Microsoft Surface Headphones

Brilliant sound quality ; Effective noise cancellation ; Intuitive controls

Design won’t appeal to all ; Sound may be too warm for some

Microsoft’s first crack at over-ear headphones is ultimately as impressive and stylish as all of Microsoft’s hardware. We were very impressed with the active noise cancellation and sound quality of these headphones, although the design may polarize...

Great sound quality with ample bass and loud output ; Comfortable for long periods of wear ; Noise-cancelling capable without going to vacuum-like levels ; Dial controls on earcups are neatly integrated and function well

Noise-cancelling is over complex and lacks information - distinctive modes would be better ; Stronger noise-cancelling mode is absent ; App and sound profiles lack ; Do we really want Windows logos on headphones?

The Surface cans offer big sound and great, while the rotational controls around the earcups are the pièce de résistance. However, we'd like more distinctive noise-cancelling modes and sound profiles to really set these bland-looking but great-sounding...

Outstanding noise-cancelling ; Big, controlled and detailed sound ; Comfortable even over extended periods

Tentative high-frequency reproduction

Sonic improvements and a stiff price reduction make Microsoft’s wireless active noise-cancellers a much more mainstream proposition than before

Engaging, punchy sound ; Very comfortable ; Neat touch controls

Noise cancellation is merely all right ; Lacklustre mid-range reproduction ; Less portable than some rivals

For a first go at penetrating a competitive market, the Surface Headphones are a valiant effort. Their sound certainly has its strengths, they’re very comfortable to wear and the design makes them a perfectly styled companion to other Surface products.

Excellent wireless connection ; Brilliant noise cancelling ; Deals well with mid-range

Limited colour options ; Battery life could be better

Surface Headphones demonstrate some impressive thinking, and sound a lot more colourful than they look

Sturdy build; impressive wireless range; lovely eloquent midrange

As grey as a very grey thing; sound skewed at either end of the frequency range

There’s enough to admire here. It doesn’t matter than Microsoft has endless resources - its first attempt at some premium noise-cancelling wireless headphones has some real highlights; you only need consider the sort of headphones Apple (for example)...

Comfortable fit ; Balanced sound ; Microsoft suite integration ; Translation

Microsoft's pricey new Surface Earbuds are custom built for the office

Comfortable ; Adjustable noise-canceling ; Easy-to-use controls

No real need for Cortana integration ; Short battery life compared to Bose and Sony