I LIKE a good set of over-the-ear earphones for when I’m gaming, which is great for when I’m at my PC and can use a battlestation-style headset, but they’re not really something I can wear with my phone while I’m out and about – which is where a wireless Bluetooth headset comes in handy.
Audio manufacturer Plantronics have recently released their range of wireless headphones, and one of them, the Backbeat Fit 6100, really stood out for me as something worthy of attention.
Fundamentally, the 6100s are a set of Bluetooth wireless headphones available in three colours – black, grey, and urban camouflage – with an RRP of $299.99.
They’re designed – as the name suggests – for active use, such as running or workouts, and in gyms. They’re sweatproof, have a 24 hour listening time rechargeable internal battery, and are packing 40mm angled drivers in the earphones which are rounded out with memory foam earpads.
The headband is designed to stay in place no matter what you’re doing, and there’s a little pull cord on the top with a tab that can be used for a particularly vigorous workout to make sure the headphones stay still no matter how much you’re jumping or running around.
What they are also excellent at is an everyday, versatile set of headphones for everything from listening to music to gaming.
Being fitness-oriented headphones, they’re heavy on the bass, which works well for me – I do like bassy music, and the effect carried over well to games, with explosions, gunfire and the like packing quite a bit of audio punch.
Otherwise, the sound quality was rather good and I had no complaints or issues with it at all.
The obvious use for the Fit 6100s is with a mobile phone – besides the Bluetooth audio connection, the headset also has a microphone built into it as well as touchpanel controls on the right earphone.
The controls worked well even with wet or sweaty fingers, but they are operated by a swipe for changing music tracks and volume rather than a simple tap – although the stop/play/answer call/hang up ‘button’ in the middle is tap operated, as you’d hope.
The Plantronics Backbeat app for Android and iOS adds some additional functionality to the headset, allowing you to change the language, update the firmware, and reprogram some of the controls.
Being Bluetooth enabled, you can also use the Fit 6100s with a laptop (or PC with a Bluetooth dongle, if that’s your thing), but how effective they are will depend on your laptop – on one model I tested them with, the audio stuttered a bit, while on another there were no issues at all.
What really adds to the appeal of the Fit 6100s is that in the box is a USB to 3.5mm audio jack cable which allows you to plug the headset into pretty much anything with a headset socket – including a Nintendo Switch; where they worked very well too.
There’s a particularly neat feature whereby you can activate the microphone while still listening to music (or gaming), allowing you to hear what people are saying to you. In my case, I found this really helpful for keeping an ear out for traffic while out and about (such as crossing a road), and being able to hear the kids when they needed my help with something.
Another appealing feature of the headset is it’s designed to basically be folded up and tossed in a gym bag; you don’t need to worry about them getting dinged up. The headband is also surprisingly flexible too
The only real issues I’ve had with my extensive use of the Fit 6100s is the touch panel operation – I really prefer a tap rather than swipe operation to change tracks on my music.
Otherwise, these are a great headset that will do pretty much everything you’ll need in your everyday life with rugged build, excellent sound quality and a stylish design.
Whether you’re listening to music, watching streaming videos, or gaming on your Switch, the Plantronics Backbeat Fit 6100s will do the job and do it well – and I highly recommend them as a result.
