Avis Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100
Workout headphones are a tough sell: they're bulkier and less comfortable than their in-ear counterparts. However, the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 is a game changer; these headphones are IPX5 water resistant, have excellent battery life and features a clamp force adjustment mechanism for your most rigorous workouts. For just under $100, these are some of the best in-ear headphones athletes can get.
Editor's Note: This Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 review was updated on March 22, 2021 to include a content menu and microphone poll.
Who is the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 for?
The headphones' low-profile design makes them a versatile pair for daytime and gym listening.
Athletes
who prefer a
on the ear
fit will love the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100. These are durable and versatile workout headphones that are great value for money. Battery life is excellent and fast charging is supported which is great at the case you arrive at
gym
and the battery is dead.
Anybody
You can use these headphones for workouts, as long as you don't mind the bass-rich sound signature.
Using the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100
Poly's Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 are some of my favorite workout headphones to date: they're thin, light, water-resistant, and comfortable. Not only do the headphones have all the
exercise of necessities
, but it's perfectly obvious that Plantronics paid attention to the little things when making this headset.
A stretch cord can be moved from the edge of the headband to a pin above for a more secure fit.
Unlike other over-ear workout headphones that put a painful vice on your head, Plantronics headphones use a new headband adjustment mechanism that temporarily tightens the fit when you need it. you are done exercising, you can release the tension cord and reattach it to the original position for a more comfortable fit.
Start here:
Ultimate headphones buying guide
On the inner side of the headband is a hexagonal quilted pattern; this helps the helmet cling to the head without relying on rubberized material that pulls the hair. Again, this is a minor difference, but the padded pattern is gentler on the skin or scalp, reducing the risk of hot spots or general discomfort.
The oval shapes of the ear cups naturally hug the oblong shape of the ear, and inside are angled drivers that deliver sound directly into the ear canal for greater clarity and less resonance in the space between the speaker and the outer ear. The memory foam padding is excellent and even plays well with glasses.
How do you use the onboard controls?
Down to the ear cups: The right ear cup is equipped with a Bluetooth/power toggle and an environment sensing mode, which is a
must have
for outdoor enthusiasts. There is also a capacitive touch panel for accessible controls for playback, incoming calls and
virtual assistant
access. I much prefer the touch controls, assuming they're reliable, when exercising, as I often struggle to find integrated buttons halfway through. Unfortunately for this headset, the right panel isn't very accurate and is way too sensitive for my taste. The music was often interrupted when I was just trying to adjust the length of the headband.
Do I need to download the Plantronics app?
Much like the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 5100, the Plantronics app isn't worth buying unless there's a firmware update.
Calling the app useful is a stretch. Although it sounds harsh, it's really not worth the space on your phone as there are few customization features provided apart from the three
equalizer
presets. The company is trying to introduce fitness-focused features like a timer, stopwatch, or access to a playlist from
Spotify
Where
Apple Music
, but it seems forced and redundant how you can do all this from your phone without an app.
It is however useful for firmware updates, but you can just stay tuned here as we will update this review if and when a relevant update is released.
How do I connect the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100?
You can connect the BackBeat FIT 6100 to two devices at the same time, and it can remember eight devices.
Powering on the headset for the first time initiates pairing mode. To establish a connection with your smartphone, enter the Bluetooth settings and select “PLT BBFIT6100”.Like the others
Plantronics
products, this headset supports
Bluetooth multipoint
You can simultaneously connect up to two devices to the BackBeat FIT 6100, and it can stay paired with eight devices for quick source switching. Plantronics provides a microUSB to 3.5mm cable for
wired listening
, if you're one of the lucky few whose phone retains the headphone jack. Whichever way you listen, the sound quality is surprisingly good, even with the emphatic bass response.
When you go wireless, you get a range of 20 meters compared to Bluetooth 5.0 cans.
AAC
is the only high quality support
Bluetooth codec
, which means that we
android
users don't have the luxury of aptX streaming and are instead pushed to SBC. That's fine, because finding a
good fit
matter just as much if not more than the supported codecs.
What is the battery life?
The angled dynamic speakers are pleasant to the touch and the oval-shaped ear cups promote a comfortable fit.
Plantronics lists a battery life of 24 hours for the BackBeat FIT 6100; our
trial
gave excellent results: 26 hours, 49 minutes of battery life on a single charge. When the headphones are empty, you can plug them in using the included microUSB cable for 15 minutes if you only need six hours of playback. Otherwise, it takes two hours to complete a full charge. Oh, yes, you read that right: Plantronics still uses microUSB for its headsets, even though
budget headphones
can afford USB-C while keeping costs low. Its presence is inconvenient but easily forgivable.
How does the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 sound?
Bass notes sound about twice as loud as mids and highs, which is preferred by many for practice.
Each earbud houses a 40mm dynamic driver to pump out those beloved bass notes. If you're an audio purist, jump straight to our list of
best studio headphones
, because you will have no joy with the BackBeat FIT 6100
response frequency
.The low notes are twice as loud as the middle and high notes, which leads to
auditory masking
.While I don't recommend these headphones for analytical listening, I fully appreciate the sound signature when riding a stationary bike.
Low-frequency isolation may be non-existent, but high-frequency sounds are easily nullified.
Insulation
that's fine. The headphones do a good job of filtering out mid and high-pitched noise, but are no match for low-frequency sounds like your washing machine, dryer, or vacuum cleaner. If you want something more efficient while remaining within the Plantronics brand, consider the
BackBeat Go 810
.
Related:
How to read charts
Lows, mids and highs
In Allen Stone's song
Satisfaction
, the clarity is clearly lacking. Stone's raspy, soulful vocals are masked by the louder, lower-pitched guitar effects and drum hits. This is immediately apparent during the first chorus; cut to 0:40 when Stone launches the line , “So what's it going to take? How many hearts are you going to break before you find satisfaction?” Stone's voice is made difficult to hear due to all the simultaneous noise from the accompanying instruments , especially the electric guitar during the first line of the chorus.
As you might expect, instrumental separation isn't usually great in a blues song like
Satisfaction
.During the bridge (2:02), the drummer's cymbal hits are hard to discern over the bass drum and even Stone's melodic hiss. looking for neutral reproduction of their favorite songs. If, however, you like bass-heavy music or simply like more punch at the expense of clarity, the BackBeat FIT 6100 cans will sound great to your ears.
Can you use the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 for phone calls?
The microphone strongly attenuates the low frequencies of the voice frequency range.
The extreme attenuation between 20-170Hz makes almost everyone sound "
disabled
” or distant during calls. Also, the microphone array does not amplify voices when recording, so if you're in a particularly noisy environment, the person on the other end of the line may have trouble hear you. Regardless, the quality is good enough for casual calls and should be fine for most users for brief
business calls
, too much.
Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 Microphone Demo:
https://www.soundguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Plantronics-BackBeat-Fit-6100-voice-demo.m4a
Loading survey
Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 vs. JBL UA Sport wireless train
Despite the over-ear design, the headphones become rather compact once the earcups are folded down.
They are two completely different beasts: the Plantronics headset has an over-the-ear fit while the
JBL UA Sport wireless train
has an over-the-ear fit, which is more comfortable on the head.JBL's headphones may be less comfortable due to pressure on the ears, but that's okay considering how they're priced strictly as workout headphones. JBL's cans are sweatproof and have a less impressive 16-hour battery life, compared to Plantronics' measured 26-hour battery life.
Much like the BackBeat FIT 6100, you can amplify external noise through the headphones if you need to talk to a gym partner or hear your surroundings outside. Plus, both headphones support fast charging : JBL UA earphones offer one hour of playtime after just five minutes of charging.
Amazon
The UA Sport Wireless Train on-ear headphones are more compact and feature more breathable ear cushions than the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100.
If you prefer touch controls, you might want to buy the JBL headphones on Plantronics, as the controls are huge and easy to reach, even with sweaty hands. Plus, the cushion material is more breathable than what's used on the BackBeat FIT 6100. However, the over-ear headphones have some drawbacks, such as outdated Bluetooth 4.1 firmware and a lack of multipoint support. They are also more expensive than the Plantronics headphones, so if you want to save $30 , opt for the earbuds.
Should you buy the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100?
The Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 is a diamond in the rough. Sure, occasional static noise when used with a Macbook Pro is annoying and even alarming at times, but this could very well be a quality control issue rather than a systemic issue. .You'll be hard-pressed to find a comparably priced pair of workout headphones that offer this level of comfort and functionality, especially at the new affordable price.If you're an athlete who has an aversion to headphones, the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 is the headphones for you.
Next:
Best headphones under $200