Why You Can Trust CNET BackBeat 100: First 'hybrid' neckband-style Bluetooth headphone from Plantronics
The affordable BackBeat 100, an LG Tone competitor that ships in October, is designed for both music and making phone calls.
The BackBeat 100 ships in October.
It took a while, but Plantronics is finally coming out with an affordable communications-oriented, neckband-style Bluetooth headphone. It's called the BackBeat 100 Series and it's due out worldwide in October with a price tag of £70 -- we're still waiting on US and Australian pricing, but the UK price converts to $95 or AU$125.
The headphone is geared toward both music and making calls, which you'd expect from Plantronics.
Shop for Plantronics BackBeat 100
See all pricesWeighing less than 30 grams, the BackBeat 100 Series has a flexible neckband design that conforms to the size and shape of your neck, and like many of these around-the-neck headphones, it has magnetic earbuds to keep the cords from flopping around too much when they're not in your ears.
The earbuds adhere magnetically.
Key specs
- Up to 8 hours of listening and talk time
- Three-button interface for operation of music and calls
- Full-range sound with solid bass audio profile
- Built-in microphone with echo reduction, digital signal processing (DSP) and HD Voice clarity
- Vibration alerts for incoming calls
- Price: £70, 80 euros (no Australian or US pricing has been announced yet)
- On sale October 2016
In other Plantronics news, the company announced that its popular wireless sports headphone, the BackBeat Fit, will soon be available in five new colors: Power Blue, Sport Gray, Core Black, Fit Fuchsia and Stealth Green.
