The Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds are the follow-up to the company’s successful BackBeat GO wireless earbuds. This time around, however, Plantronics put even more features into the mix, that truly raise the bar for wireless audio products. In terms of design, the earbuds themselves are very similar to their progenitors, even down to the inline control unit. Where the BackBeat GO 2 leaps ahead of the pack is in its sound quality and charging case.
My first encounter with these wireless earbuds was at CES in January, and one of the most highly-touted features of the BackBeat GO 2 at the time was its charging case. The charging case is a small pouch that features an internal USB battery so you can charge your earbuds on the go, instead of having to plug into a computer USB port. This concept is pretty cool, and it does indeed allow you to stay off-the-power grid for a long time while you are not listening to music. The biggest issue with the charging case is its form factor. It is not all that easy to fit the earbuds, their connecting cord, and the micro USB charging cord of the case in the allotted pouch space. The pouch is made of a very rigid material, and I had hoped it would have been easier to store inside.
Taking calls while wearing the Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 wireless earbuds is a breeze and the claimed issues with the microphone from the first BackBeat GO are a thing of the past. I had no trouble at all taking or placing calls, talking to people, understanding what they were saying to me – etc. I was actually very impressed with the audio clarity of the callers.
Battery life was also very good and I was able to go for about a week of gym sessions without having to charge the earbuds in the case. Not to mention that if you do need to charge up, you can always use the charging case.
For my dollar, the biggest selling point of the Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 wireless earbuds has got to be their sound quality and ability to block out the outside, ambient noises. I was continuously impressed at how my music sounded and how effective the earbuds were at noise cancellation. This is also somewhat of an issue, however, as I don’t know if I can fully recommend them for doing outdoor workouts like jogging, hiking, etc. Canceling out the ambient noises of a gym isn’t a bad idea – but, outside, you need to be able to hear any dangers that lurk around you. Speaking more on working out, these earbuds are water and sweat resistant as well as rugged enough that they won’t break if they fall to the ground for some reason.
Overall, the Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds are an outstanding choice for a wireless audio product. Whether you are in the gym, lifting weights, or at the office, listening to music while you work, these will meet and exceed your expectations. However, I do have to caution wearers to be careful if using them outside as the do block out a lot of ambient noises (too many distracted runners get hit by cars). Also, at an official MSRP of $99.99, they are one of the more affordable, high-quality wireless earbuds on the market right now.
[easyreview title=”Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]
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