The Beats BeatsX Wireless are neckband headphones well-suited for sports. Their rubberized design is lightweight and flexible, making them easy to store when you're on the go, whether you wear them around your neck or folded in your pockets. They've also got a well-balanced sound profile, and their added touch of bass will please fans of EDM and hip-hop alike. However, Android users may feel snubbed as these headphones are optimized for iOS devices. Their battery life might not be anything to write home about either, but they have an impressive charge time of just under an hour, so you're not without headphones for too long.
Our Verdict
The Beats X Wireless are decent for mixed-use. Their flexible neckband design makes it easy to take these headphones with you, whether in your pocket or around your neck. Although they don't significantly reduce low noises like vehicle engines, they perform much better at blocking out the chatter in offices or cafes. These headphones are also stable enough to wear while working out. They deliver a well-balanced sound that casual listeners can enjoy. However, fans of neutral sound may find the soundstage to be too shallow and small compared to open-back headphones.
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Portable and stable design.
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Impressively quick charge time.
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Very low leakage.
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The neckband design might not be comfortable for all users.
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Extremely limited app support only available on iOS.
The Beats X Wireless are okay for neutral listening. They have a fairly well-balanced sound profile with a touch of extra bass. However, the underemphasized treble produces a dark sound lacking detail. The passive soundstage is poor as these headphones are in-ear and closed-back.
The Beats X Wireless are decent for travel. They passively block out a lot of noise, although they do a better job of reducing speech than bus or plane engines. Their four included sets of ear tips help you find the best fit for you if you want to listen to music for a long time. Their sleek, rubberized design is also flexible enough to put into most pockets when you're on the go. Unfortunately, their 6.5 hours of battery life might not be enough to get you through a long train ride or road trip. Luckily, they quickly charge in less than an hour.
The Beats X Wireless are good for sports and fitness. Their flexible, rubberized design makes them easily portable, while their wireless design reduces the chances of you snagging your cords while you work out. They also come with several ear tips and stability fins, so you can find a comfortable fit that shouldn't fall out. However, the neckband design can be more of an annoyance if worn during vigorous movements like sprinting.
The Beats X Wireless are alright for office use. While lightweight, some users won't find the rubberized neckband design comfortable. On the upside, they come with four sets of ear tips so that you can find the best fit. In an office setting, these headphones also do an excellent job of reducing background chatter. If you need more noise isolation, you can crank up the volume without worrying too much about your colleagues hearing your music as they barely leak sound. Their continuous battery life might not get you through your 9-5 shift in one charge, but they have an extremely quick charge time.
The Beats X Wireless aren't recommended for wireless gaming. They aren't compatible with PS4 or Xbox One, and while you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, their latency is likely too high for gaming.
The Beats X Wireless are Bluetooth headphones that you can't use wired.
The Beats X Wireless are okay for phone calls. Although you should still be understood by whoever's on the other end, your voice sounds thin and muffled. The mic also has problems separating speech from background noise which can be problematic if you're taking calls in a noisy office. On the upside, its passive noise isolation helps reduce chatter so you can focus on your phone call without hearing too many distractions.
- 6.9 Mixed Usage
- 6.9 Neutral Sound
- 7.3 Commute/Travel
- 7.7 Sports/Fitness
- 6.7 Office
- 5.4 Wireless Gaming
- 5.3 Wired Gaming
- 6.7 Phone Calls
- Updated Feb 12, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated May 11, 2017: Review published.
- Updated May 09, 2017: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated May 05, 2017: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Compared To Other Headphones
The Beats BeatsX are wireless headphones best suited for sports and physical activities. Compared to other neckband headphones, they're very flexible, which makes them easier to store. Although their battery life is less than other wireless headphones, they've got an impressive charge time of under an hour. Unfortunately, they don't have a true companion app: their pop-up feature offers only battery information, and it's only available to iOS devices, meaning that Android users might find their experience with these headphones lacking.
If you like the neckband look, check out our recommendations for the best neckband headphones. If you're looking for more wireless recommendations, try the best wireless earbuds for iPhone and the best wireless earbuds for running and working out.
The Beats Flex Wireless are better in-ears for most uses than the Beats BeatsX Wireless. The Flex are more comfortable, feel better built, and have a longer continuous battery life. They also have lower audio latency on iOS and Android. However, the BeatsX are more stable in-ear come with a case. They also have a better-balanced sound profile with less bass boost, which may be a better choice if you don't listen to a lot of hip-hop or EDM.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are slightly better wireless in-ears than the Jaybird X3 Wireless, although not by much. The Beats have a flexible neckband design that some will prefer over the Jaybird. They also have a better wireless range, faster-charging battery life, and a more balanced default sound profile. On the other hand, the Jaybird have a customizable sound, thanks to the MySound App available on both iOS and Android. They also have a longer continuous battery life, and a slightly more stable and comfortable fit for the gym and working out.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are better headphones than the Jabra Elite 45e Wireless. Their design blocks as much noise passively as the Jabra Elite 65e, which greatly surpasses the isolation performance of the Jabra. The sound quality of the Beats is also more neutral, but you can’t EQ it to your liking. On the other hand, the Jabra have better wireless range, and if comfort is the most important factor when you’re buying headphones, the Jabra are more comfortable.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless are slightly better sports headphones than the Beats BeatsX Wireless thanks to the very stable ear-hook design. They are also noticeably more comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. Both headphones sound very similar and most people won’t notice the difference. However, the BeatsX provide a better airtight fit, which isolates better against ambient noise. On the other hand, you get about twice the battery life on the Powerbeats Pro, which is very impressive for truly wireless headphones.
The Sony WI-C600N Wireless are noise cancelling in-ears, but the Beats BeatsX Wireless actually block out more noise passively. The Beats also feel more secure inside the ears, which is better for sports. Their neckband design is quite similar and malleable. Sound-wise, they are quite similar, but you can EQ the Sonys inside their app, which the Beats are lacking. On the other hand, the Beats take a very short amount of time to fully charge and could have better performance with iOS devices thanks to the W1 chip.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless and the JBL Live 200BT Wireless are similarly built headphones with a few performance differences. The audio reproduction of the JBL doesn’t lack detail in the treble range like the Beats. They are also a bit more comfortable than the Beats headphones. On the other hand, the Beats take less than an hour to charge and feel more stable for sports. Their neckband is also more malleable and can fit into pockets. The Beats have better noise isolating too. iOS devices will be able to easily pair with them thanks to their W1 chip.
The Beats urBeats3 Earphones and the Beats BeatsX Wireless are very similar, but the BeatsX are wireless while the urBeats3 are wired in-ears. They have a very similar sound signature and they have a near-identical fit. However, you get stability fins with the urBeats3. The microphone is noticeably better on the urBeats3 which is better for calls, but some may still prefer the freedom of a wireless design. The BeatsX have an around-the-neck wireless design while the wired urBeats are pretty typical in-ears.
The JBL Everest 110 Wireless and Beats BeatsX Wireless are very similar headphones when it comes to their test performances. However, the Beats have an around-the-neck design, which is significantly different than the usual wireless in-ear build of the JBL. Sound-wise, the Beats are more neutral but may lack a bit of detail in the treble range. On the other hand, the JBL will sound boomier and are better suited for bass-heavy music. The JBL are also slightly more comfortable, but the noise isolation performance of the Beats is slightly better.
The JBL Free X True Wireless are slightly better wireless in-ears than the Beats BeatsX Wireless. The JBL are more comfortable, well-built, and sound a bit better. However, the Beats have a much better battery since they're not truly wireless, charge quickly, pair quickly with Apple devices, and isolate more noise. If you prefer the fit and durable design of the JBL, they're a better choice, but the Beats are worth considering if you need the extra battery life and prefer a more stable fit.
The Beats BeatsX are more versatile headphones than the Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless, but the Powerbeats3 are better sports headphones. Due to their typical in-ear design, the BeatsX create a tight seal inside your ears and block a good amount of ambient noise, making them suitable for commuting and at the office. However, they have a neckband design that not everyone will like. On the other hand. The Powerbeats3 are typical wireless in-ears and their ear-hook design is more stable for sports. They are also a bit more comfortable since they don’t enter your ear canal as deeply.
The JBL Reflect Mini 2 Wireless and the Beats BeatsX Wireless are very similar headphones. Both are great sports headphones, but with slight differences. The JBL have stability fins that some may prefer for physical activities. They also have better wireless range and a longer battery life. On the other hand, the Beats have better noise isolation performance. Overall, the JBL might be the better choice since they are more portable and have a better treble range. If you like an around-the-neck design, go with the Beats.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are not directly comparable to the Beats urBeats Earphones since they are Bluetooth-only headphones, and the urBeats are wired. On the upside, the BeatsX are a much more versatile option than the urBeats. They sound better, they're more practical for every day casual use, and they come with more tip options than the urBeats, which makes them slightly more comfortable (but not by much). On the other hand, since the urBeats are wired, you won't have any battery life concerns, and they're a lot simpler to use.
The Jaybird X4 Wireless are more comfortable than the Beats BeatsX Wireless and have a longer battery life. The Jaybird have an IPX7 rating for resistance to sweat and water, while the Beats don’t have any rating. Both score equally in the sound category, but the bass to mid-range is more even on the Beats, while the treble range is better on the Jaybird. For convenience, the Jaybird are more universal as they can be used with both Android and iOS. Their app also offers more customization than the iOS-exclusive battery life pop-up that the Beats offer. On the other hand, the Beats have better noise isolation performance.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are better all-around headphones for most uses than the JBL E25BT Wireless. The Beats have a better and more premium build quality, a much greater wireless range, and a very fast charge time. They also sound better than the JBL overall, although they do struggle more with high frequencies. The JBL, on the other hand, can pair with multiple devices at once for easy switching between Bluetooth sources and have a longer battery life.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are slightly better wireless headphones than the Jabra Elite 65e Wireless, although not by much. The Beats have an in-ear design that blocks as much noise passively as the active noise-canceling Jabra. They're also a bit more portable, with a more flexible headband that will easily fit into most pockets. The Beats also have a slightly better default sound, but you can't EQ it like with the Jabra. On the other hand, the Jabra have better battery life, a more comfortable earbud fit, and a better build quality that feels a lot more premium and durable than the Beats. Unlike the Beats, the Jabra also supports Bluetooth 5.0 and multi-point pairing, so you can seamlessly switch between two devices.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are a better wireless headset than the Sony WI-C400 Wireless. The Beats have a better wireless range and latency performance than the Sony, especially when paired to an iOS device. They also have a better-balanced sound quality and more durable design that's flexible enough to fold and fit into your pockets. The Sony, on the other hand, have much a longer battery life but don't perform better than the Beats in most other categories.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are much better headphones than the Google Pixel Buds 2017 Wireless. The Beats have better noise isolation performance, and they sound a lot better-balanced. They also have a longer wireless range and have an impressive charge time of under an hour. The Beats are also slightly more suitable for outdoor runners thanks to their open earbud fit, which some will find a lot more comfortable than the in-ear design of the Google.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are about as practical as the Jaybird Freedom F5 Wireless 2016 for most use cases. The Beats have a better-balanced sound quality but lack an EQ. They also have a more durable build, a faster-charging battery, and a much better wireless range and latency performance than the Jaybird, especially when using them with iOS devices. On the other hand, the Jaybird offer sound customizable and aren't as limited on Android as the BeatsX, which makes them slightly more suitable for a wider selection of listeners. The Jaybird also have a longer battery life overall thanks to the four additional hours provided by the charging clip. Their smaller earbuds are slightly more comfortable to wear for most listeners.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are a slightly better and more versatile headset than the Bose SoundSport Wireless. The Beats have a better isolating in-ear fit that is more suitable for use in noisy environments, like when commuting. They also have a fast-charging battery life that gives you over an hour's worth of listening from a quick 5-minute charge. On the upside, the Bose have a more comfortable earbud fit that most will prefer over the fit of the BeatsX. They also have a more balanced sound quality, and their semi-open fit, while not great for commuting, is a bit more suitable for outdoor runners, so you can more easily monitor for traffic and obstacles than with the in-ear fit of the Beats.
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Test Results
The Beats X headphones have a sleek and rubberized neckband that's slightly thicker than its flat audio cables. Overall, they're minimalist, especially compared to other, bulkier neckband headphones like the Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless or the Samsung Level U Pro Wireless. They also come in several colors that can match your style and preferences.
The Beats X headphones are reasonably comfortable headphones. They're lightweight and more flexible than similar models like the Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless. They also come with four different sizes of ear tips to help you find a good fit. Unfortunately, some users might not find the neckband design comfortable as the rubber could pull or tug at neck hair. If you don't like the feeling of your headphones around your neck, check out the JBL Reflect Mini 2 Wireless or the Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless.
The Beats BeatsX have a simple control scheme on the left ear cable. While their center button handles play/pause, track skipping, phone call control, and Siri voice control, it might not be the most intuitive for all users as you need to press and hold the correct amount of times to register the right command. On the upside, there are also separate physical buttons on both sides of the center button to adjust playback volume.
Like most other wireless in-ears, these headphones are remarkably breathable, especially because they don't cover your outer ear. While they trap a bit of heat in the ear canal, it shouldn't be too noticeable.
The Beats BeatsX have good portability thanks to their Flex-Form cable. They're more flexible than other neckband-design headphones, so they can fold up and be stored in most pockets, although they might become tangled. They can also be worn around the neck when you're not listening to your favorite audio content. The back of the earbuds magnetically click together, which is great if you tend to lose your earbuds.
The Beats BeatsX have an okay rubber pouch case. Similar in design to the Beats urBeats Earphones, its opening doesn't have a secure closure. While it should help protect your headphones from scratches or minor exposure to water, it isn't a hard case, meaning that you won't get much protection from accidental drops or impacts.
The Beats BeatsX have decent build quality. While the earbuds and in-line remote feel cheap due to their plasticky build, the rubberized elements are flexible. The flat cables feel durable, although they're not as thick as Jaybird X3 Wireless' cables. Our unit's rubber coating also appears to be degrading over time, and it feels sticky, even though we don't use these headphones daily. However, your unit may perform differently.
The Beats X are very stable headphones, suitable for runs in the park to workouts at the gym. Coming with four different sizes of ear tips and three stability fins, you should be able to find a fit that's comfortable and that stays put in your ears. Their wireless design also reduces the chances of snagging your headphones, especially when you're moving.
- Beats BeatsX headphones
- Earbud tips (x4)
- Stability tips (x3)
- USB charging cable
- Carrying pouch
- Manual
The Beats X's sound profile is fairly well-balanced but with a slight emphasis on bass, bringing out rumble and thump that fans of EDM and hip-hop can enjoy. However, the dip in treble can reduce the brilliance of higher-pitched instruments like cymbals, flutes, and violins.
The Beats X's frequency response consistency is excellent. If you can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, you should get consistent bass and treble delivery every time you use the headphones.
The Beats X's bass accuracy performance is great. Although slightly overemphasized across the entire range, it's still very well-balanced, making them suitable for all audio genres. Fans of EDM and hip-hop can especially enjoy the added thump and punch.
These headphones have remarkable mid accuracy performance. The low and mid-mid are even and flat, which will produce clear and balanced reproduction of lead instruments and vocals. While there's a small peak between the mid-mid and high-mid continuing through to the treble range, this small overemphasis adds a touch of intensity to vocals and lead instruments.
The Beats BeatsX's treble accuracy performance is alright. There's a wide dip starting in the low-treble and continuing into the mid-treble. Instruments in this range lack detail and sound dull. The response in the high-treble is uneven, which can make sibilants like S and T sounds sound brighter.
Their peaks and dips performance is good. The most noticeable peak starts in the mid-mid and continues through to the low-treble. This peak overemphasizes vocals and lead instruments which can sound piercing and harsh. The following dip in the low-treble to the mid-treble can also make sibilants dull and lack clarity.
Their imaging performance is excellent. The weighted group delay graph shows that the entire response is well below the audibility threshold, ensuring tight bass and transparent treble. The left and right drivers are also well-matched in frequency, amplitude, and phase response, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (like voices, instruments, and video game effects) in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.
Like most other in-ear headphones, the Beats BeatsX's soundstage is terrible. To create a spacious, out-of-head, and speaker-like soundstage, the pinna has to be activated by sound resonances. Since in-ear headphones completely bypass the pinna, the soundstage sounds closed and perceived as coming from within your head. These headphones also have a closed-back design, so they won't sound as open when compared to open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless or the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless.
These headphones don't have a virtual soundstage feature.
Their weighted harmonic distortion performance is very good and falls within acceptable limits. Even at loud volumes, there's little distortion.
These are the settings used while testing these headphones, and results are only valid for these test settings.
At the time of writing, we couldn't locate their firmware version. If you own these headphones and know where to find the version, please let us know in the discussion section below.
The Beats X headphones have good passive noise isolation. While they aren't the best at reducing low sounds like bus and plane engines, they do a significantly better job at cutting down mid sounds like speech, which is great in an office or cafe setting. Higher-pitched sounds like the hum of an A/C unit are also greatly reduced.
Their leakage performance is excellent. Overall, the level of leakage is very low, and even though the most significant leakage is in the low-treble range, it's still below the noise floor of an average office.
The Beats X headphones have an in-line microphone on the left ear cable.
The microphone's recording quality is okay. Speech transmitted with this microphone sounds fairly thin, muffled, and lacking in detail. However, you should still be understood by whoever's on the line.
The mic's noise handling performance is mediocre. It has trouble separating speech from noise, especially in moderate to loud environments. If you want to be heard clearly, you may need to speak in more quiet surroundings.
The Beats BeatsX's battery performance is disappointing. They have a continuous battery life of 6.5 hours, which might not be enough to get you through your workday without pausing to recharge. These headphones also don't have any power-saving features or additional charges. On the upside, they can fully charge in just under an hour, which is great if you're short on time or can only charge them on your lunch break. They also have a quick charge mode called Fast Fuel to give you more listening time from a short charge. If you're looking for a pair of wireless Beats headphones with better battery performance, check out the Beats Flex Wireless or the Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless.
Like many other Beats headphones, the Beats BeatsX don't have a companion app so much as they have a pop-up interface. When these headphones initially connect to an Apple device, you receive a notification that displays your battery information. Unfortunately, that's about it. There are no equalizers or additional features. This feature also only works on iOS.
The Beats BeatsX have okay Bluetooth compatibility. While they don't offer multi-device or NFC pairing, their W1 chip makes it easy for you to connect these headphones to your Apple devices. They've also got an excellent line of sight range, which is useful if you like to move around while listening to your music. Unfortunately, they have a high enough latency to impact your gameplay or video-watching experience. However, some apps seem to compensate for this lag, so your mileage may vary in everyday use.
The Beats BeatsX are Bluetooth-only headphones.
These headphones are Bluetooth-only headphones and don't have a wired option. They only come with a USB to Lightning charging cable. If you're looking for a wired in-ear that doesn't sacrifice on sound, check out the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear.
These headphones aren't compatible with the PS4. While they can connect to any Bluetooth-enabled PC, their latency might be too high for gaming.