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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• EPOS (Impact 860) biggest strength: wired USB-C stereo sound with Teams certification and active noise cancellation — a fixed, always-on desk setup that doesn't depend on a battery.
• EPOS biggest trade-off: it's a wired headset. There's no Bluetooth range to roam with, and you're tethered to whatever the USB-C cable reaches.
• Hewlett HP Poly Voyager (Voyager Legend 50-M) biggest strength: wireless Bluetooth 5.4 with a stated range of up to 98.4 feet, in a mono, in-ear, behind-the-ear design built for movement.
• Hewlett HP Poly Voyager biggest trade-off: it's mono, so you get one ear of audio — fine for calls, less ideal if you want immersive stereo for music or media.
• Who each pick is for: EPOS for the person parked at one desk all day who wants stereo, wired reliability, and Teams certification. Hewlett HP Poly Voyager for the person who's constantly on the move and needs a lightweight wireless earpiece.
The EPOS Impact 860 is a wired, USB-C headset with Microsoft Teams certification, stereo sound, and active noise cancellation. That combination tells you a lot about its intended home: a desk. USB-C connectivity means it's built for modern laptops, docks, and desktops rather than older 3.5 mm setups, and because it's wired, there's no pairing step and no battery to think about. You plug in, you're on.
Stereo matters more than people expect. Two earcups give you a sense of space and direction — helpful for hearing the full room on a group call, and genuinely nicer if you also use your headset for music or video between meetings. Active noise cancellation works in the other direction, cutting down background sound so your voice comes through more clearly to the people listening. Teams certification means the headset is designed to work cleanly with that platform's call controls and audio pipeline rather than fighting it.
Who should skip it? If your day involves walking to a whiteboard, pacing during a call, or grabbing coffee mid-meeting, a wired headset will feel like a leash. And if you specifically want a single-ear design so you can keep one ear on the room, this stereo headset isn't that.
Hewlett HP Poly Voyager: Who It's For
The HP Poly Voyager Legend 50-M is a different animal entirely. It's a mono, in-ear earpiece with a behind-the-ear and over-the-ear fit, wireless Bluetooth 5.4, and a stated Bluetooth range of up to 98.4 feet. It's Microsoft Teams certified too, so it plays nicely with the same platform — but it's built around freedom of movement rather than a fixed desk.
The mono design is the key decision point. One ear means you hear your call in one ear and the real world in the other. For anyone who needs to stay aware of what's happening around them — a reception desk, a warehouse floor, a shared office — that's exactly right. It's also lighter on the head and easier to keep on for long stretches. The in-ear, behind-the-ear, over-the-ear shapes give it multiple ways to sit securely, which matters when you're moving.
Bluetooth 5.4 is the current generation of the standard, and a 16 ohm impedance with a 300 Hz – 3,400 Hz frequency range is a voice-first tuning — that band is the range human speech lives in, so the headset is optimized for calls rather than thumping bass. Voice control as the control method means you're not hunting for buttons mid-conversation. Active noise cancellation is on board here too.
Who should buy it? If you're mobile, if you take calls while walking, or if you want one ear free, this is the natural fit. Who should skip it? If you want stereo music, immersive media, or a guaranteed connection with zero pairing, the mono wireless design will frustrate you.
• Best for stereo audio (music, media, spatial awareness on calls) → EPOS. Two earcups, full stereo.
• Best for freedom of movement → Hewlett HP Poly Voyager. Wireless Bluetooth 5.4 with up to 98.4 feet of stated range.
• Best for a fixed desk setup → EPOS. Wired USB-C means no charging and no pairing.
• Best for keeping one ear on your surroundings → Hewlett HP Poly Voyager. It's a mono, single-ear design.
• Best for call-focused voice tuning → Hewlett HP Poly Voyager. Its 300 Hz – 3,400 Hz range is aimed squarely at speech.
• Best for plug-and-play simplicity → EPOS. No battery, no Bluetooth pairing, no range limits.
• Best for lighter, longer wear → Hewlett HP Poly Voyager. A single in-ear earpiece is less to carry on your head.
• Best for Teams-heavy desk work → EPOS. Wired stereo plus Teams certification and ANC.
• Best for Teams calls on the move → Hewlett HP Poly Voyager. Wireless, Teams certified, voice-controlled.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the EPOS Impact 860 — but only because of the kind of work I'd be doing. For anyone anchored to a desk and living in calls, the wired USB-C connection, stereo sound, and ANC make it the more complete tool, and never thinking about a battery is quietly one of the best features a headset can have. That said, if movement is the whole point of your day, the Hewlett HP Poly Voyager wins outright: wireless, mono, and built to roam. Match the headset to how you actually work, not to which one sounds fancier on paper.
Is the EPOS Impact 860 wired or wireless?
It's wired, using USB Type-C. It also lists Bluetooth as a wireless technology, but the headphone jack is USB-C and the connectivity technology is wired, so plan on a cable connection to your computer or dock.
Yes. It carries Microsoft Teams certification, the same as the EPOS Impact 860, and it connects wirelessly over Bluetooth 5.4.
The EPOS is stereo — two earcups, so you hear audio in both ears. The HP Poly Voyager is mono — one in-ear earpiece, which keeps one ear open to your surroundings. Choose based on whether you want immersion or awareness.
The EPOS is wired, so it has no battery to drain — it draws power over USB-C. The HP Poly Voyager is wireless and therefore relies on its own internal power, so it's the one you'd need to keep charged.
Yes, both list Active Noise Cancellation. On the EPOS it's part of a stereo, wired, Teams-certified setup; on the HP Poly Voyager it's paired with a mono, wireless, voice-controlled design.
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