Microsoft Surface Headphones 2
The new headphones keep the great noise-cancelling, upgrade the sound and lower the price
he original Surface Headphones were brilliant pure noise-cancellers. Their unhappy grey finish didn’t help, though. But now they’re back in black – sounding better and costing less.
In terms of sound, they’re much more forgiving of a standard Spotify stream now. Bass frequencies have much more solidity about them, so the bottom end is much punchier, but at the same time it’s better controlled – there’s no more swamping of singers by bass that’s overstayed its welcome.
It’s really only up in the higher frequencies that they’re anything less than confident. There’s not quite the bite or the shine to treble sounds that there really should be – mind you, it’s more sensible than the hardness and brilliance some rivals indulge in.
There are also some very commendable touches in terms of build quality. The memory foam that forms the ear-pads and lines the inside of the headband is soft, yielding, slow to heat and very comfortable. The earcups themselves swivel through 180 degrees, so the
T$399 microsoft.com
headphones fold flat enough to be easily (and safely) transported.
Like many a rival, they have touch-controls for music, phone calls, or using a voice assistant. But uniquely they also have a dial that adjusts noise-cancellation, running from ‘amplify external noise to make sure I’m safe when crossing the road’ to ‘full-blown sensory deprivation’ – and it’s brilliantly effective. Plus, of course, Microsoft’s noise-cancelling really is among the most effective around.
Battery life is another area that has improved over the original Surface Headphones – they’re now good for 20 hours with ANC engaged. Some rivals will last longer, it’s true – but this should be ample for more-or-less any circumstance.
So thoroughly have the shortcomings of the original Surface Headphones been addressed, it might seem churlish to find fault with these replacements. They sound better balanced, they cost a lot less money, they cancel noise as well as ever. So where’s the downside?
Really, it’s all to do with the strength of the competition. They’re facing off against the likes of Sony, AKG, Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins… but now Microsoft has a genuine contender. You really should hear the Surface Headphones 2 before you make any big purchasing decisions.