Headphones
All other things equal, a pair of Bluetooth headphones still won’t sound as nice as a wired equivalent most of the time — but again, the gap has noticeably lessened over time. Even then, the freer sense of movement that’s present here might make any sonic deficiencies worth withstanding.
We’ve laid out our favorites before, but in this market, the Jabra Move Wireless gets you a lively, bass-forward sound in a lightweight, comfortable frame. The Plantronics Backbeat Sense looks a bit slicker, with a clearer, more natural-sounding profile and tremendous battery life. The neckband-style looks of the Phiaton BT 100 NC may be weird, but the sound isn’t, and the whole thing is as affordable as any quality pair of noise-cancelling headphones are
Plantronics Backbeat Sense (White), $174.99, available at Amazon.
Headsets
Bluetooth headsets, the kind made for quickly taking phone calls on the go, have fallen a bit out of vogue, but they can still have value to road warriors.
The Plantronics Voyager Edge, for instance, has been around for a couple of years, but has been widely commended for its stellar call quality and general ease of use. For a more basic, no-frills alternative, the Plantronics M55 can’t match the Edge, but it’s plenty respectable for $60 less.
Plantronics Voyager Edge (Black), $84.49, available at Amazon.
Plantronics M55 (Black), $24.99, available at Amazon.