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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-18 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• OPN Sound Conduction Labs — biggest strength: a fully open-ear, wireless design (Bluetooth, roughly 30 ft / 10 m range) with a directional audio driver, an ENC boom mic and active noise cancellation, so nothing ever sits inside your ear canal.
• OPN Sound Conduction Labs — biggest trade-off: it's a single-mic "Chat" headset with no wired option and no Teams certification, so it's built for general calls and video conferencing rather than a locked-in enterprise platform.
• EPOS Impact 100 — biggest strength: Microsoft Teams certification with a dedicated Teams button and notification alerts, plus a noise-cancelling boom mic and USB-C with an included USB-A adapter for plug-and-play desk setups.
• EPOS Impact 100 — biggest trade-off: it's a wired, on-ear mono headset, so you're tethered to your device and you only get audio in one ear by design.
• Pick OPN Sound Conduction Labs if you want an open-ear, pain-free fit and wireless freedom for mixed personal and work use.
• Pick EPOS Impact 100 if you live on Teams calls at a desk and want certified call controls, a boom mic and a durable corded build.
The Conduction Labs "Chat" is an open-ear headset. The frame is titanium and lightweight — the whole thing weighs just 32 g — and it loops over your ears rather than pressing into them. Instead of sealing your ear canal, it uses directional audio to send sound waves toward your inner ears. If you've ever pulled out earbuds after a long day and felt that dull ache, that's the exact problem this design is trying to solve. Nothing goes in your ears, so there's no pressure and no "plugged up" feeling, and the over-ear loop is meant to keep the headset planted for all-day wear.
For calls, it pairs a single boom mic with ENC (environmental noise cancellation) and active noise cancellation, and OPN Sound positions it as delivering clear calls by filtering out unwanted background noise. It connects over Bluetooth with a wireless range of around 30 ft (10 m), and it's listed as compatible with all video conferencing platforms — Zoom, Meet, Teams and the rest — without being tied to any one of them. That platform-agnostic angle is the whole point: it's a general-purpose headset, not a certified one.
EPOS Impact 100: Who It's For
The EPOS Impact 100 MS is a mono, on-ear, wired headset aimed squarely at professional UC use. The headline feature is Microsoft Teams certification: there's a dedicated Teams button and notification alerts, so you can join meetings and see call activity without hunting through windows. If your whole workday runs through Teams, that integration is the reason to pick this over a generic headset.
The design is single-ear with soft silicone side support. That means one ear is covered and the other stays open, so you keep some awareness of what's happening around you — handy in a shared office or an open-plan space where someone might walk up to your desk. The mic is a flexible boom arm with noise cancellation, which is the right tool for busy rooms and remote work where you need your voice to cut through and the background to drop away.
Connectivity is USB-C, and EPOS includes a USB-A adapter, so you can move between a modern laptop, a desktop and a mobile device without buying anything extra. The in-line controller has backlit buttons for volume, mute and Teams alerts, and the build is described as durable for extensive daily use. It ships with an adapter, cable, protective case and user manual, and it carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty. Audio-wise it's a dynamic driver with 40 ohm impedance, 86 dB sensitivity and a frequency response up to 8 kHz — a voice-first tuning rather than a music-first one.
Who should buy it: Teams-centric office workers, call-center and support staff, and anyone who wants a reliable corded headset with real call controls. Who should skip it: people who want to roam, listen to music in both ears, or use one device for everything. It's a specialist, and it's honest about that.
• Best for open-ear comfort → OPN Sound Conduction Labs. Nothing enters your ear canal, and the 32 g titanium frame is built to stay put all day.
• Best for Microsoft Teams workflows → EPOS Impact 100. Certified for Teams, with a dedicated Teams button and notification alerts.
• Best for wireless freedom → OPN Sound Conduction Labs. Bluetooth with roughly 30 ft (10 m) of range, so you can step away from your desk mid-call.
• Best for a fixed desk setup → EPOS Impact 100. Wired USB-C with a USB-A adapter included; plug in and it just works.
• Best for noisy open offices → EPOS Impact 100. A flexible noise-cancelling boom mic plus single-ear awareness is a purpose-built combo for that environment.
• Best for mixed work-and-everyday use → OPN Sound Conduction Labs. It's compatible with all video conferencing platforms and isn't locked to one ecosystem.
• Best for durability and support → EPOS Impact 100. Robust construction for daily use and a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
• Best if you hate things in your ears → OPN Sound Conduction Labs. That's the core of the design, and it's the clearest reason to pick it.
If I had to buy one, I'd pick the EPOS Impact 100 for a work-from-desk setup. In my opinion, Teams certification, the noise-cancelling boom mic, backlit call controls, the USB-C/USB-A flexibility and the 2-year warranty add up to the more dependable tool for the job most people actually need a headset for: talking on calls all day. I'd only go with the OPN Sound Conduction Labs instead if open-ear comfort and wireless freedom matter more to you than platform certification and a wired connection — for example, if you want one headset to move between calls and everyday listening without anything in your ears. Both are good at different jobs; match it to how you work, not to which one sounds more impressive on paper.
Not universally — they solve different problems. The OPN Sound wins on open-ear comfort and wireless range; the EPOS wins on Teams certification, a noise-cancelling boom mic and a durable wired build. Pick based on whether you're roaming or anchored at a desk.
If you're on back-to-back platform calls at a fixed desk, the wired EPOS Impact 100 with its USB-C and USB-A adapter is the simpler, more predictable setup. If you want to walk around while talking, the OPN Sound's Bluetooth connection with roughly 30 ft (10 m) of range is the better fit.
The EPOS Impact 100 is the more targeted choice here: a flexible noise-cancelling boom mic plus a single-ear design that keeps you aware of your surroundings. The OPN Sound also uses ENC and active noise cancellation, but it's a general-purpose headset rather than one fine-tuned for shared workspaces.
Value depends on what you need. For a Teams-heavy desk job, the EPOS Impact 100's certification, controls and 2-year warranty make it the stronger buy. For open-ear comfort and wireless use, the OPN Sound Conduction Labs is the one that earns its place. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding.
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