EPOS ADAPT 1000220

The EPOS ADAPT 160T ANC is a wired USB-C headset built for hybrid work, with elite comfort and a standout microphone that makes it a great pick for Teams calls. ANC is solid, but sound quality for music is weak, and the wired-only design limits flexibility. European pricing ranges from EUR 114 to EUR 133, so shop around. Buy it for calls, skip it for music.

Let's talk about what this thing does well. The microphone is the headline act here. At the 90th percentile, it's one of the best on the market for voice pickup, and the noise cancelling mic does real work cutting out background chatter. If you spend your day on Teams calls, people on the other end will hear you clearly, which is honestly the whole point of a headset like this.

The ANC is solid, sitting around the 80th percentile. It won't erase a jet engine, but it takes the edge off open office noise and keyboard clatter. The on-ear design with leatherette pads helps with passive isolation too. But the sound quality is where things get rough. At the 20th percentile, music sounds flat and uninspired. Fine for voice, forgettable for anything with a bassline. The battery percentile is a bit of a red herring here since this is a wired headset, but the 46th percentile reflects that it draws power over USB rather than having its own battery to manage.

The Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/B is the obvious alternative if you want wireless freedom and much better sound. Sony's tuning is livelier, and you get Bluetooth for phone use. But you lose the boom mic, and the Sony's mic quality won't touch the EPOS for call clarity. The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 is another step up in sound and build, but it's also a different price class entirely and aimed more at music lovers than meeting warriors.

The JBL Tune 670NC and TOZO HT3 are budget-friendly wireless options that undercut the EPOS on price in most markets. They'll sound better for music, but their microphones are noticeably worse for calls, and neither carries the Teams certification that makes the EPOS a safe bet for corporate environments. The Beyerdynamic Aventho is the wildcard here, with better build quality and sound, but it's a different beast altogether and typically pricier. For pure call quality and comfort in a wired package, the EPOS holds its own against all of them.

Pricing is all over the map depending on where you shop. In Europe, you'll see it listed anywhere from EUR 114 to EUR 133 across four listings in Germany, Spain, France, and Italy. That's a EUR 19 spread for the exact same headset, so it pays to shop around. The US listing sits at USD 97, and Canada comes in at CAD 147.

For a Teams-certified headset with this level of mic quality and comfort, the lower end of that European range feels reasonable. But at the higher end, you're creeping into territory where you could start looking at wireless options from JBL or Sony. The value proposition really depends on how much you care about that boom mic and Teams button. If those matter, this earns its keep. If you just want decent headphones for calls and music, there are better all-rounders for similar money.

The EPOS ADAPT 160T ANC is a wired USB-C headset aimed squarely at the hybrid work crowd. It's on-ear, it's got active noise cancelling, and it carries the Microsoft Teams certification that makes IT departments breathe a little easier. At 150 grams and foldable, it's clearly built to live in a laptop bag as much as on a desk.

What's interesting here is the mix of priorities. The comfort score is genuinely top-tier, landing in the 98th percentile of everything we track. The microphone is also a standout at the 90th percentile. But the sound quality sits way down at the 20th percentile, which tells you this is a communications tool first and a music device a distant second. That's not a knock, it's just the honest trade-off EPOS made.

The boom mic folds away into the headband, which is a nice touch for people who want to take a call in a coffee shop without looking like an air traffic controller. Plug and play over USB-A or USB-C means no dongles, no Bluetooth pairing headaches, just a cable and a call. For the right person, that simplicity is the whole pitch.

Skip this if you want one headset for both work and music. The sound quality sits at the 20th percentile, which means your playlists will sound flat and lifeless compared to even budget wireless headphones. The Sony ULT WEAR or Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are much better picks if music matters to you.

Also skip it if you need wireless connectivity. There's no Bluetooth here, so your phone is out of the picture unless you're plugging directly into a USB-C port. And if build quality is a priority, the 34th percentile score suggests this won't survive rough treatment. The Beyerdynamic Aventho is a sturdier alternative if you're hard on your gear. Finally, if you're buying on a tight budget, the TOZO HT3 or JBL Tune 670NC will save you money and sound better, though you'll sacrifice the excellent mic and Teams certification.

If you're a remote worker or office employee who lives on Teams calls and wants a headset that just works when you plug it in, the ADAPT 160T ANC is a strong pick. The mic quality is genuinely excellent, the comfort is best-in-class, and the ANC takes the edge off a noisy home office. The foldable design and discreet boom arm make it easy to toss in a bag without feeling like you're carrying a call center rig.

But if you want one headset for both work and music, this isn't it. The sound quality is a real letdown for anything beyond voice, and the wired-only design feels limiting if you also want to use it with your phone. At the right price, it's a purpose-built tool that does its job very well. Just know what you're buying, and don't expect it to be your weekend listening companion.