A month ago, I reviewed the Plantronics BackBeat Fit 3150, which was an open-ear truly wireless earbuds targeted for active individuals who want to let the outside environment in. But for those who want to seal out the external environment and get in the zone with their music, the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 5100 gives you exactly that.
Retailing at S$269, the Plantronics BackBeat 5100 has quite a fair bit to offer so let’s get into the review.
Unboxing
Unboxing the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 5100, you will get:
Tech specs
- Driver Size: 5.8mm dynamic driver
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Bluetooth version: 5.0
- Charging time: 2 hours from empty
- Music playtime: 6.5 hours (13 hours in charging case)
- IPX4 waterproof rating
- Weight: 5.8g (each earbud), 38.6g (charging case)
Build quality and features
When I first unboxed the product, I was amazed at how small and lightweight the case was. The case is the smallest case I have seen in all of the truly wireless earbuds I have reviewed, so you can really chuck it in your pocket without feeling an uncomfortable bulge.
The case is made of plastic and has a matte finish to it. Unlike most cases where they use a hinge or slide, the BackBeat Pro 5100 uses an unlock button. You simply push on the button to open the case – great for opening it with one hand.
As for the earbuds, you have the sense of Plantronics tough build quality. It is made from plastic, but has a small layer of rubber coming from the stem of the earbuds which is actually Plantronics’ proprietary ear tip. They have plastic buttons which are touch sensitive. The overall build of the earbuds feels tight and durable.
The BackBeat Pro 5100 is rated at IPX4 water resistance so you should feel fairly confident wearing these earbuds for your exercise and workouts. The BackBeat Pro 5100 also has auto-pause/play – which pauses the music when you remove one earbud from your ear, and resumes playback when you out the earbud back.
Battery life
You will get up to 6.5 hours of playtime per full charge and another 13 hours form the charging case. 6.5 hours is a pretty good duration, and 13 hours in the case is not exactly the best but it is a fair trade-off from the compact form factor of the charging case.
There is a single LED indicator inside the case, which tells you the amount of battery life remaining in the case. But you can actually see the light from the top of the case, without opening it. As it only has a single LED light, you tell the amount of battery left by the number of blinks – continuous red flashes means it is low while three white flashes means it’s high.
If you are in desperate need of battery, the BackBeat Pro 5100 has a neat quick charge feature that gives you 1 hour of playtime from just 10 mins of charging. Sadly, Plantronics decided on going for micro USB for charging which is a bummer for a product of its price.
Fit
The BackBeat Pro 5100 fits really well, and I believe it is due to its lightweight tiny form factor and stem design. The stem of the earbuds is short but is angled at degree that is just right for entry into your ear canals. The wide oval-shaped ear tips help to complete the fit of the earbuds in your ears. And these ear tips really do fit good. It actually takes some effort to remove them from my ears as the seal created from these ear tips with my canal can get quite ‘tight’. And as mentioned previously, the ear tips are proprietary so you can’t switch them out for comply foam tips if you want to.
The best way to describe the fit of the BackBeat Pro 5100 is that it literally sits in your ears with the ear tips creating a very good seal. Depending on the size of your ears, the base of the earbud can sit on the groove our your inner ear, making the fit even more secure. The tiny form factor and lightweight makes it feel like you are not wearing them at all, but yet feels very secure in your ears.
However, I do feel a little but of discomfort on the top part of my ears after wearing the earbuds for extended periods of time. I believe that this could be due to the shape of my ears, but could also be remedied if Plantronics contoured the upper part of the earbud. My siblings and friends have tried wearing them but did not complain about same problem, so I’m pretty sure this is a problem unique to me.
Pairing and connectivity
Pairing the BackBeat Pro 5100 to your phone is fairly easy. You remove the both earbuds and the name ‘PLT BBPRO5100’ should appear in your Bluetooth settings. The earbuds are seen as one unit in your Bluetooth settings. Having Bluetooth 5.0, the connection was really stable and I barely experienced any audio dropouts.
You can use either side of the earbuds if you just want to listen on one ear.
BackBeat app
The BackBeat Pro 5100 comes with a companion app called “BackBeat”. The app allows you to refine certain settings and add personalisation. For example, you can change the triggers from tapping of the earbud button. If you want it to play a certain Spotify playlist, you can do that.
If you find the system feedback volume too loud like I did on the Audio Technica ATH-CK3TW, then the app allows you reduce the feedback volume. Other settings such as Smart Sensors and HD Voice also have different choices you can toggle. All that is missing is an Equaliser though.
Sound quality
The BackBeat Pro 5100 has a V-shaped sound signature, but it doesn’t come off right in your face (or ears rather). The sound of the Backbeat Pro 5100 comes off very clean and detailed, that does not over emphasise on the bass or treble.
Bass is energetic and noticeable. You can feel the sub-bass frequencies but it is not too overpowered where by it overshadows other frequencies. Mids are sufficient and is pretty detailed. As for highs, the Backbeat Pro 5100 gives off a bright, well controlled treble with a nice shine to it that never felt harsh.
Sound separation on the Backbeat Pro 5100 is pretty good on either ends of the frequencies. Bass and sub-bass can be identified distinctively and for highs, ‘See Through by Pentatonix’ shows off its ability to distinguish main and ad-libs.
aptX codec is not supported on the Backbeat Pro 5100 so the best you got is AAC.
Audio-Video sync & call quality
Audio video sync works with no lag – tested on iPhone 11. And as for call quality, it is pretty good, one of the best I have tested amongst the “stem-less” mic design.
Conclusion
The BackBeat Pro 5100 offers a well-balanced sound that will play well with many genres. It is a versatile product with a good IPX4 rating for occasional workouts, and a small and lightweight design that looks and fits unobtrusively in your ears with great comfort and seal.
If portability is your big push factor then the BackBeat Pro 5100 could be for you. The small, compact and lightweight case can easily be brought anywhere you go.