With the Surface Microsof product family t aims to offer the market a series of solutions that allows me According to the company, they aim to obtain the best possible user experience in a Windows environment while at the same time offering devices that can offer the user modes of use different from the standard.

It is well known as the category of 2-in-1 notebooks so called detachables, i.e. with a screen that can be completely disconnected from the base, found in Surface Pro the product that has represented the reference in recent years. With this solution, and with the others of the family that have appeared on the market over the last few years, Microsoft has often also acted as a reference point for its notebook manufacturing partners in developing designs and alternative solutions to those of traditional notebooks.

The Surface range includes not only PC systems but also peripherals developed with the same philosophy . Among these also headphones, such as the model Surface Headphones 2 that I have been able to use continuously in the last 6 weeks.

The Surface 2 headphones, available in satin black or light gray, boast a design that echoes those of other products of the family: the arch is very thin, with the two pavilions that are mounted on joints that rotate by 180 degrees horizontally, but do not allow them to be folded inwards to reduce overall bulk when the headphones are pinned. Not bad: a container in the same color as the headphones is supplied, inside which there is the connector for charging the batteries and the audio cable that can be used as an option.

Surface Headphones 2 connect to the device through Bluetooth interface , in an extremely simple way: there is a button on the right pavilion, above which there is the power button headphones, with which to start the pairing procedure with the device. Also on this pavilion are the USB Type-C connector for charging headphones, as well as the mini jack connector for the audio cable: in this way the headphones can work even with flat batteries. Microsoft certifies operation with PCs equipped with Windows operating system 10 , as well as with mobile devices based on operating systems Google Android and Apple iOS .

Reduce or amplify ambient noise: the user chooses it

The peculiarity of the Surface Headphones 2 is discovered by touching the external parts with your hands of the two earphones : there are two dials that control one, the one on the right, the volume and the other, the one on the left, the intervention level of the active volume cancellation system . This feature operates with two extremes, one for the highest level of ambient noise absorption and the other with the highest level of ambient noise amplification, allowing the user to select one of several intermediate positions according to their preferences.

This is the most interesting feature, from a practical point of view, of the Surface Headphones 2, that is the maximum flexibility given to the ‘user who, depending on what he has to do and the environment in which he is located , can choose how to balance the audio sent to play with the noise generated by the surrounding environment . Its cancellation is known and appreciated, initially by those who travel a lot by plane, but it is also useful in the workplace when you want to isolate yourself and concentrate in a shared environment that is a bit too noisy.

On the other hand the Omnisonic audio system , this is the name chosen by Microsoft, it allows to emphasize the ambient noises and therefore to be able to perceive dialogues and external sounds even when listening to music. This is very useful when you want to use headphones to listen to audio but you need not to lose sounds coming from the environment in which you are. , such as a phone call, the doorbell ringing or a colleague asking for an opinion.

In daily use you have maximum flexibility

The use I have personally done Surface Headphones 2 in this period has been very intense, both in the editorial office and at home. The possibility of being able to isolate myself, setting the maximum level of active noise cancellation, or to balance the audio heard with the ambient noise to be aware of what was happening around me it was very helpful . Very often I found myself conversing with colleagues for an exchange of views while continuing to keep the headphones on, almost without having to touch the audio playback volume and being able to hear what I was being told very clearly.

The Bluetooth connection, moreover, has always been flawless in operation even when I am very far from the Surface Pro 6 that I use as my PC. The headphones continued to work without interruption even when I moved one 15 within a few meters from the PC , even with walls in the middle to represent a further obstacle to the signal.

Good behavior also with regard to the two built-in microphones : no problem with videoconferencing both to listen and to make me hear the clear way. The built-in rechargeable batteries offer up to 14 hours of music playback as stated by Microsoft. In my experience of use I have found confirmation of these values, typically having to recharge the batteries every 2 days : in about 2 hours the battery is fully recharged and each time it is switched on an automatic voice indicates the estimated residual autonomy.

In Windows environment 10 you can download from the Store the Surface Audio App , with which to control the main functions of the Surface Headphones 2. The app contains videos in English, with subtitles in Italian, which guide correct configuration of the operating parameters and explain how to make the most of the headphones.

The two side pavilions, as mentioned, contain on the outermost part the rings to adjust volume and intervention of the noise reduction or ambient sound amplification system. The central part of both sides is tactile and this allows you to perform with the headphones numerous operations related to the playback of audio tracks or phone calls without having to touch your mobile device . Pressing once starts playback or pause. Double tapping these large buttons consecutively switches to the playback of the next audio track, while a triple tap in sequence returns to the previous track. If you receive a phone call, you can answer by pressing twice on one of these side areas: the same operation allows you to interrupt the call in progress. To reject a call, simply tap the side button while holding it down. It should be noted that when the headphones are removed the audio playback is automatically paused , and resumes autonomously once which are worn again.

The build quality of the Surface Headphones 2 is very high , replicating what we saw with the other products of the Surface family. The only limit, for those who travel a lot, is the impossibility of reducing the overall dimensions by folding the two pavilions inside under the support arch : it is always possible to use the case but this is quite large if you think you have it with you in your PC bag or backpack.

The audio quality is very good : I appreciated the response of these headphones with various musical genres, not regretting other headphones adopted stably in the past for personal use. The shape of the pavilions, moreover, is such as not to have tired me in any way even wearing headphones during my entire working day : this thing is subjective as the shape and size of the ears differ from person to person, but the closed pavilion construction with greater vertical development has perme