Work from home: It used to be a rare privilege, but now it’s something of the norm. So when we started to really migrate that way, a slew of hardware to support that pathway began to appear. EPOS has delivered several impressive pieces of hardware already, now
we’ve got the chance to take a look at the ADAPT 560.
A headset needs to offer comfort, lightweight, connectivity options and of course, all day battery life. The ADAPT 560 does that as well as having a couple of surprises left up its sleeve for daily use.
What is it?
Clearly, it’s an on-ear headset for phone calls and use on video calls. The key difference here is that the ADAPT 560 (like the ADAPT 360 we previously reviewed) has both Bluetooth for mobile connectivity and a USB dongle to connect to your PC or laptop and is certified for MS Teams. Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is also integral to the function of the headset, making a case for open office and call centre as well as working from home.
The adjustability and comfort of the ADAPT 560 are beyond impressive with overhead adjustments, front to rear adjustment for the earcups and vertical adjustment: It would be a real struggle to find someone that this can’t be adjusted to fit well. Then by adding in ample soft padding on the overhead arm and the earcups and you’re set.
Being on the phone and/or MS Team a lot throughout the day, I need a headset that will last me a full day of use without question. The ADAPT 560 generally lasts a day and a half, if I have a quiet couple of days it has hit 3 days a couple of times providing it was turned off when not in use.
You get a lot from the headset and the package includes a decent little carry case, all in a package worth $349.00 which is pretty reasonable.
Sound, calls and controls
It took me a while to ADAPT to the controls on this headset, perhaps a bit of user error (old dog, new tricks?) in adjusting from my normal headset, or perhaps they’re not as intuitive. After a week or so, the adjustment was made and controlling multiple devices was pretty simple. In a working environment, multi-device connectivity is really important in the current era as many of us are working from mobile phones and video meetings, it saves having to have multiple headsets, changing connection or private conversations becoming everyone’s conversation by using your speakers.
When it comes to the physical controls, what you’ve got is a number of physical pushbuttons, as well as a slider that controls volume and playback.
The buttons (from left to right) include the multifunction button that can control playback with a variety of press combinations or volume when slid up or down. The “hook” button is for call management or to activate the voice assistant. Finally, the settings button can turn on and off ANC, turn talk through on and off, notify you of the remaining battery and enable/disable voice prompts.
When you start making calls, the ADAPT 560 has a neat swing arm microphone that improves the quality of voice you’re providing to the call. There are too many variables (network, carrier and other related equipment) relating to calls to say that the headset is a dictating factor, but when you’ve got quality sound received – you’ll hear it well on the ADAPT 560.
If you’re lucky enough to have spare time to enjoy some media, whether it’s YouTube, Netflix or streaming Music, the sound balance is very good. Impressively, you’ll get a sold sound including bass right across the sound range. This isn’t a specific media playback headset and despite that and my eclectic listening habits, there weren’t any moments where I felt the headset needed a lot more of anything. Once you flip the boom mic up and dock it into the earcup, I’d be happy to use this as a commuting headset as well as during the day for work needs; it’s a versatile option. When you put into context the $349.00 price (vs $500 or so for Bose, Sony and Sennheiser options) this price makes this great value too.
Should you buy a set of ADAPT 560?
It’s not something that everyone needs, not by a long shot. This is a device that’s aimed at the hybrid working that we’re now accustomed to working from home, via mobiles and being able to quickly alternate between the two. The swingarm mic is a fantastic addition to the setup that improves your voice quality, as well as provides the convenience to hide it away for your commute home.
The audio quality is really solid, particularly for the price you’ll pay. It hit the marks it needed to for voice and video calls and, while it was a solid step or two behind the likes of a Bose QC45 headset, did a good job of audio playback too.
What really made the ADAPT 560 stand out for me was the versatility of multiple simultaneous connections, call handling and the fact there’s even an included carry case. If you’re an audiophile then this isn’t the headset for you but you already know that…
Review units come and go quickly, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if I had spent my own money on the ADAPT 560. It’s definitely a bit of an adjustment from other headsets I’ve used but after that initial adjustment, it’s a simple and enjoyable device to use.
How was the multi connection? I had a 360 but had to return it because it couldn’t maintain connectivity to a PC and a mobile at the same time. For example if I was on a Teams call and my mobile rang, then I would lose all audio including to the Teams call which was a real pain.
I get call waiting if on a teams call and a mobile call comes in.
If you answer, then return to your teams call – the audio automagically reconnects to teams.