In our new monthly segment on the AU, we’re excited to name our “Audio Tech of the Month”. From portable players to apps, speakers, headphones, microphones and everything in between, we’ll be delivering the best of the best every month. For November’s first ever installment, we feature one of the latest Bluetooth headsets introduced in the market, the Plantronics Backbeat Pro.
The headsets, which were introduced into the Australian market about a month ago at a RRP of $349, are as versatile as they are smart. These are bluetooth headsets which not only provide pristine audio quality, but have been prepared to match the needs of most consumers. Here’s a rundown of some of the best features:
Plugged in or wireless, the choice is yours
To my understanding, these are the only Bluetooth headphones which come with a detachable cord that allow you to use them as wired headphones at your discretion. This is handy for non-Bluetooth products, when your batteries are dead (you don’t have to power on when you’re wired, though you won’t be able to use buttons or features on the headphones until you turn it on). It’s this sort of versatility that allows your portable headphones to be used in any setting, with any decide. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Superb battery life
At the time of writing, several weeks after first receiving the unit, I still am running off my first charge. Now I haven’t been using it constantly, but switching between multiple devices an using for sometimes hours at a time, using active noise cancelling (ANC), the the OpenMic (more on that later) and everything in between. This is nothing short of impressive. Here are some of the stats that Plantronics provide on the battery life:
– 24 hours continuous wireless streaming
– Up to 21 days standby time
– Up to 180 days in DeepSleep mode
– DeepSleep mode puts headphones into hibernation device, when away from device, extending battery life up to 6 months
– 3 Hours Charge Time
Perfect for the traveller
The headsets feel like they’ve been built for the constant traveller, which suits my lifestyle perfectly. With excellent battery life, Active Voice Cancelling (ANC) that works incredibly well, you’ll find me using these on every plane I travel on from now on. And with the included cord and USB charging, you’ll be able to plug it into most in flight entertainment systems, and charge through applicable USB ports – when you’re not using your own entertainment unit anyway! And with the headsets’s ability to pause the minute it senses you have removed it from your ears, you’ll never miss an opportunity for a drink or a meal. Or you can just press the OpenMic button to listen to the outside world in real time. Which brings me to the next point…
Hear the real world in real time
I love this feature. Listening to a song or have ANC turned on, but need to quickly hear what’s happening around you? Press a button under your right ear to turn the music down and the microphones on in the feature they call OpenMIC. You can also adjust the volume to cater to how loud you want to hear the person next to you. Don’t want to hear them anymore? Just turn it off and get back to the music…
Moveable earpieces
The fact you can do this, is very, very welcomed:
This design feature means the headset features comfortably around your neck. Given their size, you’d otherwise have to take the headset off completely. A very smart decision.
Excellent design and UI
Everything about the design is outstanding, from the moveable earpieces I mentioned, to the location of all the buttons and features. It takes a little while to get the hang of where everything is located, as with any new device, but once you do it’s incredibly intuitive and convenient.
Adapts to your needs…
As I mentioned before, this is a versatile device, one that can adapt to the environment around you and the needs of its user with ease. It remembers your bluetooth devices and allows you to be simultaneously connected to two, with a range of up to 100 meters with Class 1 Bluetooth. It also senses when you remove it from your ears, pausing until the moment you return, while a friendly voice is just a click away to tell you about your battery levels and connected devices. And the ability to press a button and hear the world around you really does ensure you’re a part of that world when you need to be…
Controllable Active Noise Cancelling
The ANC is phenomenal. The size of the heaphones helps drown out background noise already, but by turning on the ANC you really do drown out those background buzzing noises and everything that would otherwise be disturbing your slumber on a plane, your music or a phone call…
The Lowlights?
No product is perfect and there are a four areas which I’ll highlight for the Backbeat Pro. The inbuilt microphone suffers a few issues simply due to its location: being on your ears. Most people I called through my iPhone, using the headset, noted more distortion than usual (some more than others), though it was audible all the same. But given the headphones pause the minute you take them off your head, it couldn’t be easier to pick up the phone and continue the conversation there.
Also, these are pretty hefty units and at times it’s not unlike wearing earmuffs. That’s fine for much of the year, or indoors, but walking around as summer approaches, you find yourself getting quite hot in the area. My long hair probably didn’t help matters either. So this issue becomes purely a matter of personal preference, rather than functionality; I imagine you’ll always suffer these sorts of issues with the bigger and more powerful units.
Thirdly, this isn’t going to be the best sound quality you’ve ever heard. Many of it’s competitors outshine it here. So audiophiles may want to search elsewhere. But these are headsets where the focus is on functionality, portability and versatility. Competitors like Beats barely scratch the surface of what Plantronics have enabled in their Backbeat Pro – even if they do have superior sound quality. But it’s rarely anything the everyday listener will notice.
Finally – and this may be because I was using the model before it was widely available – but the initial Bluetooth set up was confusing. Basically it wouldn’t connect to anything until I was told. After looking at the online guide, however, forwarded to me by the kind Plantronics Twitter team, it turned out that I needed to HOLD down the microphone button for a few seconds to connect a new device. As this was missing from the instructions included with the unit, it served as a confusing aspect to the headphone’s otherwise flawless functionality. But once I did realise, it becomes incredible easy to add new devices and switch between them with ease.
Why it’s our Audio Tech of the Month…
The new headphones from Plantronics are simply able to offer so much more than the rest, and they’ve clearly done it with a lot of research behind it. Sure, not everyone needs all these features in their headphones – if you’re a hip hop fan and only use headphones for listening to that genre, then by all means Beats are for you. But if you’re looking for a versatile, smart, everyday Bluetooth headset, we haven’t come across a better model than this.
For more details head to: http://www.plantronics.com/au/product/backbeat-pro
Photos provided by Plantronics
