The EPOS Adapt 660 wireless headset has active noise canceling to cut out surrounding noise. AI mics ... [+]
If I were to ask you to imagine a headset for making voice and video calls, I’m fairly confident you would think of something that looks like a pair of headphones with a microphone on a boom that sits in front of your mouth to pick up speech clearly. But if I were to ask you the same question in five years, I’d probably get a different answer.
The reason for this is all down to progress being made thanks to AI or artificial intelligence. Companies like Sennheiser, and now its joint-venture spinoff EPOS, have been working on AI machine learning to improve speech clarity using microphones that may not even be anywhere near the user’s mouth. And yet the sound produced by this new breed of headset makes you feel as if you were almost in the same room as the person you’re calling.
The fruits of all this intensive AI research has now reached the market in the form of the EPOS Adapt 660, a new headset that takes audio performance to the next level and really does make an audible difference so that calls and video chats become far less stressful.
The Adapt 660 looks like a comfy pair of wireless noise canceling headphones, but this headset also ... [+]
The EPOS Adapt 660 is based on the physical form of Sennheiser’s PCX 550 ANC (active noise canceling) headphones which I reviewed back in 2017. These are comfortable, over-the-ear, closed-back headphones and include two levels of ANC for blocking out background sounds like jet engines, air-conditioning, or just the general chatter of an open-plan office. Built into the headset are three very advanced microphones feeding cutting-edge noise-canceling algorithms that can pick up speech and process it so that it sounds superbly clear.
The EPOS Adapt 660 also processes sound received from the other caller and presents it in such a way that it matches the acoustics of the room you’re in. The result is a headset that makes you feel as if you and the other party or parties on the call are sat in the same room. The effect is positively spooky. The first time I tried the Adapt 660 on a Facetime call, I thought I had my iMac’s main speakers turned on. It certainly didn’t sound like I was hearing the other person through the headset. It was almost eerie how lifelike the sound was.
Whether you're making a traditional phone call or a video chat, the EPOS Adapt 660 is designed to ... [+]
As for the person I was talking to, they couldn’t believe how clear my voice sounded and commented that I also sounded as if I were in the same room. And this is the main point of the Adapt 660. Unlike a lot of headsets, the Adapt 66- can make Zoom chats or Skype calls so much easier. There’s far less talking over each other, and people could hear me much more clearly than usual as the AI was monitoring my speech and processing out any unnecessary background noises. Not only that, but the trio of beamforming MEMs microphones also managed to pick up my voice clearly even though the microphones weren’t anywhere near my mouth. It’s uncanny.
The headset is lightweight at just 227 g (around 8 oz) and offers up to 30 hours of battery life before recharging is necessary. The power is turned off simply by twisting the left-hand ear-cup through 90° with no need for a conventional power switch. The right-hand ear-cup functions as a touch control for increasing or decreasing the volume, skipping tracks, pausing music or asking Alexa to do something.
EPOS Adapt 660 uses the latest Bluetooth (Version 5.0) and includes support for SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX low latency audio codecs, so it’s pretty much able to handle any audio source. The aptX low latency codec is great for watching movies or TV. The Bluetooth connection can either be made directly to a smartphone, tablet or computer, but a special BT-800 Bluetooth PC dongle is also included and gives higher audio quality than the built-in Bluetooth on some computers. The dongle is fully automatic and just needs to be plugged into a spare USB port; the Adapt 660 headset will find it and connect automatically.
With a comfy padded headband and replaceable ear pads, the EPOS Adapt 660 headset can be warned for ... [+]
The audio quality over Bluetooth is absolutely stunning, and the dongle works with all main operating systems and is plug and play. There’s nowhere on the headset to store the dongle when it’s not in use, but the unit is supplied with a handy zipper case and the dongle can be stowed away safely there, along with an audio cable for using the headset passively if there’s no battery power available.
As mentioned, ANC is built into this headset with two levels of reduction. Switch on the ANC and almost all external noises are instantly filtered out, thanks to four microphones that constantly monitor and filter out any external sounds from the audio source to make it much easier to hear what the other person is saying on a video chat or voice call. It makes a huge difference not having to strain to hear a conversation. And speaking of hearing, there’s a maximum 119 dB sound level with EPOS ActiveGard. This is important an important feature for anyone working for long hours in a call center where hearing can be exposed to sound for hours at a time.
The other big bonus with the EPOS Adapt 660 headset is how good it sounds when playing music or movie soundtracks. This is a headset that you really wouldn’t mind as your main pair of headphones. There’s even a selection of sound effects o profiles including club, movie, speech and user defined. What’s more, the Adapt 660 is Microsoft Teams certified and includes a small button that can automatically launch Microsoft Teams on a PC when pressed. You can also control some of the features using the Sennheiser Smart Control app running on iOS or Android, or else there’s EPOS Connect PC software for updating firmware, etc.
Verdict: The bottom line is that the EPOS Adapt 660 is probably the best Bluetooth headset on the market right now. The cutting-edge AI machine-learning algorithms make the Adapt 660 such a joy to use, you might wonder how you managed without. I personally find video chats and phone calls can be quite tiring if you’re making them all day. The sound quality, full duplexing, and clarity of the Adapt 660 makes a day chatting in the office far less taxing. As a pair of regular noise-canceling headphones, the Adapt 660 sound great, and the bonus of Alexa support and Microsoft Teams certification is the icing on the cake. If you’re looking for a wireless headset then please give the EPOS Adpat 660 a try as it really is setting standards for others to follow right now.
Pricing: €399 / $439 / £349
More info: www.eposaudio.com
Specifications:
● Wearing style: Over-ear, double-sided headband
● Headset weight: 227 g / 8 oz
● Transducer principle: Dynamic, closed
● Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, audio cable, USB cable with micro-USB connector
● Supported codecs: AptX, AptX low latency, AAC, SBC
● Speaker frequency response: 17 – 23,000 Hz
● Microphone type: Digital MEMs beamforming microphone (3 microphones)
● Microphone frequency response: 150 – 6,800 Hz
● Impedance active: 490 Ω / Passive 46 Ω
● Sound pressure level (SPL): Max. 118 dB limited by EPOS ActiveGard
● Total harmonic distortion (THD): <0.5% (1kH, 100dB)
● Contact pressure: 3N
● Noise cancellation: Hybrid adaptive ANC technology with 4 microphones
● Total noise attenuation: Up to 30 dB
● Charging time: 3 hours
● Standby time: Up to 15 days
● Battery time: up to 30 hours
● Range: Up to 25 m / 82 ft (device dependent)
● Voice prompts: Yes (EN, DE, FR, ES, ZH, JA, KO)
● Sound effect modes: Yes (club, movie, speech, director-user defined)
● Warranty: Two years
● Accessories: Bluetooth dongle, Micro USB cable, audio cable, in-flight adapter, case.
