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Plantronics Backbeat 903+ BT headphones review and latency

Hi all,
I bought a pair of Plantronics Backbeat 903+ headphones yesterday.
Thought I'd put a quick review and warning for anyone that is thinking of using BT headphones for anything that is latency sensitive.
I will use them mainly for music. Probably rarely for phone calls unless I happen to be listening to music when I get a call.
Sound quality is quite good. They sound fuller and not as harsh as the stock headphones that came with the Note.
Better than I expected, but there is a lack of highs. It was very noticeable when compared to my cheap, corded, Philips SHL9500 foldable headphones that I usually travel with.
Had to nudge the highs up in the EQ of Power Amp to be able to hear the treble well.
Range is better than I expected too. I'm just in a small apartment, but I could walk all around the room and into the next room and around the corner (losing line of sight), with no noticeable difference in sound. This was further than the 10m range they claim.
I also put the phone in my jeans pocket and it continued to work fine. I'd read some reviews complaining that it needed line of sight or would drop out, but no such problems for me.
Battery life is awesome on these. They claim a full charge will last 7 hours. I used them for 3-4 hours last night.
When I turned them on this morning, they said they had 5 hours remaining. I probably wasn't listening constantly over the 3-4 hours last night as I was starting and stopping apps, so that is probably about right.
Also, when you turn them, a voice announces how many hours the battery has left which is handy since there is no visual indicators.
Comfort for me was very good. I had them on for almost 4 hours last night and didn't notice them most of the time. Although when I took them off, my ears were a little sore from the buds being in there, but with most in ear phones my ears get sore sooner than that and I notice it whilst they are still in there.
Note that the cord between each ear is quite short and only just reaches around my head. I can fit 2 fingers between the cord and my head, but only just, and I have a shaved head. I also tried on the Jabra Sports in the shop, but they didn't feel as comfortable to me, and also the cord was quite a bit longer and I thought it may get in the way or get caught on something when exercising. So best to try them on in a shop to check if they fit your head.
One thing I didn't realise about bluetooth headphones is that they introduce latency. It seems to be about 500ms.
You can test the latency by connecting the BT headphones and then changing your ring tone. When you audition different ring tones it will play them through both the phone speaker and the headphones, and you will hear the lag.
In addition to listening to MP3s, what I primarily wanted them for was for music apps and recording, so that I wouldn't have a cord getting in the way, or have to be restricted to the length of the cable.
It's not too big a deal with the multi track programs I use (Loopstack and Audio Evolution mainly, with FourTracksPro) as I can adjust the latency, but it means I have to change it depending on whether I'm using the BT headphones or not).
But for apps that require live input and monitoring (like drum, guitar, piano apps that you play and want to hear yourself playing live), the latency makes them not really useable.
I can still use these headphones to record guitars and vocals through the Note's microphone, but I just need to adjust the latency which is annoying.
Any music app that is program/sequence based like Caustic or Easyband, is not too much of a problem as you don't really notice the latency, apart from the fact that what you see on the screen is slightly out of sync with what you hear.
Also for games that require the audio to be in sync with the screen, the 500ms is not really useable (I have a game called Beats, which is a rhythm game and you need the screen and audio to be in sync).
For video, though using the stock video player, it is in sync, so there must be some latency compensation going on in the software which is good.
When I tried youtube, using the youtube app, it is out of sync at the start, but then it gets into sync, so there is some kind of buffering or compensation giong on there too.
So, if it's just listening to music or watching video is what you want them for, I thin they are really good.
If you want to use them for games or music apps that will be negatively impacted by the latency, then you are probably better off sticking with corded headphones.
I will probably end up carrying corded phones with me when I travel for the times when I don't want any latency.
But for walking around, exercising, just casual use, the Backbeat 903+ headphones are really good and am happy to be free from a cord for those situations.
Cheers,
Rich

good review...I was planning to pick one up.
richlum said:
Hi all,
I bought a pair of Plantronics Backbeat 903+ headphones yesterday.
Thought I'd put a quick review and warning for anyone that is thinking of using BT headphones for anything that is latency sensitive.
I will use them mainly for music. Probably rarely for phone calls unless I happen to be listening to music when I get a call.
Sound quality is quite good. They sound fuller and not as harsh as the stock headphones that came with the Note.
Better than I expected, but there is a lack of highs. It was very noticeable when compared to my cheap, corded, Philips SHL9500 foldable headphones that I usually travel with.
Had to nudge the highs up in the EQ of Power Amp to be able to hear the treble well.
Range is better than I expected too. I'm just in a small apartment, but I could walk all around the room and into the next room and around the corner (losing line of sight), with no noticeable difference in sound. This was further than the 10m range they claim.
I also put the phone in my jeans pocket and it continued to work fine. I'd read some reviews complaining that it needed line of sight or would drop out, but no such problems for me.
Battery life is awesome on these. They claim a full charge will last 7 hours. I used them for 3-4 hours last night.
When I turned them on this morning, they said they had 5 hours remaining. I probably wasn't listening constantly over the 3-4 hours last night as I was starting and stopping apps, so that is probably about right.
Also, when you turn them, a voice announces how many hours the battery has left which is handy since there is no visual indicators.
Comfort for me was very good. I had them on for almost 4 hours last night and didn't notice them most of the time. Although when I took them off, my ears were a little sore from the buds being in there, but with most in ear phones my ears get sore sooner than that and I notice it whilst they are still in there.
Note that the cord between each ear is quite short and only just reaches around my head. I can fit 2 fingers between the cord and my head, but only just, and I have a shaved head. I also tried on the Jabra Sports in the shop, but they didn't feel as comfortable to me, and also the cord was quite a bit longer and I thought it may get in the way or get caught on something when exercising. So best to try them on in a shop to check if they fit your head.
One thing I didn't realise about bluetooth headphones is that they introduce latency. It seems to be about 500ms.
You can test the latency by connecting the BT headphones and then changing your ring tone. When you audition different ring tones it will play them through both the phone speaker and the headphones, and you will hear the lag.
In addition to listening to MP3s, what I primarily wanted them for was for music apps and recording, so that I wouldn't have a cord getting in the way, or have to be restricted to the length of the cable.
It's not too big a deal with the multi track programs I use (Loopstack and Audio Evolution mainly, with FourTracksPro) as I can adjust the latency, but it means I have to change it depending on whether I'm using the BT headphones or not).
But for apps that require live input and monitoring (like drum, guitar, piano apps that you play and want to hear yourself playing live), the latency makes them not really useable.
I can still use these headphones to record guitars and vocals through the Note's microphone, but I just need to adjust the latency which is annoying.
Any music app that is program/sequence based like Caustic or Easyband, is not too much of a problem as you don't really notice the latency, apart from the fact that what you see on the screen is slightly out of sync with what you hear.
Also for games that require the audio to be in sync with the screen, the 500ms is not really useable (I have a game called Beats, which is a rhythm game and you need the screen and audio to be in sync).
For video, though using the stock video player, it is in sync, so there must be some latency compensation going on in the software which is good.
When I tried youtube, using the youtube app, it is out of sync at the start, but then it gets into sync, so there is some kind of buffering or compensation giong on there too.
So, if it's just listening to music or watching video is what you want them for, I thin they are really good.
If you want to use them for games or music apps that will be negatively impacted by the latency, then you are probably better off sticking with corded headphones.
I will probably end up carrying corded phones with me when I travel for the times when I don't want any latency.
But for walking around, exercising, just casual use, the Backbeat 903+ headphones are really good and am happy to be free from a cord for those situations.
Cheers,
Rich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks for the reviews. I am looking for ones to go to the gym.

I actually own the same model. Owned the previous model up until i wore it out. It's a perfect set of bt headphones to work out with and it's discreet when wearing it around. It fairs well functionality-wise; haven't had an issue with my note.

Thanks for the review.
I have just bought my Note2 and Plantronics 903+ and as i am a normal user (phone calls and music) it is really awesome.
But I have few issues with this and i need your confirmation
1) The Music forward and backward buttons doesn't change the music track? I have my corporate mail and hence have set up PIN lock in my phone. Is that dur to auto locking of phone with PIN or the Bluetooth buttons are not compatible with Samsung Note2?
2) While making calls outside, the noise cancellations is pretty good, but at times i hear some disturbing sound/noise in the call and i am pretty sure it is only through the Bluetooth i hear the noise.

The forward and back buttons work on my Note 2.
You have to hold them for a few seconds otherwise they just do volume up and down.
I'm using N7 player.
I notice that the headphones get A LOT of wind noise when outside. I notice it a lot when riding my bicycle. But, also when just walking.
I've since bought a pair of Jabra Halo 2 and use them most of the time now. They are more comfortable and sound better. Plus, I can connect them with a cord for zero latency.
I use the Plantronics if I'm going to be sweating a lot.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

Nice review and good advice for all potential buyers. However, I feel a clarification about BT latency is in place. Not all bluetooth headsets introduce so much lag. I'm an avid Motorola S10 user and altough some delay is present, it's nowhere near the 500ms OP estimated for the Plantronics set. In fact, even rhytm games like Tapsonic are still playable on the S10, which leads me to believe the delay is more around the 50ms mark. Huge, half-second lag seems to be more a sign of bad implementation by the manufacturer than limitation of the bluetooth standard. Let's not forget that Playstation 3's joypad uses BT technology, but it's implemented so well that tests found it to be practically lagless down to less then a frame ([email protected]) compared to wired connections.

Is that low latency for media playback, or phone calls?
When you connect BT headphones to your phone (or PC) they make 2 connections. 1 for phone calls and 1 for media playback.
Both of my BT headphones have low latency for phone calls because they use a lot lower quality when in phone mode.
But both have high latency for media playback mode. (ie. Anything other than phone calls)
The amount of data required for the BT controllers is a lot less than that required for stereo audio.

Lightning review: Sony MW600 Bluetooth headphones/headset

Just picked up an MW600 from ebay, though I'd give it a quick review.
What you get:
The bluetooth receiver itself
A pair of in-ear headphones (IEMs/Canalphones), with a very short cable as the receiver is intended to clip to a collar, lapel or pocket
- With 3 sets of rubber earbuds, small medium and large
A micro-USB charger
As a bluetooth headset:
It works. You can hear people talk, people can hear you (the microphone is on the receiver). You can answer calls with the call button, and hang up with the same button. Slight annoyance: the Nexus 5's speaker will play the your ringtone even when the headset is connected, which for many may be unnecessary. This seems to be an android issue rather than with the headset itself. If someone know the setting to turn this off, I'd appreciate it.
As a pair of bluetooth headphones:
Actually rather good for a headset released in 2009, so pre-aptX. The included earbuds are of entirely acceptable sound quality, but you can swap them with headphones of your choice as the receiver accepts anything with a 3.5" minijack/TRS. It'll even drive my big Sennheiser 555 cans quite happily, so unless you have something with a monstrous impedance you're good. There's a slight hiss noticeable occasionally (mainly during quiet sections with loud beats, or other situations with a very wide dynamic range) due to the older SBC codec. Personally I'm happily switching to these from my UE700s for the added convenience. You can easily hit 100% volume without any audible distortion or clipping. Only real complaint is that in shortening the headphone lead, the receiver pretty much has to be clipped to your collar or pocket, so it's not long enough to hold comfortably in your hand.
The display:
It works! No configuration needed, the track title shows up there automatically. A basic monochrome OLED, it's bright enough to see but nothing fancy. Will show track name when playing, call time when in a call, and current volume level when using the volume slider. The display will fade after 2-3 seconds without touching any controls, and pressing any control (or tapping the volume slider without sliding along it) will bring it back on.
Battery life:
Enough for 3+ hours of commuting a day. I keep them topped so so I haven't run them down yet, but other reviews have clocked them between 8 and 10 hours of battery life.
The controls:
Button for pickup/hangup on the front, next to the display. Power button on the base next to the micro-USB port. Previous track/play-pause/next track buttons on one side, volume slider on the other. The volume slider IS a bit fiddly being touch-sensitive, but you can get used to it. Sliding up and down works 1:1 over subset of the total volume range (e.g. swipe from the bottom to the top from 0 volume you get you to 50%, swiping from button to top again would get you to 100%), and holding at either end where the raised symbols are will act like holding down the volume rocker does. You won't accidentally touch the wrong end of the slider and get blasted with full volume.
Images (click for full size):
Summary:
They work surprisingly well, they're old so going cheap, and you probably want to spend the extra £2 and opt for the black model. Well worth the £27 I paid for them.

A quick update: if you prefer foam earbuds to silicone ones, Comply's -200 series fit the included HPM-78 headphones.

I've been using this since it was first released in 2009, flawless, never had an issue with it. Works perfectly with the Nexus 5. One thing I noticed, maybe its from Kit Kat: Where the volume on the mw600 was independent from the volume of the phone, on the Nexus 5, the volume on the device is the same as the volume level on the phone.

walie said:
I've been using this since it was first released in 2009, flawless, never had an issue with it. Works perfectly with the Nexus 5. One thing I noticed, maybe its from Kit Kat: Where the volume on the mw600 was independent from the volume of the phone, on the Nexus 5, the volume on the device is the same as the volume level on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On HTC Incredible S I have it like that: phone call volume - dependent, multimedia volume - independent.

Lumsing® Portable Waterproof Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker Review

In the box:
The speaker comes in a simple grey box that is branded with Lumsing on it. On the box, they are basic stats about the speaker, features of the speaker, and the colors the speaker is available in. When you open the box, the speaker is wrapped in a piece of plastic, secured between two pieces of styrofoam. Along with the speaker, you get a 3.5mm audio cable, an instruction manual, a "Join our Power User Program" booklet, a micro USB charger.
First Impressions:
On the front of the speaker, there are four buttons that control answering/ hanging up calls, pausing/playing media, raising the volume, and lowering the volume. Under those buttons, you will find a battery indicator light that flashes green when charging, stays green when fully charged, and flashes red when the battery needs to be charged. Beside that, there is a microphone, and a Bluetooth indicator light that turns red when 3.5mm cable is in, solid blue when the speaker is paired with a device, and flashing blue when the speaker is not paired. There is also a clamp attached to the speaker so you can attach it to whatever you wish to. The speaker feels very sturdy and is made very well. There is no rattling when the speaker is shaken. When you turn on the speaker, the speaker says, "Power On. Bluetooth" letting you know that Bluetooth is on and "Powering Off" when you turn off the speaker. When you turn the speaker up to maximum volume, the speaker says, "Maximum volume." When you plug in the 3.5mm cable in to the speaker, the speaker also says, "Line In." The power button is located at the bottom of the speaker.
Review:
This speaker is unbelievable. For such a little speaker, it packs a punch. This speaker can get very loud. The sound quality is very good also. The battery life on this battery is amazing. After three days use, the battery still didn't need to be charged. I had to finally leave it on all night to kill the battery. The speaker takes about 3 hours to fully charge. Lumsing claims that this battery is waterproof. I tested this claim and I am happy to report that it's true. I put the battery in my tub and poured about two cups of water onto the speaker while it was playing some music and it didn't even affect the speaker. I also performed a drop test from about 5 feet while playing music and the speaker wasn't phased again. The sound didn't muffle when it fell or anything. This speaker can take anything you throw at it. All four buttons work like advertised. The microphone works very well also. I was able to talk on my phone using my speaker and the other party was able to hear me very clearly. I used both the 3.5 mm cable and Bluetooth to stream music and the sound is great both ways. The Bluetooth transmission range of this speaker is very good also. I had my phone in my room and put the speaker in my basement which is two floors down. I was able to position my speaker and get clear music streaming. I wish there was a seek button so I don't have to use my phone to skip tracks but it's not a big deal. If your in the market for a good portable speaker, this is a great choice.

like this kinds of speaker ,i guess many people will go for it ,waterproof
and mini portable size will be very suitable for outside people to travel .

[Review] EasyAcc DP100 Bluetooth Speaker with Aux Socket

In Short
As soon as I opened this speaker I was really surprised by the quality and the look of this device. Its really simple to use and has a great sound quality given its size. The grip on the bottom means that it sits solid on any surface. The Aux in gives added versatility to the speaker if you are wanting to use it for non-bluetooth enabled devices. Overall I really love this device and its taken over as my new favorite bluetooth speaker, its a really good looking device, living room worthy.
Detailed Review
Before even picking up the speaker it looks like a quality piece of equipment, the design is very swish, it's the type of thing you’d be happy to leave out on display in your living room. The design has is all matt black with a chrome edge around the top. There is a mesh wrapped around most of the main body that meets at the back. Up on top is a rubber button for play, and volume up and down. There is also a multi colour LED and a microphone hole. Round the back is a flick on/off switch, a power input and an Aux in. The Aux in is an incredibly handy feature and something I’ve not seen on many bluetooth speakers, but it is a welcome one! Melding older tech with new, the ability plug in items which aren't bluetooth enabled into your new shiny speaker is certainly a welcome change. Another plus round the back is the flick on/off switch, it feels nice to be able to have that level of control rather than a button where you cant tell if its on or off. I really like having the switch. Overall the design feels very well thought out.
Also included in the box is a very nice feeling bag for the speaker, along with Aux cable and a charger cable and an instruction manual. Again inclusion of all the cables and the bag feels like a welcome addition and something some manufacturers sometimes skimp on and leave out, so its nice to see that EasyAcc have chosen to include these. The specifications listed in the manual have a charging time of 3-4 hours, playback of 15-20 hours, talktime 8-10 hours, and standby of up to 300 hours. This is all made possible thanks to the included 2200mah lithium ion battery which is built into the speaker. The listed power output for the speaker is 4W.
The setup process is nice and easy, same as any bluetooth accessory, the LED flashes to confirm a successful pairing. Routinely when turning on the device it makes a sound to let you know its on then another beep to let you know it has re-connected with you phone or bluetooth device. Unfortunately if you want to use the speaker paired with more than one device you have to delete the first pairing as it will always try to reconnect to the last device which is a bit of a shame, it would have been nice to be able to pair with more than one device.
The sound quality out of the speaker is great, ive listened to several songs on this with varying levels of bass. The speaker only struggles when I crank up my phone and speaker volume to max with the odd crackle on heavy bass sections, but overall theres a nice sound quality good enough to keep me happy. The wrapped around speaker grill gives the impression of potentially more than one speaker but the sound is directed out of the front only, so dont assume more than one speaker is hidden in there.
Using the speaker as a speakerphone has worked well. People can hear me fine in my office no problem and there is no feedback or issues when using this in a call.
Overall im really enjoying using this device, I’m finding myself reaching for it a lot for listening to music or for speakphone calls, and im preferring it. I think this is a very well made, quality feeling device.
Webside www.easyacc.com

[Review] Savfy Bluetooth running Headphones

Overview
Overall really nice, sits snugly when running, sweatproof and pretty good battery life.
Unboxing
In the box is the headphones, which are well packaged and presented, a micro usb charging unit, spare ear buds, the manual for operating the earphones and a warranty and feedback card. On the back of the box is some of the technical details.
Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth profiles HFP HSP, AVRCP and A2DP
Audio Enhancements CVC noise reduction
Working Distance <10m
Standby time about 180 hours
Music play time 6 hours
Talk time 7 hours
Testing
Putting the headphones on over my ears they go around my ears no problem and fit snugly into my ears sitting nicely and helping to block out any background sounds. The headphones feel pretty light and weighed in on my kitchen scales at a scant 19g. On the right hand headphone is a multi-function button, used to turn the headphones on and off as well as answer phone calls. Under the headphones is a volume up and down button next to which is the microphone. Up top is a multi-colour LED to indicate the device status. On the left hand unit is only the charging port and nothing else. Despite the amount of one of the headphones the weight between them feels really well balanced. The wire length is about 30cm. I was disappointed to see that there was no cable management or clip to keep excell cable under control. Its nice that there isnt any volume etc on the wire as this usually annoys people who use these for running.
Putting the headphones on for a run of a couple of miles, they stayed in place pretty well, they took a little fiddling to get into a comfy position but once they were on properly they stayed place pretty snugly. The angle of the earbuds means that they sit in your ears pretty well. Im not a big audiophile but for me the sound quality seems fine, music comes through loud and clear.
Im a bit of a fan of Savfy as their items are usually pretty wel engineered and this is no exception. REally like these and can highly recommend.