The Fit 505 will pair with two devices concurrently, with the power switch extending up a little further to put the headphones in pairing mode.
Just like the Backbeat 505, the Backbeat Fit 505 headphones feature 40mm drivers to deliver an incredibly well-balanced sound. You get a good depth from bass notes, clarity in the high end and a full-sounding mid-range that sounds like it’s worth a lot more than the asking price.
While the headphones don’t feature any active noise cancellation like the BackBeat Pro 2 or the Sony WH-1000MX2, the combination of memory foam, a snug fit and impressive sound reproduction means that the Fit 505 will drown out a lot of the background noise anyway.
So with so much of the BackBeat Fit 505 mirroring the BackBeat 505, what has Plantronics added for the extra $30 on the RRP?
These are fitness headphones, and unlike most of the BackBeat Fit line-up which features an in-ear design, the on-ear design needs to be especially robust to handle the pressures of an active user.
And to that end, there’s a noticeable pressure the Fit 505 adds that the standard 505 doesn’t feature. It’s subtle in short bursts but definitely makes extended listening sessions outside of the gym a little more uncomfortable.
The good news is that it makes the headphones reliably secure for most activities. Go for a jog, and the Fit 505 will stay nicely attached to your ears, pumping in the music you so desperately need to hit your peak levels.
However, it does make them slightly less suitable for everyday use. Long commutes can become uncomfortable with the consistent pressure definitely becoming uncomfortable over time.
The other big difference is the P2i coating on the Fit 505. This promises to keep the headphones safe from copious amounts of sweat or moisture from a passing rain cloud.
Plantronics hasn't gone so far as to give the Fit 505 an IP rating for water resistance, so it’s hard to put a definitive rating on how much impact this has on the longevity of the headphones.
It’s unlikely that sweat would cause the downfall of any pair of wireless headphones after a few sweaty uses, being more of an ongoing issue that would impact them over time. So while the Fit 505 continued to work admirably despite the sweat coating added by this reviewer, it’s impossible to tell if that justifies the price increase.
For peace of mind though, $30 isn’t a big price to pay.