Plantronics BackBeat Go Review - Almost the Perfect Bluetooth Earbuds
by Brian Klug on August 27, 2012 6:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
- Bluetooth
- plantronics
Five years ago I bought a pair of A2DP headsets, oddly enough alongside the purchase of a Dell XPS M1730. They were Dell BH200 stereo headests, essentially a rebrand of some Logitech models that were modern at the time. I used that in conjunction with a Dell Axim Pocket PC and later an HTC Apache to listen to streaming music while studying. Times have changed considerably since then, and both Moore’s law and further component miniaturization has made it possible to cram what used to require a bulky on-ear form factor into a pair of earbuds, and A2DP is likewise commonplace in any smartphone or PMP. I've long fantasized about a pair of earbuds with as little cable as possible, and right now the form factor of the BackBeat Go is basically as close as you can get to that reality.
The Plantronics BackBeat Go earbuds are good enough for casual listening, though discerning ears used to listening to higher end IEMs will detect a notably smaller sound stage and compressed dynamic range thanks to A2DP. On the whole however, the combo really is good enough to be passable when you have a good ear canal seal. The BackBeat Gos run around $76 at Amazon, which honestly isn’t bad for what you get. Since playing with this pair, I’ve become aware of a number of other players with the same form factor, for example Novero’s Rockaway or the Jaybird Freedom, all of which sit between $75 and $99.
My issue with the Dell BH200 headsets a long time ago was that wearing them was fatiguing and uncomfortable after a few hours. The BackBeat Go form factor is all around better, but unfortunately isn’t perfect, with the earbuds sometimes sliding out of my ear canals due to their large size and the lack of stiffer rubber. In addition, lack of multi-host pairing makes hopping between the notebook and smartphone as an A2DP source somewhat annoying.
The BackBeat Gos are tantalizingly close to being the sort of ideal Bluetooth earbud stereo platform that I’ve been dreaming of all these years, but aren’t quite there yet. That doesn’t mean they’re not enjoyable, but could benefit from maybe one more iteration.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
31 Comments
View All Comments
yyrkoon - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
$76 seems like an awful lot for a pair of earbuds. Suppose I would have to hear them personally to see if they were worth it.This is a type of product I was looking forward to, but with everything considered I think I would have to pass for now.
xTRICKYxx - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
$76 for something that I shove into my pocket with my car keys is too much. I treat earbuds like crap!yyrkoon - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
I have a pair of skullcandy earbuds that sound great. Even they only cost me $20. But they're not wireless either.And yeah, even though I do not try to treat my earbuds like crap. They always take a beating . . .
HisDivineOrder - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
The only earbuds I buy are the ones clearanced at Target. So... $1-4, tops. Wires aren't that bad and, as a feature, I get improved battery life by turning off Bluetooth.You're welcome.
Haugenshero - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
Do you think that possibly this isn't the product for you and that maybe your opinion has nothing to do with people that are interested in this product?Rizzy - Thursday, September 6, 2012 - link
Ha, well said! $76 for a set of BT ear buds is extremely reasonable. I spent $100 just for my non-BT earbuds and $80 for my current set of BT headphones.johnpereyra - Saturday, April 20, 2013 - link
Volume on this unit pluged into my iPhone5 is way tooooo lowww.....Do not buy!!!Mitch89 - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
$76, really?? Hardly outlandish...Samus - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
Reading through the whole review, I was thinking all along in the back of my head that there are worth $60. So $76 isn't too far off. I'm sure they'll come down in price in short time too. Shame they don't support Bluetooth 4.0 or newer codecs. Would improve battery life and sound quality.TrixieRides - Sunday, August 2, 2015 - link
I used the backbeat go's for quite a while before I found the RHA t10i's here http://www.pricenfees.com/best-headphones-under-20... Theyre not exactly in the same price range and they arent bluetooth either, but I'm very happy with the upgrade. I still do pull out my backbeat go's for when I do my marathons.