EPOS ADAPT E1 Review: True Wireless Stereo Earbuds for Business / Teams

EPOS has just launched its latest Adapt E1 true wireless earbuds. Unlike the normal TWS earbuds I review, these are more geared toward business use and are an alternative to headsets such as the EPOS Impact 400.

I now work at an MSP, and I sit at a help desk all day most days. I have quickly learned the importance of a decent headset that is geared towards taking and receiving calls.

Over the past 8 months or so, I have worked through a selection of headphones and headsets that I have received in the past and struggled to find one that I like.

I struggle with making out what people say at the best of times, and accents really throw me off.

Music or gaming-focused headphones tend to be tuned for different scenarios, with music headphones often favouring the low end.  But for calls, you want something more neutral.

I don’t like single-sided headsets, as background noise makes it harder to distinguish voices.

Then, with over-ear headsets that are geared for gaming or music, there is no sidetone (where you hear your own voice). This inevitably leaves me raising my voice, and no one wants a colleague who shouts down the phone all day long. You can sort of enable sidetone within Windows,, but the one time I did that, the latency was so bad that I struggled to get a sentence out. It was that confusing hearing my delayed voice.

The EPOS Impact 400 was excellent and was my main headset for a while, but depending on the caller and the background noise, I sometimes found them a bit quiet.

Something like the EPOS Adapt 600 or the very expensive Jabra Evolve2 85 would be ideal, but my boss is not that generous.  

So, I was eager to check out the latest release from EPOS to see if they performed better than my other options.

Related Reviews

• Epos Impact 400 Headset Review
• EPOS H3Pro Hybrid Review
• EPOS H6PRO Closed Acoustic Gaming Headset Review
• EPOS H3 Hybrid Gaming Headset Review

Specification

Features

• EPOS’ unique ear tip design
  EPOS has developed a distinctive ear tip shape, designed to offer exceptional comfort while delivering impressive sound quality and acoustic clarity.
• Certified for iPhone
  Fully certified by Apple, these earbuds guarantee seamless integration and outstanding performance when used with iPhones, providing users with a smooth and reliable audio experience.
• Free software for asset management, remote updates, and company compliance
  Included at no additional cost is comprehensive software that simplifies asset tracking, facilitates remote firmware updates, and helps maintain adherence to your company’s policies.
• 5-minute charge, 1-hour battery life
  With rapid charging technology, just five minutes plugged in provides enough power for up to an hour of uninterrupted use.
• Solo mode for continuous connectivity
  The convenient solo mode enables you to charge one earbud while continuing your calls or listening through the other, maintaining uninterrupted productivity.
• Automatic audio pause and resume
  Removing an earbud automatically pauses audio playback, which resumes seamlessly when the earbud is reinserted, ensuring intuitive operation.
• Preset sound profiles for mobile and PC
  Customise your listening experience effortlessly by selecting from a range of pre-configured sound profiles, compatible with both mobile devices and computers.
• Google Fast Pair for effortless connection
  Quickly pair your earbuds with Android devices using Google’s Fast Pair technology, making connection effortless and efficient.
• Durable and fully water-resistant earbuds
  Constructed to withstand sweat, rain, splashes, and general moisture, these earbuds are robust enough for everyday use and active lifestyles.
• Slim, secure charging case
  A sleek, compact charging case with a magnetic lid securely stores the earbuds and USB-C dongle, keeping them safe and conveniently accessible.

Unboxing / Design

The Adapt E1 arrives in understated but premium packaging. Inside the box, you’ll find the earbuds neatly stored in a compact, black charging case. The design leans more towards functionality than flair. The matte black finish resists fingerprints, and the build feels solid without being bulky. The case securely holds both the earbuds and the USB-C dongle, which is a neat inclusion for those using them with a desktop or laptop.

The earbuds themselves are minimalist and shaped to fit comfortably in-ear. The unique ear tip design is slightly angled, which improves both fit and passive noise isolation. Three sizes of tips are included to help users get the right fit, which is crucial for long-term comfort and audio clarity.

They’re not flashy, but that’s arguably the point. For business use, they’re discrete, secure, and don’t attract unnecessary attention.

Set-Up

For Windows, all you need to do is plug the dongle in and you can use the earbuds immediately. You can then optionally download the EPOS App and customise the functionality or update the firmware.

EPOS App

The EPOS Connect app offers basic customisation and configuration options. It’s available for both desktop and mobile, with settings such as:

• Audio profiles (Voice, Music, etc.)
• Firmware updates
• Sidetone control

The app’s feature set isn’t particularly extensive, but it does what it needs to. Given the audience for these earbuds, the ability to manage and update them remotely through EPOS Manager is more important than consumer-level features.

Performance

Audio Quality / Noise Cancellation

I have predominantly used this for calls when working on the help desk.

Within the Windows app, I set the sound profile to the voice setting; though call quality was good enough, I didn’t really need it.

Voices come through clearly, and the audio tuning avoids the bass-heavy profile found in many consumer earbuds. This neutral tuning helps when trying to understand people with accents or in environments with background chatter.

For me, the main benefit, by far, is that these natively have a sidetone, so you can hear your own voice when you speak. This helps you regulate the volume of your voice. With my over-ear headphones, I’d often end up speaking very loudly, which is not great in a working office environment.

The noise cancellation is effective without being overbearing. The hybrid ANC, combined with the semi-open acoustics, strikes a good balance between isolating you from distracting noises and maintaining awareness of your surroundings. This is particularly useful in an office setting where you need to focus on calls but also stay aware of your colleagues.

These are technically designed for mixed-use, and they work perfectly fine for music and media. You can adjust the audio profile from the EPOS app, so when you listen to music, it doesn’t have to be so neutral.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy these for music, but if you are travelling to and from work, then these produce perfectly good audio quality, saving you from carrying around multiple pairs of earbuds.

Microphone

One of the biggest concerns with true wireless earbuds in a business setting is microphone quality. With no boom mic near the mouth, performance can suffer. However, the Adapt E1 holds up surprisingly well.

Using multiple MEMS microphones, the earbuds capture voice with clarity and do a decent job of suppressing ambient noise. During calls, clients reported no complaints, and clarity on both ends was consistent. While it might not match a high-end boom mic in all situations, it exceeds expectations for in-ear earbuds.

Battery Life

The battery life was my biggest concern with these. True wireless earbuds just don’t have the battery life as over-head headsets.

The EPOS Adapt E1’s battery life is reported to be 6 hours of talk time with ANC on and 10 hours of listening time with ANC on.

I have not timed this, but I have used them for the past 2 weeks as my only headset at work and have had no issues with the battery life at all. I do typically place them in the case when I go for a quick walk at lunch which is about 15 – 20 minutes.

While I am happy with the battery life, you do need to be mindful of it. When I used Bluetooth headphones, I’d often leave them switched on and not on charge all day, only charging them up every few days. But, after years of using TWS earbuds, I am well-conditioned to naturally place them back in the case when I have finished using them.

Price and Alternative Options

The EPOS Adapt E1 has an RRP of £179 / $219 / €199 which is not cheap but cheaper than its direct competitors.

Epos provided a handy comparison between other similar products:

EPOS Adapt E1 vs Jabra Evolve2 Buds vs Poly Voyager Free 60 vs Logitech Zone True Wireless vs Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

Overall

When EPOS originally offered me their latest headset to review, I wasn’t expecting them to be TWS earbuds. I was a bit skeptical at first; I was concerned about a better life and not having a microphone near my mouth; I assumed the call quality would not be as good as a proper headset.

However, in the past few weeks, I have grown to love the Adapt E1. I have had no complaints about call quality from clients phoning up, and I have found the clarity of calls to be superb.

For me, I also find in-ear earbuds more comfortable than over-ear or on-ear headsets. My ears don’t heat up as much and I don’t get that achy feeling I get from wearing a headset all day. But this is highly subjective, many people may feel the opposite.

Overall, I think the EPOS Adapt E1 are excellent. While they are not cheap, they are reasonably priced compared to other similar headsets, and the overall performance has been superb, providing the call quality I need when working on a help desk all day, but the flexibility and convenience of in-ear earbuds.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.