Hands On: Surface Ear Buds

This week, Microsoft announced its newest peripheral, the Surface Ear Buds. I got a chance to try out the hardware and here is a closer look at the new earbuds that will be shipping soon.

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Conversation 24 comments

  • rmlounsbury

    Premium Member
    02 October, 2019 - 5:49 pm

    <p>I'll give you bonus credit for the robotic head model. </p>

  • akcanuck

    Premium Member
    02 October, 2019 - 6:07 pm

    <p>They look terrible</p>

  • Daishi

    Premium Member
    02 October, 2019 - 6:14 pm

    <p>I just see Frankenstein’s monster neck bolts…</p>

  • jgraebner

    Premium Member
    02 October, 2019 - 8:11 pm

    <p>I'm not sure they really look any worse than Apple's (which still look like having cigarettes hanging from your ears). I'm not entirely sure it is possible to make this type of earbuds both functional and not aesthetically silly looking.</p><p><br></p><p>I'd say that the bigger problems these have to overcome is the really high price and a feature set that seems a bit niche.</p>

    • mattbg

      Premium Member
      05 October, 2019 - 11:49 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#474503">In reply to jgraebner:</a></em></blockquote><p>The difference between these and the AirPods is that the AirPods are quite transparent now that so many people have them. People accept things once the people they like have adopted them.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm not sure these will ever reach that scale with them having niche functionality and such a high price, so they'll always be outliers and people will feel comfortable calling out that they look ridiculous.</p>

  • anoldamigauser

    Premium Member
    02 October, 2019 - 8:49 pm

    <p>Misplaced gauges?</p>

    • SvenJ

      03 October, 2019 - 1:56 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#474554"><em>In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</em></a><em> </em>1cm? I thought you said 1 inch.</blockquote><p><br></p>

    • Ekim

      Premium Member
      03 October, 2019 - 3:47 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#474554">In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</a></em></blockquote><p>Exactly my thought. Looks like Brad got gauges.</p>

  • SenorGravy

    02 October, 2019 - 10:22 pm

    <p>It's interesting to me they DON'T have the Microsoft logo. Looks like a natural place to put it, and plain without it.</p>

  • Gerard Samuel

    02 October, 2019 - 10:29 pm

    <p>Not for me. I think they are too large.</p>

  • warren

    02 October, 2019 - 11:18 pm

    <p>This video would be better if it was just three minutes of Brad turning his head left and right and staring blankly.</p>

  • navarac

    03 October, 2019 - 3:36 am

    <p>Far too large- far too pricey. By the time they get to the UK it'll be £250. Stupid price.</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      03 October, 2019 - 2:23 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#475034">In reply to navarac:</a></em></blockquote><p>I love it.</p><p><br></p><p>Just…</p><p><br></p><p><em>Stupide!</em></p>

  • wocowboy

    Premium Member
    03 October, 2019 - 6:25 am

    <p>My lord, those are ugly!</p>

    • jwpear

      Premium Member
      03 October, 2019 - 7:31 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#475075">In reply to wocowboy:</a></em></blockquote><p>Have to agree. What the hell were they thinking? They're massive looking. </p><p><br></p><p>Microsoft engineering team: "Let's design something that no one under 40 will even think about wearing out in public. We need to uphold our image with the younger generations of being an irrelevant tech company."</p><p><br></p><p>Were these things designed purely by specs? Did anyone consider the aesthetics and market appeal? </p>

  • jriemer

    Premium Member
    03 October, 2019 - 9:34 am

    <p>I guess it depends on use case, I get the too large argument (which they are) but could I replace my larger-than-those existing headset I use daily for work calls and see some benefits? Sure.. so there's that. Not sure I see them fairing well against the other consumer offerings out there but in a mixed, or heavily business slanted use case..</p>

  • daveevad

    03 October, 2019 - 10:21 am

    <p>Matte Black, with a slight (barely there) silver/white Microsoft logo &amp; a $200 price point then, maybe.</p>

  • tboggs13

    03 October, 2019 - 11:47 am

    <p>Yeah, I was a bit disappointed in the design. As much as I mock air pod users for wearing them as earrings and looking stupid, this makes it a hard sell.</p><p><br></p><p>They would look better with the classic Surface gray and the Microsoft Logo. However, I do see the potential for lots of "skins" to be made for these. Have a blank canvas to work with.</p><p><br></p><p>Definitely would want them in a darker color.</p>

    • bbold

      03 October, 2019 - 11:20 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#475292">In reply to tboggs13:</a></em></blockquote><p>Skins are a cool idea! Unless these take off and sell like hotcakes, and being they're Gen 1, I'm guessing custom made Surface Earbuds Skins may be a better bet for the foreseeable near future. 🙂 Plus.. maybe a fun little project? They'd definitely be original, then. It would be cool if Microsoft included blank skins for us to create our own style. How cool would that be? That seems like a good way to engage 'creators' or make them more customized and personal.</p>

  • RonV42

    Premium Member
    03 October, 2019 - 11:49 am

    <p>domo arigato mr roboto…</p>

  • mocavo67

    Premium Member
    03 October, 2019 - 3:29 pm

    <p>Do they have noise canceling capabilities for use on an airplane?</p>

  • bbold

    03 October, 2019 - 11:08 pm

    <p>If the Surface earbuds were $10, the perfect size for absolutely everyone, and shat diamonds, you guys would still find something to complain about. (lol, just giving you all a loving brotherly jab.) I just think us fans can be Microsoft's harshest critics sometimes.</p><p><br></p><p>I give Microsoft kudos for trying and for putting out a product. No one is ever going to be 100% satisfied. Let's focus on the positives and move on. I, for one, will be buying them, because they're awesome, they incorporate other digital assistants, attempt to unify the market somewhat, and they're integrated with Office. They're also different and allow you to use them without the assistance of a flagship phone.</p>

  • mattbg

    Premium Member
    05 October, 2019 - 11:45 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I understand the challenge with the aesthetics – the AirPods also looked ridiculous at first – a bit like bent, truncated Q-tips – but people have become accustomed to them. These Surface earplugs just seem like you'd need a big head to make them look alright.</span></p><p><br></p><p>These would make me look more like a adopted member of a rural African tribe than a sophisticated IT user. I don't see a way around that, and I'm not sure they'll get the AirPods ubiquity to turn them socially-reasonable.</p>

  • mukund555

    07 October, 2019 - 12:35 am

    <p>comfortable with my iPhone.sound is also clear </p><p><br></p><p><a href="www.ojasok.xyz" target="_blank">fantastic</a></p><p>#Ear_birds</p>

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