The Plantronics BackBeat FIT 500 is essentially the same headphones, but it looks at sound from an athlete’s perspective rather than a layman’s. Compared to in-ear headphones, there are much less fitness-friendly Bluetooth headphones available. Thankfully, the BackBeat Fit 500 pair from Plantronics is a success. With a sculpted high frequency response and booming bass, the audio performance is surprisingly outstanding for $99.99. Additionally, the moisture-resistant style feels safe and cosy at the same time.
Over-the-ear headphones are in plentiful supply, with brands like Bose, Bang & Olufsen, and even Sony flooding the market with new products. Where does Plantronics, a mid-range company, fit in with those heavy hitters? The $99 Plantronics BackBeat Fit 500 headphones are an excellent balance of price, functionality, and style. They cost less than $100, have a cool design, and offer fantastic sound. They’re fantastic if you want good sound but don’t want to break the bank to get it.
Design
Depending on the hue, these headphones have a somewhat different moniker. we have first put the black BackBeat Fit 500 through its paces before moving on to the teal BackBeat Fit 505 for testing. Although it can be misleading, there is no difference between the models; typically, the SKU, not the actual name, varies with style modifications. These headphones offer a sleek, contemporary, and futuristic look. The teal version appeals to me more since it adds a splash of color.
On the main band, which is made of plastic and connects down to the ear cups, the light blue gradually transitions into black and grey. The band extends through a metal mechanism on both sides. Contrary to typical over-ear headphones, these cannot be compacted into a more portable shape since the top band does not fold. It’s an odd design choice that plastic will rest against the sides of your head because the cushioning at the top of the band doesn’t go below the top of your skull.
On the other hand, the ear cups contain lots of cushioning, which makes them very cosy. They appear a little small at first, but they end up fitting comfortably, and after just a few songs. The FIT 500’s ear cups can pivot 180 degrees, allowing you to wear them over your neck or place them flat on a table. The inside of each is marked with a L or a R to indicate which ear you should place it on. On the right ear cup are a power switch that also serves as a Bluetooth pairing button, an LED button, and a button for answering or ending phone conversations.
Comfort
When listening to music, we prefer over-the-ear headphones, but a bulky pair of cans is the last thing you need when working out. The best option is on-the-ear because it is lighter and allows more outside sound to get through, which is crucial if you’re trying to avoid traffic while running.
A reasonable indication of comfort is when you practically forget you are wearing them during an hour-long walk. It weighs 155g. They have a sweat-resistant P2i nano-coating that offers IPX2; this means that water (rain or perspiration) that drips vertically has no negative effects.
Connectivity
Plantronics has chosen to eliminate inline controls from the supplied audio wire in the same manner as Bang & Olufsen did with the H4. In this setup, it does a good job of placing them on the ear cups instead. Fit 500 or 505 can be Bluetooth-connected to a device if you wish to live the cordless headphone life. we have experienced no Bluetooth connectivity issues for the course of my review time, and neither did I have any hiccups while watching streaming or making calls.
The controls on the ear cups work effectively, and when connected to an iPhone X, we have also able to manage the track and volume from my connected Apple Watch. Calls automatically transfer, and the headset was detected by both of the phones we used. Even better, we have heard very well over the other end. Those on the other end reported the call quality held up even as we were roaming the streets of New York City. It’s better to take your phone with you when you’re out in the weather because the wind does have an impact on the audio quality.
Audio Performance
The headphones produce impressive bass depth on tracks with heavy sub-bass content, such as The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” which will appeal to people who are inspired by low, deep tones during exercise. The bass does not distort at the highest, most dangerous listening levels, and at lower, more appropriate listening levels, the lows are still pretty rich and reasonably well-balanced with the higher frequencies.
Which has much less deep bass in the mix, reveals more about the general sound of the BackBeat Fit 500. When listening to this song on headphones with minimal bass enhancement, the drums seem practically thunderous. The lows are thereby amplified by the headphones beyond what would satisfy purists, but there is also a noticeable upper-mid and high frequency presence.
By boosting at both ends of the frequency range, this beautifully sculpted sound signature is able to balance out the boosting. The kick drum loop on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild” receives just the right amount of high-mid presence, preserving its snappy edge and allowing it to pierce through the layers of the mix. Bass enthusiasts will adore the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat since they are delivered with real depth.
Battery and Charging
Regarding prolonged use, Plantronics guarantees an 18-hour battery life. With adjusting volume, a few phone calls, and rotating between an Apple iPhone X and an Apple MacBook Air, we were able to use them for about 15 hours. These ought should last you all day, however it will depend on the volume settings and linked gadgets.
Although 15 hours is commendable, it falls well short of the Beats Solo 3’s 40 hours or the Bose QuietComfort 35 II’s 20 hours in terms of battery life. However, Plantronics offers a standby time of at least 15 hours, which is amazing. There is no fast charging available here because it chooses a micro USB port over a USB-C port. A micro USB cable is provided in the box, however a wall plug is not supplied.
Conclusion
We hope you understand this article on Plantronics BackBeat FIT 500 review. Look elsewhere if you want accurate, audiophile-grade aural performance. The Plantronics BackBeat Fit 500 is the only option if you prefer enhanced bass throughout your workouts and need an on-ear fit that will stay in place without any trouble. Headphones, often known as earphones, are a type of hardware output that connects to a speaker or line out port on a computer. Using headphones lets you view a movie or listen to sounds without bothering anyone nearby.
