Surface Headphones review: Comfortable with awesome audio, but noise cancellation needs work

The new Surface Headphones ($350) are an attempt by Microsoft to enter the hyper-competitive active dissonance cancellation (ANC) market of expensive, premium headphones. In some ways, it's an odd choice and withal the focus on productivity (Cortana), multiple Bluetooth pairings, blueprint, comfort, and exceptional build quality are correct in line with what the Surface team delivers.

But headphones — especially ones priced this loftier — do non exist in a vacuum. Then, when compared to some of the all-time on the market right now including, the Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series Ii) and Sony WH-1000-XM3, it is surprising how adept the Surface Headphones are.

Surface sound

Surface Headphones

$350

Lesser line: Microsoft's first effort at headphones is nigh perfect.

Pros:

• Showtime-rate sound.
• Very comfy.
• Cortana works well.
• Outstanding gestures and auto-pause.
• Works with multiple Bluetooth devices.

Cons:

• Noise counterfoil is mediocre.
• Battery life is short of the contest.
• Large conveying case.

Minimalist looks boss

Surface Headphones blueprint and features

The Surface engineering and design team nailed the looks and feel of Surface Headphones. The smoothen platinum finish, large ear cushions and clean, minimalist await skillfully lucifer the rest of the Surface line.

There are no visible screws or seems in the headband. Everything seems balanced with a focus on symmetry, and it makes the Surface Headphones simply stunning.

The matte platinum plastic is quality, and with but a few areas being metal (likely aluminum) the Surface Headphones weigh only 290 grams. That'due south heavier than Sony'south WH-grand-XM3 (255 grams) and Bose's QC 35II (236 grams). The deviation is hard to notice, though, when wearing the Surface Headphone, partially due to the ingenious applied science of the ring, which spreads the weight uniformly. There's a nice arc right before the earcups on the band that likely offsets tension, every bit well.

Surface Headphones specs

Category	Specification
Exterior dimensions	viii.03 in (204 mm) ten seven.68 in (195 mm) x ane.89 in (48 mm)
Color	Platinum
Buttons	Mute, power, volume dial (right ear) Noise Cancellation dial (left ear) Touch interface on both earcups
Weight	ten.2 oz (290 g)
Frequency response	20 to 20kHz
Dissonance cancellation	Up to 30 dB for active noise cancellation Upwardly to 40 dB for passive noise cancellation
Speaker	40mm Free Edge speaker
Sound force per unit area level output	Upwards to 115 dB (1kHz, 1Vrms via cable connector with power on) Up to 115 dB (1kHz, 0dBFS over Bluetooth connection)
Charging	Full charge in less than 2 hours
Battery	Upward to 15 hours (music over Bluetooth, Agile Dissonance Cancellation (ANC) on, Cortana on) Up to l hours (idle, Bluetooth off, ANC on)
Inputs	USB-C connector 3.5mm audio connector Vox Banana Cortana past voice activation or impact
Compatibility	Windows ten iOS Android macOS
In the box	Surface Headphones Conveying case USB cable (1.5M) Audio cable (1.2M) Quick first Guide, rubber and warranty documents
Warranty	1-year limited hardware warranty

The ear cups take substantial cushions when compared to Sony and Bose, which take ear cups with very similar designs. The Surface Headphones look more like an "o" for a shape versus a "0" for Bose and Sony. This design choice results in more padding backside and in front of the ear than the competition.

Under the band where it meets the skull apex, in that location is a decent amount of padding. While I didn't feel whatsoever head fatigue from the Surface Headphones, the Sonys feel a tad better for longer durations.

Peak to bottom: Sony WH-1000-XM3, Surface Headphones, Bose QC35II.

On the lesser correct ear cup, you can notice buttons for ability and microphone muting. There'southward as well a small white LED for charging status (blinking when charging, solid when charged), a USB Type-C port for fast charge, and a iii.5mm audio connector for those who want to use the headphones wired.

Pressing the power button for a second toggles the headphones on or off. Long-pressing for five seconds sets them to Bluetooth pairing mode. Holding the power button for xx seconds volition factory reset them. The mute microphone switch is self-explanatory, but I found the lack of any visible or audible feedback that the microphone was muted disconcerting.

The ports and buttons lined up perfectly showcase Microsoft's blueprint abilities.

Those buttons and ports are all perfectly lined up along with an invisible line and evenly spaced.

Surface Headphones auto-pause and gestures

In that location are a few distinct areas that separate Microsoft's headphones from the competition. I of those is the use of tapping either side of the capacitive ear cups for functionality. Here are the features:

• Curt tap — Play/intermission.
• Double tap — Next and Answer telephone call.
• Triple tap — Previous.
• Long printing — Activate Cortana or Refuse call.

Surface Headphones are hands the most user-friendly headphones.

The correct ear cup of the Surface Headphones acts like a giant volume knob. The left ear loving cup controls noise cancellation, giving users 13 different ambient sound levels. The execution of this is perfect. Surface Headphones are hands the near convenient headphones when compared to Sony and especially Bose. The dials are smooth, gentle, accurate and a joy to use versus concrete buttons or using an app.

Another genius feature is auto-suspension. When users take off the Surface Headphones or put them around their neck, the headphones pause whatever is playing through them whether, it's music or a motion-picture show on a PC.

The headphones likewise work wirelessly with Windows Sonic to requite pseudo-surroundings-sound and spatial furnishings. Motorcar-pause without a hitch.

The power of voice

Surface Headphones brings Cortana

Cortana is front and center with Surface Headphones. From the moment you first turn them on and set them upwardly, Microsoft'southward digital assistant is foundational.

Surface Headphones bring some serious innovation to the tabular array.

Those on iOS and Android tin use the new Cortana three.0 app to set up, control, update, and configure the headphones. For Windows 10 users, Cortana is built into the OS and uses the same process for setting up and configuration, which is uncomplicated.

A long-press can activate Cortana through Surface Headphones on the ear cup or only proverb "Hey, Cortana." This capability works on iOS to actuate Cortana, which for the showtime time, gives users a more natural ability to rely on the assistant over Apple's Siri. Microsoft notes, however, that Cortana and iOS still work best together when the Cortana app is open.

Various voice commands give Cortana a lot of punch for these headphones, such every bit:

• Dictate and transport electronic mail or SMS on Android or iOS.
• Get latest calendar appointments or status.
• Open Amazon Alexa (PC only).
• Open a playlist on Spotify (coming to iOS soon).
• Control music.
• Ask nigh atmospheric condition, trivia, conversions, general information, etc.

Those using Android will go a richer experience than on iOS because Cortana on Android tin can be ready every bit a default banana.

The Cortana app besides lets you configure a v-band equalizer (EQ) with presets for flat, classical, jazz, pop, and stone. Users can customize those EQ settings and save and name as many presets equally they wish.

Cortana app controlling Surface Headphones on iOS.

While there are currently no firmware updates available for Surface Headphones, it is through Cortana on iOS, Android, or PC that users can cheque for and install these characteristic and bug-fixing updates.

Cortana works quite well on the Surface Headphones and is particularly useful for those who program on using them with a PC, where Cortana can do much more than compared to Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, which take no presence or abilities.

Good news, non-great news

Surface Headphones audio and noise-canceling

Sound quality when playing music, listening to movies, or during a Skype call is brilliant on the Surface Headphones. Microsoft has always had a knack for audio as Surface Pro and Surface Laptop demonstrate. That carries over to the Surface Headphones, which are a delight to use for music or movies.

By dissimilarity, Bose QuietComfort 35 (Serial II) sound apartment and hollow (the lack of EQ does not aid). Compared to the excellent Sony WH-1000-XM3s, the Surface Headphones sound very similar. Music is rich, full-bodied with bass, and it has a remarkable fidelity. Sony has a few more software tricks up its sleeve, but Microsoft managed to create outstanding headphones that tin can go up against others in this grade.

Sony 1000-XM3 (left) vs. Surface Headphones (correct) ear cup design and size.

Still, things shift when information technology comes to Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Microsoft notes that the Surface Headphones have 4 beamforming microphones with iv additional microphones to deliver 13 levels of ambient noise cancellation, and it all works. Just it is not every bit proficient as Bose, and neither are every bit terrific equally Sony.

What is active dissonance cancellation and how does it work in headphones?

The Surface Headphones, when set to max ANC, tend to have a flake of a background hiss to them versus the about expressionless-silence provided by the Sony WH-g-XM3. It's noticeable on their own but more so when you lot compare straight.

Music is rich, full-bodied, and it has remarkable fidelity.

Exterior current of air noise is ameliorate than the Bose, which are terrible, merely again Sony has improve-recessed microphones to help prevent wind interference.

The same goes for public areas with lots of people talking and groundwork noise. The Surface Headphones reduce that dissonance, and the power to "dial it in" with fine granular control is amazing (most ANC headphones are "max" or just on or off for control). But compared to Sony and even Bose the Surface Headphones autumn short for racket cancellation.

Perhaps it is unrealistic to assume that Microsoft could beat either Bose or Sony on version 1.0; after all, both companies have been doing this research for years. The fact remains though that while the Surface Headphones are still very good, the Sony WH-1000-XM3 are the champs confronting noise.

Ameliorate than expected

Bottom line on Microsoft's Surface Headphones

Going up against Sony and Bose and expecting to win against either in a battle for headphones is an insane challenge. And perhaps Microsoft doesn't need to win, as long as it pushes the genre forward with creativity.

From that latter perspective, Microsoft achieved a lot. Sound quality compared to other popular brands at this price point is as good as Sony and better than Bose. One central takeaway is Microsoft made Bose look bad with its dated micro USB port, physical keys, and mediocre sound profile on the QC 35IIs.

Comfort, design, auto-pause and gesture controls are all marvelous with the Surface Headphones.

Surface Headphones trounce the best from Bose in almost all areas.

Where Surface Headphones stagger is dissonance cancellation and battery life. Both are satisfactory, but not amazing. Bose estimates around 20 hours of battery life and Sony pushes thirty. Surface Headphones are supposed to become 15 hours, but it's more like xi or 12 hours in my experience. The Type-C fast accuse helps and is very convenient for those who alive the Type-C tech life, simply these will demand charging more than frequently.

Dissonance cancellation is equally much art as it is science. While Sony is at present considered the all-time, it took the company years of trying — and declining — to shell Bose. Information technology finally did but only in September 2022 with the new WH-thou-XM3. Microsoft even so has some room to abound, just if we were expecting whatever amazing advancements with this technology, it is not axiomatic with this release. Possibly some software tweaking will change that, though.

So, who should buy the Surface Headphones? Anyone who works behind a reckoner (Mac or PC) and who wants to switch to their smartphone without fiddling dynamically. The Surface Headphones are great for listening to music on PC, taking a call on an iPhone, and and then going right back to work. Bose tin can practice this too, but Sony's pair with only one device.

There is also the example for those who like using Cortana on PC or smartphones. If you do, then these are a no-brainer. Neither Bose nor Sony works with Cortana.

In that location are also but fans of Surface PCs who desire premium headphones to match the experience. That may sound trivial, but it works for Apple, and there's no reason to dismiss such a loyal audience. And the Surface Headphones expect gorgeous next to a Surface PC.

Microsoft brought serious innovation to the tabular array with Surface Headphones. It all the same has room to improve, simply the visitor has established that it can offer some genuine competition to Bose and Sony. Surface Headphones 2 should be very heady. For now, this first release is above average ... but not the best.

Microsoft today opened preorders for Surface Headphones, which start shipping on November xix in the U.s.a. ($350) and x days afterwards November 29 in the Uk (£330).

Hearing is believing

Surface Headphones

High-quality sound, Surface design

The Surface Headphones bring outstanding sound to your PC or smartphone with some intelligent features that separate them from the competition. While they autumn brusque on racket cancellation, they're nevertheless excellent.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-headphone-review

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