Plantronics’ first go at earphones with Active Noise Cancelling – Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 Review

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 Review – Plantronics make awesome Active Noise Cancelling headphones. Their BackBeat PRO 2 sounds even better than the popular Bose QuietComfort 35 (in my opinion) and it has many perks that will put a smile on headphone users.

But for those who do not want to wear bulky headphones while they exercise or commute, there are not much options in the active noise cancelling world.

When Peter Petrides, Plantronics National Sales Manager in Australia & New Zealand, showed the BackBeat GO 410 for the first time, I was quite intrigued. This is Plantronics’ first earphones with Active Noise Cancelling and I’m keen to see what it has to offer.

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 Review – Packaging

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410-1 Plantronics BackBeat GO 410-1

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 Review – Design & Features

 

Unlike headphones, earphones are lighter to carry, more comfortable to wear, and more flexible to use for an exercise. BackBeat GO 410 does look and feel bulkier compared to the usual earphones, but that’s because Plantronics needs to put in more components within for the ANC to work.

An old earphones I used with Active Noise Cancelling a few years ago placed the components in the control box and that made the earphones felt heavier (like dragging your head down). Plantronics have a smarter design by balancing the weight on the left and right side, joined by a flexible neckband.

The neckband makes wearing the BackBeat GO 410 super comfortable. It conforms to the body but due to the design, the cables don’t fall straight to your body down in a straight line. I guess it’s a good thing, but the looks may take some time to get used to.

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410-3 Plantronics BackBeat GO 410-4

How good is the noise cancelling? I’d say pretty good (but don’t expect the same level as the BackBeat PRO 2). In a quiet environment, however, it’s better to turn ANC off. Turning ANC off and on can be done with the app because there is no dedicated ANC button on the earphones (you have to remember doing certain button presses if you don’t like using the app, but it’s just so much easier).

Music quality does suffer a little bit as you crank the ANC settings to High, but it blocks out so much ambient noise from the outside that it’s definitely worth having it on.

PLantronics BackBeat Go 410 app PLantronics BackBeat Go 410 app

I used it while commuting to work around Melbourne CBD’s busy traffic and the BackBeat GO 410 with ANC helped in filtering out unwanted hums, wind noise, and the ambience overall. As a result, I could hear my music better but still be able to hear car horns and sirens. This is definitely the earphones I’d wear for commuting with trains and buses.

Battery life is pretty good, and according to Plantronics, will provide around 8-10 hours which is enough for daily commuting and exercises. Should you ever run out of battery, the included USB charging cable can be converted into a 3.5 mm cord for wired listening. Pretty awesome.

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Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 Review Conclusion

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 earphones offer a unique neckband design for a balanced comfort with built-in Active Noise Cancelling. It sounds good and the noise cancelling also blocks quite a good amount of ambient noise.

Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 is perfect if you commute on the train daily, or like to jog outside. Its Active Noise Cancelling should keep you immersed in the music, while making sure that you can still hear your surroundings like horns and sirens.

If you don’t like wearing bulky headphones, definitely consider grabbing the BackBeat GO 410 wireless Bluetooth headset.

Disclosure: Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 review sample was supplied for reviewing but all opinions are mine and not paid

Overall
4.5
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