I never got to try out the original model, but the Plantronics BlackBeat Go 2 is the successor to the BlackBeat Go wireless earphones released last year. In fact, this is probably the first time I’ve used wireless earphones – I prefer the wired earphones because it’s not dependent on battery to use.
And they’re pretty good.
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Score:
7.5/ 10
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The Good:
Audio quality is pretty good; comfortable to wear; easy to set-up
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The Bad:
Bass is slightly weak; does pick up a lot of ambient noise when answering a call outside; short battery life
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Bottom Line:
Despite the short battery life and other flaws, the BlackBeat Go 2 are a good pair of wireless earphones.
Basically, the BlackBeat Go 2 is pretty much earbuds with stabilisers, and connected with a flat and tangle-free cable. On the right side of the wireless earphones, there is also an inline microphone and the three-button remote that controls the volume, track, and answer calls. There is a microUSB port for charging – either through the included USB cable or with the charging couch, the latter is an optional extra.
The wireless earphones are multipurpose – you can use this on your daily commute or your daily run. They are also comfortable to wear, and coated with P2i military-grade nano-coating, providing protection to the earbuds from sweat, moisture and any spills.
Setup is really easy – hold down the middle button on the remote, wait until you see the blinking red and blue LED light, and then pair your device. It has support for up to eight devices and can easily switch between each other.
Audio quality is pretty good, sounding clear with no static leaking in. The bass is a bit weak, but you will not notice it for some genres of music. The range is also pretty decent. I was able to walk from one side of my faculty’s building to the other before it had issues with the connection.
The phone calls part of the BlackBeat Go 2, on the other hand, is a mixed bag. While it is fine in a quiet or slightly noisy environment, it does not perform well when using it outdoors. It picked up a significant amount of ambient noise. That is somewhat disappointing, given that this will most likely be a device you take outdoors or on the go.
Battery life is pretty short, with Plantronics citing around 4.5 hours. Considering this is largely for outdoor use, it is not really much of an issue if you’re using it during your commute. If you do need more battery, however, you can put in the charging case. That will give you an extra 10 hours of battery life. The charge does last up to six months thanks to its ‘DeepSleep’ hibernation feature.
Wireless earphones aren’t for everyone – I’m likely to still stick with wired earphones and headphones because I don’t want to have another device that I need to charge. But if you’re looking for a pair of wireless earphones, you should consider the BlackBeat Go 2 when shopping around.
The BlackBeat Go 2 is available for $99.99, or $129.99 with the extra optional charging case.