In an increasingly competitive working world, where a return to the office is becoming widespread, high quality equipment matters more than ever.

That's the view of global headset manufacturer EPOS who say noisy open plan office distractions is the biggest performance issue - with over a third of professionals expressing concern.

From industry-wide conversations with distributors, resellers and their end users, EPOS says noise disruption and distraction is the number one problem. These concerns have been endorsed by a recent exclusive EPOS online customer survey, which revealed what matters most:

Minimizing distractions – 34%

Microphone performance – 31%

Active Noise Cancellation to keep focus – 21%

Managing noise levels – 14%

“It’s a New Year but the same old problems remain and for many organizations they are getting worse,” explained Steven Schmidt, VP, Global Commercial Innovation & Marketing. “As more teams return to shared spaces, the rhythm of work changes. Conversations are closer and background noise and general random distractions inevitably fluctuate. In our exclusive poll, minimizing these distractions matters most.

“These findings point to a simple truth. In open offices, focus is fragile and being heard matters more than ever. Clarity and concentration have become daily problems, not occasional annoyances. Companies need to prioritize a great audio experience to make workers more productive, engaged and their days run smoother.”

Steven concluded: “Like many EPOS headsets our latest model, the IMPACT 500, is specifically designed to protect from listening fatigue. Most people in open office spaces experience noise which can break concentration. This means workers are using additional brain power to stay tuned in. EPOS BrainAdapt technology is inspired by world leading research and proven to help protect from listening fatigue. It’s part of our ‘Power of Audio’ ethos.

“For modern office athletes, it’s clear audio performance and the equipment they use will be paramount throughout 2026 and beyond.”

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