Microsoft has announced the Surface Headphones release date, along with how to pre-order. These premium noise-canceling headphones were revealed earlier this month during the company’s fall hardware event. They will cost $350 and will only be available in the United States. There is no news on whether they will release in any other territories.
Microsoft has revealed that the Surface Headphones release date is set for November 19. This comes far before Christmas and so will be in time for the holidays. Pre-orders are not currently available but will open November 15. The headphones will then ship on November 19. You can do this from Microsoft’s official store page for the device. There currently is no ability to purchase or pre-order the headphones from any other retailer.
There will be some competitor’s for Microsoft’s first foray into the premium-headphones market, either already out for this holiday season or soon to be released. One of the devices releasing close to the Surface Headphones is the Audio-Technica ATH-SR50BT. This listening device from the Audio-Technica Corporation will be releasing at the comparatively lower $199. It does not feature the dials or Cortana implementation as the Microsoft gadget, however, it does still offer a high-level of noise cancellation. It also has a unique feature called Hear-Through. This will let the user activate noise cancellation immediately by putting their hand over the left cup. However, it does have a much smaller battery life than the Washington-based company’s device.
Another direct competitor to the Microsoft Surface Headphones is Sony’s WH-1000XM3. These offer adaptive noise-canceling which will take in the ambient noise surrounding the user and adjust accordingly. It also offers Google Assistant functionalities which makes it even more of a direct competitor to Microsoft. The similar price range of $349.99 will again make consumers decide between the two devices.
The Microsoft Surface Headphones were announced today for a 2018 release. These noise-canceling headphones are the first time the tech giant has entered the premium listening device market. They will be shipping in time for the holidays and will cost $350. The device, however, will only be available in the United States at launch.
The new over-ear Microsoft Surface Headphones will offer users “crisp” audio and adjustable sound cancellation according to Microsoft. The headphones will adjust the amount of outside noise coming in via a dial on the left ear cup. The dial on the right cup, instead, will adjust the volume of the media being played. The device will also offer Cortana support for hands-free voice commands. Another feature with the hardware is that when removed from your head, music will automatically pause.
To connect to devices, the Microsoft Surface headphones can either use Bluetooth or a detachable 3.5 mm cable. In addition to this, the device will charge via a USB-C port. As for pausing and skipping songs, the headphones will offer touch inputs on both ear cups. Microsoft claims that the device will have a battery life of 15 hours while using Bluetooth connectivity while using the 3.5 mm cable will give it a 50-hour battery life. Further customization of the users’ listening experience using the device will be available with an app that will release alongside the Microsoft Surface Headphones.
The dimensions of the Microsoft Surface Headphones will be 8.03 inches by 7.68 inches by 1.89 inches. They will weigh 0.64 pounds and will only be available in light gray. The frequency response of the device will be 20 kHz. The active noise cancellation will be up to 30 dB, while the passive will be up to 40 dB. The speakers included in the headphones will be 40 mm Free Edge driver and it will charge fully in less than two hours.
