Plantronics BackBeat Go: Tiny, Cheap Bluetooth Headset Buds

Plantronics BackBeat Go: Tiny, Cheap Bluetooth Headset Buds


For $US100, the new Plantronics BackBeat Go Bluetooth headset isn’t just super-cheap, it’s probably the most convenient set we’ve ever seen. The key is the stellar design, you see. This is a headset that thinks it’s a set of buds.

The Plantronics BackBeat Go consists of two buds connected by a short cable. It would be easy, in fact, to confuse them with a set of in-ear buds, except that there’s no cable that reaches down to your smartphone. Instead, the headset pairs with your phone using common Bluetooth standards, playing music as well as allowing you to make calls.

Besides the familiar bud-like design, the headset sports an impressively efficient design. One earbud holds a microUSB connection and battery, shielded behind a rubber seal. The other earbud carries the Bluetooth radio that talks to your phone. Plantronics managed to squeeze it all into an itty-bitty 13g package. The battery charges up in just 2.5 hours, and it gives you 4.5 hours of talk and listening time.

This is a Bluetooth headset, so don’t expect overwhelmingly good sound quality from the 6mm drivers. We had the chance to try the new BackBeat Go headset out, and it sounds, well, like a decent Bluetooth headset. But for $US100, in a convenient design, even audio snobs might be willing to give these a shot. [Plantronics]