The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 SE headphones are a great example of style, functionality and tech done right. For $249, the Pro 2s offer up to 24 hours of battery life, great active noise cancelling technology and excellent sound to boot.

Loud; warm audio; Good active noise cancelling; Intuitive smart controls; Extremely long battery life

Heavy

Plantronics cut the cord on active noise cancelling headphones two years ago, and now it's back with the BackBeat PRO 2 to cut the price, too. Follow-up to the well received BackBeat PRO of 2014, the revamped model slims down the hit on your wallet and the space occupied in your bag.

Sub-$200 price tag; Solid Active Noise Cancellation; Long battery life; Comfortable fit

Voice call performance doesn't equal a dedicated headset; Doesn't collapse fully; ANC still not the equal of Bose

Plantronics scores a win with the slimmed-down, feature-packed BackBeat Pro 2.

Smaller and lighter; Good noise cancellation; Slightly improved audio quality; Excellent call quality; Solid battery life

Bass not particularly full; Only special edition gets hard-shell case

Plantronics may have a big name in the world of hands-free Bluetooth equipment, but it's not widely regarded as a premium headphone company. Our time with the BackBeat Pro 2 has taught us that it's a definitely a company worth considering if you're looking for a feature-rich set of headphones that...

Comfortable; lightweight; great battery life and noise cancellation features

Plastic design; fake wood trim is puzzling

The Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 are one of a growing sea of over-ear wireless headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC), gunning for the same space as the Bose QuietComfort 35 .

Great value for money; Sound on a par with more expensive sets; Solid battery life

ANC can be hit-and-miss; Don't handle bass as well as competitors

The fit is comfortable, even for big-heads like me. (They fit small-heads too.) Bluetooth works as advertised, from pairing to phone calls to keeping a clean connection. The sound is clear and detailed.

Plantronics is not a name you'd habitually associate with music headphones and consumer audio; this is a firm better known for its conference-call headsets, call-centre hardware and the like.

Beautiful design; Mind blowing bass; Good ANC capabilities

A little uncomfortable; Might be too bass-heavy for some

The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 wireless noise-cancelling headphones are a very good pair of headphones, that lasts ages between charges, have good controls, solid active noise cancelling and a sound profile that will please many.

very long battery life; comfortable; good noise cancelling; good bass; good controls; good value

sound profile won't suit everyone; don't fold up particularly well for travel; passive noise isolation could be better

Plantronics claims that the wireless range is up to 100 meters. It is absolutely not true. Such a big wireless range was one of the reason I bought this headphone. I paired it with me phone and left the phone in one room. The rooms around are quite thin and they were made of plasterboard.

They do get a little uncomfortable during long listening session, but they're undeniably good value for money

Beautiful design; Mind blowing bass; Good ANC capabilities;

A little uncomfortable; Might be too bass-heavy for some;