When I first saw the Press Release from Plantronics about new True Wireless (no cables) Bluetooth Headset / Earbuds BackBeat FIT 3100 I was sceptical. They didn`t look my preferred form factor of earbuds which I have tested and reviewed here. Plantronics has provided me a frew test sample for this unpaid Blogpost. They are not sitting directly inside the ear with immersive, fat bass. They are offering more distance to the center of the ear which increases the comfort drastically. I never ever had to worry that they fall out of my ears – which can be create trouble when Mountain biking downhill or enjoying music or audiobooks in a pool or warm jacuzzi. Yes, they are IP67 certified and don`t care being 1m under water about 30 minutes. But keep in mind that bluetooth connection won`t work anymore underwater. I really like this approach of having low-cost True Wireless EarBuds which are ultra robust, excellent sound quality, and stay comfortable connected on my ears.
Battery Life
Battery Life of 5 hours plus additional 10 hours in the case are now standard for high quality headsets. Easy to charge with Micro USB-cable to the case.
Sound Quality
As mentioned Bass is not so immersive and impressive as experienced with EarBuds which are sitting deeper inside the ear. I have listened to Electronic Music like “The Chemical Brothers – Das Spiegel” and Bass is fine for me. “Jamaican Heartbeat” shows how clear and crisp trebels and mid-tunes are. Yes, I have underestimated the music quality of FIT 3100! BackBeat Fit 3100 earbuds are for athletes and people who like sports and getting back into Shape like me, not for audiophiles. So I have noticed that sometimes I was pushing the earbuds into my ears to create a temporary seal in certain parts of songs.
Connectivity
Bluetooth connection is very simple to setup, stable and reliable. Never had issues with sound and shaky connections.
Mobile App and special features
Using BackBeat Mobile App for Android and iOS, Firmware can be updated and functionality of left-and right earbud configured. I have chosen to select my favorite Spotify Playlist with one tab on the left earbud. I could also start a stopwatch or set a timer. Additional tab could tell you the current time. “Always Aware” Feature helps to hear surrounding when listening to music, having calls or consuming other audio content. Very important when driving with a bike downtown in traffic. Sound Customization with two EQ presets and Equalizer is also possible.
Microphone Quality
Find Sound Sample here
Specifications
| Weight | 22 g/ .78 oz |
| Wireless range | Up to 33 ft/ 10m |
| Bluetooth technology | 5.0, HFP 1.7, HSP 1.2, A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5 |
| Harmonic distribution | <3% |
| Speaker driver size | 13.5 mm |
| Frequency response | 20- 20,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 94 dBSPL @ max volume |
| Microphone | MEMS microphone with DSP |
| Listen time | Up to 5 hours (earbuds only) and up to 10 additional hours with charge case |
| Talk time | Up to 5 hours |
| IP rating | IP57 sweatproof and waterproof |
| DeepSleep | Up to 6 months |
| Quick charge | Up to 1 hour of listening time with a 15-minute charge |
| Battery capacity (earbuds) | 90 mAh |
| Battery capacity (charge case) | 740 mAh |
Summary
If you don`t need Ear Buds which are certified for Unified Communication Systems like Webex, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams and you just want to enjoy Sport Activities with no cables around you, then you might consider to look for Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3100. If you need very robust ear buds which don`t fear dust, rain, wind, sweat and water and a deep bass is not important in your music preference – and you are afraid of losing ear buds easily – then FIT 3100 are my main recommendation for you.
