Hi. I'm David Carnoy. Executive editor for CNET.com and I'm here with Plantronics next generation wireless stereo Bluetooth headset, the BackBeat Go 2. This about looks very similar to the original BackBeat Go, but Plantronics has made a few small changes to design. For starters, the inline remote/microphone has been tweaked so the buttons are easier to operate by feel. Also the earphones are now covered in a coating of P2i Moisture Protection technology that makes them water-resistant, so you can wear them while you're working out or when it's raining outside. The other changes are on the inside. The headphones now play louder and sound better. It offered good clarity and a decent amount of bass, though it's crucial to get a tight seal or they can end up sounding thin. As with all in-ear headphones, some people would be able to get a better fit than others. I was able to get a tight seal with the large ear tips and easily paired the headphone with both an iPhone 4S and a Samsung Galaxy S4 and stream music wirelessly from both devices with only minor hiccups. To be clear, while there's a cord that goes between the earpieces, these earphones don't plug in to anything. They're, indeed, wireless and you make calls with them. Like the original BackBeat Go, the new model comes with little stabilizers to get a more secure fit. While they work pretty well, I think Plantronics could come up with better stabilizers that really keep the earphones in your ears even more securely especially when you're running. As far as accessories go, these guys come with three different size of ear tips, plus a USB charger. They come in two colors, white or black, and there's also a version that comes with a charging case for $99.99 or $20 more. The idea behind the case is that it not only protects the earphones, but it has a built-in rechargeable battery for charging on the go. It's probably a good idea to get the version with the case because Plantronics didn't improve the battery life. You still only get about 4.5 hours of listening time. When fully charge, the case can charge the headphones twice which gets you up to over 13 hours of battery life, though you won't be able to use the headphones while you're charging them. I personally thought the case could stand to be slightly larger to more easily accommodate the headphones, but that's a small gripe. I do like the improvements Plantronics has made and it's $79.99. These are clearly a better value than the Jaybird BlueBuds X Bluetooth earphones which cost $179.99. Those Jaybird sound superior to the original BackBeat Go's, but the new Go 2's sound the same as the Jaybird's. I'm David Carnoy and that's the BackBeat Go 2, a nice improvement on the original and definitely worth checking out if you're looking for an ear bud style wireless headphone. Thanks for watching.
Plantronics put out an affordable wireless on your headphone last year called the BackBeat Go 500 that sounded decent and fit comfortably for an on ear model anyway. Now the company's bringing the same value concept to an over ear design with the new BackBeat Go 600 which costs $100 and comes in four color options. First thing you'll notice about them is that they're really light. I give them an 8 out of 10 for comfort. They feel like premium cheap headphones, which sounds like an oxymoron, but that's how I describe them. They seem fairly sturdily built and have some metal in their headband, but the plastic finish on the ear cups will show scratches over time if you're not careful. They do fold flat, that's always good, and a lightweight carrying pouch is included along with a cord for listening in wired mode. Controls for volume and skipping tracks forward and back are located in the left earcup along with the USB charging port. While the feature set is pretty no frills, there's no active noise cancelling, the BackBeat GO 600 does have two equalization modes You can alternate between dais push and balance EQ with a press of a botton. It is not a huge difference but you do get a little bit more base with a base boost engaged. I thought they set a quit good at price but they lack a little definition to base and they aren't as articular as lip sounding as [UNKNOWN] headphones They do work well for making calls and have good battery life at around 18 hours. For the money, this is a likable headphone, it's lightweight, comfortable to ware, sounds descent, and works well for making calls. It didn't blow me away but it's as good or better than a lot of wireless headphones in this price range. I'm David Canna for cnet.com. Thanks for watching.
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The BackBeat Go headphone set is fine for use as a hands-free accessory, but we can't recommend it for music playback over cheaper, wired alternatives.
Joe capitalises on a life-long love of blinking lights and upbeat MIDI soundtracks covering the latest developments in smartphones and tablet computers. When not ruining his eyesight staring at small screens, Joe ruins his eyesight playing video games and watching movies.
They say you can tell a lot about a person by how they sign their name. John Hancock-style signatures with oversized characters and large, exuberant loops and flourishes signify gregarious, outgoing people. Those with a tighter address tend to be more introverted. You could argue the same thing about the headphones that someone chooses to wear; the difference between people who wear large cans with thick, branded bands across their heads, and those who prefer a more discreet option.
The Good
Convenient wireless design. Easy to use. Audio is fine for calls.
The Bad
Sound over Bluetooth is too flat for multimedia.
The Bottom Line
The BackBeat Go headphone set is fine for use as a hands-free accessory, but we can't recommend it for music playback over cheaper, wired alternatives.
Plantronics' BackBeat Go headphones are for people who prefer the latter — there isn't a lot of headphone here, after all. Plantronics manages to fit the entire package into two small ear buds and a cable of about a metre connecting them. Sold in a demure black colour, these headphones disappear from vision when worn, especially by people with longer hair. A charging port is concealed behind a rubber seal on the right-side ear bud, and there is a small controller on the cable. There's a microphone, too, for hands-free calls, but good luck spotting it without a closer look.
This design is hard to fault. The unit is compact, lightweight and unobtrusive. Plantronics opts for a slightly thicker cable so that it doesn't tangle in your bag between uses. Turning it on and pairing it with an external device, like a smartphone, couldn't be easier. The headphone set enters pairing mode as soon as you switch it on, and it doesn't require a password to create the connection.
Performance
Plantronics is a company best known for its hands-free accessories — Bluetooth headsets, mostly. The BackBeat Go set feels like something different, though. It still has hands-free functionality, and this works well, but the Go is also being marketed as a pair of headphones. This opens an entirely different can of worms than it would otherwise as a device dedicated to phone calls. Often when we review Bluetooth headphones, we acknowledge that the earpiece is capable of playing music [usually mono audio only], but we test the calling functionality most rigorously. This time, the equation is flipped.
This is where the BackBeat Go headphones fall over. Bluetooth audio processing isn't awesome, and although the audio we've streamed from our phones to the Go came across seamlessly, it sounded pretty thin compared to any pair of wired headphones we had lying around. Music comes through sounding really flat and tinny on default audio settings in the music player, and rumbling and messy when we opted for a bass-boosting sound profile.
You won't notice it as much when you're taking a phone call. Anyone who has used a Bluetooth headset will be familiar with the hollow-sounding "in the bathroom" audio you get with a hands-free headset. It's no different here, but it was clear enough for trouble-free conversations.
The problem lies in its lack of flexibility. We accept that Plantronics is stuck with the audio limitations of Bluetooth, but it doesn't offer an alternative for those of us who want convenience sometimes, and awesome sound at other times. A wired adapter in the box with the headphones could have gone a long way to giving the Go wider appeal, and given us a better idea of what these headphones are really capable of. As it stands, the Go headphones are just for people who want the convenience of wireless at any cost — even the quality of their music.