fast Fuel adds an hour in five minutes
- ✓Spatial audio works with Apple Music
- ✓Frequent $100 sales far below the $170 list
- ✗ANC weaker than a Space A40 at half the price
- ✗No multipoint, wireless charging, wear detection, or EQ
- ✗36-hour case total assumes ANC off
- ✗Intermittent dropout complaints drag the 4.1-star average
- ✗Early units hit by a left-bud drain issue
Beats Flex
- ✓12-hour battery covers a full day on one charge
- ✓W1 chip gives instant pairing across Apple devices
- ✓Magnetic buds click together and auto-pause playback
- ✓Neckband means nothing falls out or gets lost
- ✓Fast Fuel: 10 minutes buys 1.5 hours
- ✓18.6 grams total disappears around your neck
- ✗No official sweat resistance — treadmill users report dead units
- ✗No ANC or transparency mode at all
- ✗No charging case, so dead means dead until USB-C
- ✗Plasticky inline remote and collar-snagging cable
- ✗Owners report battery capacity fades after two years of daily use