Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 Wireless Earphones REVIEW

March 3, 2014

$149

3 Stars

Theyโ€™re cool, they come with a charging case and their wirelessness makes them so damned convenient but, says Ashley Kramer, these earphones have issues.

IN AUGUST LAST year, Plantronicsโ€™ BackBeat Go wireless headphones were reviewed on this site (review here) and unfortunately, they were found wanting, and ended up with a two star rating. They showed that while wireless is definitely the future, the implementation of Bluetooth into ear bud style โ€˜phones is problematic. For one thing, thereโ€™s not much room for the batteries, and then thereโ€™s the simple fact that a bit of thin and inexpensive copper cable is better at moving an audio signal from A to B than a relatively low-fidelity Bluetooth connection. Still, some people are willing to deal with these limitations if it means they can do away with the inconvenience of the cable.

WD-Plantronics-bbgo2Given the scary predictions of smartphone designers doing away with headphone jacks just a few years down the track, it seems we might have to get used to wireless โ€˜phones as well as phones. So the manufacturers need to get these products sorted and soon.

The BackBeat Go model didnโ€™t quite float my boat but thereโ€™s a new model available, the BackBeat Go 2, and it certainly seems that the Plantronics engineering team has been thinking hard about this product.

On first glance, youโ€™d be forgiven for thinking that the new model is just the old model in a new box, but thereโ€™s more under the skin than appearances indicate. The in-line remote has been improved with proper buttons, which are more tactile than the old version. Another step up is the inclusion of a โ€œmilitary grade nano coatingโ€ which protects against sweat and moisture โ€“ I used the BackBeat Go 2โ€™s at gym (extensively in a sweaty high summer) and in the rain with no adverse affects at all, so it must do something.

The little red portable charging case is a thing of genius. The battery life is still only around 4.5 hours, and the addition of a โ€œDeep Sleepโ€ mode, which keeps the batteries from losing any power at all for up to six months isnโ€™t enough to make a real difference, but the case is. Itโ€™s basically a case with a built in battery and aย  ย short cable with a charging connector on the end. So when you need some power on the road, you just connect the โ€˜phones to the case and youโ€™re sorted. The case will charge the โ€˜phones at least twice, so itโ€™s a handy way to get more life without needing to plug into a wall socket or computer (the โ€˜phones normally charge via a USB cable). On the other hand, the case is no help if you misjudge things and the โ€˜phones die at gym or on the train, but judicious use will prevent that from happening (the battery life icon on the smartphone screen is a great reminder of where youโ€™re at).

WD-Plantronics-bbgo2-2According to the company, attention has been paid to the sound quality with new drivers, and this is certainly evident โ€“ they sound moderately clearer than the old model and the bass is better than before but again, a really good budget set of conventional earbuds will sound a little superior. If you dropped $149 or so on a set of wired in-ear โ€˜phones, youโ€™d be streaks ahead in sonic terms. But thatโ€™s missing the point โ€“ thereโ€™s something very cool about not having to be wired to your smartphone, and the BackBeat Go 2โ€™s have got enough range to make it easy to move around various rooms in the house while connected. Fit and comfort are much the same as before, with the slip-on stabilisers helping to keep the โ€˜phones relatively secure, but theyโ€™re still comparatively long and heavy so they tend to move around a bit during strenuous activity. Choosing the correct ear-tip helps in this regard.

With the charging case to get me through a full day, I found that I was using the BackBeat Go 2โ€™s much more than I ever did the original model, and just enjoying the convenience of the things. Call quality was good, although noise isolation is average at best โ€“ again the convenience makes for a good user experience.

Well, it would if not for the little but annoying glitches. Occasionally the music dropped out while I was walking around the city, which I blamed on my old iPhone, but then they did it with a brand new iPhone 5S. Thatโ€™s pretty off-putting but nowhere near as bad as their habit of slipping into Pairing Mode when you try to skip forward a track. This could sometimes be resolved by powering down and restarting the โ€˜phones, but sometimes the only way to get the BackBeat Go 2โ€™s back to normal was to forget the device on the smartphone a re-do the pairing process. This is excruciating in the middle of a workout, and almost led to the โ€˜phones being discreetly placed under a 40kg dumbbell. To make matters worse, the remote sometimes just stopped working, even though the โ€˜phones were still connected.

So all up, this is a product that in some ways has been improved enough to take it from two star to four star status, but itโ€™s held back by dubious reliability and a few operational issues. So at that level, three stars are all it can be awarded, which is a real pity and itโ€™s not really a strong recommendation. Still, these โ€˜phones are a very good sign of things to come โ€“ get that battery life up to eight hours, put three full, quick charges in the case and weโ€™re looking at an insanely cool product. Itโ€™s worth noting that the BackBeat Go 2โ€™s are available sans case. I wouldnโ€™t go that way โ€“ the case makes a big difference. ASHLEY KRAMER

The BackBeat GO is available now from Telecom, Vodafone, Noel Leeming and Dick Smith.

 

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