Of course, ‘relatively large’ could, in another life, be the Surface Earbuds’ official model name: a 25mm diameter is big by in-ear standards, 7.2g is heavy by in-ear standards and their charging case isn't exactly slim, either. You’ll make your own mind up about the ‘distinctive’ looks - but Microsoft’s first stab at some true wireless in-ears has to be considered a success. Virtually all in-ear headphones I’ve tested in the last few years have some form of touch or gesture sensitivity, but Surface Earbuds takes it to the next level.
Once they were in, I found giving them a slight twist helped lock the extra lump of silicone at the back of each ear tip into my ear lobe. Now, they have a meltdown if they can’t find their AirPods. They deliver on several of those fronts. The design allows just a hint of ambient sound through, so pausing music is enough to hold a conversation without taking the Earbuds out. The earbuds transcribed my words with startling precision (I did need to say, “period,” and “comma,” to see include punctuation). The charging case can only be updated when plugged into a Windows PC, though I can’t imagine you’ll need to do that with any regularity. Everyone and anyone will know what they are when you're wearing them. Considering the large, flat surface area of the Surface Earbuds, I expected their touch-sensitive controls would be a snap. What Are Google Pixel Buds and How Do They Work.

The Surface Earbuds may not be the last word in audio excitement, but they strike a decent balance between fidelity and enthusiasm. The highest frequencies are similarly detailed and reasonably expressive, with some bite and shine to Anna Meredith’s Inhale Exhale. It's a little bit harder than it should be to get Microsoft Surface Earbuds out of their case. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor,
Sound quality - or, at least, customization of sound quality - is looked after by the Surface Audio app. This is what a Microsoft Surface Earbud looks like in my ear. Microsoft’s Surface Earbuds offer terrific comfort, long battery life, and an eye-catching design. The mics inside the Surface Earbuds — two on each bud — at least provide excellent clarity for those Office features, and I’d put these neck and neck with AirPods as some of the best earbuds for making calls or videoconferencing. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day. Microsoft is late. You’ll either love or hate the appearance of them.

Swiping forwards or backwards will skip forwards or backwards, swiping up or down raises or lowers volume. I was also able to tap the left earbud three times and start playing Spotify, but only if I had the app open. It’s just one of those things that’s hard to overlook at $200. Technically, you can use either earbud independently. If there must be trade-offs, though, then this is a sensible compromise to make. Surface Earbuds start their lives inside the slightly over-sized case; its design seems to have been dictated by the space necessary to hold 2-inches of touch discs. See our ethics statement. What’s more disappointing for work life is that the Surface Earbuds are unable to pair with two devices simultaneously, such as your phone and your laptop. That's better than some of the Microsoft's competition in this space (Bang & Olufsen, we’re looking at you), but others (Sennheiser, Cambridge, Klipsch) go for quite a lot longer. Pairing is swift, and proves secure and stable in every reasonable circumstance. If you’re put off by how regular in-ear buds feel in your ears, these are worth a try.

You will receive a verification email shortly. The company’s first truly wireless earbuds, the Surface Earbuds, were latecomers when they were first announced back in October, and they are even later now that they are finally available. You can tap twice on either earbud to pause or play music.

The Surface Earbuds have enough strengths — airy comfort, long battery life, and good voice quality — to outweigh their problem spots. There’s a lot to admire in the sound the Surface Earbuds make - but where drive, attack and straightforward excitement are concerned, you can do better. I listened to all of Fiona Apple’s new album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, and was impressed with how the Surface Earbuds maintained the homemade ambiance of the music. (Microsoft provides three sizes of tips in the box.) But Microsoft splits track controls and volume between the two sides. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Comment accélérer la vitesse d’impression de votre imprimante . An open design also limits bass potential, which is always enhanced by a good in-ear seal. He's on TV a lot, too. With large touch-friendly discs that sit outside your ears, Surface Earbuds can make you look, well, I’ll let my wife describe the look: “You look a little like Frankenstein.”. Fit and finish aren’t among those trade-offs, however. Things got a little dicey, though, when I introduced Microsoft’s cross-platform Surface Audio app. Microsoft also conscripts its earbuds into productivity duty. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. Like the lower frequencies, midrange stuff is well-controlled - but unlike the lower frequencies, this level of midrange authority can rob music of just a little drive and attack. And if your dream has always been to control PowerPoint slideshows with a swipe of your earbud, this is your moment. You’re a windows user Lifewire/ Lance Ulanoff I got all-day playback on a charge and, when the earbuds ran low (Surface Earbud will announce in your ear low battery before you completely run out of juice) I popped them back in the case, but only for five minutes. Even Siri. Pausing (and also playing) music is done with a double-tap on the sizable capacitive touch area on the Surface’s sizable, well, surface. I also had no trouble (though it was not as automatic) pairing the earbuds with an iPad and iPhone. If left on a table idle for 10 minutes, they’ll automatically power down to conserve battery. This wide field of competition has already led Microsoft to launch them at a lower price ($199.99) than initially planned. These discs are big, but they do provide a lot of utility. I’ve heard better through, for instance, Apple’s more tightly sealed (and ambient noise-cancelling) sealed AirPods Pros, but this is honestly better than average. The Surface Earbuds are available to buy for $199 / £199 / AU$319.95. There’s a USB-C port around back, a pairing button on the bottom, and that’s the extent of the case. With the case’s two full charges, you get approximately 24 hours of battery life.