Why Everyone is Buying the Surface Headphones 2 Wireless (Full Review)

I have owned and used the Surface Headphones 2 Wireless for over three months now. I bought them expecting a decent pair of noise-cancelling cans from a company better known for laptops and tablets. What I found was something far more interesting — a genuinely competitive ANC headphone that does several things better than the established giants, while making a few surprising compromises. After wearing them on flights, through open-plan office days, during calls, and across countless commutes, here is my full, honest take on why these headphones have developed such a loyal following — and whether they deserve yours.

Introduction: the dark horse of premium ANC headphones

Let me be clear about something from the start. I did not expect to like the Surface Headphones 2 as much as I do. The Sony WH-1000XM4 was my daily driver for two years. I had tested the Bose NC 700 extensively. When I picked up the Surface Headphones 2, I assumed I would find them competent but unremarkable — a nice accessory for Surface owners but not a serious contender. I was wrong. Within a week, I had retired the Sony pair to my desk drawer. The Surface Headphones 2 did not outclass the Sony in every dimension, but they got enough right that I found myself reaching for them day after day. That says something.

Design and build quality

The Surface Headphones 2 have a unique look. The ear cups are large, circular, and covered in a soft-touch matte plastic that feels pleasant but does attract fingerprints over time. The headband is padded generously with what Microsoft calls "protein leather" — a synthetic material that has held up well so far without peeling or cracking. The overall aesthetic is understated in a way that I personally love. These do not scream "look at my headphones." They blend in.

The hinge mechanism is metal-reinforced, which gives me confidence in their long-term durability. The adjustment sliders click into place with a satisfying detent. My one concern is the fabric mesh on the outside of the ear cups — it is soft and breathable but collects dust and lint noticeably. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth takes care of it, but it is something to keep in mind if you are obsessive about keeping things pristine.

At 290 grams, they are not the lightest headphones on the market — the Sony WH-1000XM4 comes in at 254 grams — but the weight distribution is excellent. I have worn these for four-hour stretches without any hotspot on the top of my head. The clamping force is moderate and even. If you wear glasses like I do, you will be pleased to know the ear cup padding is deep enough that the frame arms do not dig in.

Comfort for long sessions

Comfort is where the Surface Headphones 2 truly excel in my experience. The ear cushions are thick, plush, and filled with memory foam. They create a good seal around the ears without putting excessive pressure on my jaw or temples. I wore these during an eight-hour workday that included five hours of calls, music listening, and general focus work. I took them off at the end of the day and felt no discomfort — which I cannot say about any other ANC headphone I have used for that duration.

The breathability is also worth mentioning. My ears do not get hot and sweaty in the Surface Headphones 2 the way they do in some leather-padded competitors. The mesh-covered interior helps with airflow. This matters more than most reviews acknowledge. If you wear headphones for hours at a time, sweat buildup is a real issue that the Surface Headphones 2 handle better than most.

Sound quality performance

The Surface Headphones 2 house 40 mm drivers with a neutral-warm sound signature. The bass is present and punchy but not overwhelming. The midrange is where these headphones shine — vocals sound natural, present, and intimate. I listened to Bon Iver's "Holocene" and Phoebe Bridgers' "Motion Sickness" during testing, and both sounded detailed and emotionally engaging in a way that surprised me from a first-generation audio effort. The treble is smooth and non-fatiguing. I did not experience any sibilance even at higher volumes. The soundstage is wider than I expected from closed-back wireless headphones — not open-back wide, but instruments have clear separation and placement.

Where the Surface Headphones 2 fall slightly short of the Sony WH-1000XM4 is in low-end detail retrieval. The Sony delivers slightly tighter, more textured bass. The Surface Headphones 2 are a touch looser in the sub-bass region. For most listeners, this will not matter. Codec support covers SBC, AAC, and aptX but not LDAC. On an iPhone this is irrelevant. On Android, using Tidal Master tracks over AAC, I found the difference negligible in blind listening.

Active Noise Cancellation

The ANC on the Surface Headphones 2 is excellent but not class-leading. Microsoft uses a dial-based system with 13 levels of adjustable cancellation, controlled via the rotating dial on the left ear cup. At the maximum setting, these headphones reduce airplane cabin noise by a significant margin. I tested them on a four-hour flight and could comfortably listen to podcasts at 40 percent volume. The low-frequency rumble of the engines was almost completely eliminated.

Mid-frequency noise — like the chatter of a coffee shop or an open-plan office — is reduced impressively well. I could still hear the occasional sharp sound like a dropped pen or a loud laugh, but the general hum of conversation dropped to a distant murmur. High-frequency noise like keyboard clacking is attenuated less effectively. If you work next to a mechanical keyboard user, you will still hear some of it.

Compared to the Bose NC 700, the Surface Headphones 2 fall a bit short. Bose's ANC is more aggressive across all frequency ranges, especially in the midrange. Compared to the Sony WH-1000XM4, I found them roughly equivalent — the Sony has slightly better adaptive ANC that adjusts to your environment automatically, while the Microsoft gives you manual control over the 13 levels. I personally prefer the manual control because I can set it once and forget it. The Sony's adaptive system sometimes changes levels when I do not want it to.

Microphone and call quality

This is the category that surprised me most. The Surface Headphones 2 have eight microphones — four for ANC and four for voice pickup. The beamforming array does an outstanding job of isolating my voice from background noise. I made test calls standing on a busy street corner, and the person on the other end said I sounded clear with minimal wind noise. In an office environment, call quality is excellent. The only downside is that the microphones pick up a slight "boominess" in very quiet rooms, but this is a minor nitpick.

For video calls on Microsoft Teams — which I use daily — these headphones are arguably the best wireless option I have tested. The integration with the Surface ecosystem is seamless, and the mute button on the left ear cup works reliably with Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.

Battery life and charging

Microsoft claims 20 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, and up to 15 hours with ANC and a constant call going. In my real-world usage, I got between 18 and 22 hours depending on volume levels and ANC settings. This is adequate but not exceptional. The Sony WH-1000XM4 offers 30 hours, and the Bose NC 700 offers 20 hours. The Surface Headphones 2 sit in the middle of the pack.

Charging is via USB-C, which is welcome. A 15-minute quick charge gave me about two hours of playback in my testing, and a full charge from empty takes roughly two hours. There is no wireless charging, which is a missed opportunity at this price point, but USB-C ubiquity means I rarely hunt for a specific cable.

The one minor annoyance is that there is no battery level indicator on the headphones themselves — you have to check the Surface Audio app or your phone's Bluetooth settings. I would have appreciated a simple LED color code on the charging port.

Connectivity and software

Bluetooth 5.0 handles the connection, and it has been rock solid in my testing. I paired the headphones with an iPhone 15 Pro, a Samsung Galaxy S24, a Windows laptop, and an iPad Pro. Multipoint connection works well — I could seamlessly switch between my laptop and phone, and the headphones paused music on one device when a call came in on the other. There was a slight delay of about two seconds when switching, but it never bothered me.

The Surface Audio app on iOS and Android is functional but minimal. You get the ANC dial, an equalizer with a few presets, and firmware update controls. The equalizer has presets for Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classical, and Speech, plus a custom mode. I wish the custom EQ allowed more than five bands — the Sony app offers a more granular approach — but for most users the presets are good enough. I mostly used the default tuning anyway.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Exceptional comfort for long wear sessions — best in class in my experience
• Natural, neutral-warm sound with excellent vocal clarity
• Outstanding microphone quality for calls, especially in noisy environments
• Physical dial controls for ANC and volume are intuitive and satisfying
• Solid ANC performance with 13 manual levels for fine control
• USB-C charging and fast charge support
• Seamless integration with Microsoft Teams and Surface ecosystem
• Reliable multipoint Bluetooth with low latency switching

Cons

• Battery life at 20 hours trails the Sony WH-1000XM4 by 10 hours
• No LDAC support for Android high-res audio enthusiasts
• No wireless charging
• Mesh on ear cups collects dust and lint easily
• ANC not quite as strong as Bose NC 700 in mid-frequencies
• Surface Audio app equalizer is basic with only five bands
• No battery indicator LED on the headphones themselves
• Case is large and does not fold flat for compact storage

Comparison Table

Buying Guide

I have spent enough time with these headphones to give you practical guidance based on how you plan to use them.

Who should buy the Surface Headphones 2. If you spend most of your day on calls — especially Microsoft Teams calls — these are the best wireless ANC headphones I have tested for that specific use case. The microphone quality is excellent, the comfort for all-day wear is unmatched, and the physical mute button is a small convenience that becomes essential. If you work in an open office, commute daily, and want headphones that disappear on your head after an hour, these are for you.

Who should look elsewhere. If battery life is your top priority, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 offers 60 hours, which is triple what the Surface Headphones 2 provide. If you want the absolute best ANC in the business, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the current kings. If you are deeply invested in the Sony ecosystem or want LDAC support for high-res Android streaming, the WH-1000XM4 or WH-1000XM5 are better choices. And if you need headphones that fold into a compact package for travel, the Sony WH-1000XM4 wins easily.

Consider your ecosystem. The Surface Headphones 2 integrate beautifully with Windows — the Swift Pair setup is nearly instant, the status appears in the Bluetooth quick settings, and the battery level shows natively in Windows 11. On macOS and iOS, they work fine but lack the seamless integration. On Android, you lose the Swift Pair convenience but gain aptX support. If you are a Surface Laptop or Surface Pro user, the ecosystem pull is strong.

Price and value proposition. At around $249 at the time of writing, the Surface Headphones 2 undercut the Sony WH-1000XM4 by roughly $100 and the Bose NC 700 by $130. They are not bargain-bin headphones, but they offer 90 percent of the performance at 70 percent of the price. The value equation is strong if comfort and call quality matter to you. If you prioritize absolute ANC performance or marathon battery life, the premium for the competition may be worth it.

Longevity consideration. Microsoft has released firmware updates during my ownership that improved ANC stability and EQ tuning. The company has committed to supporting these headphones for several more years. The build quality feels robust enough to last three to five years of daily use. The ear pads are replaceable, which is important for long-term ownership. I do have minor concerns about the soft-touch coating on the ear cups degrading over time — this has been an issue with some Microsoft hardware in the past — but three months in, mine look as good as new.

Conclusion

The Surface Headphones 2 Wireless are not the best headphones in every category. They do not have the longest battery life, the strongest ANC, or the most advanced codec support. What they do have is a rare combination of all-day comfort, excellent call quality, and a natural, pleasing sound signature — all at a price that undercuts the market leaders by a significant margin. After three months of daily use, I reach for them more often than the Sony pair sitting in my drawer. That is the highest compliment I can give.

Microsoft did not just build a competent first-generation audio product. They built a genuinely compelling alternative to the Sony and Bose hegemony. If you spend long hours on calls, value comfort above almost everything else, and want a pair of headphones that simply get out of your way and let you work, the Surface Headphones 2 are an easy recommendation. They earned their popularity honestly — by being excellent where it matters most for the people who wear them the most.