EPOS Adapt 231

For his or her meant viewers, the Adapt 231 will get so much proper, providing nice name high quality, a snug design and multi-point Bluetooth assist. However for inconsistent software program, frequent connection points and fiddly controls they might be a simple suggestion for anybody seeking to improve their WFH setup.

Introduction

It’s no secret that, two years on from the worst preliminary ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, do business from home appears to be right here to remain. 

This has been to the nice advantage of the likes of Zoom, and has pushed an enormous rise in curiosity for any product that may enhance the standard of video calls – whether or not that be higher cameras or higher headsets.

EPOS has positioned itself firmly within the latter class, producing a collection of headsets that promise higher audio constancy and higher microphone efficiency than the competitors, and a step up from the usual low-cost Amazon fare.

The Adapt 231 headset is firmly among the many extra premium choices it has accessible, sporting multi-point Bluetooth assist, Groups certification and a light-weight design it has a lot going for it. However, as ever with comparatively area of interest gadgets, does it do sufficient to earn a spot in your ears over the extra generalist competitors?

Design

• On-ear single cup design
• Snug match
• All controls on the cup

On first look, there will be no mistaking the meant use case for the EPOS Adapt 231. An on-ear, single cup design with a ‘foot’ to safe the headscarf, it’s firmly the type of headset distributed by IT managers to name centre staff. This isn’t one thing you can be carrying on the bus or elsewhere, it’s a device for work, nothing extra and nothing much less.

There are, after all, causes for its specific look, and these principally come all the way down to a query of weight and luxury. By jettisoning an earcup the heft is introduced down, and thru the usage of plastic as the principle constructing materials that is solely emphasised. So although the Adapt 231 might look incongruous exterior of an workplace setting, it’s quite the purpose.

On the pinnacle and through calls they’re snug to put on, even for lengthy intervals of time, and in an open-plan workplace they gained’t flip heads in the identical approach as a pair of neon over-ear Beats. For the meant use case they’re effectively designed, and really feel comparatively sturdy as well.

Issues fall down considerably in terms of controls. All accessible buttons and ports are clustered on the one earcup and all of them are created from the identical materials and are principally the identical color. This makes them particularly troublesome to tell apart by really feel alone, whereas the included stick management has no click on suggestions which condemns it to the identical destiny. If you’re making an attempt to finish or reply a name in a rush it may be a bit contact and go.

The microphone is housed in an adjustable ‘stalk’ that may be twisted 180 levels so the machine can be utilized on both the left or proper ear. This after all positions the microphone a lot nearer to the mouth, promising theoretically higher name high quality than could be accessible with extra normal headsets.

Fortunately the Adapt 231 expenses by way of USB-C, for which a cable is included within the field. 

Options

• Multi-point Bluetooth assist
• Noise-cancellation throughout calls
• Comes with USB-C and USB-A connection dongles

As could be anticipated for a tool laser-focussed on office efficiency, there aren’t quite a lot of whiz-bang advertising claims hooked up to the Adapt 231. There’s the considerably imprecise promise of ‘Groups certification’, the supply of stereo sound and optimised name readability, so successfully nothing to assist the Adapt 231 stand out from the theoretical crowd.

In fact, there’s lots to have a look at past the advertising, first being the inclusion of multi-point Bluetooth assist. This characteristic, normally a trademark of dearer gadgets, permits a connection to a number of factors concurrently. 

In the event you had been listening to some music in your telephone whereas working earlier than immediately needing to reply a name in your laptop computer, the Adapt 231 may seamlessly swap with out difficulty and the necessity to re-pair. For many who work from home, it is a boon.

Presumingly predicting the mess that’s making an attempt to imagine what connections a house employee may need accessible to them, there’s a beneficiant assortment of gubbins included to help. Apart from the usual Bluetooth there’s a USB-C dongle and a separate USB-A dongle provided as normal. 

This could permit compatibility with most gadgets, although considerably troublingly I had points when connecting to the dongles, whereas the usual Bluetooth connection labored principally with out difficulty. The difficulty could also be remoted to the evaluate unit, however it’s unlucky nonetheless.

Microphone efficiency is supposedly boosted by noise-cancelling tech, and the difficulties of objectively measuring this apart, callers reported solely optimistic issues. Regardless of the type of connection, voices got here by way of clearly on either side. Regardless of being a raison d’etre for the likes of the Adapt 231 that is nice to see nonetheless.

An EPOS Join app is offered on iOS, MacOS, Home windows and Android that guarantees some extent of customisation of the machine, however sadly this system wouldn’t detect the machine whatever the platform used.

Sound High quality

• Provides ‘stereo sound’
• Primarily focussed on name high quality
• Not a substitute for extra normal headphones

In terms of general sound high quality, past stereo sound little is promised by the Adapt 231, not that that is a lot of a problem. With a single ear-cup and being meant primarily as a tool by which to make and obtain calls, quantity and readability are its main efficiency metrics. 

And by these metrics, it succeeds, throughout a number of calls there have been by no means any points in understanding different callers, irrespective of the type of connection used. As could be anticipated, if you’re on calls all day the Adapt 231 will probably be of curiosity.

As for extra normal use, such because the odd Spotify playlist or Youtube video on break or within the background, although they don’t obtain something fairly like the standard coming from a extra consumer-centric headset they nonetheless suffice. There’s element and quantity plus some pleasingly heat bass, that means you gained’t want to modify your headset even in case you swap from work to leisure and again once more.

That is with the very important caveat that, for the value, nearly another accessible generalist (learn broadly accessible) headphones will have the ability to produce superior efficiency. In the event you solely need to hearken to music and solely take calls often, different choices might be a greater match.

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Sustainability

Trusted Opinions’ holds the truth that world warming shouldn’t be a fantasy as a core worth and can constantly endeavour to assist defend our planet from hurt in its enterprise practices.

As a part of this mission, every time we evaluate a product we ship the corporate a sequence of questions to assist us gauge and make clear the impression the machine has on the setting.

We presently haven’t obtained solutions to the questions on this product, however will replace this web page the second we do. You may see an in depth breakdown of the questions we ask and why in our sustainability information web page.