| Enjoy full-spectrum stereo music and take your calls wirelessly with the Plantronics BackBeat 906 Bluetooth Headphones. With the included Bluetooth adapter, these ultra-comfortable wireless headphones let you stream rich stereo music from your iPod, iPhone or other music device, while smart dual-mic AudioIQ voice technology offers exceptional clarity for your cell calls. And with a quick tap of the headphone's OpenMic button, you can immediately hear what's going on around you without removing the headphones. 
The included Bluetooth adapter lets you use the BackBeat with iPods and other MP3 players without built-in Bluetooth. View larger. | Wireless Freedom to Listen to Music and Talk on the Phone
Whether you are working or playing, walking or running, the BackBeat 906 lets you take your calls and stream and control your music via a convenient wireless Bluetooth connection. It connects to your stereo Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and MP3 players to give you a rich, clear wireless music and cell phone experience. For music players like the iPod that don't have built-in Bluetooth, simply connect the included Bluetooth adapter into the 3.5 mm jack to experience the same exceptional sound wirelessly. (If you plan to use the headphones exclusively with Bluetooth-enabled devices and don't need the Bluetooth adapter, check out the BackBeat 903, which offers all the great features of the BackBeat 906 but doesn't include the adapter.) Outstanding Audio and Call Quality
Thanks to the Altech Lansing sound technology, dual 14 mm speakers and bass-boost feature, you can enjoy your music in full-spectrum stereo for a rich audio experience. And when it's time to make or take a call, the headphones feature dual-mic AudioIQ, an advanced digital signal processing technology that dramatically improves the audio levels on both ends of your call, giving you superb call clarity and performance. So whether you're listening to your tunes or taking an important call, the BackBeat 906 has you covered. Control Your Music Remotely
The headphones feature an easy-to-access set of dedicated controls that give you full control of your music and call functions, including play/pause, bass boost, call mute, and volume and track control (for devices supporting the AVRCP Bluetooth profile).
 |  | | Bluetooth makes for easy wireless connections and AudioIQ ensures great call quality. | Adjustable Design for All-Day Comfort
Designed for comfortable, all-day wear, the BackBeat 906 features contoured earbuds that are made of flexible material that comfortably conform to the shape of your ear. The headphones weigh just 1.2 ounces and offer telescoping and swiveling adjustments for a personalized and secure fit. And for further convenience, the soft neckband folds for easy storage in a pocket, purse, or bag. Rechargeable Battery Offers Long Listening and Talk Time
The rechargeable battery delivers up to seven hours of talk/music playback time and has a standby time of up to eight days. It takes just three hours to fully charge the headphones. Keep an Ear Open to the World Around You
The BackBeat 906 is also equipped with OpenMic technology, an ingenious feature that lets you hear all the happenings around you without taking off your headphones. By simply pressing a button, the microphone will pick up outside sound and feed it through the speakers, so you can fully engage in a conversation or simply listen to your surroundings.The Plantronics BackBeat 906 is backed by a one-year limited warranty. What's in the Box
Bluetooth headphones, 3.5mm Bluetooth adaptor, AC charger.
|
|
 Beats Motorola S9 & JayBird + Altec Lansing Quality! |
| Review Date: April 21, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Kaio, Santa Monica, CA |
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!!
|
Excellent stereo bluetooth headphones from a trusted brand
|
| Review Date: May 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: esanta, San Jose, CA USA |
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. |
WOW
|
| Review Date: August 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Lingle, Murrells Inlet, SC USA |
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! |
Great overall sound quality, comfortable to wear, and unwired your music player with the bluetooth adapter.
|
| Review Date: May 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Sidarta Tanu, Richmond, VA USA |
Altec Lansing 906/R US BackBeat Headphone is a very good wireless headset, both for phone/talk and music. It is comfortable to wear and provide very decent sound quality (stereo).
Pros:
1. Very comfortable to wear (and light)
2. Great overall sound quality (stereo)
3. Bass is strong (with bass boost feature)
4. Great battery life (6+ hours talk/music time)
5. New OpenMic technology is very useful (so you don't have to take off the headset if you want to hear the surrounding)
6. Bluetooth adapter included which is very nice (to unwired Ipod, MP3 players etc).
7. Quick switch from listening to music to picking up the phone
8. Headset have dedicated button for remote control phone/music operation (like volume, bass, play, pause, switch to phone, mute, open mic control)
Cons:
1. Sound not as crisp as wired headphone (when listening to music), but very close, and for wireless, I think it's good enough
2. Volume control is one level change per click (can't just hold the volume up or down to change the volume multiple level)
3. Buttons are very small and it's not very easy/comfortable to press when you are wearing the headphone
4. Pairing the bluetooth (and with the adapter) can be cumbersome (sometime it doesn't want to pair right away and have to the button for a couple seconds). but one it is paired, it is easy/stays connected.
5. Bluetooth adapter with a dongle (vs dock model), which can be cumbersome but is more flexible
6. Have to press and hold the small button for 2 seconds to turn on or off (both headset and bluetooth adapter)
7. It takes 3 hours to fully charge (1 hour charge will be nice)
All in all, while this is not a perfect product, it is very good wireless product. And converting your wired music/mp3 players into wireless with a decent sound quality, priceless!
Sidarta Tanu |
Best BT stereo headset! Beats competitions hands down!
|
| Review Date: August 25, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Jensen, St. George, Utah |
I've owned several high-end bluetooth stereo headsets and these Altec Lansing simply put are far and away the best of the lot.
Pros: 1) Sound 2) Battery Life 3) Fit 4) Controls;
1) Sound, sound, sound! I've had other headphones with better specs on paper (higher db rating which usually translates to better and/or louder sound) but the Altec Lansing are loud! Loud enough that I NEVER have them at full volume. I used to turn my Jaybirds up all the way and still find them not loud enough on about half of my mp3 library. The Altec Lansing have a lower db rating but in the real world the volume is unbelievable. Volume without quality is basically worthless. Not only are these headphones loud, they are also crystal clear. The bass boost enhances some music but not all. Overall the sound quality is in keeping with the Altec Lansing name. That is to say outstanding.
2) Battery life. My Jaybird headset would last 4-5 hours no matter how I used it. That was one reason after getting and liking the Jaybirds I kept looking for a better headset. These Altec Lansing are rated at 7 hours continuous for music and/or talk, HOWEVER, (and this is a big however) they get repeatedly 10-13 hours depending on how I use them! No matter how I've used my former stereo bluetooth headsets (including Jaybird, JVC and Blue Ant) I could never got more than 5 hours use out of any of them. The Altec Lansing have NEVER gone for less than about 8 hours continuous and usually are good for 10-12 hours! Simply amazing! I attribute this to volume levels. It must be 7 hours continuous at max volume, with lower volumes rendering longer battery life. Again, these headphones are so loud that I never max out the volume and in many situations I'm somewhere in the lower to mid volume range for extended use, thus, giving me amazing battery life. I'm tempted to wear my Altec Lansing to work as my primary bluetooth because they work so well.
3) Fit. This is a tricky one. My previous favorites were my Jaybird JB200s, but in addition to insufficient battery life, fit was an ongoing issue. (In fairness to Jaybird, fit is very personal and I'm sure for some the Jaybirds fit well. For me, I was constantly fussing with mine while they popped out often or I'd just leave them out after getting tired of messing around with them.) The Altec Lansing at first feel like they're not in properly, however, that is apparently part of their "open air" design. They rest nicely on your ears/head and don't come off even with a vigorous headshake. The reason they don't feel like they're on is the earbud design is NOT an INNER EAR bud but and outer ear bud. The bud sits outside the ear canal leaving you exposed not only to the music but to ambient environment sounds as well. Once you get used to this design and fit concept its super comfortable and secure. I forget I have them on all the time. Not only does the music sound great at all levels, you can also engage in conversations with people around you while wearing them and listening to music. It's actually quite amazing. The music sounds so good it's almost as if the music is being piped in over some quality loud speakers in every room you enter while you're free to converse with anyone and everyone around you. The only aspect of the fit that I found difficult was the beefy behind the neck band connecting the two earpieces. It is so beefy and oversized that when it hit my collar or I laid down, it would knock the headphones out of my ear. I remedied this by twisting the band into a phone cord type coil behind my neck. Once the band held the memory of the phone cord-like coil the problem was solved. Not only did this solve the neckband problem , but it actually made the headphones fit superbly while also making them less noticeable while wearing. (The do-it-yourself phone cord coil fix may void the warranty so do this at your own risk. Being the uber-geek that I am, I'm willing to risk breaking something if it holds any promise of making it better.)
4) Controls. The controls of the Altec Lansing are simply outstanding. They work so well and have so many features at your fingertips that your head becomes a walking remote for bluetooth calls and stereo mp3 playback. You can take calls, end calls, mute calls, ignore calls, adjust volume, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play, standby, bass boost and even battery life check your way into oblivion with this headset. The controls are well laid out and perfectly balanced so as to flawlessly execute all of the functions with little to no effort. Listen to music loud and never miss a call. Listen to music at mid to low levels while carrying on a conversation with those around you and never miss a call. And so on.
Cons: 1) Fit;
1) Fit. (I know I just listed this a "pro." So obviously it's both.) Fit takes some getting used to. The beefy behind the neck band is a little on the long side, and a little on the thick side. This makes for a fit that mimics the Motorola S9 behind the neck band vs. the stealthy behind the neck "wire" of the Jaybird JB200. If I wore a t-shirt at the gym the beefy neckband wasn't a problem. If I had any shirt with a collar or wanted to lay down while using the Altec Lansing, the neckband got in the way. Once I got the idea that a phone cord-like coil setup might take up some slack and get the neckband closer to my head and off of my collar the problem was solved. I now have a custom Altec Lansing Backbeat 906 with coiled (DIY) behind the neck neckband that hugs my head vs. hitting my collar. It took a while to coil the neckband in such a way as to create some memory in the coil, but it was well worth it. It fits more snugly on my head, is less noticeable wearing and never ever gets in the way of a shirt collar or pillow. (Be careful if you try the DIY memory coil as it clearly could cause a short in the wiring if not done right or done carefully.) All things considered, this "con" is no longer a problem.
Summary: The Altec Lansing Backbeat 906 is an absolutely amazing mix of sound performance with "sound" design. I've stopped scouring the internet for the perfetct stereo bluetooth headset. This one is darn near perfect and the pros seriously outweigh the minor cons (especially compared to other bluetooth headsets).
|
|
No video reviews found for this product.
