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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a brand-new, wired over-ear headset with a rock-solid manufacturer warranty and a simple USB-A plug-and-play setup for the office, choose Jabra Evolve2; if you need active noise cancellation, dual-ear Teams calling and a boom-arm that controls your calls, choose Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T. Both are wired, both are built for Microsoft Teams, and both are aimed squarely at people who spend their day on calls. The split comes down to how much noise you need to shut out and how much you care about buying new versus renewed.
• Jabra Evolve2 40 SE — biggest strength: a new, Teams-certified wired headset with a dedicated Teams button, 3-microphone call technology, a Busylight that lights up automatically during calls, and passive noise cancellation via the over-ear cups. The 3.5 mm jack and USB-A cable mean it works with virtually anything.
• Jabra Evolve2 40 SE — biggest trade-off: no active noise cancellation and no wireless option. It's a corded, passive-isolation headset, so it tames background chatter rather than erasing it.
• Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T — biggest strength: active noise cancellation (ANC), EPOS AI voice pickup, EPOS BrainAdapt, Super Wideband Audio, ActiveGard acoustic-shock protection and a boom arm you adjust to control calls. It's a dual-sided wired headset with both USB-C and USB-A.
• Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T — biggest trade-off: it's a renewed unit with a 90-day limited warranty instead of a new-product warranty, and it ships in protective packaging rather than retail packaging.
• Who each pick is for: Jabra Evolve2 for the buyer who wants a new, uncomplicated wired headset for the office; Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T for the buyer who wants ANC and premium call features and is comfortable with renewed hardware.
The Evolve2 40 SE is a wired, over-ear stereo headset that Jabra built around the everyday office call. The headline feature is 3-microphone call technology paired with a boom arm, which is the combination that does the heavy lifting on voice pickup — the boom puts the mic near your mouth, and the three-mic array works to reduce background noise so the person on the other end hears you rather than the room. It's certified for Microsoft Teams with a dedicated Teams button, and it meets Teams open-office requirements, so it slots into a corporate setup without fuss.
The other detail I like is the Busylight. It turns on automatically during a call, which is a small thing that solves a real office problem: people can see you're busy without you having to say anything. In a shared space, that's worth more than it sounds. Noise control here is passive — the over-ear design physically blocks some sound, and the frequency range runs 20Hz–20,000Hz, which covers the full span of human speech comfortably.
Buy it if you want a new headset, you value a simple wired connection over Bluetooth, and you're on Teams calls most of the day in a normal office. The USB-A cable plus a 3.5 mm jack means it plugs into a laptop, a desk phone or a docking station without adapters.
Skip it if you work in a genuinely loud open office and need to actively cancel noise rather than just isolate from it, or if you want to walk away from your desk mid-call. There's no wireless technology here — it's a corded headset, full stop. If you need freedom of movement, this isn't the one.
The EPOS Impact 860T ANC is the more feature-dense of the two. It's a dual-sided wired headset with genuine active noise cancellation — the kind that works on the noise around you electronically, not just by covering your ears. It's certified for Microsoft Teams, supports USB-C and USB-A, and uses Super Wideband Audio for calls. EPOS BrainAdapt and EPOS AI are the engine behind its voice pickup: the AI works to eliminate background noise and sharpen how you come across on a call, which is exactly what you want if you're on Zoom or Teams all day.
The design details point to long sessions. It's a double-sided ergonomic fit, which EPOS frames around extended use without fatigue — relevant if you're on a support desk, in customer service, or working remotely with back-to-back meetings. The boom arm is quick-access: you adjust it to control calls rather than reaching for software. And ActiveGard is a safety feature worth knowing about — it protects against acoustic shock, the sudden loud spikes that can happen on a bad line, while keeping call quality intact.
The catch is the buying model. This is an Amazon Renewed listing, so it's a pre-owned or refurbished unit rather than new stock. It carries a 90-day limited warranty rather than the longer coverage you'd expect on a new product, and it arrives in protective packaging. That's the honest trade: you get ANC and a richer feature set in exchange for a shorter warranty and no retail box.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for active noise cancellation → Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T. It's the only one of the two with ANC; the Jabra relies on passive isolation.
• Best for a new-product warranty → Jabra Evolve2. Two-year manufacturer coverage versus a 90-day limited warranty on the renewed EPOS.
• Best for voice pickup features → Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T. EPOS AI and EPOS BrainAdapt are built specifically around suppressing background noise and lifting your voice.
• Best for simple plug-and-play → Jabra Evolve2. USB-A plus a 3.5 mm jack covers almost any desk setup without adapters.
• Best for connection flexibility → Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T. It gives you both USB-C and USB-A, which suits modern laptops as well as older docking stations.
• Best for a quiet-office Teams setup → Jabra Evolve2. The dedicated Teams button and auto Busylight make it a tidy fit for shared workspaces.
• Best for long support-desk shifts → Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T. Dual-sided ergonomics, ANC and ActiveGard are all pointed at all-day, high-call-volume work.
• Best for buyers who want zero uncertainty about condition → Jabra Evolve2. New stock, nothing refurbished, nothing to weigh up.
If I were buying for a standard office desk and wanted the least complicated path, I'd take the Jabra Evolve2 40 SE. In my opinion, a new headset with a two-year manufacturer warranty, Teams certification, a dedicated Teams button and a Busylight that handles the "do not disturb" job for you is the safer, more predictable pick for most people on calls all day. I'd only steer you to the Amazon Renewed EPOS Impact 860T if active noise cancellation is non-negotiable and you're comfortable with renewed hardware and a 90-day warranty — in a loud open office, that ANC is a genuine upgrade. For the average office worker, though, my money goes to the Jabra.
FAQ
It's wired. The listing specifies USB-A connectivity plus a 3.5 mm jack, and there's no wireless technology listed. If you specifically want a Bluetooth headset for office use, this model isn't it — you'd need to look at a wireless headset instead.
Yes — it's a dual-sided wired headset with active noise cancellation built in, along with EPOS AI and EPOS BrainAdapt for voice pickup. That's a real difference from the Jabra, which only offers passive noise cancellation through the over-ear cups.
It's an Amazon Renewed unit, so it's not new stock. It comes with a 90-day limited warranty and protective packaging rather than a retail box and a longer new-product warranty. You're trading warranty length for ANC and a higher-end feature set.
It depends on what you weight. The Jabra gives you new hardware and a two-year warranty; the EPOS gives you ANC and richer call features with a much shorter warranty. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding, since the value gap shifts with whatever each is going for.
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