In the recent past, we’ve seen numerous audio brands veer away from your “traditional” wired headphones and adopt a completely wireless type of technology. This has then not only led to several established companies such as Apple, Samsung, and the like to tweak their products to fit this category, but also the emergence of several other brands looking to make their mark in the industry with their own respective products.
Koala, “who believes that quality technology should not be a luxury, but a lifestyle that can be experienced by those who desire it,” offers their own iteration of the wireless earphones: the Flex Buds.
Function, fashion and value for money are the three aspects Koala hopes their users will enjoy with their Flex Buds (and all their other smart devices). With this, let’s take a look if they were indeed able to tackle all of these characteristics.
Design:
Coming in a near-all white hue for both the earbuds and its charging case, its design has both a modern yet simple feel to it. It actually looks quite similar to that of Apple’s AirPods, except Koala’s case is a bit more curvy.
Attached to one side of its rounded head is the bud, while the other hosts a long, slim body that has a flat outer layer that gives off a sense of sleekness. Etched vertically along the body is the Koala branding, with a small light signal near the very tip that indicates between modes and statuses.
Its case, on the other hand, is shaped like a horizontally-oriented oval. The top opens flap-like so you can easily insert your Flex Buds, while its charging port is located at the very bottom. With its shape, size and feel, the case is very easy to bring around; it very easily fits well in your pocket, bag or even in your hand.
Both comfort and fit shouldn’t be a problem as well as there are 3 different sizes of bud tips to choose from, with each earbud weighing at only 3.5gs. Especially as someone who wears my earbuds extensively and for various different activities throughout the day, I didn’t experience much discomfort or bother wearing it for long periods of time.
A problem I’ve previously encountered when it comes to wireless earphones is that it can get “loose” or, at times, even pop out of my ear, most especially during physical activities where sweat may tend to serve as a lubricant. However, whether working out at home, taking the dogs out for a stroll or simply lounging to music, the Flux Buds remained stable and comfortable.
Features:
The Flex Buds possesses Smart Touch Control that adds convenience with a simple touch of a finger. A singular tap on the bud is to pause/play track or answer/end call, two taps to skip track, while three taps to play the previous track. In addition to these, your connected device’s respective voice assistant can also be accessed by holding down your finger for around 2-3 seconds, such as Siri or Google Assistant.
I find the Smart Touch Control to be quite reliable and convenient as it minimizes having to grab your device for various functions with just a tap or two to the bud instead. On occasion, however, I have found it to be a bit too sensitive in the sense that if I may inadvertently touch, hit or even graze the bud, it would trigger the Smart Touch Control if, for example, I scratch my ear, raise my arm where my shoulder is next to my head, or just trying to better fit the bud into my ear.
To assist in the overall audio quality, the Flex Buds also possesses Powerful Bass Effect and Intelligent Noise Control. The former, I feel, gives more “oomph” to the sound, which is something to expect from an enhanced bass. The latter, on the other hand, isn’t exactly noise-canceling completely, but still does a fair job in keeping exterior sounds out, nonetheless.
I also found the Flex Buds’ connectivity to be seamless, as pulling it out of its case and placing it into your ear would automatically and almost immediately link up with your device (assuming its Bluetooth is on and has been pre-paired). In terms of the distance-communication relationship between Flex Buds and device, I was able to reach near the other end of the house (roughly 30 feet with walls and doors in between) before the audio started getting choppy, which isn’t bad at all.
Sound:
The Flex Buds offers respectable and decent audio quality. Whether jamming to music, listening to podcasts, streaming videos or on a call, its sound remains consistent. Even on relatively higher volume levels, the quality doesn’t seem to get muffled or distorted.
On the other end of calls, however, the output from the Flex Buds’ microphone can be slightly weak and may lack a bit of clarity. Hence, I would have to speak louder or the person at the other end of the call would have to increase his/her volume.
Battery:
One of the Flex Buds’ aspects I was most impressed with is its long-lasting battery. According to Koala, their buds can last up to 5 hours of music or 3 hours of voice calls. Testing its battery life using it exclusively for music and at moderate volume levels, the Flex Buds lasted me even closer to 6 hours. As previously mentioned, I utilize my earbuds extensively throughout the day, so having a large battery capacity does wonders for me.
Furthermore, its 300mA charging case is likewise impressive as it can completely recharge the Flex Buds 3 times over. Its Type C port also facilitates quicker charging, as it takes roughly 2 hours to fully charge the case, and around 1.5 hours for the buds.
Verdict:
Koala’s Flex Buds is both functional and reliable, especially for an everyday type of gadget that can fulfill an array of purposes daily. It doesn’t necessarily do one thing spectacularly, but is able to tackle different facets effectively. Especially coming at only P1,299, I could see why consumers would lean towards a just as practical, yet more cost-efficient wireless earphones in the Flex Buds.
