By Chris Welch@chriswelch  

 

Microsoft’s Surface event didn’t come without some surprises: after announcing its latest Surface Pro, Laptop, and Studio devices, the company also revealed the brand-new $350 Surface Headphones. They’re shipping “in time for the holidays” — but only in the United States at launch. Unlike all the black gear that Microsoft showed today, these only come in light gray.

The over-ear, wireless Surface Headphones feature premium sound and adjustable noise cancellation, giving users precise control over how much outside noise is let in as they listen. To change the level of noise cancellation, you turn the dial on the left ear cup. A dial on the right side (seen below) adjusts volume.

The Surface Headphones also support “Hey Cortana” for hands-free voice commands and will automatically pause music when removed from your ears. They charge over USB Type C and can also be plugged in via a detachable 3.5mm cable.

“They slip comfortably over your ears to surround you with spectacular sound quality and 13 levels of ambient noise control,” Microsoft’s press release says. “Designed with collaboration in mind, there are 2 beam-forming microphones on each ear cup, 8 microphones in total, all helping you focus on the sounds you want to capture allowing for excellent call experiences.”

Like Sony’s 1000X M3 headphones, Microsoft’s include touch controls on the ear cups for pausing your music or skipping tracks. Battery life is rated at 15 hours over Bluetooth or 50 hours when plugged in via headphone jack, and the sound can be customized via an app that Microsoft will release alongside the Surface Headphones.

Specs for the Surface Headphones.
 Microsoft

According to CNET, the Surface Headphones have been in development for three years and are meant to compete directly against Bose and Sony, the current leaders in noise-cancelling headphones.

To read the article, click here.