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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    5. Xbox One Compatibility
    6. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 vs Cowin E8 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016
Cowin E8 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Jan 12, 2024 09:24 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Jan 11, 2024 08:39 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Picture

Variants

  • BackBeat Pro 2 (Black)
  • BackBeat Pro 2 (Gray, SE)
  • Cowin E8 (Black)
  • Cowin E8 (Silver)

Our Verdict

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016

Cowin E8 Wireless

The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 are better-balanced and a much better noise cancelling headset than the Cowin E8 Wireless. The Plantronics have a better build quality, a longer battery life and a more exciting, bass-rich sound that's also better balanced with instruments and vocals than the Cowin. The Plantronics also have a much more intuitive control scheme, a better build quality, and support multiple codecs. On the other hand, the Cowin block a bit more noise with their ANC feature than the Plantronics.

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Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.2
6.9

Noise Isolation 
 

6.9
8.7

Battery 
 

9.2
7.8

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Design Picture 2
Cowin E8 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic

Show text

Comfort 
 

7.5
7.0

Comfort Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Comfort Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.65 lbs
0.8 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.9 lbs
1.2 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

8.0
7.0

Controls Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Controls Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Great
Decent

Feedback  

Great
Good

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
N/A

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
N/A

Additional Controls  

No
N/A

Show text

Breathability 
 

6.5
6.1

Breathability After Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Breathability After Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

5.7 °C
6.8 °C

Show text

Portability 
 

5.5
5.9

Portability Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Portability Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Portability Picture

 

8.5"
8.2"

 

8.5"
7"

 

2.4"
2"

Volume  

172 in³
115 in³

Transmitter Required  

No
N/A

Show text

Case 
 

7.5
7.5

Case Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Case Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Hard case
Hard case

 

9.3"
9"

 

8.8"
9"

 

2.9"
3"

Volume  

234 in³
243 in³

Show text

Build Quality 
 

7.5
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Build Quality Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

7.0
6.0

Stability Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Stability Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Angled Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Side Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Front Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Rear Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Top Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 In The Box Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

2.09 dB
-0.5 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-0.33 dB
-4.29 dB

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

7.8
8.7

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.44 dB
0.26 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

7.6
7.2

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

3.33 dB
3.83 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
12.6 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

5.76 dB
-1 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

-1.49 dB
3.99 dB

High-Bass 
 

-2.79 dB
5.66 dB

Show text

Mid Accuracy 
 

9.2
7.6

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.13 dB
3.23 dB

Low-Mid 
 

-1.32 dB
3.29 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-0.41 dB
2.28 dB

High-Mid 
 

-0.22 dB
-1.16 dB

Show text

Treble Accuracy 
 

8.6
6.9

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.9 dB
4.4 dB

Low-Treble 
 

-0.25 dB
-5 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

0.52 dB
0.32 dB

High-Treble 
 

-7.64 dB
-6.33 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.6
6.8

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.59 dB
2.2 dB

Dips 
 

1.14 dB
1.51 dB

Imaging 
 

8.2
8.4

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.43
0.29

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.81
0.88

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.75
2.13

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

7.56
4.1

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

5.3
4.5

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

2.73 dB
4.04 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

4.36 dB
3.44 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

13.98 dB
6.12 dB

Openness 
 

3.1
1.3

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

2.5
5.4

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No

Room Ambience 
 

No

Head Tracking 
 

No

Virtual Surround 
 

No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.6
6.9

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.182
0.400

WHD @ 100 
 

0.197
0.476

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown

Power 
 

On

Connection 
 

Unknown

Codec 
 

aptX, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

No EQ

ANC 
 

On

Tip/Pad 
 

Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

6.9
8.7

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-18.91 dB
-24.71 dB

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
Yes

Bass 
 

-7.06 dB
-17.61 dB

Mid 
 

-14.05 dB
-20.63 dB

Treble 
 

-36.06 dB
-35.99 dB

Show text

Leakage 
 

7.8
5.6

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

34.65 dB
46.86 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
N/A

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Show text

Recording Quality 
 

5.7
6.4

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

530.46 Hz
246.75 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

3.76 dB
4.39 dB

HFE 
 

3,568.48 Hz
3,466.89 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

3.193
2.432

Gain 
 

39.08 dB
17.12 dB

Show text

Noise Handling 
 

6.8
6.3

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Speech + Pink Noise  

Speech + Subway Noise  

SpNR 
 

19.11 dB
15.55 dB

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

9.2
7.8

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

30 hrs
21 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0

Total Battery Life 
 

30 hrs
21 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.1 hrs
3.2 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
No

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port  

micro-USB
micro-USB

Show text

App Support 
 

6.0
0.0

App Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 App Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Plantronics Hub
N/A

iOS  

Yes
N/A

Android  

Yes
N/A

macOS  

Yes
N/A

Windows  

Yes
N/A

Equalizer 
 

No
N/A

ANC Control 
 

No
N/A

Mic Control  

No
N/A

Room Effects 
 

No
N/A

Playback Control 
 

No
N/A

Button Mapping  

No
N/A

Surround Sound  

N/A

Surround Support 
 

No

Show text

Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

8.7
7.2

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.0
4.0

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
No

NFC Pairing 
 

Yes
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

250 ft
188 ft

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

173 ms
163 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

166 ms
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

34 ms
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

472 ms

Android Latency 
 

140 ms

Show text

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Wired 
 

9.5
9.5

Cable Picture  

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 Cable Picture
Cowin E8 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

Yes
Yes

Length  

4.8 ft
3.7 ft

Connection  

1/8" TRS
1/8" TRS

Wired Latency 
 

0 ms

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

0 ms

Show text

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox One Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
N/A

USB Input 
 

No
N/A

Line In 
 

No
N/A

Line Out 
 

No
N/A

Optical Input 
 

No
N/A

RCA Input 
 

No
N/A

Dock Charging 
 

No
N/A

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
N/A

Show text

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016

Cowin E8 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 vs Cowin E8 Wireless: Main Discussion

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