The only earbuds I buy are the ones clearanced at Target. So... $1-4, tops. Wires aren't that bad and, as a feature, I get improved battery life by turning off Bluetooth.
Do you think that possibly this isn't the product for you and that maybe your opinion has nothing to do with people that are interested in this product?
Ha, well said! $76 for a set of BT ear buds is extremely reasonable. I spent $100 just for my non-BT earbuds and $80 for my current set of BT headphones.
Reading through the whole review, I was thinking all along in the back of my head that there are worth $60. So $76 isn't too far off. I'm sure they'll come down in price in short time too. Shame they don't support Bluetooth 4.0 or newer codecs. Would improve battery life and sound quality.
I used the backbeat go's for quite a while before I found the RHA t10i's here http://www.pricenfees.com/best-headphones-under-20... Theyre not exactly in the same price range and they arent bluetooth either, but I'm very happy with the upgrade. I still do pull out my backbeat go's for when I do my marathons.
I bought a pair of these when I got my iPhone 5 back in March. I use them every day, in all life circumstances, including outdoor work as a photographer (rain & dust). I am able to have phone conversations while I take photos simultaneously on my iPhone using these things. I only paid $50 at RadioShack on discount, but I would recommend them up to $80. It's not often I find a product that is completely seamless and so reliable. At the gym, I leave my phone in a wooden locker and work out up to 50' away and never break signal. I am considering purchasing another pair off eBay for backup when the batteries run out (I generally get about 5 hours out of a charge). I don't write reviews often, but I really feel like some people are underrating this product here, and I want to share my view. For the freedom and reliability, a $70 price point is a bargain in my view. I absolutely hate 'cord snag' where buds get ripped out of my ears due to some movement... I never have to deal with that now. Hope this helps. Brian -
I own the lg tone tones, and jaybird freedoms, the lg tones have better reception, battery life, plus the vibrating feature is nice so you can leave your phone on the table and walk around the house....not having to keep the earbuds in your ear the whole time to listen for a call.
The jaybird freedoms are more sweat proof, but changing songs on them is a pain while you are jogging and the sound quality is crap.
Ive owned many headsets the hbs700 is hands down the best in almost every department, battery reception and sound quality/noise cancellation....to the point when i make a call on my regualr iPhone, people complain and say they cant hear me very well, until i switch back to the headset.
These all in one style earbuds are sleek and convenient...but you trade reception and battery life for the convenience.
Another set to check out if you like this style is novero rockaways
I'm really surprised at the recent articles on this form factor being new or some kind of break through. Sony's had this exact form factor for several years now, but obviously failed to market it (no wonder they're losing market share left and right). You can get one now for about half the price of this one (though it may be a knock-off) on eBay or something.
Which model? Somehow I never ran into it, yet it has been the form factor I've been looking forward to for quite a while now. I guess this was my first exposure to it, for whatever reason.
The IS800 mentioned below have been around for at least three years I think, used to retail for over $200 tho. Battery life still kills the value for this form factor IMO.Rather just use a clip on receiver with longer battery life and the upside of being able to plug in the headphones directly when it runs out.
Ahh that's a good point, hmm I really need to give those a try. I'd like to just try all of them out at once honestly, since using this form factor is something I'd like to do on a daily basis.
That price is crazy though, but I think Sony is just gouging. I bought mine in Taiwan and it was about $60 retail (2000 TWD) with a hard case. I then lost it going through airport security and found myself another one online (with a soft pouch) for about the same price. I'm partially convinced the one I got online is a fake though, because I remember my original one having multi-point but the new one does not support it. I have to re-discover/connect every time I switch devices.
Sony made these a few years ago (HBH-IS800). They were great until recently when their play time dropped to ~2 hrs from usage. Replaced them with the JF3 Freedom which I love even more for 3 reasons. 1) The JF3's are surprisingly light and comfortable. 2) Twice the play time. 3) Physical buttons on the earpiece are so much easier to use than ones dangling on the cord.
I enjoy these kinds of off beat reviews at AT, even if it isn't their core subject matter, AT editors like Brian still put more effort intro this kinda short review than most tech sites could ever dream of.
I own these as well as a pair of Sennheiser MM400's. The Senn's have a much better audio quality, better battery life and are Multi-point compatible. But they are over the ear style phones and as such are big and bulky. I like the BackBeat Go's for just bumming around the house or working out. They are the perfect size and weight for that type of activity. If I really want good BT audio then it's the Senn's, but the BB GO are extremely good at what they do, even if it is a one pony show. Pro tip: Change out the stock tps for some Comply T/TS/TX-200's and you'll hear these in a whole new way.
I have a pair of these BackBeat go earbuds and their formfactor is perfect. I bought both these and Jaybird Freedom earbuds to try out mainly for using at the gym while I exercise. The Jaybird Freedom buds are bulkier and they also use a proprietary charging port/cable while the BackBeat Go uses a regular microusb charger and are sleek. The BackBeat Go also fit me quite well. I promptly returned the Jaybird buds. However, as I am writing this post, I'm also getting ready to pack the BackBeat GO and return them as they have stopped working. The buds no longer power on and I suspect that the sweat from gym use may have effected the wiring/circuitry. I may go back to a bluetooth 3.5mm adapter (my previous one also stopped working) or look at the Novero model.
Has anyone tried replacing the foam to something that might seal better? I got a pair of Shure SL4C on the $80 deal a few years back, and have since ordered replacement 'large' memory foam ear pieces after one of mine 'broke' (ie, the foam separated from the harder cylinder in the center).
Since I got 10 of them in the package, I've gone to putting these on compatible headphones and it's amazing what a simple change of the ear pieces has accomplished for various cheaper headsets, especially for sound clarity and low end response.
My Shure set lives on my PC with a quality USB/DAC for gaming, since they are the best I have. But daily I use a set of Klipsch Promedia In-Ear (with the foam pieces purchased for my Shure set), and it takes a really good source to tell the difference (for me): http://www.klipsch.com/promedia-in-ear
I'd love to know how these sound with similar pieces for a great seal (and also if they'd stay in place better with such a good tight seal).
How loud do these get? I like my music loud I got a pair of Novero Rockaways and like them other then the fact they just arent loud enough so now they are collecting dust. Ive been looking at the gos but I need to make sure they get loud enough before I drop more $.
I am very disappointed in the earbuds. Iv only had these buds for only three months and they have already crapped out on me. I can't seem to recharge the battery even thiugh the light indicator is on. The on/off tone sound to simular so when I want to use the earbuds the battery has already been drained. I want to point out that the volume is not very loud for the the price I paid. I highly reccomend not to waste your mney on this brand of earbuds. This brand is not worth the money you will pay.
I know theese can only pair with one device at a time. Problem for me is when i did a factory reset on my phone i can no longer pair with the headset and i havent found anyway to reset the pairing so i can reconnect them to another device! Ive been reading the manual and looked around here on the internet for hours with no luck! Anyone here that have figured out hot to a pairing reset on them?
Hi , I just bought plantronics backbeat go . I am not able to add my headset with my laptop. I tried unpair the headset with mobile but still my laptop bluetooth is not able to find it but at the same time I am able to add this device to other mobile and other headset to my laptop.
Please help in how to add the headset in windows 7 .
Fantastic review!! Been using the headset since Feb 2014. Having problems with the charging case. Plantrinics have agreed to replace the whole unit. Just wanted to what usb charger, other than my desktop, can i use to charge the headphones? i.e. wattage, Output. Thanks
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31 Comments
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yyrkoon - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
$76 seems like an awful lot for a pair of earbuds. Suppose I would have to hear them personally to see if they were worth it.This is a type of product I was looking forward to, but with everything considered I think I would have to pass for now.
xTRICKYxx - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
$76 for something that I shove into my pocket with my car keys is too much. I treat earbuds like crap!yyrkoon - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
I have a pair of skullcandy earbuds that sound great. Even they only cost me $20. But they're not wireless either.And yeah, even though I do not try to treat my earbuds like crap. They always take a beating . . .
HisDivineOrder - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
The only earbuds I buy are the ones clearanced at Target. So... $1-4, tops. Wires aren't that bad and, as a feature, I get improved battery life by turning off Bluetooth.You're welcome.
Haugenshero - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
Do you think that possibly this isn't the product for you and that maybe your opinion has nothing to do with people that are interested in this product?Rizzy - Thursday, September 6, 2012 - link
Ha, well said! $76 for a set of BT ear buds is extremely reasonable. I spent $100 just for my non-BT earbuds and $80 for my current set of BT headphones.johnpereyra - Saturday, April 20, 2013 - link
Volume on this unit pluged into my iPhone5 is way tooooo lowww.....Do not buy!!!Mitch89 - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
$76, really?? Hardly outlandish...Samus - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - link
Reading through the whole review, I was thinking all along in the back of my head that there are worth $60. So $76 isn't too far off. I'm sure they'll come down in price in short time too. Shame they don't support Bluetooth 4.0 or newer codecs. Would improve battery life and sound quality.TrixieRides - Sunday, August 2, 2015 - link
I used the backbeat go's for quite a while before I found the RHA t10i's here http://www.pricenfees.com/best-headphones-under-20... Theyre not exactly in the same price range and they arent bluetooth either, but I'm very happy with the upgrade. I still do pull out my backbeat go's for when I do my marathons.SimplePhotos - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
I bought a pair of these when I got my iPhone 5 back in March. I use them every day, in all life circumstances, including outdoor work as a photographer (rain & dust). I am able to have phone conversations while I take photos simultaneously on my iPhone using these things. I only paid $50 at RadioShack on discount, but I would recommend them up to $80. It's not often I find a product that is completely seamless and so reliable. At the gym, I leave my phone in a wooden locker and work out up to 50' away and never break signal. I am considering purchasing another pair off eBay for backup when the batteries run out (I generally get about 5 hours out of a charge). I don't write reviews often, but I really feel like some people are underrating this product here, and I want to share my view. For the freedom and reliability, a $70 price point is a bargain in my view. I absolutely hate 'cord snag' where buds get ripped out of my ears due to some movement... I never have to deal with that now. Hope this helps. Brian -Dariusbird - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
How do you think these Plantronics stack up against my LG HBS-700? Just might be time for an upgrade.dsumanik - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
I own the lg tone tones, and jaybird freedoms, the lg tones have better reception, battery life, plus the vibrating feature is nice so you can leave your phone on the table and walk around the house....not having to keep the earbuds in your ear the whole time to listen for a call.The jaybird freedoms are more sweat proof, but changing songs on them is a pain while you are jogging and the sound quality is crap.
Ive owned many headsets the hbs700 is hands down the best in almost every department, battery reception and sound quality/noise cancellation....to the point when i make a call on my regualr iPhone, people complain and say they cant hear me very well, until i switch back to the headset.
These all in one style earbuds are sleek and convenient...but you trade reception and battery life for the convenience.
Another set to check out if you like this style is novero rockaways
lockey813 - Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - link
Would you recommend the hbs700 or the bbs730? Thank youlockey813 - Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - link
sorry typo. I mean the HBS-700 or the HBS-730Bob-o - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
With that poor battery life I think I'll stick with my Voyager 855's for now.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UBNFT2
Not the best audio quality. . . but who would use BT for audio quality anyway? Break out the high-quality wired set for that.
OCedHrt - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
I'm really surprised at the recent articles on this form factor being new or some kind of break through. Sony's had this exact form factor for several years now, but obviously failed to market it (no wonder they're losing market share left and right). You can get one now for about half the price of this one (though it may be a knock-off) on eBay or something.Brian Klug - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
Which model? Somehow I never ran into it, yet it has been the form factor I've been looking forward to for quite a while now. I guess this was my first exposure to it, for whatever reason.-Brian
Impulses - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
The IS800 mentioned below have been around for at least three years I think, used to retail for over $200 tho. Battery life still kills the value for this form factor IMO.Rather just use a clip on receiver with longer battery life and the upside of being able to plug in the headphones directly when it runs out.Brian Klug - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
Ahh that's a good point, hmm I really need to give those a try. I'd like to just try all of them out at once honestly, since using this form factor is something I'd like to do on a daily basis.-Brian
OCedHrt - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Pr...That price is crazy though, but I think Sony is just gouging. I bought mine in Taiwan and it was about $60 retail (2000 TWD) with a hard case. I then lost it going through airport security and found myself another one online (with a soft pouch) for about the same price. I'm partially convinced the one I got online is a fake though, because I remember my original one having multi-point but the new one does not support it. I have to re-discover/connect every time I switch devices.
Here it is for 1750 TWD (http://tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/b80318099;... yet they sell it for $100+ on Amazon.
ScottSoapbox - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
Sony made these a few years ago (HBH-IS800). They were great until recently when their play time dropped to ~2 hrs from usage. Replaced them with the JF3 Freedom which I love even more for 3 reasons. 1) The JF3's are surprisingly light and comfortable. 2) Twice the play time. 3) Physical buttons on the earpiece are so much easier to use than ones dangling on the cord.Impulses - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
I enjoy these kinds of off beat reviews at AT, even if it isn't their core subject matter, AT editors like Brian still put more effort intro this kinda short review than most tech sites could ever dream of.cc2096 - Monday, August 27, 2012 - link
I own these as well as a pair of Sennheiser MM400's. The Senn's have a much better audio quality, better battery life and are Multi-point compatible. But they are over the ear style phones and as such are big and bulky. I like the BackBeat Go's for just bumming around the house or working out. They are the perfect size and weight for that type of activity. If I really want good BT audio then it's the Senn's, but the BB GO are extremely good at what they do, even if it is a one pony show. Pro tip: Change out the stock tps for some Comply T/TS/TX-200's and you'll hear these in a whole new way.vexingv - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
I have a pair of these BackBeat go earbuds and their formfactor is perfect. I bought both these and Jaybird Freedom earbuds to try out mainly for using at the gym while I exercise. The Jaybird Freedom buds are bulkier and they also use a proprietary charging port/cable while the BackBeat Go uses a regular microusb charger and are sleek. The BackBeat Go also fit me quite well. I promptly returned the Jaybird buds. However, as I am writing this post, I'm also getting ready to pack the BackBeat GO and return them as they have stopped working. The buds no longer power on and I suspect that the sweat from gym use may have effected the wiring/circuitry. I may go back to a bluetooth 3.5mm adapter (my previous one also stopped working) or look at the Novero model.TechnoButt - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - link
Has anyone tried replacing the foam to something that might seal better? I got a pair of Shure SL4C on the $80 deal a few years back, and have since ordered replacement 'large' memory foam ear pieces after one of mine 'broke' (ie, the foam separated from the harder cylinder in the center).Since I got 10 of them in the package, I've gone to putting these on compatible headphones and it's amazing what a simple change of the ear pieces has accomplished for various cheaper headsets, especially for sound clarity and low end response.
My Shure set lives on my PC with a quality USB/DAC for gaming, since they are the best I have. But daily I use a set of Klipsch Promedia In-Ear (with the foam pieces purchased for my Shure set), and it takes a really good source to tell the difference (for me):
http://www.klipsch.com/promedia-in-ear
I'd love to know how these sound with similar pieces for a great seal (and also if they'd stay in place better with such a good tight seal).
CrAkD - Saturday, September 8, 2012 - link
How loud do these get? I like my music loud I got a pair of Novero Rockaways and like them other then the fact they just arent loud enough so now they are collecting dust. Ive been looking at the gos but I need to make sure they get loud enough before I drop more $.devildoc10 - Saturday, April 20, 2013 - link
I am very disappointed in the earbuds. Iv only had these buds for only three months and they have already crapped out on me. I can't seem to recharge the battery even thiugh the light indicator is on. The on/off tone sound to simular so when I want to use the earbuds the battery has already been drained. I want to point out that the volume is not very loud for the the price I paid. I highly reccomend not to waste your mney on this brand of earbuds. This brand is not worth the money you will pay.Sign
Verry dissapointed
Glerm - Monday, June 10, 2013 - link
I know theese can only pair with one device at a time. Problem for me is when i did a factory reset on my phone i can no longer pair with the headset and i havent found anyway to reset the pairing so i can reconnect them to another device! Ive been reading the manual and looked around here on the internet for hours with no luck! Anyone here that have figured out hot to a pairing reset on them?abhishekpurbey - Monday, August 5, 2013 - link
Hi ,I just bought plantronics backbeat go . I am not able to add my headset with my laptop. I tried unpair
the headset with mobile but still my laptop bluetooth is not able to find it but at the same time I am able to add this device to other mobile and other headset to my laptop.
Please help in how to add the headset in windows 7 .
Thanks in advance!!
jeevak - Tuesday, June 3, 2014 - link
Fantastic review!! Been using the headset since Feb 2014. Having problems with the charging case. Plantrinics have agreed to replace the whole unit. Just wanted to what usb charger, other than my desktop, can i use to charge the headphones? i.e. wattage, Output. Thanks