Barcelona (Mobile World Congress 2009) — February 16th, 2009 – Altec Lansing, the sound specialist and division of Plantronics, Inc., today launched its first wearable stereo Bluetooth products, the Backbeat Series Stereo Bluetooth headphone and headset, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Included in the series are the Backbeat 903, a truly comfortable light and flexible wireless headset for stereo Bluetooth mobile phones that delivers rich, full-spectrum stereo music and call clarity, and the Backbeat 906 headphones, which comes with an additional Bluetooth adapter to stream music from your iPod®, or other digital music player.
Combining cutting-edge audio and voice technologies from Altec Lansing and Plantronics, the Backbeat wireless headphone and headset provide brilliant, full-spectrum stereo sound and call support for most music-enabled mobile phones*. Designed for the active lifestyle, whether on the run or at the gym, both are equipped with OpenMic™, a new technology that allows users to ‘open’ the microphone audio to their surroundings at the touch of a button. This new feature allows the user to instantly hear their surroundings, providing greater convenience and safety while exercising.
“With consumers so accustomed to digital music capabilities in their mobile phones these days, the time is perfect for Altec Lansing to combine our legendary audio expertise with the convenience of Bluetooth,” said Luc Ackaert, EMEA Consumer Marketing Director for Altec Lansing. “The BackBeat 906 is brimming with smartphone-friendly extras – it’s comfortable, simple and supports multiple voice features – and especially shines when listening to music.”
Outstanding Audio for Music and Conversations
The BackBeat 903 headphone and 906 headset deliver an exceptionally rich audio experience. Featuring Altec Lansing’s new BassBoost technology, they enhance speaker output in low frequency ranges for sound with depth and resonance.
The BackBeat 903 and 906 include Plantronics Dual-Mic AudioIQ® technology to separate voice from noise for audio clarity during calls. Similar to its performance in Plantronics’ award-winning lineup of Bluetooth headsets, the inclusion of dual-microphones enables the BackBeat to accurately isolate voice signals: one microphone captures voice as the second microphone identifies and cancels out background noise. AudioIQ, Plantronics’ proprietary digital signal processing algorithm, intelligently senses the caller’s surroundings to further improve background noise and automatically adjusts the sound for the best possible two-way audio quality.
Flexible For Fit And Storage
Designed with a soft neckband to fold easily for quick storage in pockets or bags, the Backbeat range are ideal for those on the move. They also feature pivoting, telescoping earpieces for a customized, secure fit and the comfortable in-ear design includes contoured, soft silicone tips that rest gently within the curve of the ear. Phone and music controls are intuitively spaced and have a tactile feel for easy use. All materials are sweat-resistant and highly durable.
Universal Stereo Bluetooth Adaptor
The BackBeat 906 headset include a stereo 2.0 Bluetooth adaptor, which transmits wireless stereo sound from iPhones, iPods and other MP3 devices via a 3.5mm jack.
The BackBeat 903 consists of the headphones only and is specifically designed for use with Bluetooth enabled MP3 players and stereo Bluetooth enabled mobile phones that do not require a separate Bluetooth adaptor.
The headphones integrate Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR and support profiles including Hands-Free, Headset, A2DP and AVRC for wireless call and music control capability. Talk/music playback time is rated up to 7 hours and standby time is up to 8 days.
Pricing and Availability
Available now from electrical retailers, the BackBeat 903 retails for £69.99 (inc VAT) and the BackBeat 906 (without adaptor) for £89.99 (inc VAT). www.alteclansing.com.
The new BackBeat stereo Bluetooth series leads Altec Lansing’s comprehensive new 2009 collection of headphones and headsets. For more information about Altec Lansing’s complete BackBeat portfolio visit: http://www.alteclansing.com/winter2009/.
*Your music phone or device must have the A2DP Bluetooth profile to stream music and the AVRCP profile to control tracks and volume.
