EPOS | Sennheiser ADAPT 560 Bluetooth headset review

Name: EPOS | Sennheiser ADAPT 560
Brand: Sennheiser

Matt Sayer

Last updated: Sep 8, 2020

Quick verdict: Between its mediocre audio quality and its ineffective noise cancellation, the ADAPT 560 fails to justify its premium price tag.

Excellent mic audio
Dedicated call controls on the headset are useful for on-the-go professionals
Easy to travel with thanks to its light and compact design

Very expensive for what you get
Audio quality is sub-par
Active noise cancellation is lacklustre

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What's in this review?

Design
Performance
Features
Should you buy the EPOS | Sennheiser ADAPT 560?
Pricing and availability
Specifications

EPOS is a relatively new name on the audio scene. Established in 2019, the EPOS brand encompasses the enterprise and gaming segments of Sennheiser Communications, previously responsible for headsets like the Sennheiser GSP 370.

Sennheiser spent two decades producing high-end audio equipment for both home and office environments, and now EPOS is doing the same. The EPOS | Sennheiser ADAPT 560 Bluetooth headset occupies the enterprise bucket, promising clear and reliable call audio for folks who spend a lot of time in online meetings, video conferences and voice chat with clients, customers and colleagues.

For all its pedigree, however, the ADAPT 560 fails to deliver value worthy of its hefty price tag.

Design

Light and compact design is great for working on the go
Soft ear cushions maintain comfort for all-day use
On-ear design is less stable than over-ear headsets

EPOS makes a good first impression with the ADAPT 560. The headset's simple grey design aligns with the austere aesthetic of many office environments. Its slim headband and compact ear cups give it a low profile that stays out of the way when you're on the go, whether the headset is sitting on your ears or resting around your neck.
Portability is a key part of EPOS's pitch for the ADAPT 560. At just 229g, it's light enough to wear all day without discomfort. The attached boom mic slides away neatly alongside the right ear cup when not in use, muting itself in the process. When it's time to pack up, you can fold the ear cups inwards for convenient storage in the included carry case.
To maintain its compact footprint, the ADAPT 560 features an on-ear design rather than the more-common over-ear format. I'm not the biggest fan of on-ear headsets, as I find that they lack the stability and noise isolation afforded by fully-enclosed ear cups. The ADAPT 560 didn't change my opinion. Multiple times during my testing, the headset slipped off my ears as I moved my head, even when those movements were slow and gentle.
On the plus side, the ear cushions themselves are soft and cool, even after extended periods of use. So too is the padded headband, which you can adjust to accommodate a wide variety of head sizes.

Performance

Mediocre audio quality doesn't live up to the hefty price tag
Mic quality, on the other hand, is excellent
Active noise cancellation is lacklustre at best

With its $480 price tag and the pedigree of Sennheiser behind it, the ADAPT 560 should be a fantastic-sounding headset. It is not. Audio quality is mediocre at best, a fact that becomes immediately apparent when playing music. Bass notes are weak and ephemeral, while higher frequencies sound muddy and muted. It's quite damning when you can get much better audio quality from budget headsets that come at a fraction of the ADAPT 560's price.
That said, EPOS positions the ADAPT 560 as a productivity headset for making and receiving calls, and it meets this intent competently enough. Voices come through sufficiently clear, though again, the quality is nothing to write home about.
Volume is another area where the ADAPT 560 stumbles. Even at 100%, the audio is remarkably quiet. This is a conscious design decision, a consequence of EPOS' ActiveGard technology that protects against potential hearing damage. ActiveGard limits audio output to 108dB so as to minimise the impact of loud sounds. As a result, it feels markedly quieter than many competing headsets.
This could have been offset somewhat by the headset's active noise cancellation (ANC) feature, but that too is lacklustre. With ANC turned on, there's a constant buzzing noise in the background, audible even when other audio is playing. Worse, the ANC does little to block out ambient noise. I could still hear my TV and background noises from outside just as clearly with ANC on as with it off.
It's not all bad news, though. The ADAPT 560's boom mic is excellent, capturing my voice clean and clear despite the sizeable distance between the mic and my mouth. Mic sensitivity is equally impressive, picking up whispers as well as handling loud shouts without peaking.
A solid battery life helps the ADAPT 560 deliver on its promise of on-the-go productivity. EPOS rates the headset for up to 46 hours with ANC off, or 24 hours with it on. This tracks with my testing, where I easily achieved over 40 hours off a single charge with ANC disabled for the majority of that time.

Features

On-ear controls let you manage calls quickly and easily, even when you're on the move
Support for simultaneous device connections is a boon for multi-taskers
Lack of software-level customisation is an odd omission

If there's one aspect of the ADAPT 560 that could justify its premium price, it's the versatility afforded by its communication features.
You have two options for wirelessly syncing the ADAPT 560 with a device: over a standard Bluetooth connection or using the included USB dongle. Both support the Bluetooth 5.0 standard. The headset can remember up to eight paired devices at a time, with the ability to connect to two simultaneously. You could, for instance, be connected to your phone for standard calls as well as your PC for Internet calls through services like Skype and Microsoft Teams.
This is where the call management features of the ADAPT 560 come into play. If a call comes in from one device when you're already in an active call on the other, you can use the "Hook" button on the right ear cup to accept the new call and put the current call on hold, accept the new call and end the current call or simply reject the incoming call. You can also jump between an active call and a held one with a couple taps of the button.
Folks who use Microsoft Teams can benefit from a few extra features when connected to a device using the included USB Bluetooth dongle. Not only is the ADAPT 560 certified for use with Microsoft Teams, but the USB dongle will pulse purple if you have unseen Microsoft Teams notifications such as a missed call or a meeting invite. Tapping the Hook button brings these notifications up on screen so you can see them in more detail.
Beyond the Hook button, the ADAPT 560 sports three other on-ear controls: a power/mute button, a settings button and a multi-function button. The power/mute button should be pretty self-explanatory, whereas the settings button lets you toggle ANC, check the current battery level, enable or disable voice prompts and activate TalkThrough. The latter feature pauses audio playback and ANC so you can hear people around you without taking the headset off. Last but not least, the multi-function button controls volume and audio playback while listening to music.
Curiously, the above features can only be adjusted using the on-ear controls. Even if you have the EPOS Connect app loaded onto your PC, the only options you can tweak there relate to default audio devices and other operating system settings.

Should you buy the EPOS | Sennheiser ADAPT 560?

Buy it if on-ear call controls are worth $480 to you

Don't buy it if you prioritise value or want a headset suitable for more than just basic voice calls

Finder score: 2.5

How we score our reviews

It's hard to recommend the EPOS | Sennheiser ADAPT 560 Bluetooth headset. Crisp mic audio and handy on-ear call controls struggle to offset its middling sound quality, feeble noise cancellation and steep price tag.

There are plenty of cheaper headsets out there that offer superior features and performance, both in the enterprise arena and the gaming headset space.

Pricing and availability

Price

RRP $480.00

Where to buy

Mwave

Specifications

Finder score: 2.5

How we score our reviews

Where to buy

Build

Category

On-ear Headphones

Colours

Grey

Frequency Response

20Hz - 20kHz

Impedance

32 ohms

Connectivity

Wired/Wireless

Wireless

Bluetooth

Yes

Bluetooth Version

Bluetooth Profiles

HFP, HSP, AVRCP, A2DP

Features

Noise Cancelling

ANC

Detachable Cable

Yes

Rechargeable Battery

Yes

Foldable

Yes

Battery Life

Up to 46 hours

Battery Charging Time

3.5 hours

Latest Finder reviews

Matt Sayer

Matt Sayer is a technology writer and editorial engineer for Finder, combining industry expertise with data-driven solutions to help people make better decisions. His extensive portfolio spans investigative reporting on the roll-out of 5G, statistical analysis on the legacy of E3 and guides for popular products like mobile phones and smart speakers. Matt has a Bachelor of Computer Science from RMIT University and is passionate about finding ways that technology can better our lives.

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EPOS | Sennheiser ADAPT 560 Bluetooth headset review