“Hello? Can you hear me?”
This might be one of the most frequently-said business phrases in 2020.
Working from home has put an abrupt end to face-to-face meetings as Zoom and Skype calls have become the order of the day.
However, bad audio quality seems to constantly plague our video calls with co-workers and clients. In fact, office workers lose up to 29 minutes a week due to poor sound quality on voice calls.
This adds up to a whopping expense of US$725 (S$992) per employee each year when tied to the average US wage. Organisations that employ over 100 employees risk losing over US$70,000 (S$95,865) per annum.
Eventually, this can cost companies tens of thousands of dollars in productivity in the long run.
This implies that we need a good headset that promises noise cancellation and clear audio.
A regular, cheap headset that used to get you through a rare work-from-home sick day just won’t cut it in today’s remote working lifestyle filled with video conferences and phone calls.
One solution that promises to solve the problem of bad audio is the EPOS ADAPT 660 series. Developed by EPOS and Sennheiser, the ADAPT range includes headsets suitable for use at work and after hours.
With that, I tried out the ADAPT 660 headset for a day to see if it delivers.
Superior Noise-Cancelling Feature
The headset has a robust and foldable design that allows it to pack snugly inside a soft case, which is practical for when you are on the go. It comes with a micro USB charging cable, USB dongle and a 3.5mm audio cable.
One of my pet peeves with headsets is that they give me a mild headache after long hours of wear. However, the ADAPT 660 passes the comfort test.
As I put the earpads over my ears, what surprises me was how soft and supple they are. There’s plenty of padding around the ears and at the top of the headband, making the headset comfortable to wear for extended periods, beyond just an hour or two.
You can either use the headset wirelessly by twisting the ear cups, or plug it to your laptop or phone with the audio cable.
When I played my Spotify playlist, the sound that comes through is crisp and rich. The bass is impactful without feeling overwhelming.
The EPOS AI technology offers adaptive active noise cancelling (ANC) for clear call quality. The microphone performance is also clear and sharp.
According to EPOS, they have four active noise-cancelling microphones that make sure you are only hearing what you need to hear. You can pick one of three noise-cancelling settings from a switch on the bottom of the right ear cup.
What the technology does is that it adjusts noise reduction based on the sounds at your location — be it a noisy train or bus commute, or in a home office environment with kids playing loudly in the background.
However, this does not mean that you are completely shut off from your surroundings.
While it never completely blocks out every single sound, the ANC definitely makes it easier to focus on tasks in the home office throughout the day.
Designed For Mobile Workers
The fold flat design with rotating ear cups that switch on and off makes it practical for workers on the go.
It can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, which means you can pair the headset to both your phone and laptop at once. This makes it flexible to answer calls on either device without having to disconnect and reconnect.
This is extremely helpful when you have to attend Google Meet or Zoom calls, and have to alternate between taking phone and video calls.
All the touch controls can be found at the right ear cup. You can easily adjust the volume and skip tracks by simply swiping your finger.
The headset also has an impressive 30-hour battery lifespan, which is longer than other noise-cancelling models in the market.
The USB dongle comes in handy when you want to launch Microsoft Teams directly from the headset, which is also convenient when you have to be on video conferences a lot.
Besides that, there is also an Alexa functionality that makes it a breeze for you to plan your schedule both in and out of the office. All you have to do is tap and hold to activate the virtual assistant. This way, you will never miss a meeting again.
Furthermore, I like that they are lightweight at only 227 grams, making it one of the lightest noise-cancelling headsets out there.
However, if there is one thing I have to pick on, it would be their limited colour availability. It currently has a black colour option only, so an expansion of colour range would be great.
Its design is also more practical rather than fashionable. With rounded black ear cups, ear pads and a headband in the same colour, the ADAPT 660 headset is as minimalistic as they can be.
If you just want a headset for work, these should be good enough.
Setting Itself Apart From Other Brands
Sony and Bose have been releasing great wireless noise-cancelling headsets over the past few years, but they come in steeper price tags.
The EPOS ADAPT 660 rivals Sony and Bose counterparts with its comparable features. It’s comfortable and easy to use, and also cheaper than both Sony and Bose models.
Therefore, if you are looking for an affordable alternative, the EPOS ADAPT 660 is definitely the perfect choice. It drops some of the bells and whistles while offering active noise cancellation capabilities for less.
EPOS builds on more than 115 years of experience in audio innovation, so you can be sure that this is a product that can offer excellence.
Moreover, its parent company is Demant is a world-leading audio and hearing technology group with companies in more than 30 countries.
Why Business Professionals Need This Headset
From its design to the materials used, it is clear that a lot of thought has been put into the ADAPT 660. It’s obvious that every material is carefully chosen for its durability and weight.
As we all know, earphones or earbuds don’t work as well as enterprise-level headsets for superior audio or microphone performance during business meetings.
Business professionals will benefit the most from this headset as it can effectively drown out the distractions that come with remote working.
Moreover, investing in a good headset is essential and would save companies productivity dollars lost from bad audio.
If you are looking for a high-quality noise-cancelling headset that puts business first, then you will definitely appreciate what ADAPT 660 brings to the table.
Find out more about the ADAPT 660 headset on the EPOS website.
This article is written in collaboration with EPOS.
Featured Image Credit: NBB.com
