Plantronics BackBeat GO 810 Review

Considering the price of the Plantronics Backbeat Go 810, I was not expecting a superb performance.

But since I would be using these headphones only for my 1-hour gym session, they only really needed to be on point for an hour a day.

And given this expectation, they definitely lived up to what I had hoped.

Then, one day, I happened not to pack my Sony WH-1000XM3 and had to make use of these headphones for an entire day.

I was actually pleasantly surprised, as they performed decently, especially given that they retail for under $150.

When doing gym workouts the Backbeat Go 810 are some of my favorite cans.

The Backbeat Go 810 wireless headphones are so named owing to the fact that the headphones are made for the active person (those on the go).

Many have called these headphones the younger sibling of the BackBeat Pro 2, so I did a little comparison of the Backbeat Pro 2 vs Backbeat Go 810.

Given the purpose of these headphones, I was looking for something that would not break too easily, and something that could remain on my head for at least 1 full hour without slipping or falling off.

Depending on my mood or planned activity for the day,

I will often interchange between over-ear headphones and earbuds.

For jogging, earbuds are my preferred headphones, but that does not mean you cannot use the Backbeat Go 810 to Jog.

What’s in the Box?

The Backbeat Go 810 wireless headphones come in a stitched mesh carry bag.

This is never ideal for me as it increases the risk of the headphones being damaged.

I would have preferred a hardcover carry case, but then again this was probably another area where costs had to be saved.

At best your headphones may avoid getting scratched, but any hard bumps may be detrimental or even fatal to your poor cans.

Fortunately for me, I have purchased Plantronics headphones before and given the design of these headphones

I was able to fit them into my Backbeat Pro 2 SE hard cover carry case.

The Backbeat Go 810 wireless headphones include a 1.8 inch TRS cable.

The Backbeat Go 810 also has ear cups that fold flat for easy storage so that you can place your headphones in your carry luggage.

There is also an instruction manual in a wide variety of languages, an instruction manual on the app and a Quick Start guide.

Battery

The battery life is actually pretty solid, with 22 hours of uninterrupted playback time.

This is achievable with 2 hours of uninterrupted charging.

As is the case with most ANC (active noise cancellation) headphones, the Backbeat Go 810 does not play whilst the headphones are being charged.

Without Active noise cancellation on, the headphones can play continuously for up to 28 hours.

When the battery dies out the headphones can be used with the included TSR cable.

Quick charging of 10 minutes provides 3 hours of playback time, which is pretty impressive and comparable with some higher end models.

Plantronics also claim that the headphones can last up to 10 days unused, on standby mode.

I have no reason to test out this claim so you are welcome to test it out for yourself and leave a comment below.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth range was pretty good.

Plantronics have made a habit of making their headphones class 1 Bluetooth compatible.

The range of the backbeat Go 810 is up to 164ft / 50m, which is more than sufficient, as I would personally never be that far away from my device.

This Bluetooth range is can be achieved when connected with a class 1 Bluetooth device.

The range is also similar to the range of the Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 SE.

I generally use the Bluetooth in my apartment and it works like a dream.

The headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, which is better than some headphones in the $350 and above mark.

Unfortunately the Backbeat Go 810’s do not connect to multiple devices, the maximum number being 2.

Call Quality

Plantronics, as an audio maker, are better known to make headphones that have good call quality.

This time they did not disappoint as making and receiving calls was as good as having a real time conversation.

On the app there is also an HD voice call feature, which when activated provides life like call capabilities.

Plantronics BackBeat GO 810

Active Noise Cancellation

Noise canceling in these headphones was a rather mediocre.

But, when I was on a work out, I preferred to have on some high tempo music as I put on a sweat, so noise cancellation was not a deal breaker for me at all.

If you want quality noise canceling headphones, then I would highly recommend taking a look at my list of the best noise canceling headphones.

The Backbeat Go 810 wireless noise canceling capability can be surprisingly versatile.

For instance, I tried to use them at work to see how they would contend with noisy office chatter and other ambient noise that comes with working in a modern office space in a big city.

They actually did an OK job of muffling out my co-workers when they were chatting.

Unfortunately they do not have an ambient mode, like the Sony WH-1000XM3 so you don’t get advanced noise cancellation capability.

So as a result my co-workers had to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention, which is not always ideal.

The headphones did an OK job of keeping out the air conditioner noise as well.

I tested these headphones on a flight as well and I believe that the headphones coped well with jet engine noise, but crying babies did slightly over power them.

App

The accompanying app is available on both the i store and on google play.

Using the app however you can set the noise cancellation to High/Low and off.

The backbeat Go 810 supposedly comes with a noise cancellation button.

This happens when you press the volume up and volume down button and hold down for 2 seconds.

But, myself and many other people who tested out the headphones definitely were not able to work this feature.

With the Backbeat Go app you can personalize your headset EQ by selecting between bright and balanced EQ settings.

In my view there is no fundamental difference between these two settings, therefore you can select whichever setting that makes you happy.

The main features of the application are the ability to control noise cancellation, as well as the EQ and Bass settings.

In truth the application is by no means feature rich. But at this price point, this can be forgiven.

The equalizer was more of a decoration in my view, and was not very useful.

One other feature that is included in the app, that is unique is the find my headphones/headset feature, which predictably helps you find your headphones.

Once you activate the feature on the app, an alarm will sound from your headphones so that you can locate where they are.

Playback

Given that I use my cans at the gym, the 20 hours of continuous playback time last me roughly 2-3 weeks straight without needing to charge my cans.

If you however, are on a budget, you can make use of these headphones as your daily cans.

But do realize that you are probably not getting the best of all possible features.

If you have the disposable income, I would probably invest in another set of cans.

See the following link for the best noise canceling headphones.

 

Plantronics BackBeat GO 810

Controls

I was impressed with the tactile response and the simplicity of the controls.

I think these wireless over ears are fairly decent and would definitely recommend them particularly for gym, but even for listening to your favorite jams.

The controls located on the left and right ear cup allow you to among other things take calls, skip tracks, adjust the volume, turn the active noise cancellation on and off (take this claim with a pinch of salt).

Ear Cups

The ear cups are oval shaped and tall and are thus not suitable for all ear types.

I personally would have preferred round ear cups.

The controls on the ear cup are rather basic, but do a decent job.

The left ear cup bears all the controls that you need to regulate your music.

The left ear cup also includes the volume button and Bluetooth buttons.

With the preset button you can to mute and resume your calls.

The tactile response of these buttons is amazing, and the buttons are nice and raised.

The headphones are clearly marked right and left on the inside of the ear cups.

Looking more closely at the structure of the ear cups.

The right ear cup has the PLT logo, a power switch and has a single LED dot, that allows you to tell that it is the right ear cup.

The left ear cup contains the Bluetooth controls and all the playback buttons which includes skip back,

skip right and pause and play.The buttons on the left ear cup are also for answering phone calls.

Left ear cup also has a jack for a 3.5mm cord and a USB type b charging port right next to it.

The left ear cup also includes a volume up and down button.

Simultaneous pressing of the up and down volume buttons is supposed to activate Active noise cancellation,but I find much more success activating and controlling noise cancellation through the accompanying app.

You will notice that on the right ear cup there is also a random big button.

This button is for the setting of the activation of the EQ.

Also, the sides of the ear cups are rubbery ensuring that you can feel the raised buttons.

One criticism I do have of the ear cups is that when you extend the headphones they have a slight creaking sound,which put me off.

When you do the twist test, the creaking sound was like hearing nails on a chalkboard.

But this does not take away from the build quality.

The ear cups are made of memory foam, and are styled in leatherette.

The headphones do not weigh much and are very comfortable when it comes to fit.

I personally started to feel fatigued after 2-3 hours of continuous use.

The padding on the ear cups is sufficiently thick enough to ensure that the sides of your cheeks and your ears are not placed under any uncomfortable pressure.

The metal headband is nice and solid, and will not break easily.

This is a testament to how well the headphones have been built.

Adding to the style of the headphones is the matt like finish on the exterior which really does bring out the oomph of the headphones.

Plantronics BackBeat GO 810

Headband

The padding on the top of the headband is sufficiently thick to ensure that the cans do not hurt the top of your head when wearing them.

When you extend the headband you will notice that the slider is made of metal.

In addition, the slider is also colored in a color that can only be described as something between gold/rose gold or copper (but still very stylish).

Build Quality

Given the solid build of the Backbeat Go 810, the headphones will not suffer too much damage if you drop them once or twice.

In fact, given the price of these headphones, I am quite surprised that they are in fact so well-built. Kudos to Plantronics for maintaining high quality standards.

Design

So what makes these headphones so good for working out ?

Well firstly the fit is stable and secure.

When I first saw them I was under the impression that they would fall off my head.

However, the design of the headphones lend themselves to physical activity, and that is why they are on this list.

The headphones are quite stable and are perfect for running and going to the gym because they are not inclined to fall off.

The Backbeat Go comes in 3 colors navy Blue, Graphite black and bone white (sort of off-white).

Clamp Force

The Backbeat Go 810’s have a decent amount of clamp force and do stick to the head.

Personally, I felt that they were excellent at the gym, and were very stable when jogging.

However, if you are going to jog more than 5 miles, you may find yourself sweating profusely

and the sweat may make the headphones slide from your head.

Additionally, Due to the clamping force, you will experience a fair amount of heat under the headphones,

and thus have a very good chance of sweating especially when engaging in higher intensity sports such as squash or tennis.

Sound

The audio was detailed and thorough which was very impressive.

The 40mm drivers provide these headphones with detailed rich audio,

which allows you to hear every note.

The mids were also incredibly detailed and spoke to me.

All throughout the range the vocals and instruments were clear and crisp.

I felt the bass was decent at best. If you are not a lover of hip hop / house or EDM,you may not be too concerned about the performance of the bass.

Whenever I put headphones bass to the test, I will generally listen to tracks such as still Dre by Dr Dre as these bring out the best in bass.

Although at lower volumes the bass was audible, at higher volumes,you could not hear the full thump of the drums.

If bass is your thing then I would definitely check out a review of the Beats Studio 3 wireless and the Bose QC 35II headphones.

But again, I would not penalize them too heavily for this especially given the price point.

Over all the base for me gets a 5/10, which is not bad at all.

 

Plantronics BackBeat GO 810

These headphones are well-built and have a decent audio quality for the price.

The design is fairly simple and compared to more advanced ANC headphones they are mediocre.

These cans are for the active person or the person who

wants some level of noise cancellation and decent audio,

but is not willing to spend a lot of money on them

Other related content

User Guide

Backbeat Go 810 Specifications

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