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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-03 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 — biggest strength: A full wireless over-ear package with 13 levels of adjustable active noise cancellation, on-ear dials, touch controls, and up to 18.5 hours of music playback.
• Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 — biggest trade-off: It's a heavier over-ear design (10.24 ounces) with no wired USB-C/A computer connectivity; its wired option is a 3.5 mm audio jack.
• EPOS Impact 100 — biggest strength: Purpose-built for work calls — Microsoft Teams certification, a dedicated Teams button, a noise-cancelling boom microphone, and USB-C plus USB-A connectivity.
• EPOS Impact 100 — biggest trade-off: It's a wired, on-ear office headset with passive noise cancellation only, and its stated frequency range tops out at 8 KHz.
• Pick the Surface Headphones 2 if you want one pair for music, movies, travel, and hands-free calls with real ANC.
• Pick the EPOS Impact 100 if your day is back-to-back meetings and you want a light, Teams-certified headset that just works when you plug it in.
The Surface Headphones 2 is a wireless over-ear headphone with a clear media-first personality. The headline feature is the on-ear dial, which lets you adjust volume on one side and dial noise cancellation through 13 levels on the other. That's a genuinely useful piece of design: instead of cycling through a few preset ANC modes in an app, you turn a ring until the outside world sits exactly where you want it. Add touch controls for skipping tracks, answering calls, and triggering hands-free assistance, and you have a headset that wants to be worn as much for a commute playlist as for a Teams call.
Battery is the other spec that stands out. Microsoft rates it at up to 18.5 hours of music listening or up to 15 hours of voice calling on Teams, and a 5-minute charge gets you almost an hour of music. For anyone who forgets to charge overnight, that quick top-up matters more than a big headline number. The 32-ohm impedance and 20Hz–20,000Hz frequency range put it in normal consumer-headphone territory, driven by a planar magnetic driver, and Bluetooth with a 10-metre range keeps it untethered. The included carrying case, USB cable, and audio cable mean it travels as a complete kit, and the 3.5 mm jack gives you a fallback when wireless isn't an option.
Who should buy it: someone who wants one pair of headphones for music, shows, travel, and occasional calls, and who values adjustable ANC and touch controls over a boom microphone. Who should skip it: anyone whose job is literally hours of voice calls a day, or who needs to plug into a laptop over USB-C or USB-A. This is a media headphone that handles calls competently — not a dedicated communications device. It's also over-ear and around 10.24 ounces, so if you specifically want something that sits lightly on the ear, keep reading.
The EPOS Impact 100 is the opposite kind of product, and it's honest about it. This is a wired, on-ear stereo headset with a microphone boom, certified for Microsoft Teams, with a dedicated Teams button and instant notifications. The microphone is noise-cancelling, which is the whole point: in a shared office or a home with background noise, the person on the other end hears you rather than your surroundings. The stereo sound is aimed at speech intelligibility, and the passive noise cancellation is achieved through the earpads themselves rather than powered ANC circuitry.
Comfort is clearly the design priority. EPOS lists the headset at 78 g (76 g in the item details), with soft leatherette earpads and a slim silicone headband. That's a genuinely light on-ear build, and on-ear headphones in that weight class are the ones people forget they're wearing during a long call. Connectivity is handled by USB-C with an included USB-A adapter, so it works across laptops, desktops, tablets and phones without hunting for the right dongle. In-line controls with backlit buttons cover mute, volume and Teams integration, and the build is described as robust enough for heavy daily use, backed by a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
Who should buy it: remote workers, office staff, and anyone living in Teams meetings who wants a plug-and-play headset with a real microphone and in-line mute. Who should skip it: anyone who wants wireless freedom, powered noise cancellation, or a headphone for music first. The 8 KHz frequency range and 40-ohm impedance tell you this is a voice-optimised tool, not a listening device. And because it's on-ear rather than over-ear, it applies pressure to the ear itself — fine for calls, less ideal for marathon music sessions.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for music and media → Microsoft Surface Headphones 2. Planar magnetic drivers, 20Hz–20,000Hz range, and Omnisonic tuning are built for listening, not just talking.
• Best for all-day calling → EPOS Impact 100. The noise-cancelling boom mic and dedicated Teams button are exactly what meeting-heavy days need.
• Best for noise control → Microsoft Surface Headphones 2. It has active noise cancellation with 13 adjustable levels; the Impact 100 relies on passive isolation only.
• Best for battery life → Microsoft Surface Headphones 2. Up to 18.5 hours of music or 15 hours of Teams calling, plus almost an hour of music from a 5-minute charge.
• Best for plug-and-play computer connectivity → EPOS Impact 100. USB-C plus an included USB-A adapter beats relying on Bluetooth or a 3.5 mm cable.
• Best for travel and commuting → Microsoft Surface Headphones 2. Wireless Bluetooth with a 10-metre range and a bundled carrying case.
• Best for warranty cover → EPOS Impact 100. It carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty against the Surface Headphones 2's 1 year.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Microsoft Surface Headphones 2. It's the more versatile product by a wide margin: wireless, active noise cancelling with 13 levels, touch and dial controls, strong battery life, and a frequency range built for actual music. It handles calls too — just not with a boom mic. I'd only steer you to the EPOS Impact 100 if your day genuinely revolves around Teams calls and you want a light, wired, plug-and-play headset with a proper noise-cancelling microphone. If that's your job, the Impact 100 is the smarter tool. If you want one pair of headphones for everything else, the Surface Headphones 2 wins. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable that can tip a close call.
They can be very good for calls and lighter listening. On-ear designs like the EPOS Impact 100 sit directly on the ear and, at around 76–78 g, are easy to wear for long stretches. The trade-off is less passive isolation and more ear pressure than over-ear models such as the Surface Headphones 2.
Are on ear headphones comfortable?
Neither design is inherently safer; what matters is volume and listening time. Both products here are adult-oriented headphones, and the Surface Headphones 2 includes active noise cancellation with 13 levels, which can let you listen at lower volumes because less outside noise gets through.
Neither of these is an open-ear design. The Surface Headphones 2 is a closed over-ear headphone and the EPOS Impact 100 is an on-ear headset. If you specifically want open-ear audio, you'd be looking at a different category entirely.
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