So I have to say that I’ve been experiencing a reacquaintance with Beats headphones. Before I reviewed the Beats Studio3 I hadn’t touched a pair of Beats in ages. The Studio3 really changed my old perception of Beats in a good way. The company sent has now me their BeatsX for review. Will these in-ear headphones impress me as much as their over-ear big brother? Find out in the full BeatsX review!
Specifications
The BeatsX Decade Collection has the following features and specifications:
- Bluetooth
- Remote and Mic
- Inline Call and Music Controls
- Inline Volume Control
- Noise Isolation
- Stereo Bluetooth
- Charge via Lightning cable
- Flex-Form Cable
- Up to 8 hours of battery life
What’s In The Box
- BeatsX earphones
- Eartips with four size options
- Removable secure-fit wingtips
- Pocket-sized carrying case
- Lightning to USB-A charging cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
Design
There’s not a whole lot to say about the BeatsX design other than it’s clean and simple. I like that they kept the inline remote and battery/power modules very simple. They could have really done some crazy stuff here but they didn’t. The neckband is a rubber-like material which I assume is sweatproof, though it does stick to your skin when you are sweaty.
The cables are flat and colored red and the earphones themselves have the beats logo tastefully printed on the side. They are super lightweight and you don’t feel like you’re wearing anything around your neck.
Just below the neckband is the battery with Lightning charging port and power button. The power button is a bit mushy and I wish it had a more tactile response to it. There were many times that I didn’t feel I had actually turned the headphones on.
The earbuds themselves are magnetic which is nice when you’re not using them and they just stick together. The materials used for construction are primarily high-quality plastics and rubber and the headphones look and feel premium.
Overall, it’s a clean design and it’s attractive. My only real complaint is that power button.
Ease of Use
At this point, I’m going to assume that most of you know how to pair Bluetooth headphones. As easy as it is to pair Bluetooth headphones, pairing the BeatsX with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is even easier. Simply turn them on and they’ll pop up on your Apple device, tap pair and you’re done. You can use these with Android phones, just pair them like any normal pair of headphones.
The inline remote controls volume up/down, track forward/back, play/pause, and calls. It works for both Android and iOS and is pretty standard and easy to use.
Overall, these headphones are dead simple to use and operate. They are super simple to pair with an Apple device thanks to the W1 Chip.
Sound
During my Beats Studio3 review, I was expecting overdriven bass and muddy mids with washed out highs. That’s the Beats experience I had in the past. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case with the Studio3’s and that’s not the case with the BeatsX.
Yes, Beats tends to tune their headphones to favor the bass frequencies but they’ve managed to balance it out in a way the rest of the frequencies aren’t crushed. I actually like the sound these headphones produce, I like a good bottom end that’s able to support everything but not drown it out.
There are a variety of ear tips included and I did have to try them all to get a good fit. Most earbuds I try fit my ears just fine but I really had to hunt for just the right tips with the BeatsX. So be prepared to give all of the tips a run.
The ear tips, once you find the right ones, provide a good amount of noise isolation when you have them in properly. They’re also comfortable and you hardly notice they are there.
Overall, the sound is what I am calling, the new Beats sound. It’s much improved over the old Beats that Dr. Dre started so many years back. It’s far more balanced than ever and I really enjoyed the soundstage.
Reception/Call Quality
Testing the BeatsX with my iPhone X, the Bluetooth reception is pretty standard. Call quality was great, the snugness of the earbuds does a good job noise isolation allowing for good crisp calls. The mic also does a good job and callers could hear me clearly.
Battery Life
Beats claims you’ll get 8 hours of battery here. I was able to squeeze in just over 7.5 hours a few times so it’s pretty close to the advertised claims. Battery life will, of course, depend on volume and distance from your smartphone or source device.
Price/Value
The BeatsX are priced at $149.95USD which is on par with the competition and Amazon has them for $125USD. I think there’s plenty of value here, compared to the competition they’re playing on the same field. Now, you just have to decide which team you want to back.
Wrap Up
The BeatsX earbuds have a clean design with new Beats sound that doesn’t kill you with bass but makes the bass more of a foundation to the other frequencies. A mushy power button is probably the worst part of these earphones. Overall, these are a good purchase if these are the style of headphones you’re looking for.
*We received a sample of BeatsX for the purposes of this review.
Last Updated on July 18, 2018.
