Remember I reviewed the BackBeat 505 a few months back? Plantronics also has a sweat-proof version called BackBeat FIT 505. The FIT series are reserved for earphones with P2i nano-coating to repel moisture, and has had many in-ear wireless earphones in the past.
The BackBeat FIT 505 is the first on-ear headphones in the series, and while it may seem weird why would anyone wear headphones for workouts, it appears there are people who do that, especially in gyms.
Anyway, it is always a good thing for electronics to come with some water resistance. For instance, when you are wearing it for commutes and there is a light drizzle, you don’t have to worry.
The BackBeat FIT 505 appears identical to BackBeat 505 except the colour style and the cloth bag. Other than the nano-coating, there’s another difference: audio quality.
I was expecting the audio tuning to be the same, but I was surprised that Plantronics altered the frequency response. While the BackBeat 505 is more warm with emphasis on bass and a more precise, albeit recessed, highs, the BackBeat FIT 505 is leaner at the bass while emphasising on the upper midrange to sound more aggressive, yet the higher frequencies have more spatial response. The result is the BackBeat FIT 505 fills the ears with tighter audio.
Would you pay S$30 more for sweat-proof and brighter sound? At S$169, I think it’s a steal.
Features
- 18 hours of listen and talk time
- Memory foam ear cushions
- Sweat and moisture protection
- 33 ft/10 m wireless range
- 40 mm drivers with Plantronics signature audio
- HD Voice
- On-ear controls
- Connect multiple devices
- Stay charged with DeepSleep mode
- 3.5 mm jack
- Easy to store and wear
- Easily update and change settings
