Plantronics is in the business of personal communications, and their decades of expertise helped them develop consumer products that balances function and quality. The BackBeat FIT series caters to sports users and are built to withstand moisture and sweat during workouts. Let’s check out the latest in the series – the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 505.
It is not common to wear on-ear headphones for workouts, but one has to agree that having headphones with a higher tolerance for water would be good in all circumstances. For that, Plantronics launched a sports variant of the BackBeat 500 series. The BackBeat FIT 505 is physically identical to the BackBeat 505, but with a subtle colour style to make it more sporty-looking. The audio tuning is also different. The surface is nano-coated with P2i military-grade materials to repel casual spills and rainy commutes, so that you do not have to worry about accidental water damage.
The headphones provide 18 hours of wireless listening or talking time, and if the battery runs out, you can continue listening to music using the 3.5mm audio cable. The music controls are easily accessible over the left ear cup, while answering phone calls is via a separate button on the right ear cup.
The 40mm dynamic drivers deliver sound with sufficiently firm bass and clear treble, while mids are shaved down slightly to give a lighter sound. Comparatively, the BackBeat 505 produces less forthcoming and thinner treble but beefier upper-bass. The BackBeat 505 is ideal for listeners who prefer a little more bass presence, while the BackBeat FIT 505 delivers a more forward vocal performance and transparent sound staging.
Verdict
Rating 4.5
S$169
https://www.plantronics.com/sg/
The BackBeat FIT 505 offers great value in a compact on-ear headphones with improved tuning compared to the BackBeat 505. The headphones are easy to operate with large playback buttons on the left earbuds, giving convenient access to music controls and making voice calls. For an additional S$30, the newer 505’s nano-coating provides assurance of uninterrupted use in sweaty situations and in all weather conditions.
