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|  | |  | | | Plantronics BackBeat 906 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones Set [Retail Packaging] | | | | | | | |
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BB-001-HFBEAT906 | | In Stock | | Availability:
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| | Features | 7 hours of talk timeUp to 8 days of standby timeSupports A2DP profileHear your outside world with a quick press of the OpenMic buttonEnjoy the full dynamic range of your music using bass-boost feature
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| | Description | Plantronics BackBeat 906 Stereo Bluetooth headset with Bluetooth adapter 3.5mm audio ports. This wireless headphones feature Altec Lansing sound technology for rich, full-spectrum stereo music and dual-mic AudioIQ noisecanceling technology for exceptional call clarity. This provides up to 7 hours of talk time and up to 8 days of standby time. It is equipped with A2DP technology. | |
| | Product Details | | Product Length: | 5.5 inches | | Product Width: | 2.3 inches | | Product Height: | 9.5 inches | | Product Weight: | 0.32 pounds | | Package Length: | 8.4 inches | | Package Width: | 5.6 inches | | Package Height: | 2.3 inches | | Package Weight: | 0.45 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 406 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 406 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
364 of 374 found the following review helpful:
 Beats Motorola S9 & JayBird + Altec Lansing Quality! Apr 21, 2009
By Kaio
I've used the Motorola S9s for over a year and was very close to buying the Jaybird JB-200i as a replacement. But I'm glad I held off and got the Altec Lansing 906 BackBeat Bluetooth stereo headset. Here's why:
Overall, I'm still happy with my Motorola S9s but my original set suffered the same fate as those who warned me about it - the buttons are so sensitive they stopped responding entirely. At the end, all I had left was one working button - track skip forward, which isn't much help for listening to music, taking calls or adjusting volume. The buttons failed within my 1 year warranty so I called Motorola and got a free replacement. Nice. However I began shopping around for a replacement since I knew eventually the buttons would stop working again, as has been widely reported. The headphones are great but they just don't seem to last. And I also wished the S9's didn't have that band with the Bluetooth receiver behind my neck because it prevents you from resting your head on a sofa or pillow and enjoying the music. A minor quibble but still an issue.
Okay, so enter the JayBird JB-200i. It seemed like a great replacement for the Motorola S9 and it had a wire going behind your neck instead of that band on the S9, so resting your head back is not a problem. Overall, the headset seemed ok but I've never heard of the JayBird company and was concerned about product quality and customer support. In reading reviews, it seems the JayBirds are buggy and the sound is only so-so, hence why I remained on the fence for months. I figured I'd just keep using my warranty replacement S9s until they broke too, and in the meantime, see if JayBird fixed the bugs and sound quality or if someone else released something better.
Enter the Altec Lansing 906 BackBeat!!!
The BackBeats are very similar in design to the JayBirds. So much so, I thought JayBird had released a better model. I was pleasantly surprised to see the BackBeats were actually Altec Lansing! I've been aware of the company for some time and they have a great reputation. The BackBeats have made improvements on both the JayBird and Motorola S9 design, such as:
Stereo Calls:
That's right! Hear callers in BOTH ears!!! At first, this might seem redundant. But this was a minor quibble I had with the S9. I kept feeling like one ear was plugged while listening to callers in only one ear. I know standard headsets are in one ear only, but if I'm already wearing a set of headphones in both ears, what's the big deal to let me hear the call in both ears too?!? The BackBeats solve this gripe and it's actually pretty cool to hear callers in both ears. Definitely cuts ambient noise and makes it easier to hear callers and I no longer feel like one of my ears is plugged up while talking!
Call Quality:
Friends I speak to regularly on my Motorola S9's have noticed a marked improvement in sound clarity now that I'm speaking to them on the 906 BackBeat. I credit this to the dual mics in the headset.
Dual Mics:
Here is yet another product featuring dual mics, and these are Plantronics quality no less! Dual mics seem to be an emerging feature on better quality products and I notice a marked improvement in performance, at least in the products I own. I liken it to the same as having two eyes and two ears - two mics offer better interpretation of sounds and the result is better audio quality when speaking to callers. It's a great feature that I'm continually impressed with.
Music Volume:
The 906 BackBeat is one of the louder headsets I recall owning. Certainly much louder than the Motorola S9 or any wired earbuds I've had in recent years! This is particularly useful in noisy environments like the gym, outdoors, near traffic and if ya just plain ol' like to listen to loud music! ;) In fact, I've even had to turn down the volume with certain loud speaking callers or music!
Bass Boost:
This headset features Bass Boost, which almost sounds comical in a headset so small. But the fact of the matter is, it works and sounds great! It defiantly improves the bass and dynamic range of both calls and music. And if you like Audio Books, Bass Boost helps with some softer spoken Audible books I like!
Audio Clarity:
For a tiny set of headphones I have to say the music quality is great. Better than my S9's for sure! I listen to music on my phone every day and don't own an MP3 player. So it's my only source of mobile music on the go. My music has never sounded better than it does with these BackBeats!
Bluetooth Range:
The range itself is no better or worse than my S9's, working flawlessly indoors with possibly slightly better range. Outdoors, you do get some static depending on environmental conditions. Sometimes I need to hold my phone in my hand as opposed to in my pocket while walking as all the jostling around does make the sound cut in and out. But I'm fine with that since I'm used to it with the S9's. Bluetooth isn't a perfect science. But I tell ya, once you get used to wireless headphones, there's no going back and you learn to live with some minor quirks. Beats having your head yanked whenever a corded set of earbuds gets pulled, or worse, the buds get yanked out of your ears entirely. No thanks!
Easy Buttons:
As mentioned, the buttons on my S9 burned out and it's a known issue with that headset. I did like that the buttons are ultra sensitive and light to the touch, but unfortunately, that's also what makes them burn out. Contrarily, the 906 BackBeats have sturdier buttons that click when pressed and seem more durable. But the S9 did skip through music tracks faster and you could initiate a call using the S9's call button. Unfortunately, the BackBeat does NOT support initiating a call via the headset call button. You can answer a call, yes, just not make a call. If you want to make a call you have to dial the number and press Send on your phone. A bit of a drag, but then, voice dialing often doesn't work well for me so initiating a call from the phone is something I had to do 50% of the time anyway, regardless of what headset I'm using.
Simple Paring:
Bluetooth pairing isn't the pain it used to be. Just put your phone in discovery mode and you'll be connected in less than a minute.
Compact Design - Comfort Fit:
It is a little tricky learning how to get the fit exactly the way you want but once I figured out the best configuration for my ears, the 906 BackBeat stays on nicely and are a good fit. Telescoping and pivoting earbud stems are easily adjustable and help get the custom fit. I'm pretty active and I can tell these aren't going anywhere and won't fall off. And they're very comfy too; I don't even know I'm wearing them. And I like the compact design. A pet peeve of mine is that most stereo Bluetooth headsets look like Princess Lea's famous hair; 2 huge disks on the sides of your head! No thanks!! Can't justify spending top dollar for compact phones and technology only to look like an idiot with huge headphones! That's a big reason why I selected the S9 to begin with and then was focused on the JayBirds -- most everyone else made hideous looking stereo headsets! And I was thrilled to find the 906 BackBeat was the latest addition to the genre, and for me, look best overall.
I'm very happy with the Altec Lansing 906 BackBeat stereo headset. Top quality music sound, great sounding calls, loud volume, good fit and a good upgrade from my aging Motorola S9. Go for it!!
59 of 61 found the following review helpful:
Excellent stereo bluetooth headphones from a trusted brand May 02, 2009
By esanta
"esanta"
The BackBeat headphones 906 kit contains three parts: the headphones themselves, a stereo minijack bluetooth broadcasting dongle to plug into your non-wireless device, and a charger with a "Y"-type cord so you can charge both the headphones and the dongle simultaneously. If you don't need the dongle, you should buy the less expensive 903 model instead.
Unfortunately, Altec Lansing chose to use the new and still relatively exotic micro USB connector for its devices (the same one Amazon chose for the Kindle 2) instead of the ubiquitous mini-USB (as on the Kindle 1). I'm sure there are valid technical reasons behind this choice, but that's yet another charger you have to carry around when traveling. At least they didn't chose a proprietary connector.
The headphones charge quickly (a couple of hours after being completely depleted) and play for a long time (they still had juice after a six hours listening session).
Putting on the headphones requires some getting used to; the thick cord between the two earpieces is a little short, which is perfect when it's resting on your neck but annoying when you're trying to put them on. Once they're in place, they sit nicely. If you wear glasses, the branches may have to fight the 906s for space at the top of your ears. The ear canal insert is adjustable in height so it can adapt to various ear morphologies. Also, they don't block out outside sounds so they're safe to use while running, cycling, etc... as long as you keep the volume to reasonable levels.
Unlike other bluetooth headsets I own, reception is excellent and remarkably interference-free: they have been a pleasure to use while exercising. Sound quality is excellent, these are the best sounding bluetooth headphones I've ever used.
The controls are tiny but logically organized and provide audio feedback. For instance, when adjusting the volume you can hear a tone getting higher- or lower-pitched to indicate the new setting, so they're very easy to get used to.
Probably a benefit of Bluetooth 2.1EDR, I can use these headphones concurrently with a bluetooth mouse without the mouse becoming sluggish. Also, the BackBeat headphones can remain paired to multiple devices; for instance, I do not need to re-pair them when switching between my computer, my phone and the dongle.
Great sounding, excellent battery life, support of the latest standards: if you're looking for versatile and capable stereo bluetooth headphones, you can't go wrong with the Altec Lansing 906.
58 of 60 found the following review helpful:
 Perfect BT headphones for the iphone (update) Apr 27, 2009
By KindlePad
UPDATE: I installed the iphone 3.0 software and these headphones work without the dongle! This was expected but now confirmed. With the 3.0 software the iphone 3g can pump stereo music to these without using the annoying dongle. So these just got better!
(old comments)
This is a pretty groovy unit - it doubles as both a bluetooth stereo headset and a bluetooth mic for your cell phone & music player. Now I know what you are thinking... perfect for the iphone right? But it very pointedly omits any reference to the iphone on the box or packaging. This is because the iPhone 3G doesn't yet support streaming music over bluetooth. To counter this, this product comes with a matchbox shaped bluetooth dongle for the ipod / iphone. That means you plug the dongle into the iphone or ipod or any music player and you can then listen wirelessly to the music over the headphones. You can also pair the headset with the iphone (or any BT cell phone) and thus use it to make & receive calls just fine. The nice thing about that audio dongle is you can plug it into anything, laptop, radio, etc, anything with a mini stereo jack. Some cool possibilities there.
Pros:
Pairing the headset with my iphone was super simple, flawless. Then I could wear the headset and make & receive calls fine. The sound quality is great and the mic works very well, even in noisy places. I paired the BT dongle with the headset and then plugged it into the iphone - that also was simple. Worked great and I was able to listen to music just fine. I had a call come in and I was able to take the call on the headset and it muted the music nicely.
Great quality sound over the headphones. Very comfy also. After about 15 mins I forgot I was wearing it. I could also hear external sounds fine. The 'open mic' feature works well, I was listening to music and my desk phone rang, I hit the pause / open mic button and I was able to take a all just fine with the headset on.
Cons:
After using it for a week or so the music started to stutter and lose connection. I upaired and then re-paried and its working great again. I dunno why that matters.
Battery life failed to impress me. I got maybe 4-5 hours of music listening time tops. Maybe thats par for these BT headphones.
Range - not terribly impressive but I am not sure what to expect. It says 30 feet but both at work & home it cuts out a lot sooner than 30 feet away. About 15 or 20. I guess this isn't a deal breaker but it'd be nice to work in the kitchen and leave my iphone on my desk 20 feet away but it was cutting out.
The next and previous track controls don't control the iphone. The pause and volume work fine however.
Sound quality: its good but not amazing. Sure you're wireless and thats awesome but your Grado's or other high end cans blow this away utterly.
Car charging, I wish it came with something to charge it in the car.
Summary: I know it sounds like I had more Cons than Pros but actually I do recommend them. When the iphone 3.0 software comes out next week I bet you see more of these. It might not sound very exciting to have wireless stereo for your iphone but its pretty addictive.
69 of 77 found the following review helpful:
 I loved them, the couple of days they worked... Jun 03, 2009
By James Key
I bought these in an international terminal in the Atlanta airport. They worked perfectly for the flight and for about 2 days when I landed. The VERY first time I took them to the gym with me to work out they stopped working and haven't worked since then. I didn't drop them or jerk them around in any manner that might cause a short. The only thing I could think of was sweat getting inside them but seriously, the WHOLE reason for me buying wireless headphones was for gym purposes.
I've tried to call altec lansing every day for the past 4 days now and I keep getting an answering machine every single time. Not even an automated menu just some lady saying "we're unavailable please leave a message". I leave a message every time I call and still haven't gotten any correspondence at all with them. I tried their website but for some reason I can't get past the "Select your Region" screen because there are no regions to select!
I loved this product the first 2 days I had it. Now I am very upset and out $150 with no one in customer service to help me out.
In my top 5 of worst purchases ever.
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
WOW Aug 06, 2009
By J. Lingle
I use the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 on-ear headphones for casual listening, but for running and gym usage, the BackBeat 906's are AMAZING. I recently bought the Nike+ running sensor to go with my iPhone 3GS, and tried running with standard sports headphones. Given that I didn't have an armband for the iPhone, and the wires from my sports headphones were tucked through my shirt, it was really aggravating to run 5 miles with the wires rubbing me and flopping around.
I found the BackBeat 906/R on Amazon for [...] less than at Apple.com, and the reviews really helped make my decision to purchase it, so here's my giveback. I've listed out the PROs and CONs below:
PROs
* Opened the packaging, charged for an hour, held the power button for a few seconds to enable pairing mode, and my iPhone 3GS immediately paired WITHOUT needing the dongle, and no passcode required - AWESOME
* Telescoping and rotating ear pieces with rubber ear canal shaped molds made for customizable comfortable fit - and they are so light I forget that they're on
* Streaming music from iPhone had no lag time whatsoever, and I walked all the way across the house through two rooms before losing connection
* Music and phone controls are great - one click on left ear answers and hangs up, two clicks on left ear redials. One click on right ear pauses / unpauses music and turns on external mics, which slightly amplifies external sounds, hold right ear button for two seconds to enable / disable bass boom. Volume control extends down from right ear and simple push forward or back turns volume up / down.
* Phone calls are in stereo! I've only made a few phone calls, but callers say that they can hear me fine, and it is really nice hearing conversation in both ears. I am on the road a lot for work, and having both ears plugged really reduces car noise and makes conference calls a lot easier to hear (Plantronics noise reduction seems OK, better than standard bluetooth headset without it, but probably not as good as Jawbone).
* After running 5 miles last night, the headphones never lost connection to my iPhone, never skipped once, never came off my ears although I was dripping with sweat, sounded great, and I could hardly tell they were there (I also bought the Imation XtremeMac SportWrap armband for iPhone 3GS from Amazon for $24.95 and highly recommend it too)
* The included dongle will be great for plugging into the TV in the bedroom for late night watching while my wife is trying to sleep
CONS
* Track forwarding / reversing doesn't work on iPhone. This is a limitation of bluetooth functionality on iPhone OS 3.0. Apple is adding support for this feature in OS 3.1 later this year
* No voice dialing / call initiating from headphones on iPhone. Again, this is a limitation of iPhone OS 3.0, and Apple is adding this support in OS 3.1, so I expect both of these great features to begin working on the headphones after the OS update
* That's it! I have only had the headphones for two days, and there are a few reviews that said they stopped working after 3-5 charges, but I have not had them long enough to comment on that. They work great so far.
I forgot to turn them off last night, and they were still connected to my iPhone this morning, having been on standby for over 15 hours now. Battery life is claimed to be 7 hours of play time, and that is probably fairly accurate. [...] and they really sound great comparatively - especially when you factor in not having to deal with wires ever again! I'm ordering my wife a set now that I've tested them out - I love Amazon Prime - I'll have them tomorrow!
See all 406 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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