My thoughts on the Surface Earbuds after 2 weeks
A sound choice
For just over 2 weeks I have been using the Surface Earbuds and it’s about time I shared my thoughts of them with you. Firstly, it’s worth knowing that I own a pair of first-generation Surface Headphones and some wired USB C headphones that came with my Galaxy Note 10+, these are the devices I’ll be comparing the Earbuds too.
Out Running
This topic might come as a surprise to; it’s a surprise to me for sure. At the beginning of the year I decided to start doing running and am now doing it multiple times a time ranging from 3k to 10k and music and podcasts are really helpful for me.
I’ve never run with the Surface Headphones; they aren’t exactly tight fitting and I’ve always thought I would spend most of the run repositioning them on my head. Instead I have used the wired Samsung headphones which did the job but came with some significant tradeoffs with firstly having a wire and secondly it being difficult to control the song I was listening to.
The Surface Earbuds are clearly better than my old wired headphones through just being wireless but a surprising thing that I found was that my old ones were noisy through the wire hitting my chest as I ran. I wasn’t aware of this before but the Earbuds brought a new quietness that I appreciate when out on a run.
The concern I had with the Earbuds for running was how well they would stay in my ears but I must have run about 10 times with them now and not once have they moved, felt loose or have I had to reposition them. This surprised me and it’s great. Plus, with the swipable surface on the Earbuds it’s really easy for me to skip track and increase volume allowing me to listen to the right song to get me to that next kilometer.
Running with the Surface Earbuds is better than I expected and I can’t imagine not using them for this.
When working
Whilst working at home and not on Microsoft Teams calls, I usually listen to music through my Amazon Echo using my phone to control the songs. By not using Spotify on my PC I find this helps to limit the distraction and procrastination of trawling through Spotify’s countless playlists. Since getting the Surface Earbuds I have used them every day instead of the Echo. Through listening to an eclectic mix I’ve found the Earbuds to be great, from reggae to classical I’ve been very happy with the sound. I’m sure larger headphones can pack more of a punch and deal with ranges better but for these lightweight buds they really are very good.
The Earbuds have an unusual way of sitting in the ear and whilst initially comfortable I was concerned how they would feel over long periods of time. I’m happy to be able to say that I forget I am wearing them. They are so lightweight and comfortable that they really do fade away. I have yet to try and put my work over-ear headphones on for a call although I can only imagine that days away from happening! (Work lockdown connections from unknown devices so I have to used approved hardware 🤷♂️)
I will probably continue to use both the Echo and Earbuds to listen to music, the nice thing with the Earbuds is I can really crack up the volume without annoying anyone else!
At home
When I close the laptop and stop working, I’ve continued to use the Earbuds, often to make calls. What I have found to be really good is to have just 1 Earbud in. I can have a call but am not closed off to things going on in the house. I could do the same thing with the Surface Headphones but I feel over-ear ones give the appearance of being closed off, even if I was actually amplifying the noises around me.
When using just 1 Earbud is when you might encounter the biggest negative I have about that the device and that is that the left and right buds have different controls. The left Earbud offers skipping when swiping and the right controls the volume. When just using 1 you’ll miss out on some crucial functionality and it seems like something that something I should be able to config. I think it would be good to have the option to turn off mirrored or different controls per Earbud so I can avoid this situation as and when I need to. My guess as to why this has been done is that we’re probably not that accurate at swiping on the Earbuds when they’re in our ears to it’s easier to have very few gestures on each bud.
I will definitely continue to have calls using the Earbuds when around the house.
But what of my Surface Headphones, I hear you ask. Well, I am sure that when commuting and travelling are options again, I fully expect to want to use them for the noise cancelling they offer. The ability to close out the noises of trains and planes is awesome and I know it’s not what the Earbuds are able to offer.
I will be using both the Headphone and Earbuds as both offer something unique but if I had to choose just 1 of them, I think I would go with the Earbuds. They are more versatile, especially with regards to running, than the Headphones with the only real omission being the lack of noise cancelling — for some though noise cancelling is an absolute must.
Let me know if you have any questions about the Surface Earbuds.
