Plantronics BackBeat Go 810
The American company Plantronics was founded in 1961. Initially, it specialized in the development and manufacture of electronic products for the aerospace industry. But now she designs different products: music headphones, gaming, noise canceling, headsets, headphones, speakers, etc. Many references are available on the official website of the brand. In this test we are interested in the Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 headset which is the brand's 3rd wireless headset that is equipped with a noise reduction system (ANC). This headset gives you freedom of movement thanks to its wireless connection and isolates you from outside noises. In addition you get these functions for an attractive price.
Positive Points
- Balanced sound reproduction
- Comfortable
- Simple to use
- Commands and application
- Autonomy
Negative points
- The rendering is slightly lacking in precision and detail
Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 Wireless Headphone
The BackBeat Go 810 comes in a cardboard box on which you can see photos of the Bluetooth headset and also some of its features. The helmet and accessories are well packed and protected. Once unpacked you get the headset, a cloth cover, a USB charging cable, a 3.5 mm audio cable for wired listening, a user manual and warranty booklet. The packaging is complete.
Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 Review
For the design of the BackBeat Go 810, Plantronics decided to combine several aspects and features found on other models of the brand. The materials used and the shape of the arch recall the Backbeat Go 600 and the shape of the earbuds and the location of the buttons are reminiscent of the BackBeat Pro 2. The headset offers a good build quality and there is nothing wrong on the finishes. It uses the same type of materials as the other Go series audio headphones. The hulls are made of plastic, the hoop is made of metal and the pads are covered with imitation leather and fabric. Everything is very well assembled, there is no mark or trace of assembly. The helmet is also robust (resists twists) and lightweight (245 grams on the scale). The hinges squeak a little when you handle the headphones. But there is no noise when placed on your head. The two atria can rotate flat, against they do not fold against the arch.
Once in place on your head the Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 offers a good comfort. The contact of the pads on your ears is soft thanks to the imitation leather and the arch adapts to all head morphologies (small and large). The different pressure points are well distributed, however the contact of the arch with skull could be improved. The foam on the hoop is not thick enough. The pressure of the pads on your ears allows the helmet to be stable in any situation. The BackBeat Go 810 will stay in place even if you make movements with your head. The only complaint we must make is that the pads do not offer much space in width. If you have big ears, some parts will be in contact with the pads. You will feel a little discomfort, but it does not become painful even after several hours of use.
Characteristics
The control buttons on the BackBeat Go 810 are exactly the same as on the BackBeat Pro 2. On the left headset, you'll find the buttons to play where to pause your music, navigate between audio tracks , launch the virtual assistant and change the power of the sound volume. On the right ear, there is a switch to turn on / off the headset and start Bluetooth pairing. The last button on the same headset allows you to choose between two equalization presets. The buttons are easily accessible to the blind and you do not need the user manual to understand their operations. What is a pity is that it is not possible to precisely manage the level of noise reduction. You can only turn it off or on again by pressing the + and - buttons at the same time. There is no button or function that allows you to stay tuned to the outside world. The microphones only activate when you pick up a phone call or when you start the wizard of your smartphone.
Plantronics has developed an application that can be installed on Android and IOS devices. The application offers several functions and parameters, in addition it is easy to navigate when used. In the main menu, you will be able to observe the battery level, the Bluetooth connection status, the noise reduction level and the selected EQ. You click on the different icons to access the menu. The app offers settings that are really useful. For example, you can change the language and volume of voice notifications or change the display of battery life (percentage or listening time).
The Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 does not have an NFC chip, but the Bluetooth connection is made very easily and quickly. The headset supports Bluetooth 5.0, but is only compatible with the SBC codec. You can connect it to 2 devices simultaneously. The wireless connection is reliable and stable, during our test there was no loss of connection. Several voice prompts guide the user, so the headset is simple to use. The Bluetooth latency is high enough, you will be able to watch a video with an application that applies a compensation between the sound and the image: Facebook, YouTube, etc. With this type of application it is possible to enjoy a video, without compensation an offset is present. You also connected the wired headset, a cable with 3.5mm jack is provided in the box.
The promise made by the manufacturer for the autonomy of the helmet is held. You can use it for 22 hours with the active noise reduction system and 26 hours without. We even managed to exceed this performance with the listening volume set at 50%. There is a fast charging function, with 10 minutes of charging you get 3 hours of use. The microphone built into the headset for phone calls is correct. The voices are intelligible even in a noisy environment.
Performance and Quality of Audio
The BackBeat Go 810 offers a pleasant listening experience, its performance is close to other models of the brand (Backbeat Go 600 and BackBeat Pro 2). A good sound result is achieved when wireless headphones are used and active noise reduction is maximized. Because yes the sound performance of Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 varies depending on your usage. The listening experience is better in wireless and with the active noise reduction set to "High". With this configuration we obtain a balanced frequency response. There is no frequency (bass / midrange or treble) that takes over. When using the Bluetooth headset with maximum noise reduction, the distortion remains under control over the entire sound spectrum.
When using the headset with active noise reduction set to "Low", the frequency response is not as balanced. The bass is not so rich and lacks depth. When the ANC system is off, the low extremes are highlighted. There is a feeling of pressure and the impact of these frequencies becomes tiring for your ears. You will not be able to use the headset for several hours in a row with this setup.
The wired listening is correct, but we find the same problems with the wireless use. In addition the headphones are not very sensitive, so you need an external device powerful enough to get a good listening volume. And wired with active noise reduction, the distortion is more present. It is better to use the BackBeat Go 810 with Bluetooth, it is with this configuration that you will enjoy the best of your music.
The noise reduction system is really satisfying on this model. It even better than some headphones in the BackBeat Pro range. The sounds around us are reduced, the system has a strong impact on engine noise. This is not the best ANC system available on the market (high-end models do better on vocals), but the headphones still isolates you a lot of surrounding noise. Passive insulation is correct.
Conclusion
The Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 is a complete and easy-to-use Bluetooth headset. In addition you will not ruin yourself by buying it. However, it is recommended to use it wirelessly and with active noise reduction. Because it is with this configuration that the sound reproduction is the most pleasant.
BackBeat Go 810
