14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced the second-generation Microsoft Surface Headphones, an upgraded model that comes with improvements in the key areas.
The first-generation Surface Headphones were launched in the fall of 2018, so the new model comes approximately one year and a half after the software giant stepped into this side of the hardware market.
The Surface Headphones help push the Surface brand beyond the PC market, and while accessories aren’t necessarily the best-selling products for the software giant, they help us complete the Surface lineup.
The second-generation Headphones come with improved noise control, so they now feature 13 different levels of active noise cancellation. Microsoft says it has specifically focused on improving the battery life, so you should now get some 20 hours of listening per each charge.
“Surface Headphones 2 are designed to slip comfortably over your ears and surround you with spectacular sound quality, including 13 levels of ambient noise control. We improved sound quality and battery life, bringing you up to 20 hours of clear sound. Our active noise cancellation is adjustable through intuitive on-ear dials and specifically tuned to either block out or amplify human voices,” Microsoft explains.
One of the biggest changeS for this generation is the refined ear cup design, which provides more comfort when using the headphones and wearing them around the neck. This is clearly welcome because you no longer need to remove the Surface Headphones when you move around for a short time.
“We updated the ear cup design to rotate 180 degrees for greater comfort when wearing around your neck,” Microsoft explains.
This new generation is offered with a black finish in addition to the light gray version that was already available on the first model. This makes total sense since the Surface Headphones are offered as companions to the Surface PCs, which are also offered in light gray and matte black versions.
The tech specs haven’t changed too much besides the improvements mentioned above, so you still get a full charge in some 2 hours and control the volume with the right dial and noise cancelation with the left one.
The Surface Headphone 2 continue to work with Windows 10, iOS, Android, and macOS, as it just connects to any device wirelessly using Bluetooth. This is actually something that’s very important given Microsoft no longer has its mobile platform and restricting the Surface Headphones to the Windows ecosystem wouldn’t make much sense.
Like the first generation, the new model allows users to answer calls and talk with your contacts using the dual mics that are supposed to provide what Microsoft calls “exception call clarity.”
“Experience your music, shows, and calls like never before with spectacular Omnisonic sound and adjustable noise cancellation. Listen all day with soft, lightweight and comfortable ear pads. Use touch, tap or voice to skip tracks, answer and end calls, and get hands-free assistance. Your music even pauses when you take off Surface Headphones 2 and resumes when you put them back on,” Microsoft says.
Voice dictation continue to be available in Microsoft 365 for apps like Word and Excel, and so is support for digital assistants, which means you can interact with Siri and Google Assistant without even touching your mobile phone.
The Surface Headphones 2 are available for just $249.99, and they are projected to begin shipping in the United States and Canada starting with May 12. Of course, it will arrive in the rest of the markets in the coming months, and the black version in particular is likely to be pretty successful in the majority of markets.