The Gen XY Lifestyle
Review: Plantronics BackBeat Go 2
The Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 headphones is a pair of comfortable every-day, on-the-go headphones.
Whether it’s used as a on-the-go stereo Bluetooth music player or headphones at the gym/run, the Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 headphones is quite simply a pair of headphones good for daily usage.
Design and features
The BackBeat Go 2 is a moisture-resistant pair of wireless, stereo earphones that’s connected by a tangle-proof single wire that includes an in-line microphone with music/volume controls. For this model, the earphones are available in three colour variants of black-on-grey, white and red.
Use
In terms of usage, the controls are pretty much intuitive and the pairing process via Bluetooth to gadgets such as smartphones and tablets a simple affair. Upon pairing, the headset “remembers” your device and will search for it automatically the next time round, and whenever the gadget is being switched on, it will also give you an indication of the current battery level.
As for controls, the buttons are easy to use. Altogether there are three buttons that control the playing of music and the receiving of phone calls. The +/- buttons handle volume as well as skipping forward and backward through music tracks when held down for about a second. The middle mutton pauses and resumes playback and also helps with answering a call, or to redial the last called number. Connection wise, the Bluetooth worked across the standard 10 metres, even with a wall or two in between, it still functions perfectly fine without any dropped calls or lag.
Call quality wise, feedback is decent and while it is a good set of earphones for mobility, this would not be the best option if the primary use is for phone calls. Incoming voice quality is good but outgoing voice was not always picked up well by the recipient. The environment also plays a big part in having a good call; a quiet background indoors worked best while walking through a shopping mall was frustrating, as the microphone placement (under the right ear) tends to pick up ambient noise which in turn will be transmitted to the receiving caller.
Battery life
The manual shares a play time of 4.5 hours. This was pretty much what we found with music playback (streaming music through Bluetooth) of about 4 hours.What’s available to extend usage however is an optional wireless charging case that will boost stated time to 14.5 hours.
Cost and availability
The Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 is available online at Lazada from SGD S$95 and at resellers.
