Why drive a sports car long distances when you can sit in the back of a Rolls Royce? That’s why I think wireless over-ear headphones with noise canceling are the best solution for everyday listening. Similarly priced in-ears or wired over-ears (around $200 to $400) may sound better or look prettier, but they’re not as well suited to long-term daily use.
Sony and Bose have been releasing the best wireless noise-canceling headphones for most people over the past few years. Prefer better sound quality when listening? Get the Sony WH-1000XM3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which have outstanding balance and fidelity. Want to be heard loud and clear on conference calls? Buy the Bose Noise Cancelling 700, which have beamforming mics that pick up every syllable.
But after searching high and low, I’m happy to report I’ve finally found another contender worth mentioning: a special, somewhat overlooked collaboration between Sennheiser and Epos Audio called the Adapt 660. They’re cheaper than both the Sony and Bose models, at least for now, and they’re even more comfortable and simple to use. For the cash, they might be some of the best all-around headphones ever made.
The Adapt 660 doesn’t have the same vintage-style glamor of Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum headphones (which have looked the same since we reviewed them glowingly in 2012), but that’s on purpose.
Epos and Sennheiser have taken to calling their inconspicuous foldable collaboration Enterprise Headphones, to indicate that they’re for serious businesspeople who wear gray suits and drive late-model German sedans to suburban mansions.
I am none of those things, but as with free snack bars, quality health care, and gratis gym memberships, the corporate world and I have once again stumbled into alignment. If so-called enterprise headphones are for people who like great sound, extreme comfort, top-tier noise-canceling, and good call quality, I’ll happily sign up. Just don't make me wear red.
With rounded black ear cups, oval-shaped ear pads, and understated silver accents, the Adapt 660 headphones look simple, but they offer a surprisingly novel feeling in your hands.
These are some of the lightest noise-canceling headphones I've worn. Every material feels as though it was chosen for the perfect blend of durability and weight, with a special amount of attention paid to how soft and supple the headband and ear cups can be. They float on your head, with the perfect amount of clamping force to stay stable but not hurt the top of your skull over long listening sessions.
The whole user experience feels like it was designed by an IT department tired of complaints. Bless them, I’m tired of making them. Charge them up, turn them on, pair them to your cell phone and laptop (they pair to two devices at once!), and pick one of three noise-canceling settings from a switch on the bottom of the right ear cup. Epos even includes special artificial intelligence that works to quiet outside noise when you’re using the four built-in beamforming mics on Zoom or phone calls.