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Bluetooth headsets have been around for eons, but it wasn’t until fairly recent years that Bluetooth headphones started to pop up on the open market. One of the reasons why Bluetooth headsets never really took off was due to the technology behind Bluetooth itself, but the introduction of the A2DP profile made streaming audio in stereo over Bluetooth a possibility.

But even with the widespread availability of A2DP, there was still one major obstacle that had to be overcome – one which would prove to be the bane of aspiring Bluetooth headset manufacturers the world over – and that was the size of the Bluetooth receiver on the headset.

Today we take a look at the brand new Back Beat 906 from Altec Lansing and find out if the audio peripheral experts have found a way to tackle the finicky problem of size.

Review continues after the jump.

The Back Beat 906 is officially called a set of wireless stereo headphones, but at first glance, it looks more like a pair of hearing aides that are conjoined with a rubber strap. Using the in-ear system, two rubber funnels channel sound directly from the sound drivers into you ear canal. Unfortunately the Back Beat doesn’t ship with any extra rubber earpieces of different sizes, so if it doesn’t fit your ear snugly the first time, you’re going to be stuck with an ill fitting set of headphones.

Utilizing rubber generously in the design, it’s very apparent that the Back Beat was made to cater for the active lifestyle market. Whether you’re wearing the Back Beat through a hike, or simply using it to pipe workout music as you run on a treadmill, the rubber material won’t irritate your skin or take on any musky odors. The ear pieces fasten securely to your ear, and the rubber padding around the receiver ensures a snug and comfortable fit that is suitable for prolonged use.

Also found on the ear pieces are several control buttons that range from the play/pause button to a jog dial/volume control rocker and a call receive/reject button. Due to the limited amount of space for the buttons to rest on, the buttons end up being a little too small for my pudgy hands. They shouldn’t be an issue if your fingers are a little more delicate than mine, as they are continently placed for intuitive use. A microphone is also embedded on the front of the right earpiece.

The receivers on the Back Beat however aren’t exactly the prettiest things in the world. As mentioned previously, the weird shape makes it look like a pair of hearing aides. Comparatively speaking though, the size of these receivers are significantly smaller and better looking than other Bluetooth in-ear products that are currently on the market.

Testing the Back Beat with a Sony Ericsson W995 left me rather satisfied with the sound quality. Sound was on par with headphones of the wired variety, treble was crisp and clear, and bass pumped solidly. One issue that did arise though, was the use of the jog dial/volume rocker. I wasn’t able to control the volume via the headphones and had to do tune it from the phone itself. I also mistakenly pressed the call button instead of the play button (both buttons are in the same location, but on opposite sides) on many occasions.

In terms of battery life, the Back Beat can continually stream music for a good 7 hours. According to the tech specs on the box, it supposedly packs enough juice to give you 7 hours of talk time too, which is probably longer than the battery life on your phone too.

One other thing that took to my fancy was a handy Bluetooth transmitter that comes attached to a 3.5mm jack. With this device, the Back Beat can be used with almost any media source be it an iPod, a home entertainment system, your desktop / laptop computer, or basically anything that sports a 3.5mm.

At RM488, the Back Beat 906 isn’t exactly the most affordable pair of headphones out there. It is however one of the slickest and dinkiest ones on the market. It looks like the folks from Altec Lansing have this one in the bag, but we’re definitely hoping that future versions will come with an even slicker form factor.

Pros:
- Light weight at 34g, comfortable to wear for prolonged periods, and well protected by rubber padding.
- Pipes crystal clear sound over the air without frustrating wires or cables.
- Has an uber long battery life of 7 hours.

Cons:
- Bluetooth receiver is a little bulky.
- Priced at a premium level.