Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 vs Phiaton BT 220 NC

With the BackBeat Pro 2, you get powerful yet clear sound that is comparable to higher end models but at a noticeably more affordable price. Wireless range and stability is quite good and the noise cancelling, while not the best, can reduce a good amount of external noise.

While the active noise canceling is not the best, it is able to reduce a good amount of noise from your surroundings. Loud engine sounds or high pitched noise may still mix in with your music though.

The BackBeat Pro 2’s mids and treble are not forward, yet sound clear and neutral. You may hear a bit of sharpness in the higher frequencies, but overall you’ll get a pleasant listening experience with great details from your music.

The low-end is quite emphasized, so you’ll get a lot of thump from bass hits. Bass lovers will likely find these headphones to be up their alley.

You won’t need to press a button on the headphones or on your source device to pause the music when you need to remove the BackBeat Pro 2. There are sensors inside the headphones that detect this motion, so the music is automatically paused, and then resumed when you put the headphones back on.

Listen to the environment via a microphone without taking off the headphones.

These headphones have Bluetooth connectivity for wireless convenience, but you can also switch to 3.5mm wired mode if the battery runs out and you cannot charge right away.

You’ll be able to hear audio even if you are around 100 feet away from your source device, provided there is a clear line of sight. Signal quality is also pretty good with minimal music cuts and drops.

These headphones can last up to 24 hours of playback from a full charge, and this with moderate volumes in wireless mode with noise cancelling activated. This is very good battery life, considering other wireless headphones at the price range only have around half the battery life on average.

You’ll have minimal issues with headphone wires. While there is a cable connecting the earpieces to the active noise cancelling module, you can eliminate the need for a cable from the module to your source device if the source is Bluetooth capable.

These headphones can block out a decent amount of ambient noise. The active noise cancelling filters out most high and mid frequency noise. To further reduce low frequency noise, you’ll want to switch the eartips to the Comply foam ones.

Should the battery run out, you can still use these headphones in wired mode. There is a micro-USB to 3.5mm cable included so you can connect the ANC module to your source device. You won’t get active noise cancelling in this mode though.

The ANC module doubles as a remote, and gives you a lot of control over phone and music functions. There is a dedicated button for answering calls, a switch to turn ANC on or off, as well as buttons for volume adjustment and play/pause.