Ειδικά για το γυμναστήριο (αλλά δεν είναι ψείρες)

BackBeat Fit 6100, ένα νέο είδος ακουστικού για όσους θέλουν σοβαρό ήχο αλλά ιδρώνουν και γυμνάζονται. Ταιριάζουν και με χρήση στο γραφείο, το σπίτι ή τις μετακινήσεις σας. Ας τα δούμε αναλυτικά όπως τα παρουσιάζουν στο Android Authority.

The BackBeat Fit 6100 offer a unique proposition for gym goers and workout aficionados who don’t like in-ear buds: they’re over-ear cans made specifically to withstand sweat and exercise, but they suit your commuter lifestyle or desk job just as well.

SPECS

Hardware, design, what’s in the box

Despite their workout focus, the BackBeat Fit 6100 don’t feature a gaudy design. They have an understated industrial-slash-athletic look that carries well from the street to the gym. That is true of the black unit I have, but the two other colors — camo and grey — don’t deviate much from this aesthetic.

The large earcups are covered with matte black plastic and a minimal PLT branding on each one. They’re angled for better fit and rotate about 45-degrees around the wire frame holding them to the headband. They’re also foldable for portability.

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The sports focus becomes apparent when you look at the headband. A hexagonal pattern adorns its underside, for stability, and the entirety of the cushion is perforated for breathability. There’s also a white expandable cinch with a subtle “Beast mode” engraving. When you pull it out and extend it to the max, it tightens the band around your head to avoid it bobbing around while you run, jump, or squat.

The right earcup is touch-sensitive. A tap plays/pauses the music or accepts the phone call. Swiping sideways skips to the next song or repeats the current one. The controls feel fancy and work well enough, but physical buttons would’ve done the trick too. Thankfully, they can be disabled for preset periods of time in the app, which is handy if you notice accidental touches in certain environments.

The only physical controls are a power/Bluetooth pairing switch and an Open Mic button. The latter enables an awareness mode where surrounding sound is overlaid on the music — great for outdoor running, talking to gym buddies, or when that coworker keeps gesturing, asking for your attention.

In the box, you get the Fit 6100, manuals, a USB to MicroUSB charging cable, and a MicroUSB to 3.5mm audio cable to use with your computer or phone — if they have a headphone jack.

Features, sound, battery life

Comfort and stability where never an issue with the Fit 6100. In its default setting, the headphone is comfy to wear for several hours and can slide just a little on my head, a movement facilitated by gliding on my long(er) hair. When it’s cinched, it hugs the shape of my skull more tightly and doesn’t budge easily, even if I jerk my head around, bob, or repeatedly turn left and right. It handles jogging, bench and machine reps, and sweat fine — though I’m not too much of a gym rat to test extreme exercises and circumstances.

My husband landing us his nearly hair-free head to better showcase fit and design. 

Battery barely drops by 9-10% after each of my daily two-hour listening sessions, so the 24-hour overall life seems accurate. My favorite aspect of Plantronics’ recent models is the new BackBeat app. It offers plenty of configuration options, including two other equalizer profiles, customizable taps that can be assigned to anything from a timer to a Spotify playlist, the option to disable touch controls, and more.

The Fit 6100’s sound profile is perfect for me. Normally, I can’t get past 80% without wincing from the loudness on most earbuds and cans, but I can handle the Fit 6100 at 100% for a few minutes before lowering it back.

This controlled loudness plays to the Fit 6100’s benefit: There’s barely any distortion or audio quality change at the highest volumes. The default “Balanced” EQ profile should work well for most listeners. It’s slightly geared toward mids, but there’s enough clarity in the highs and decent bass to fully enjoy a playlist that switches between pop, rock, and hip hop. I’d even say that lows are a little boosted for my liking, but if you prefer much more thumping in your music to uplift you while exercising, you can switch to the Bass mode and enjoy that.

Phone calls went smoothly with the Fit 6100. I didn’t have trouble handling calls, and the person on the other end said I sounded clear.

Should you buy it?

If you absolutely want an over-ear headset for your daily exercise, the BackBeat Fit 6100 presents an interesting proposition. It’s light, stable, comfortable, breathable, water and sweat-resistant, plus it sounds nice and can fit just as well in the gym as it does in a work environment.