Plantronics has been dealing in all things audio for businesses, music-lovers and gamers alike for many many years now. This year they continued to flex their Bluetooth communication muscles with the Voyager Edge, Voyager Legend, and the most recent, Explorer 500. They also showcased their new RIG series of gaming headsets, one of which we are in the middle of reviewing for you. Now they’ve doubled-back to the music and audiophile field with their latest release in the BackBeat line-up, the BackBeat SENSE. This on-ear headphone targets comfort and style while hitting hard with functionality.
So let’s dive into the Plantronic BackBeat SENSE, showcased in Plantronics’ New York showcase event on Wednesday.
Plantronics BackBeat SENSE
Off the bat, we can at least say the BackBeat SENSE is as comfortable as it looks, sporting memory foam with a leatherette cover and weighing in at a featherlike 140 grams. The headband is self-adjusting, allowing the headset to simply slide on with minor resistance. The BackBeat SENSE comes in two sleek-looking color skus: Black/Espresso and White/Tan.
What is especially impressive is the bevy of features stuffed into this unit. Capable of both wired and wireless use, Plantronics’ BackBeat SENSE sports Class 1 Bluetooth 4.0 with a connection range of up to 330 feet (100 meters). It can stay paired to two devices simultaneously, allowing you to swap between media devices seamlessly. Wirelessly, it can run for 18 hrs of streaming while taking just about 2 and a half hours to charge.
Fancier functions reside in how the BackBeat SENSE handles your casual listening experiences. Using capacitive sensors on the ear pads, the headphones pause your music when you remove the BackBeat SENSE and resume when you put them back on. Need to temporarily listen to someone or something in the outside world? A button along the side of the left ear cup lowers your inbound audio and triggers the mic. This allows you to hear the outside world through the headset without having to remove it at all. Another simple button press re-engages whatever you were listening to.
Of course, you can also take calls, hang up, and control your media from the various controls on the outside of the ear cups. Not to mention, its small form-factor is reinforced with fold-flat ear cups and a tightly woven carrying pouch, enhancing its portability.
Can’t wait? If you’re in the US, you don’t have to as it is available NOW for $179.99. It will be available worldwide in just a few weeks. Plantronics is looking to make a splash with the BackBeat SENSE and from what we’ve seen so far, it shouldn’t have too much trouble doing so. Be sure to check out the Plantronics BackBeat SENSE for yourself here…
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/backbeat-sense