Ears-On: Microsoft Surface Earphones Control Noise

As a video game journalist, I have a niche problem, it's trying to listen to a new game I'm playing on headphones while trying to hear the instructions of the PR person who is guiding me. The demos usually have these really cool game helmets trying to make the experience as immersive as possible. But then, I always have to clumsily discover an ear to know how to play. So, my immediate thought after trying out Microsoft's new Surface Headphones is to hope that all the demos use them now because they solve this problem. But for the vast majority of people who do not have this problem, they are always really nice headphones.

The Surface earphones completely cover your ears and have a nice and comfortable layer of gray padding. They connect wirelessly via Bluetooth with a battery life of 15 hours in 2 hours via USB-C. Each box is actually a big dial that users can rotate smoothly to adjust the volume and remove the noise. It is an elegant and functional material.

I'm not an audiophile, but the quality of the sound (40mm speakers) and the efficiency with which the headphones cleared the background noise during the preview were impressive. It was almost mysterious to be in total silence, as so many people were talking around me. And adjusting each ear individually makes it perfect for my scenario "listen to the game in one ear and a person in the other ear".

You can simply stop here, using the Surface Helmet as a noise reduction headset. But Microsoft naturally wants to train you in its larger ecosystem, which is why Surface headsets play so well with the Cortana Mobile Digital Assistant. With Cortana, you can easily use the hands-free headset to listen to music, take calls, make a Skype conference call, schedule meetings, and make an appointment with Master Chief.

The Cortana app also simplifies access to the more advanced functions of the headset and their adjustment. Cortana works with Windows 10, iOS, Android and MacOS. But do not be shocked when the process is a little more intuitive about Microsoft products, using features such as Swift Pair, such as all new Surface tablets of this event or the Xbox One X running. Forza Horizon 4.

The surface headphones later launch this holiday for $ 350. To learn more about quality audio equipment, check out pre-orders for Amazon's latest Alexa ads and our Geek pick for Anker Soundcore Flare.

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