I have a long commute to and from work every day via car, train, bus, and walking. I was looking for a set of headphones that would allow me to focus more on the music and podcast I'd be listening to while also saving my ears from being thrashed by being forced to max out the volume on my phone to get sufficient sound. Thus, I began my search with the following criteria:
-The headphones needed to be Bluetooth as I have snapped a few headphone cables during my commute.
-The headphones would need some sort of active, electronic noise cancellation.
-They would need to have a good battery.
-Comfort would need to be sufficient enough that wearing them for a long stretch of time (2+ hours) wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
-The sound quality would need to be good, but at my target price range, I'd be willing to sacrifice some sound quality for convenience.
-Price in the range of $150-$250.
I originally planned to get the newly announced Sennheiser HD 4.50 headphones. They looked great and, being a fan of Sennheiser's sound quality, I figured it would be a no-brainer. Amazon (and most other outlets) had a very long delay for shipping (6 weeks!), so I was forced to look for an alternative. Naturally, I considered the Bose QuietComfort series, however, the price was just a bit more for the 35's than I was willing to pay (not to mention that I didn't really "need" top-shelf sound cancelling because the office I work in and the train are both pretty reasonable when it comes to noise level).
After doing some searching, I came across a review for the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2. Every professional review I could find gave this headphone a solid rating and every one of them scored the battery life, comfort, and features to be excellent. Eventually, I opted to buy the BackBeat Pro 2 Special Edition model at $249, and here are my thoughts so far:
Battery life: It is amazing. It is easy to check the battery level both visually and audibly (if you pause any media playing on your headphones, then tap the right ear cup button, a voice will tell you what level your battery is at in the form of "high, medium, or low"). A charge lasts literally all week, and that is with a minimum of 4-6 hours of use a day (2 hours on commute alone). Also, there have been times that I have left them switch ON and forgot that I did, but they must have some sort of sleep mode because, the next day, they still had a high battery level!
Comfort: The ear cups are a memory-foam type of padding and VERY comfortable. I have zero complaints about wearing these for a long period of time and even my wife, who is very picky about headphones, said they were very comfortable. I also hate when headphones feel too warm on my ears and these aren't bad at all.
Sound quality: I've started to explore with great interest different kinds of headphones because I want to hear music the way it should be heard. You don't really notice how much sound information you're missing out on until you put on a good pair of headphones. I own a pair of Sennheiser HD 600's, Momentum 2's, and these BackBeat Pro's. I also drive them with a Mayflower Objective 2 headphone amplifier. I can confidently say that my HD 600's and Momentums beat the sound quality of the BackBeat Pro's, but that isn't a fair comparison at this price point! HD 600's are known to be, arguably, the best sounding headphones you can buy under $800-$1000, especially if driving them with an amp. While I prefer the sound of either of my Sennheiser headphones to the BackBeat Pro's, I can just as confidently say that the sound quality is solid. Whether it is a coffee shop or a public bus, the sound has good lows and highs with average mids. These headphones do have more bass than the HD 600's or Momentums, but I actually enjoy the extra kick because it isn't the same as my other headphones. Even if these are the only headphones you will use, the bass is not going to be overbearing or make your media sound bad.
Features: This is where these really shine! Features galore, from a detachable headphone cable to an audible queue telling you what battery level you are at or what devices are connected, these headphones seem to cover everything. For example, if I am in the office listening to music and a co-worker wants to speak to me, I can just take my headphones and put them around my neck and they will automatically pause my media! I haven't tried videos, but I have tried web-based podcasts, Stitcher radio podcasts, Spotify, and local files. You can get this same functionality by simply taking one ear cup and moving it to the side of your ear! They will detect this and pause. There are FULL playback controls, you can pair them with two separate devices simultaneously, and they even swap your Bluetooth-connected phone calls right to your headphones as soon as you turn them on! Or, let's say that you have your headphones on while on a call, but you want to put the call on speaker phone: simply press the speaker icon on your phone and the BackBeat's will transfer the call audio back to the phone's speaker (and vice versa). There is a mute button on the headphones which, while not used as much, is very convenient. Lastly, the open-mic mode is a great feature for if you want to hear around you without taking your headphones off (great for commuting on public transportation as people think you cannot hear them).
Noise cancellation: It isn't Bose, but it is good enough! The noise cancellation + sound being played through the headphones will drown out all but very loud noises. It isn't going to make your train ride completely silent, so if you are looking for headphones that will have the BEST noise cancelling available, you'll need to spend more money, plain and simple. These headphones tend to take lower sounding loud noises and tame them down to where they aren't a big deal. I actually like this as it is helpful for when I'm walking on the sidewalk in the city or a crosswalk. I WANT to be able to hear certain things, like cars.
Overall, these headphones are fantastic. If I had to name some cons, they wouldn't be fair as the price point is on par. Better mids and better noise cancellation would be it! Everything else is great! Sure, having a more metal-based construction would be nice, but the build quality of these is already very good and they feel solid. If you are looking to get some headphones that are super expensive, but do everything well, these are them. You won't be disappointed. If you have questions, feel free to ask me!
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From the brand
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In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, along with their team at NASA were on a mission… to the moon. And they took our headsets with them. That was more than 50 years ago, and since then we have continued to enable seamless work from anywhere.
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From the manufacturer
About Plantronics
We believe that people come first and that technology must be simple, intuitive, and personalized.
As an industry leader, we look beyond just building the best headsets. Through the insightful application of the latest technology, we create innovative audio solutions that help solve the problems that prevent people from getting their most important tasks done.
BackBeat PRO 2 Special Edition
Wireless noise cancelling headphones
Enhance every moment with BackBeat PRO 2 Special Edition wireless headphones. On-demand active noise cancelling creates an oasis of personal space in a public place at the touch of a button.
Plus, this Special Edition features instant NFC pairing for compatible devices and a rigid travel case.
- On-demand ANC to reduce ambient noise
- Up to 24 hours of wireless streaming
- Up to 330 ft/100 m range using Class 1 Bluetooth device
- Improved design to be 35% smaller and 15% lighter than its predecessor for all-day comfort
- Open listening mode lets you hear your surroundings
- Automatic music play/pause when headphones are put on/removed
- Connect and switch audio between a smartphone and tablet
- Pair compatible devices instantly with NFC technology
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On-demand active noise cancellingSilence the world around you at the touch of a button with on-demand active noise cancelling. |
Designed for all-day comfortHeadphones feature a cushioned, over-the-ear design for long wearing comfort. |
24-hour battery powerYou’re free to listen or talk continuously for up to 24 hours on a single charge. |
Protective travel caseProtect your headphones with a rigid case to stand up to the wear and tear of travel. |
Reviews with images
Quite a Disappointment...
I was eager to finally receive these bad boys after about a week of waiting. However, while some aspects pleasantly surprised me, overall they ended up failing to meet my expectations...----------Sound: 7/10This is one of the aspects that surprised me. After reading many reviews I was worried that the sound relies too heavily on bass with other instrumentals being muddied together. I did enjoy the bigger emphasis on lower frequencies, giving it a nice "oomph" without being too overwhelming, and vocals were clear and shining. The in-betweens did seem to get the short end of the sound spectrum, yet they still sounded melodious and it was easy to pick apart different tones and frequencies. Overall, the sound signature sounds as if it's being played on a wooden theater stage or in a sound studio.Build Quality: 8/10A nice, sturdy headset. They may be a bit on the heavy side for some, but I enjoy the weight they add. Clamping force isn't too strong, and the earcups are quite comfortable, though I would appreciate if the cups were a bit deeper, or at least the mesh covering the actual speakers had a bit more space to make them softer as the innard is quite hard. Overall I was able to wear them for well over a couple hours without feeling uncomfortable, needing to adjust, or needing to remove them.Battery: -/10Did not use long enough to test the battery durability, however it seems to be very long lasting. I like that there is a battery indicator, which more wireless headsets should have in my opinion.Controls: 9/10Many may be turned off by the confusing controls as there are a variety of buttons on both earcups that control every single aspect they're capable of, however I liked how they allowed one to have exact control over what you wanted them to do despite the decreased intuitiveness. The right cup primarily controls the calling capability, possessing a large button that is used to answer or end calls (single press on receiving a call), reject calls (hold on receiving call), redialing the last number called (double tap anytime), or access a voice assistant (hold anytime); the power/pair switch; and a microphone mute button. The left cup primarily controls media playback, possessing the play/pause button; skip forward/back buttons; the ANC on/off/open mic switch; the NFC touch point; and, curiously, a wheel rocker that adjusts the headset's volume (not the device's volume, which is set separately). I would have preferred that the volume wheel would have been free-spinning, however the fact it's a rocker is a negligible letdown.Noise Cancelling: 2/10This, unfortunately, is the catalyst that brings the entire package down. I wasn't expecting Bose level of noise cancelling, yet these may as well as have no noise cancelling at all for how much of a difference the function makes. I was barely able to tell a difference when the ANC was on or off (both idle and playing something), testing it against a table fan, traffic noise, and cafe noise. While it does halve the noise from lower frequencies (idle noise, white noise) it does not do well at blocking higher frequencies and in some cases seems to actually AMPLIFY them. I do like the open mic mode, which allows you to hear the outside clearly (which was actually the feature I was most excited about), but it seems like something that would end up seldom used since the headphones on their own do not block out that much sound.Extra Features: 3/10- The auto play/pause when taking off the headphones only seemed to work sporadically; they did not always pause when I removed the headphones unless they were completely off and nothing was directly in front of the right earcup (where the sensor lies). They did, however, always resume when the right earcup detected something in front of it.- The NFC pairing on my pair did not work.Other quirks:- Can be used wired when out of battery, however the headphones have to be powered on to use active noise cancelling- Can be used while being charged----------Overall, all I can say is that these are simply... just decent. I would not pin these as being worth ~$200 noise cancelling headphones on account of how bad they are at doing just that. In terms of features and ticks, I would place these above the Bose QC35II (for not having as many features and conveniences as these) and the Sony WH1000XM2 (no dual connection, takes longer to boot up and connect); but they lose out to both in every other regard. In my opinion, they also lost out to my $50 Avantree ANC032 headphones, which did a better job of noise cancelling - although sound is contestable.
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Great over ear headphone option.
Reviewed in Canada on September 16, 2020
Ph.
casque au prix accessible. Très bon compromis qualité/prix
Reviewed in France on October 28, 2020Amazon Customer
La qualité du son est bonne et les contrôles sont très facilement acessibles
Reviewed in Canada on October 15, 2020