Reviews for Poly (Plantronics + Polycom) Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 Headphones - Wireless Noise Cancelling - Black Tan, Black and Tan
People say Poly Plantronics Polycom is really similar to Bose.
5.0
One of the best headphones
I've been in search of the perfect (well, close to perfect) headphones. I've been on this quest for the last six months or so, testing out several headphones. My requirements were – Multipoint bluetooth (so I could connect to two devices at the same time), Bluetooth 4.0 or higher, comfortable fit for long periods of time, easy to use controls, good balance of sound between highs and lows, and noise cancellation (though this is not a requirement). I also wanted an over-the-ear design for sound isolation and comfort, but again, not an absolute requirement. One last thing, looks or style of the headphones is completely irrelevant to me. I'm wearing this in the house, so only I care what they look like. I tried Bose, Beats, Plantronics BackBeat Pro (the first version of this line), Sony, and a few more. I never got precisely what I want. Finally, I decided on the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2. Here's what I like about them: 1. Price is $100-150 cheaper than competitive headphones for what appears to be similar quality and features. 2. Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity allows me to connect to my iPhone and TV at the same time. So you can listen to your main device for music or TV, but still able to answer your phone without taking off the headphones. 3. Extremely comfortable. The earpods and headband have some very nice cushioning. I have worn these things for 4-5 hours without any complaints from my ears or head. 4. Noise cancellation. I'm not a big fan of noise cancellation, sin... Read More
5.0
Great headphones with useful features!!!
Using these things to listen to music is definitely subjective, we all hear things differently and are more sensitive to certain frequencies than others as well as having personal preferences. I have the BB Pro 2 as well as the QC35 (QC35 in the box going back) and my preference is for the BB Pro 2's. To me they are more involving, more dynamic and just let the music come through, although they can be a little bass heavy at times and sometimes that can be alleviated with ANC. While to my ears the QC35's are kind of distant and muted and I had to turn the volume higher to get them to be somewhat dynamic. Speaking of ANC, while the QC35 was really good at canceling noise, it's just not leaps and bounds better (not even close to almost $200 better) than the BB Pro 2. As a matter of fact my 5 horse power gas lawn mower provided the perfect test and using both pair while having my lawn mower powered up the QC35 was only slightly better than the BB Pro 2. Another thing, you can't even turn ANC off with the QC35 so you're always totally isolated, who wants that all the time? having certain features are nice, you either have to take the QC35 off your ear or shut them off to hear anything while the BB Pro 2 has 3 options, ANC on, ANC off and then open mic, wow that was really had to do eh? Bose? This is just my 2 cents worth and my personal experience and listening preferences. FWIW I like the BB FIT for working out too. Guess I'm kind of biased and I've tried a dozen of the competiti... Read More
5.0
Great Cans. Unbeatable battery life.
These were recommended to me by a friend who had done extensive consumer research and, ultimately, opted for the PRO2 over Bose or Beats. I don't have a frame of reference as these are my first set of noise cancelling headphones but I can say that for $140 (on sale) I'm a very satisfied customer. The battery life is unreal - I only have to charge them about every week and a half. They can seamlessly link to multiple bluetooth devices; I use them for my phone, computer and television. They charge fast - less that two hours to power up to full. They can be used as a set of wired headphones as well. Sound quality is great. Generally great cans for movies, music and video games. The noise cancellation is a nice touch. I understand it is not as robust as Bose. Honestly, I would still be just as happy with or without the noise cancelling. Other nice touches include built in microphone for phone calls / gaming, automatic pause / play when you take the headphones off and a volume control ring built into one of the headsets. I personally like the retro 70s woodgrain design. It might not be for everyone. I love these headphones and, depending on cost, you are going to spend $150 - $200 less than a pair of Beats or Bose.
5.0
Great value, exceptional life (short and long term)
Okay, not a long drawn out comparative review, but my overall rating is based on the price, value, performance and not pure 'ear sex'. I had some low end NC units for casual plane travel. A workmate had the Bose. Those were nice. I started traveling more and wanted a better pair but given to misplacing things not willing to go for the Bose. Review search, came up with the Plantronics (the first BackBeat Pro). I was happy with them, used them a lot and finally the ear cushions fell apart. I was so happy with them I went to replace them and only the new model was available. I got them. I liked the first ones for comfort and I think a bit better at noise reduction (not necessarily canceling) do to being heavier. The new ones are lighter and for the money, they still get high marks for me. FWIW, I have compared them to coworker's Bose on planes. The Bose noise cancelling is better, but not enough to justify the cost for me. The battery life is exceptional, I use them for planes, at home with the TV and when I cut the grass. And, I found that I could buy new ear pads for my old units, so now I have two pair. Extra credit for Plantronics design and support of their products!!!
5.0
Great alternative to Bose QC 35 at half the price!
This is one of the best pair of wireless over the ear headphones on the market, I've used the Bose QC35's and while they do have better noise cancellation, these sound the same, and they're half the cost. Battery life is great, I flew round trip across the US on one charge and they still show half full. If you're looking for a solid pair of wireless headphones that have ANC (Active noise cancellation), before you spring for the Bose QC35's, give these a try. You'll be surprised! A note on comfort, most over the ear headphones get uncomfortable after wearing them for 3-4 hours. I have small ear canals but large ears, so earbuds don't really work well, and most over the ear headphones tend to pinch my ears which can be painful. I traded up from a pair of Parrot Zik headphones, which have a more intuitive user interface for volume adjustment track changes. It was nice to have that touch interface on the side of the Zik's, however, these are lighter, and therefore much more comfortable to wear for extended periods. The Parrot Zik's also struggled to provide more than 5-6 hours of battery life wirelessly, which makes them a poor choice for cross country flights given the fact that they would normally die just before final decent. Try these! You won't be disappointed.
5.0
On sale, it's a great value.
After reading numerous long reviews, I decided to buy a pair to replace my SteelSeries headset that's five years old. I got mine for $120 on sale, so bear that in mind when I talk about value. Let's get the major talking points out of the way. The sound: the highs are a bit quiet, the mids are strong, the base is either non-existant or rumbling your head, no inbetween. You'll want to download a third party equalizer, as these headphone DEFINITELY need balancing. But that's not a big deal. The ANC is okay. It's best for things like the hum of your AC unit in your office or the gentle whine of your computers cooling fans. It will not cut out all sound and even louder regular sounds like the whooshing sound of the AC intake isn't cut out, just lessened. Think of it this way, you're paying half the price of Bose, so you're getting half of the ANC. The connectivity: That's a tough one. The bluetooth in the headset lands right in the middle of the pack and largely depends on the transmitter on the other end. I bought a Avantree Leaf Long Range USB dongle and I can wander about my house without cutting out. To be clear, people need to realize that you need to get an AptX enabled transmitter if you want the low latency codec and lag free video watching. Not all phones/tablets have this (or even mention if they have it), so you'll find some people swearing there's no lag and some people complaining heavily about it. Get an AptX enabled dongle and you won't have a problem. On my ph... Read More
5.0
Great Value for a ANC Headset
I needed a good set of ANC headphones since my office is now open and I need something to drown out the noise. I was skeptical these would be good because they're less than half the price of the competition (the Bose QC and the Sony ones) but I went for it anyway since I have some non-noise cancelling Plantronics cans that are also an excellent value. I'm glad I went for it because these are insane for the price. The noise cancelling works great. In my opinion, it performs about on par with the Bose QC. There's a small amount of white noise occasionally if you're in a very dynamic environment but I have experienced this with pretty much every ANC headset. They don't work incredibly well at drowning out humans chatting but no noise cancelling system is good for that. Noise cancelling works best for drowning out constant noises. People who complain about that don't understand how noise cancelling works, you will have the exact some problems with the most expensive pair. The sound quality is also great. The Bose might beat it slightly but it's not 160 dollars better. The bass is solid and the mids and highs are crystal clear. I mostly listen to jazz and piano music at work for reference. I also listen to punk rock and metal and that sounds great also. FInally, the battery life is excellent. I haven't calculated exactly how long they last but I listen to them with the ANC on for between 4 and 6 hours a day and they've never died on me in the middle of the week. I usually charg... Read More
4.0
Fantastic bluetooth headphones with average noise cancelling.
I bought these as an upgrade from my HN-900 that died recently. I needed a solid pair that was wireless because I'm tired of losing the cable dongles for the IPhone. My wife is a huge fan of her Bose Quiet Comforts so I briefly considered QC-35s but I simply don't like the looks. These looked like they could fit the bill. Appearance: fantastic. I know a lot of people consider wood grain a strange choice but I think these pull it off. I ride NYC subway every day and half the people I see with ANC headphones are wearing Bose which aesthetically are a bit boring to my eyes. These headphones stood out quite a bit. All other plastics are of high quality and the headband is amongst the best I've ever seen. Perforated mesh is incredibly comfortable and breathable. The faux leather on the cups also has a very pleasant feel to it as well as ample padding. Button clicks feel very solid and you get used to the control scheme in under a day. The placement of controls is very well thought out. LED lights for battery indication are also a nice touch that reminds me of old macbook batteries. Functionality: probably the best I've seen on any bluetooth headset/headphones. The first time you take the headphones off and they auto-pause the music feels like magic. Everyone I've shown it to was impressed. Ambient sound mode is very helpful. Paired easily with both my Macbook and my iPhone and switched seamlessly between the two. Voice prompts are very clear and brief enough not to be annoying. ... Read More
4.0
Thrilled... really.
I'm a "prosumer" audophile. I don't own $20,000 speakers, but I listen to music a LOT, every day, at home, at work, in bed, doing chores, cooking dinner. With four kids, immersive high-quality music soothes the savage breast... and so it does for me. I've been using bluetooth over-ear headphones frequently for many years, previously primarily two pairs of Bluedio R+ Legends, which I thought were excellent, had spectacular bass (and I am a man who enjoys his deep, articulate, thorough, controlled but punctuated bass... one could say, even a little too much). I primarily listen to EDM, "sadcore", easy-going, Jazz, some Ibiza-style stuff, all of which has a lot of stuff going on between 20Hz and 60Hz that you need to hear - clearly - every tone - or you're missing something important on the track. I've read plenty of reviews of plenty of headphones and have been on a Quixotic journey in recent months to cover all the big names and find a modern, appropriately feature-rich, ooey-gooey soft and comfy, sparkly, vocal, deep, rich, spectacular-sounding pair of headsets that just say, wow, damn, that's it. I tried a couple (relatively) cheap pairs and was very thorough and scientific, and wrote MANY hundreds of words picking them apart, when the fundamental question is: does it work? Is it comfortable, do the controls work, does it look/feel like quality stuff, and most importantly, does it sound good? I'll admit on my journey cost was a bit of no object. I tried pairs for $20 and pa... Read More