If you’re looking for an affordable pair of headphones that have a build quality that will last you for a very long time, Coupled with a pleasant (and comfortable) listening experience, look no further than the Optoma Nuforce BE2’s. The company sent me over a pair to try out, so lets dive right into it.
Launched back in August, the Optoma NuForce Be2’s are labeled as a premium headphone at a more than modest price of only $49. I was actually pretty stunned by the style of the headphones more than the actual price because I’ve always been a fan of headphones that wrap around your head, especially for the gym (which I’ve been slacking on due to the summer). Since I’ve dedicated myself to going daily again, the BE2’s have been my exclusive pair of fitness headphones, and for good reason… they are phenomenal.
“The BE2 wireless in-ear headphones bring a new level of quality and performance to the under $50 category,” said Jyri Jokirinta, head of NuForce audio products at Optoma Technology. “Delivering a sound experience that outperformsother products in this price range, the BE2 are packed with features and equipped with top of the line technology such as the 10-hour battery life and AAC compatibility.”
I will say though, the specialty eartips will be a hit or miss depending on how you like your ear comfort to be. I’ve used everything from foam tips, to these, and ironically, I prefer these. Labeled as the SpinFit TwinBlades, you can obviously see that they certainly look like their descriptive name. Optoma states that the design is made to add noise cancellation which in practice I honestly couldn’t tell the difference despite them feeling really comfortable in my ears. Luckily if you’re not a fan of the SpinFit tips, they’ve included traditional silicone tips, which are nice as well.
In terms of features of the BE2’s, these are the only at this price point that offer AAC compatibility, which makes a world of a difference when paired to any Apple devices. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you’ll be happy with the quality sound you’ll get, from the bassy songs like Future’s “PIE”, and even more acoustic tunes such as SZA’s “Broken Clocks” have a range that makes the listening experience superior to the headphones that come with your Apple devices. None of the tracks I’ve listened to, as well as podcasts sound muddy at all, which goes a long way. Phone conversations are about the same, the person on the other end will be able to hear you clear, both indoors and out.
What I noticed however is the advertised battery life wasn’t true in practice. On average I listen to about four hours of podcasts a day, and two hours of music between the hours of 8am and 5pm and 10 hours is certainly not straight time. I’ve left work at the end of the day needing a charge on some days, and on others I’ve gotten by with getting home with battery life. Volume control may play a huge factor in this since I listen to my music loud to tune out my surroundings, but if you are just casually listening at work, or going to the gym, you can feel comfortable listening for a few hours without needing to charge. In total time, it took my BE2’s roughly 7.5 hours to fully drain.
In terms of overall build though, the BE2 feature a durable Kelvar cable that’s surprisingly lightweight, and since the BE2’s are also sweat proof, they allow for movements during workouts, especially for lifting (which you can’t really get from over ear headphones). There are in-line controls as well.
If there was one thing I could change about the Optoma NuForce BE2 headphones, would have to be the battery life. Outside of that, everything else about these headphones have been top of the line, and at $49, you’re really getting a steal. If you don’t want to pay hundreds on Apple’s Airpods, but want AirPod like quality at a $50 price point, look no further that the BE2’s by Optoma.
For more information on the BE2’s you can head directly to their site today.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
What I Like: Super durable; You can toss in a bag and they won’t get damaged; AAC Compatibility
What Needs Improvement: 10 hour battery life is hit or miss; SpinFit tips are not for everyone
