Beats Beats Flex vs Sony WF-C500

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

Beats Flex compared with WF-C500

	BeatsBeats Flex	SonyWF-C500
Overview
Released
Released	October 2020	October 2021
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	No	No
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	–	No
Driver size
Driver size	–	5.8 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Chip
Chip	Apple W1	–
Drivers
Drivers	Layered drivers with dual-chamber acoustics and pressure-relief microvents	Closed dynamic 5.8 mm drivers with neodymium magnets; the maker figure is retained rather than TechRadar's rounded 6 mm in its design discussion
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	–	No active noise cancelling or ambient listening mode; the reviews confirm these omissions. Call noise suppression is separate from listening noise cancellation.
Audio features
Audio features	Apple Audio Sharing; magnetic auto-play and pause; no active noise cancellation (TechRadar)	DSEE processing, app equaliser and personalised 360 Reality Audio playback with compatible services
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 12 hours	Up to 10 hours
With the case
With the case	–	Up to 20 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	–	No
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Rechargeable lithium-ion battery; Apple's playback test used 256 Kbps AAC tracks at 50% volume	Up to ten hours per charge and 20 hours including the case with DSEE and equaliser off. The manual lists ten hours for AAC or SBC with DSEE AUTO or OFF, but warns that equaliser and DSEE settings can shorten runtime. Talk time up to five hours.
Charging case
Charging case	–	USB-C charging; maker UK support gives approximately 2.5 hours for the earbuds and three hours for the case. No wireless charging, as confirmed by both reviews.
Fast charging
Fast charging	A 10-minute USB-C Fast Fuel charge gives up to 1.5 hours of playback	Ten minutes charging provides approximately one hour playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	–	5.4 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	–	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	No	No
Controls
Controls	On-device playback, call, volume and voice-assistant controls	Physical buttons for playback, tracks, volume, calls and the paired phone's voice assistant
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in microphone with wind reduction	Omnidirectional MEMS microphones; maker Japanese specifications
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Nitinol Flex-Form neckband cable; four ear-tip sizes; magnetic earbuds	Hybrid silicone tips in SS, M and LL; either earbud works independently
Case weight
Case weight	–	Approximately 35 g; the earbud weight is approximately 5.4 g each
Dimensions
Dimensions	16 mm height; 18.6 g for the complete earphones and cable, rather than one earbud	Charging case approximately 80.0 × 34.9 × 30.9 mm
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	No water or sweat resistance rating published	IPX4 applies to the earbuds excluding the sound outlets; the charging case is not water resistant
Works with
Works with	Apple W1 and Class 1 Bluetooth; Apple Find My and Beats app for Android; Bluetooth 5.0, SBC and AAC codecs and no simultaneous Bluetooth multipoint (SoundGuys)	Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP; up to eight remembered paired devices. Maker manual explicitly excludes multipoint. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair; Sony Headphones Connect app. European maker announcement states October 2021 availability; Japan specifies 8 October, while Hong Kong specifies late October.
Colours
Colours	Beats Black and Yuzu Yellow at launch; Smoke Gray and Flame Blue followed in early 2021	Black, White, Ice Green and Coral Orange
In the box
In the box	Earphones, four sizes of ear tips, USB-C charging cable, Quick Start Guide and warranty card	Earbuds, charging case, hybrid silicone tips in SS, M and LL, approximately 20 cm USB-C cable and documents