Product test
Nothing Headphone (1) review: a great-sounding fidget toy
by Jan Johannsen
Surface headset: very expensive, even too expensive?
7.3.2019
Translation: machine translated
Microsoft is determined to challenge Sony in this market, and is launching the Surface headset to take on the Japanese brand's flagship product. If it weren't for the price of the headset and the somewhat disconcerting marketing strategy, this ambition might well be crowned with success.
"You are connected to the ipade [unintelligible]," Microsoft's robotic voice tells me when I pair my Surface headset with my iPad. This will be the last acoustic fault of the Surface I hear during my test.
So Microsoft is getting into headphones, in a market that is more competitive than any other. Wired or Bluetooth? Circum or supra? Not to mention the question of price. Here, Microsoft is shooting itself in the foot, because the Surface costs the eyeballs.
Microsoft shoots itself in the foot
At the close of writing this article in February 2019, the product costs in the region of 400 francs. By way of comparison, the star of active noise-cancelling around-ear headphones is the Sony WH-1000XM3, in other words the de facto benchmark in the market Microsoft is trying to conquer.
Not only has it won numerous awards around the world, but it's also produced by a brand that has built up an excellent reputation in this field over time. A newcomer to the market charging 20 francs more can only count on the curious and the fans who don't yet exist, which is to say not very many people.
Unless of course you adopt an even weirder strategy along the lines of marketing headphones, one of the most useful survival tools in the urban commuting jungle, not as headphones, but as an accessory for your other devices? I can just imagine the meeting: "That'll nail it for Sony!"Indeed, it makes you wonder why no other brand has chosen this most brilliant marketing strategy.
Let's be honest: this is a headset, not an accessory! And expensive with that. Suffice to say, it's not a given.
Auto-pause could well be worth 20 francs
The headphones then tell my Spotify to pause the music. Spotify executes. This feature was highlighted by Microsoft at the launch event in Zurich. I was sceptical about how well it worked and how useful it would be, but I have to admit that it's one of those features that I was missing without realising it. I've really been won over. For it alone, I'd consider paying the extra 20 francs over the XM3.
Especially if you often listen to music in the office. After all, it often happens that the boss comes in to tell you something and if your music keeps droning on in the background, it doesn't sound very serious. Or if, like me, you like listening to podcasts, you miss a bit by only listening to the boss with one ear, which is doubly annoying: you didn't get what he wanted and you still missed a few minutes of the podcast.
Two knobs to do it all
Speaking of buttons, the headphones have touch-sensitive earcups. Basically, this is where the play/pause controls are located. There are other functions, but they're harder to access. Both earpieces incorporate the same interface.
- One tap: play/pause
- Two taps: next track
- Three taps: previous track
Beware: you need to be quick. The play/pause function reacts immediately. This is probably because it's the most used. A slightly less nervous interface would still have been appreciated.
Let's move on to the hands-free function
Like its competitors, the Surface headset can interact with your smartphone, regardless of brand, and act as a hands-free kit. But unlike some others, the Surface is compatible with Skype, which can be interesting in the office. That's not my case, my Skype VoIP hasn't worked for ages and that's fine.
Things get complicated when I try to use WhatsApp's built-in phone function. Not only do we notice a two-second delay, but I find it hard to understand the person I'm talking to. A shame, but hopefully this can be fixed on the software side.
Does anyone know what the situation is with Skype?
A solid starter model but starts with a handicap
The difficulty lies in market positioning. Microsoft is complicating the task with such a high price for a first model. Is the extra cost worth it compared to competing models? Not really, no. Indeed, the XM3, to return to the de facto benchmark, costs 20 francs less and can also pause music when the headphones are removed.
Commuters will find the Surface and its giant case too bulky. I hope the next model folds up to fit in any bag. Indeed, given the way it's currently configured, I get the impression that it's not designed for nomadism. A headset that stays on the desk after work isn't necessarily a bad concept, but not at this price.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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