I’ve been reviewing the ADAPT 460T earphones whilst at work and in my downtime, and have been blown away with how comfortable they are to wear, and how effective the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is.
As you would expect from co-branded EPOS and Sennheiser product, the 460T headset offers premium quality audio. It supports AptX technology, ensuring you have excellent sound when listening wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0.
Microsoft Teams certification
In particular, I noticed how clear calls sounded on the 460T. The ADAPT series of headphones from EPOS are actually Microsoft Teams certified, which not only means they had to meet rigorous standards, but it also means they’re ideal for taking Teams calls. The 460T features a handy Microsoft Teams for one-touch access – which served me well, as our workplace uses Teams for calls on days where we work from home.
The stunning sound clarity on calls is likely due to the patented EPOS Voice technology, which promises to deliver a clear and natural listening experience.
Equally, there are two beamforming MEMS microphones on the headset, allowing you to be heard clearly too.
Another nice feature was the subtle vibrations the neckband made to signal an incoming call. The 460T can be actively paired with two Bluetooth devices at the same time, so you’re aware of calls from either your smartphone or computer at any one time.
It has a range of 20 metres, meaning you don’t need to be glued to your devices either.
The headset can store up to 8 devices in the pairing list, which is convenient when you’ve got a whole host of different devices that you switch between. It also makes it easy for these earphones to be used for both work and play, which is particularly useful in the work-from-home COVID era.
Design
While I love my heavy duty, over-the-ear headphones, I must say that the very light ADAPT 460T headset did make for a welcome change, particularly when you’re using them all day.
Basically, the neckband sits over your shoulders, while the in-earphones sit snug in the ear. The whole headset weighs just 50g so you hardly notice, particularly as they provide a completely wire-free audio experience.
The 460T comes with four pairs of earbuds, and their soft material was very comfortable. When put in properly the earbuds and ANC together were effective at blocking out disruptive ambient sound.
It has an impressive battery that lasts up to 14 hours playback time with ANC on (or 13 hours of talking time with ANC on). With ANC off, you get an hour longer for both listening and talking times.
The headset takes two hours to charge from empty to full. While this may sound like a while, it wasn’t a problem for me, as I generally put it on charge at the end of every day.
I normally think enterprise-type audio headsets look funny, but the 460T is sleek and modern. It’s a great mix between wire-free and standard earphones, in that I didn’t have to worry about any cables getting twisted in my hands, but it was easy to find the earpieces if I chose to take them out of my ears for a bit.
It has a nice black and silver colour (at the moment this is the only colour the 460T headset is available in).
This case is a bit larger than it needs to be, but it is sturdy if you’re the throw-it-in-and-go type.
Conclusion
All in all, EPOS and Sennheiser have delivered a premium audio product, and have managed to make an enterprise headset sleek and stylish. I was blown away by both the quality of sound that the earbuds delivered, as well as how well the ANC blocked out exterior sounds.
Although this is a pricey product, I do believe it’s a worthwhile investment if you need to make calls and attend virtual meetings while working remotely. It did significantly improve the meeting experience of Microsoft Teams calls.
Specs:
Price: $480.00
Transducer principle: Dynamic, closed,
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0; Multi-point connectivity to 2 actively paired Bluetooth devices and 8 devices in the pairing list
Range: Up to 20 metres
Voice prompts: Yes (can be toggled off)
Warranty: 2 years international
Noise cancellation: Hybrid ANC technology with 4 microphones
Microphone: 2 beamforming MEMS microphones
Microphone frequency range: 100-10,000 Hz
Speaker type: Dynamic, neodymium magnet
Sound pressure level: Limited by EPOS ActiveGard (protects users against acoustic injury caused by sudden sound burst on the line); Max 118 dB
Sound enhancement profiles: Automatically adapt and optimise sound for both communication and multi-media/music
In the box: ADAPT 460T headset, 4 pairs of earbuds, BTD 800 USB dongle, USB cable with micro-USB connector
