Tis the season for announcing work headsets, it would seem – EPOS has revealed its Impact 700 and Impact 800 devices aimed at making open-plan office work a little bit more bearable.
Like the Dell Pro headsets before it, the idea behind the new EPOS Impact range is to cut out unwanted noise, enable clear communication, and make it easier to focus. Both the Impact 700 and Impact 800 are wired, with Bluetooth connectivity reserved for last year’s Impact 1000 model.
Behind the headsets is some interesting research as to the benefits of noise reduction technology. Many people – myself included – struggle to work in noisy environments, making open offices a nightmare. Commissioned by EPOS, a 2023 study by audio technology company Demant Group observed the benefits of “Noise Attenuation”, or noise-reducing, technology.
When applied, noise attenuation resulted in participants recognising speech nearly 50% better in noisy environments, and were 40% more efficient at completing tasks. One study alone isn’t necessarily definitive, but it does point to noisy offices as being detrimental to doing good work.
Turning back to the EPOS headsets, it seems that the Impact 700 is more geared towards quieter offices. It has three digital microphones engineered to produce natural-sounding calls. Meanwhile, the Impact 800 includes adaptive ANC technology, making it more suited to the lawless lands of the open office.
EPOS Impact 700 & 800 release date and price
If you need refuge from a noisy workplace, it’s just as well that the Impact 800 is the first of the new EPOS headsets to arrive. Out now, it costs $295 via the EPOS website. The Impact 700 is out later, so you’ll need to wait until 9 April for the contact-centre headset.
Another option for working from home is the sub-$100 Belkin SoundForm Adapt.
Good headphones are nice, but they ultimately treat the symptom and not the cause. In case it wasn’t already clear, I don’t like open-plan offices!
