Plantronics has made a name for itself when it comes to the audio accessories and one product it recently launched will find more takers than usual. That’s the new BackBeat Go 2.

I’ve never taken to wireless earbuds easily. Either they latch on too tight or they wobble too much if you’re walking around with those on. Nevertheless, wireless earphones seem to be the object of fancy for many who can’t stand the jumble of wires every time they pull their headset out. Also, for people who are always on the move and always on demand for a quick voice or video call, the wireless option would seem awfully convenient. The new Go 2 is just that.

The device itself is a plain wire with earbuds at both ends and a slim, barely noticeable controller close to the right bud. We didn’t have to charge our unit right out of the box (there was still some juice left in it). If need be, you can connect the microUSB charger packed in the box by hooking it up with the plug-in hidden in the right earbud to charge it up.

Throughout the review, I had it connected to a smartphone. Given the fact that it’s Bluetooth-enabled, you can hook it up to your tablet, smartphone or laptop, basically any personal device of your choice that supports Bluetooth connectivity.

I had the BackBeat Go 2 hooked on for a couple of hours – mostly for music and then intermittent phone calls – and it switches from one to the other quite seamlessly.

When I was close to running out of power, the BackBeat Go 2 told me as much, while momentarily interrupting the track I had been listening to. The volume levels on the BackBeat Go 2 are well-balanced. I didn’t ever have to pump up the volume to the max while listening to music or taking voice calls. Neither was clarity a problem. Considering how compact the device actually is, the company has impressively designed the acoustics in a way that it manages to deliver decent bass and crisp vocals almost all the time.

When you aren’t using it (and you’ve forgotten to switch it off), Plantronics’ proprietary ‘DeepSleep’ features kicks in and switches the device to hibernation mode to preserve battery life. I almost had no complaints with the BackBeat Go 2 except maybe its battery life. With continuous playback and a couple of voice calls, the BackBeat Go 2 was drained of all its charge in about 4 hours. This is a big deterrent for those who might want a wireless headset while travelling.

If you’re willing to shell out a little more dough, you can opt for the charging case that lets you charge the device on-the-go, by two full charges.

Rs 4,990 onwards

Love – Balanced sound, comfy design

Hate – Average battery life

mahananda.bohidar@thehindu.co.in

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