Review: Microsoft Surface Headphones 2

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

As far premium headphones go the Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 bring a lot of the look and functionality, we’ve seen from other Surface products. You have dual dials that can toggle volume and 13-levels of noise cancellation. You can also touch the surface of each headphone to pause, or play audio, and there’s an easy mute button on the right headphone. 

Microsoft builds its headsets through the lens of productivity, meaning that it sees its devices as office tools for meetings and video conferences rather than as consumer electronics for consuming music. In this context, the Surface Headphones 2, do stand out with 18-hour battery life and a comfortable and surprisingly lightweight design.

Pairing is done through the power button, which can be frustrating since that power button is also the reset button, so it is easy to accidentally do something you didn’t intend to do.

 Design and UX

In terms of design, the Surface Headphones 2 are a bit big, but if you consider they promise 18 hours of music playback, so there’s likely a large battery (or two) in this device. The Surface Headphones 2 are relatively lightweight, I like that you can wear them for hours on end and they don’t feel too hot or uncomfortable.

The design aesthetic is on the bland and muted side, which makes it fit well in business environments. These aren't headphones that will excite users looking for exotic materials or sleek color treatments and that's fine.

In terms of materials, the Surface Headphones 2 is basic plastic and rubber. There are no metal parts, and, surprisingly, no Alcantara leather anywhere. The look and feel is more midrange than premium even if the pricing is on the high side for what it is. 

Day-to-day Use 

I used the Surface headphones 2 for work meetings, to watch shows on my laptop, and to listen to music. Noise cancellation is excellent and does a great job of helping you dial down ambient noise.

Audio quality is disappointing, especially for music or watching movies. My older set of Bose headphones had more detail and clarity even if they didn’t feature noise cancellation. Apple's AirPods Pro now have spatial audio which make them more engaging for watching blockbuster movies or TV shows. 

As a Bluetooth headset, the Surface Headphones are a mixed bag. They are supposed to work on multiple devices and transfer seamlessly from one to the other but that was not the case in my experience. Pairing was often frustrating, requiring me to reset the headphones in order to pair. To complicate things even further, Microsoft requires you use an app to connect to mobile devices, which can take longer than a simple Bluetooth connection. The app does offer various equalizer settings, which helps in improving the audio quality.

I like the USB-C charging port, which works with most smartphone and laptop chargers today. Microsoft includes a cloth carrying case as well as wired plug which would come in handy if you don't want to use up your battery. 

 Conclusion

Microsoft is not an audio company, and while it has some interesting ideas about what headphones should be, it all boils down to sound quality and Surface Headphones aren’t going to win any prizes for that. They’re fine for voice calls, listening to podcasts, and blocking out the outside world but lack the range of control expected from from higher end headsets. I find them overpriced, but then the same can be said for any product with the Surface name attached to it.