Like most runners and gym-goers, you're probably all too familiar with the constant pain of trying to find the perfect pair of headphones. Not only is it frustratingly difficult to find a pair that are both comfortable and high-quality, you'll also want a set that actually stay in your ears during exercise.
Those demands are harder to satisfy than you may think, but Microsoft — with the release of the new Surface Earbuds — have seemingly cracked it. The new Surface Earbuds could revolutionise your fit tech experience, just as long as you can deal with their, er, unique look.
To help you make the decision, MH got to spend some time with the new Surface Earbuds earlier this month to see just how good they can be. Despite some very minor issues (more on those later) we were left seriously impressed.
They might be bulkier and more expensive than the competition — Apple Airpods, in case you were wondering — but they have incredible audio performance, a long list of helpful features and one particular bit of tech that we think will help runners stay safer.
Microsoft Surface Earbud Features
Firstly, let’s get the impressive innovation covered: the Surface Earbud has a nifty feature that helps you stay aware of your surroundings. They have active noise cancellation, but the very shallow buds still allow natural, ambient sound to enter your ear through the front and back of the buds.
It means you can be listening to music, while running, say, and can still hear cars behind you without having to pause the music or take an earbud out. Or, you could be talking to your gym buddy, while keeping the music playing throughout your session.
So far, so good. But does it work? In a word, yes, it does. MH tested it out during the Microsoft event, listening to — no judgement, here — Chris Martin. The music was at 75 per cent volume, but we could still clearly hear the designers talking us through the features as though we weren’t wearing earphones at all.
The only downside, unfortunately, is that the buds themselves are quite bulky and cumbersome. Apple Airpods are lauded for their style and subtlety, so you may feel more noticeable with these Surface Earbuds.
They almost look like ear-plugs, taking up the entire space inside your ear with a white disc, but it doesn't mean they're uncomfortable. The Surface Earbuds will stay in your ear quite easily, with a comfortable and customisable bud slotting right into your ear canal and sitting securely.
Initially, they may feel heavy, but running in the Surface Earbuds feels like a great match.
Surface Earbuds Performance: Keep the Music Down, But The Quality Up
To protect hearing and help you keep aware of your surroundings, the volume on these is limited to 108 decibels, which is a feature that doesn’t come with the Airpods.
The audio is still great, however, and rivals most other competitors for its range. Bass feels strong without being overpowering, and you get some lovely middle on live music tracks.
They are also smart earbuds, with a capacitive touch surface that allows for music control with just a swipe of the finger - a feature that not many other earphones can boast about.
Swipe forward and back on the circular surface to skip tracks back and forward, swipe up and down to change the volume, or double-tap to pause or resume. Easy.
Surface Earbuds Battery Life: Will They Last a Marathon?
Well, that depends on how long it takes you to run a marathon. We aren’t all Eliud Kipchoge, after all. The Surface Earbuds will last as long as you can, with up to 24-hours-battery life if you include the two charges from the case.
The buds themselves last around eight hours, but the case houses a further two charges before needing to be plugged in itself.
Surface Earbuds Price: How Much Are They?
In short: these aren’t cheap. For £199, you’ll get two earbuds, a charging case and three different sized tips, making them significantly more expensive than the Apple Airpod(which usually cost around £159).
Still, all in, we're hyped for the Surface Earbuds. Yes, they might be big, brash, and expensive, but the audio quality is among the best on the market, and the fact that we can take them from the office to the gym and onto the streets for a run makes it all worth it.
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
