BlueParrott B550-XT Review

The all-new BlueParrott headphone, B550-XT, comes with a promise to stay longer and offer great comfort. BlueParrott B550-XT features an IP54-rated design making it water and dust proof. The headset is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, 380 mAh battery and a strong Microphone with a frequency range of 150-6800 Hz.

Build and comfort

The headphone is quite lightweight and comfortable to wear for long hours. The earpads are made of high-quality rexine, feels like leather, and filled with ample of cushioning. The headband has significant padding and it holds the head softly. It has been designed smartly to fit easily on different head sizes but can feel tight at times.

The mic of the headset can be flipped over the top, enabling the user to wear the earpiece on the left or right. The mic is covered with a padded windscreen that hides a bi-directional electret.

The controls are quite simple, there is a BlueParrott button, below it a power/pairing button, and dedicated plus/minus buttons for volume. The BlueParrott button can be used for different functions using the companion app. The button can act as a call answer and end button as well as it can also summon the voice assistant on your phone.

Voice control

The headphone comes with built-in voice controls but they are quite limited. You can check battery life or redial the previous number, but we found phones assistant better in response.

The BlueParrott app

The app is free for Android and iOS phones, you can connect the headphone easily using Bluetooth connectivity. It lets you configure the BlueParrott button as well as can read messages for you. Also, it enables you to connect to a third-party app, triggering voice memos or speed dialling, or disabling it.

Performance

The headphone houses a 36mm driver delivering 150Hz-6.8kHz. The headphone is loud enough and delivers a balanced sound whether you are on call or listing to the music. However, it is built to take calls, so we used the device in various environments to check its capabilities.

While using the headphone in day-to-day life, we got it a comfortable headphone but sometimes the pressure on the skull was a bit high. The sound quality in metro and in public places was great, even the person on the other end was able to get the voice clearly.

Connectivity is also a plus to this headphone; the range of the Bluetooth is about 5 to 7 meters. You can pair up to 8 devices, connect to two at the same time (multi-use).

Battery life

BlueParrott claims to offer 24 hours of battery backup and the battery performance is also equal, which is excellent. But as we mentioned earlier, it's built for calls not for music so if you are listening to music the battery life will vary depending on your usage.