EPOS ADAPT 260 - The Audio Solution to Work From Home?

You probably are reading this article from the comfort of your home. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, more than 50% of office dwellers are forced to work from home. This had spurred many to upgrade their home connectivity devices and audio/video hardware. In a 2021 IPSOS survey commissioned by EPOS, it was found that bad audio is bad for businesses. In fact, bad audio is costing an average of 30 minutes of lost productivity a week with 69% spending extra time on their work tasks due to poor sound quality. There are many headphone brands in the market, but what makes a good headphone?

Will the EPOS ADAPT 260 be the answer to a better Work From Home audio solution? Read on to find out!

EPOS ADAPT 260

The ADAPT 260 is a wireless headset equipped with the best-in-class portable solutions for professionals to embrace hybrid working with wireless freedom. The headset is designed for a dynamic working style and equipped with two patented EPOS technologies: EPOS Voice and EPOS Activegard, one of the most advanced hearing protection technologies against acoustic injury caused by sudden sound bursts. EPOS Voice improves the speech intelligibility and provides for a better conversation by creating an acoustic lens to focus on your speech. The sleek and extremely lightweight headset is Microsoft Team certified, UC optimised and can be connected and switched effortlessly between multiple devices.

DESIGN

The EPOS ADAPT 260 is a light weight and good looking headphone. At just 121 grams, it is considerably one of the lightest wireless headphones that I had gotten my hands on. It has a concealable boom mic which tucks perfectly along the headband. The sleek and minimalist design gives it a executive look, with its slim headband and matt black sheen it won’t look out of place during online conferences/meeting with colleagues and clients.

Comfortable is an understatement when I said that I can literally wear it the whole day. Be it working and communicating with my team on Microsoft Team and stealing in a couple of hours blasting Xenomorphs in Aliens Fireteam. I am literally wearing the headset, transitioning from phone calls to listening to music on my handphone and PC. The leather headband sit well on the contour of my head and doesn’t have the tightness that some other headphones produces. The leather memory foam ear cups are nice, soft and cushy which adjusted well with its inwards movement of 90 degree.

CONTROLS

The minimalistic EPOS ADAPT 260 has only 3 buttons on the right ear cup, the on/off button which also mutes the microphone is located near the bottom, the mechanical volume slider in the middle and the Microsoft Team button on the top. It is a breeze to operate the buttons without much complicated functions. Especially with the Microsoft Team button, connecting into MS Team meetings are a breeze.

FUNCTIONS

The EPOS 260 pairs easily with the computer, it comes with a USB A dongle which is plug and play. Pairing with bluetooth to your mobile devices is also relatively easy at the touch of a button. You are able to connect up to 2 devices at a single time, which i did for my handphone and computer. I was able to switch between the 2 devices freely and easily without much hiccups.

The EPOS 260 is powered with a 600mAh lithium-ion battery which gives you more than 20 hours (27 hours of talk time) of usage with a single charge. Charging is via a USB C wire, the LED light near the on/off button shows the status of the battery charge. Red for less than 20%, Purple for 20% to 60% and Blue for 60% and above. When it is fully charged the LED indicator will be turned off.

EPOS Activegard technology is one of the most advanced hearing protection technologies against acoustic injury caused by sudden sound bursts.

EPOS Voice improves the speech intelligibility and provides for a better conversation by creating an acoustic lens to focus on your speech. The noise cancelling function of the microphone works well and feedback from my team was that my response was crisp and clear without much background noise.

SOUND QUALITY

For a wireless headphone, the sound quality of the EPOS 260 really surprises me. The sound is clear and the bass gives it a nice deep thump when listening to techno music especially when I’m rocking to 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. The only downside is that it doesn’t have active noise cancelling function which is totally fine when I’m working from the comfort of home.

The Bottom Line

The EPOS 260 is a really versatile headphone, especially when you need to connect to multiple gadgets for work and for play. The minimalist and simplistic design ensures that the work station is clutter free from unnecessary wires. Ease of use and connectivity with a touch of a button reduces the downtime for troubleshooting. The sleek and slim design gives it a corporate and executive look which goes well during zoom/MSTeam meetings. Excellent battery life and crisp and clear voice pick up from the mic makes it a clear winner for me.

The EPOS ADAPT 260 retails for S$269 on https://eshop.aipl.sg/