The Plantronics Backbeat Pro headset is a definite competitor to the Beats by Dre wireless headphones, as well as the Bose QuietComfort series.
Features and Design:
I have never been too familiar with the headphone line from Plantronics, but I have used a few of their bluetooth headsets in the past, and I was always left impressed by the quality from the devices. The simple design of the Backbeat Pros will be the first thing you notice when you get your hands on it. The BackBeat Pro headphones are full of muted black plastic and padding and only a few metallic alternate tones that round out the full extent of colors. The earcups are circular and large, with the insides marked with a large L or R to indicate the side. The headband is similarly padded, and the metal arms have distinct click-stops to hold the headphones in place once you've found the best fit depending on your head size. Overall, the headset was comfortable, and sat firmly over my glasses. Each earcup is loaded with controls that are distributed evenly enough between a large, ridged control ring, a prominent button, and smaller switches and buttons that they don't seem too cluttered. The left cup holds a prominent Play/Pause button, a jog dial control ring for navigating tracks, and a small switch that enables the ever so popular active noise canceling. It also features a microUSB port for charging them up. The right cup features a Call Answer/End button, a volume control ring that works separately from the connected device, a small power switch, and a small button that disables noise cancellation and boosts outside sounds or, if you're on a call, mutes the microphone. The controls are all very well placed, and it didn't take long for me to get used to using every button.
Quality and Performance:The BackBeat Pro can maintain a connection with up to two devices at once over Bluetooth. The transition between devices is very smooth, and I had no problem switching between my iPhone and my computer. The range of the headphones is surprisingly large, if you have a Class 1 Bluetooth device, the BackBeat Pro can function up to 330 feet away. Plantronics claims the BackBeat Pro can last a full 24 hours of continuous music playback with active noise cancellation enabled, and I can honestly say you won't be needing to charge these up very often. The headphones can also work completely passively through a wired connection with the included 3.5mm cable, which features an in-line microphone and three-button remote to replace the on-cup controls and microphone that require power to run. The BackBeat Pro's noise-canceling technology worked well, reducing or eliminating outside noises like loud cars or other people's chatter very well. If you need to keep your ears open for announcements, the Mute button on the right earcup reduces the current audio source's volume to a minimum and actively brings in outside noise so you can hear everything around you. The overall sound quality is top notch. It does suffer from a bit of distortion, but that's expected with any bluetooth device. Songs that aren't bass heavy will come through wonderfully clear, but others with heavy bass will cause some of that distortion all music lovers despise.
Final Thoughts:
Plantronics' BackBeat Pro headphones are an excellent wireless over-ear pair that are feature packed, and at a fair price, what more could you ask for.
+Great Sound
+Very Comfortable
+Amazing Battery Life
-Sound Can Distort at Higher Levels
S&S Rating: 9/10 @whatsPlay
