Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Review: A Great Pair Of Bluetooth Headphones For The Price

As you might already know, noise-canceling headphones are the crème of the crop in the world of headphones. They’re highly sought after because they’re able to filter out any unwanted external noise and allow you to enjoy your audio content without distractions. However, the best wireless noise-canceling headphones from the most popular and well-known brands like Bose and Sony to name a few tend to be quite pricy. Not everyone is willing to drop a couple of hundred dollars on a pair of headphones, which is where the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 comes in. To find out more about this budget-friendly Bluetooth headphones, just keep scrolling to read our review below.

See Where The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Ranks In Our List Of The Best Bluetooth Headphones For TV This 2021.

Overview Of The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

For its price, the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless (2016) is one of the best Bluetooth headphones we’ve seen on the market. While many Bluetooth headphones have difficulties with audio lag and latency, this particular pair supports the aptX-LL codec.

This enables these headphones to deliver low latency and a steady connection, especially when used for viewing TV. However, in order to fully exploit this function, you’ll need a Bluetooth adapter or transmitter that supports the codec.

The original Plantronics BackBeat Pro garnered a lot of high praise when it was first released. They weren’t perfect, but they featured a lot of cool features, sounded excellent, and had decent active noise cancellation (ANC). Plantronics, on the other hand, has enhanced the BackBeat Pro 2 by keeping what works and improving what doesn’t, such as its size and weight.

The sound profile of the BackBeat Pro 2 is well-balanced, with just enough bass and thumps to ensure that you hear the colorful sound effects as well as every beat of your favorite programs or music. With 30 hours of continuous playback, you won’t be disappointed when it comes to battery life. If you’re planning on binge-watching a TV show or a certain podcast, these are the headphones for you.

Overall, the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 offers exceptional battery life, superb sound quality, and effective active noise cancellation for a reasonable price. They are undoubtedly amazing value for money, despite not having the best noise-canceling on the market. If you’re still on the fence, let’s dive into this device’s specifics below.

Features & Specifications

• Brand: Plantronics
• Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.8 x 9 inches
• Item Weight: 0.63 lbs
• Type: Over-Ear
• Noise Cancelling: Yes
• Built-In Mic: Yes
• Battery Life: 24 hours
• Color: Black and Tan

What’s In The Box

• Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Headphones
• 3.5mm Simple Inline Cable
• USB to Micro-USB Charge Cable
• Zipper Soft Pouch
• Safety Booklet
• Quick Start Guide
• Warranty Insert

Check Out The Product Preview Of The BackBeat Pro 2 Below.

Want To Check Out Other Bluetooth Headphones? Read Our Top Picks Here.

What We Love About The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

Design

Thanks to the large protein leather pads and matching synthetic leather-topped headband, it’s easy to tell that the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 is a pair of full-size headphones up close and even from a few feet away.

You’ll either love or loathe the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 design because of its relatively unique and somewhat awkward nature. Personally, I find the design appealing and fresh. The headphones have a dark brown color scheme and unfortunately, that’s the only option available. This particular choice of color can result in dividing opinions regarding aesthetics but to each their own.

Then there’s the faux wood accent, which some may find cheap and out of place, but it does at least make the headphones stand out from other, more generic-looking Bluetooth headphones on the market. And for the effort alone, Plantronics gets a couple of bonus points from me.

Build

In comparison to its predecessor, the OG BackBeat Pro, this second iteration is significantly thinner and sleeker. The hefty control wheels on either side have been eliminated, and the over-ear earcups are roughly two-thirds the size of the original. Playback and volume controls are now incorporated into the rear of the left earcup, which has a textured ring surrounding a big, smooth circle around a smaller circle.

The huge circle may be clicked left or right to jump ahead or backward in a track, while the ring navigates the volume. Meanwhile, the play/pause button is in the center of the circle. The earcups also include a slew of sensors that identify when you’re using the headphones, the music will automatically stop when you take them off and your incoming calls will be answered when you put them on.

Active noise cancellation is controlled by a tiny three-way toggle switch on the side of the left earcup, which may be switched on, deactivated, or set into an Open Listening mode.

Furthermore, a round button on the rear of the right earcup is used to answer and stop calls and a power switch while a microphone mute button is located on the left side of the right earcup. At the bottom of the right earcup is a micro USB connector for charging with the provided cable, as well as a 3.5mm port if you’d like to use the BackBeat Pro 2 as a wired headphone.

Comfortability

While the design is questionable for some of you, the comfortability this pair of headphones provide is what makes the BackBeat Pro 2 shine. To put it simply, these headphones are a joy to wear. They have a nice, elongated shape for the earpads that will cover most ears than the original BackBeat Pro.

The fake leather earpads are velvety and well-cushioned, and the headband has just enough cushioning to make the headphones comfortable to use for extended periods of time. If you’re someone who often experiences headaches or fatigue when wearing over-ear headphones, then you’ll certainly have none of that with the BackBeat Pro 2 and will enjoy using this pair for hours on end.

Audio Quality

The first BackBeat Pro headphones had a pleasant, slightly bass-heavy sound characteristic when they first came out. A lot of people actually liked this and lucky for us, Plantronics has carried over this particular sound profile to the BackBeat Pro 2.

Certain audiophiles might be a little disappointed by the overpowering bass the BackBeat Pro 2 provides but for fellow bass heads out there, you will really appreciate the bass-heavy sound profile of these headphones. If you’d like to lessen the bass, I found that using the BackBeat Pro 2 in wired mode significantly reduces the bass too.

Furthermore, you’ll also be relieved to learn that ANC still works pretty well in wired mode when listening to music. This means if you don’t mind dealing with a cord for a while, you can save a few hours on the battery life. Because a little extra bass helps filter out distracting external or ambient noise, we can see why Plantronics chose a bass-heavy sound signature.

Our Least Favorite Things

Noise-Cancellation Is Not The Best

For its price, you can’t really complain. While some of you might argue that other headphone models from different manufacturers and brands offer better noise-cancellation capabilities, the BackBeat Pro 2 isn’t half-bad. The noise cancellation in the BackBeat PRO 2 isn’t nearly as good as higher-end models, but it does a decent job of dampening street and subway sounds.

Whereas other headphones effectively eliminate external and ambient noises, the Backbeat Pro 2 only cuts it in half. In other words, it was less intrusive of the listening experience, but you can definitely still hear some of it while using these headphones.

In A Nutshell

Now that we have finished discussing the things we like and dislike about the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2, here is a narrowed-down list of the pros and cons of this particular pair of Bluetooth headphones.

Our Final Verdict

All in all, the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 headphones are a significant improvement over the original model. Apart from better noise-canceling technology, they’re smaller, sleeker, and sound better. You may argue that there are better alternatives on the market (which is correct) but in terms of price and value? This is a great option for anyone looking for a good set of Bluetooth headphones that’s comfy and lasts throughout the day without spending a lot of money.

Do you already own the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2? How was the experience for you? Was our review helpful? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any suggestions, questions, or insights to share regarding our review of the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2. I would love to hear all your thoughts!

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