- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Headphones
- Conclusion
- Discussions
We've currently tested nine Plantronics headphones. They're a brand well known for their business headsets, but they also make feature-packed Bluetooth headphones for casual use. Their consumer-level headphones tend to be reasonably priced and generally provide good value overall. Here are the best Plantronics headsets we've tested.
Updates
- 10/14/2020 Plantronics Voyager 3200 Bluetooth Headset reviewed
- 08/17/2020 Plantronics RIG 800LX Wireless updated
- 05/21/2020 Plantronics Voyager Legend Bluetooth Headset reviewed
- 05/15/2020 Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset reviewed
- 03/05/2019 Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 Wireless reviewed
Best Plantronics Headphones
-
Best Plantronics Headphones
Type Over-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesNoise Cancelling YesMic YesTransducer DynamicThe best Plantronics headphones that we've tested are the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016. These comfortable and well-built wireless headphones have up to 30 hours of continuous playback time, which should be enough to get you through long days at the office. That said, if you run out of battery life, you can use them passively or while charging. They have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that delivers extra thump and rumble, which should please fans of EDM and hip-hop. It shouldn't overwhelm vocals and lead instruments, though, and they sound clear, accurate, and detailed. They also have an active noise cancelling (ANC) system, which does an alright overall job of cutting down noise around you. It struggles to block out bass-range noise like bus or plane engines, but it does a better job blocking office chatter. They can be paired with up to two devices at a time too, which is nice if you like to switch between your smartphone and laptop.
Unfortunately, they lack sound customization features like an EQ or presets, so you can't adjust their sound to your liking. Their integrated mic also does a sub-par job of recording your voice, so speech sounds thin and muffled. That said, if you're looking for over-ears for casual use, they offer a long-lasting battery performance and balanced sound. They also support aptX and aptX-LL codecs if you want lower latency via Bluetooth.
-
Best Plantronics Bluetooth Headset
Type Mono EarbudEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesNoise Cancelling NoMic YesTransducer DynamicThe best Plantronics Bluetooth Headset that we've tested is the Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset. This Bluetooth mono headset has a comfortable design that should be comfortable enough to wear for extended periods. It's stable and shouldn't move around or slip out of your ear even when you're on the go. It feels sturdy enough to survive a couple of drops and bumps too. While this headset's sound profile isn't especially well-suited for listening to music, human speech should sound fairly full-bodied, present, and clear. The Plantronics Hub companion app also features a multitude of phone-call-related configuration options. Its boom mic can swivel completely around, allowing you to wear the headset on either ear. It does an excellent job of isolating your voice from loud background noise. This headset also supports multi-device pairing, allowing you to take calls on your phone or PC.
Unfortunately, the boom mic's recording quality is sub-par, as it makes recorded speech sound muffled, dark, and slightly distorted. The headset itself also blocks out very little ambient noise, so you may have trouble hearing what's being said on a call in a noisy environment, though this design does allow you to easily hear your voice. Otherwise, if you're looking for a mono headset well-suited to taking calls while you're on the move, this is a good option.
-
Best Plantronics Headset For Gaming
Type Over-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesNoise Cancelling NoMic YesTransducer DynamicThe best Plantronics headset for gaming that we've tested is the Plantronics RIG 800LX Wireless. These wireless over-ears feature a modular, lightweight design with a self-adjusting ski-band headband, spacious ear cups, and breathable padding. Their sound profile is a good fit for lots of content, and you should hear sound effects with the same emphasis as in-game dialogue and music. They come with a wireless USB dongle that allows for low-latency audio transmission, so you shouldn't notice much of a delay between what you're hearing and what's happening on screen. They supply over 24 hours of continuous playback time, which should be more than sufficient for several long gaming sessions. Their boom mic delivers decent recording quality and does a great job isolating your voice from background noise.
Unfortunately, these over-ears block out very little audio, which could be annoying if you're gaming in a noisy environment. They also leak quite a bit of audio, which may annoy people nearby if you listen to content at a high volume. The audio cables leading to their ear cups are also exposed and could potentially break if you're not careful while adjusting the placement of the ear cups, though the rest of their construction feels quite sturdy. All told, this is a worthy choice if you're looking for a lightweight, comfortable gaming headset.
Compared to other brands
- Lots of features. The Plantronics headphones we've tested have some of the best combinations of active features. Their best models typically have noise cancelling, a great battery life with lots of different power-saving features, multi-device pairing, and even support for low-latency Bluetooth codecs, NFC for easier pairing, and talk-through modes.
- Good audio reproduction. Most Plantronics headphones have good audio reproduction that's either very neutral or with a bit more thump and rumble while still sounding well-balanced.
- Great controls. One of the most noticeable features of the Plantronics lineup are the controls. They're unique and often unorthodox compared to other brands, but they're efficient and ergonomically placed on the ear cups, making them easy to use.
- Mediocre noise cancelling. Although Plantronics headphones have lots of features, noise cancellation is not their biggest strength. They isolate well enough for some environments, but they have a lot of self-noise and don't block ambient noise like other noise cancelling headphones from competing brands.
- Bulky designs. While most Plantronics headphones feel durable and comfortable, many have a rather bulky design that doesn't look as sleek as stylish as competing models.
- Limited budget options. While Plantronics headphones usually aren't that expensive, they don't have very many options in the budget range, unlike other brands that cover greater price ranges.
Overall, Plantronics makes versatile headphones that tend to be reasonably priced, especially considering how feature-packed they are. Their headphones have some of the best control schemes we've tested and tend to have lots of great features like active noise cancelling, power-saving options, and even low latency Bluetooth codecs. Their noise cancelling doesn't usually perform as well as competing models, and they don't have the most elegant designs, but the brand still makes some of the best wireless headphones we've tested.
Recent Updates
-
Jun 16, 2021: Checked the text for accuracy and product availability. There hasn't been a change in our results.
-
Feb 18, 2021: Verified that all main picks are currently in stock and represent the best choice for their given category.
Conclusion
Plantronics don't have many products geared towards more casual users, but they still make a few feature-packed, versatile headsets. We have yet to test their full lineup, but models from both their Pro and Go series have easy-to-use controls and well-balanced sound. Unfortunately, their headphones tend to struggle with noise cancelling and don't always have the sleekest designs. However, they provide excellent battery performance and generally feel well-built overall.
Discover our recommendations for the best over-ear headphones.