Plantronics Backbeat GO 810

SOLIDLY MIDDLE OF THE RANGE NOISE CANCELLATION.

WHENEVER I TRAVEL overseas, one of my most vital pieces of kit are my noise cancelling headphones, which can drown out the incessant engine drone on long haul flights. But I travel a lot more than most, so that kind of high-end kit isn’t necessary for most people simply wanting to drown out a noisy train or a bus full of school kids – and that’s where Plantronics’ new headphones come in, a reasonably priced and not too flashy pair of cans that are dialed in for the humble commute, not the jetset crowd.

The Plantronics BackBeat GO 810 features a comfortably padded headband and a touch of bling in the gold-like finish on the inner-band material. The cups sit well over your ears, and all the controls are well places and easy to access. You can tap one speaker to pause playback or advance tracks, and a sturdy shuttle button powers the ANC on, while also doing a good job of accidentally turning on in your bag and running its battery down. Speaking of battery, whenever you turn the headphones on after pairing them, you’ll be told what the current battery level is, which is pretty handy.

The sound quality is best with ANC turned on, and while it’s not the best, it’s certainly enough for commuting and on the go. But the ANC works a charm, and for the price, it’s hard to think of a better set of cans.