Microsoft - Surface True Wireless In-Ear Earbuds - Glacier

I recently purchased the Microsoft Surface True Wireless In-Ear Earbuds, and I must say that I was disappointed with their size. The earbuds themselves are surprisingly large and bulky, which makes them uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. They protrude noticeably from my ears, and the fit is not as secure as I had hoped for. Additionally, the larger size makes them less discreet and can be a hindrance during physical activities or while wearing hats or glasses. While the sound quality is decent, the bulky design is a major drawback for me.

I love them but man do they look weird on me! Great sounds and great for business calls. I use them daily

Before I begin this review I received this pair as part of the TIN review program. Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews. Let me say that this pair excels at almost everything I would look for in a pair of wireless earbuds, even the optional phone app is great. Battery life is excellent. I connected them for use in the evening and forgot to unpair them overnight once, and it still had plenty of power to take me to around noon. While not the quickest to charge, the case and buds do last quite long in my opinion. The only minor inconvenience is there is no external LED light to indicate charge. The flap must be opened up to see if it's blinking or not. Sound is excellent. I never had to comprise between great sounding music and bright clear audio for phone calls both come in great. The app offers a good amount of EQ presets with the ability to customize and save your own preset to really fine tune the experience. The swipe controls are responsive. In theory you swipe up and down for volume controls on the right bud and left, right on the left bud for track selection. This is rarely the case however because of the way you must twist and adjust the earbuds to properly fit your ear. Once you figure out the orientation (for me it was usually a diagonal swipe motion) I never had to fight with the controls to get what i want. Which brings me to the fit. The only downside in my experience was getting them to fit in the ear properly. This may be my own personal issue and will vary user to user, but it takes a few tries to get them to fit securely. Other buds I can just pop them in my ear no problem, but these require a more deliberate process. It recommends angling the tip downward then twisting up to "lock" them into place but it does take a few tries to get them snug enough to feel like they won't fall out. Add the fact that you sync the pair while inside the charging case before you take them out, I almost always inadvertently end up activating the virtual assistant while getting them to fit. Apps are always interrupted or music stopped when I have to take them off and on mid-use and for this I must remove one star. Once in, they are the most comfortable earbuds I have used. A good balance of not digging into my ear but secure enough to not worry about them falling out, even during running or other activities. Other than the time it takes to sit them properly (a few more seconds than normal), this is the ideal pair of earbuds. I will gladly deal with the methodical fitting process if I get the excellent sound with a less intrusive fit.

Contents: * Pair of Surface Earbuds * Charging/storage case * 3 sets of silicone earbuds (sizes S/M/L) * USB cable * Quick start/Manual, Safety and warranty documents All the contents was packed perfectly in a box. It had wordings inside such as “find your fit” and I think that touch makes it more exciting during the unboxing experience. My surface earbuds was shipped with some charge which allowed me to immediately start my setup and available update. After the setup, my earbuds are now able to connect automatically after I take them out the box and place them in my ear. I get a voice notification “connected” that lets me know it’s connected and ready for use. Comfort: Right out the box the surface earbuds was comfortable. I did not even need change to any of the included silicone ear tips but it’s good to have them just in case. They are very light and with the good grip I’m able to do a lot and not worry about them falling out of my ear because they are secured in my ear. To get the secure fit all I do is a little twist and I double check by doing a light pull on the surface earbuds. Visual Appeal: I like the look of the surface earbuds more out of my ear than in my ear because I think they are just a bit on the big side. It’s new so I think maybe I need to get used to them. Right now I keep thinking people might be wondering what are these big looking disks in my ear which can also be a cool thing. Audio Quality: They sound so good. I’m now hearing extra sounds from music I listened to. They make me want to play all my favorite songs over just to find out how much better the quality is. To get customized sounds I use the app which have different presets that I can also adjust and save my own presets. I like that I can hear great detail sounds it provides and I can also hear what’s around me. This is a safety feature to me because I like knowing what is happening around me. Touch control: -Left earbud (Swipe forward to skip the track or swipe back to go to previous track) (Double tap to pause or play) (Touch and hold for 2 seconds to activate SIRI) -Right earbud (Swipe down to lowering the volume or swipe up to turn up the volume) (Double tap to pause or play) (Double tap to answer or hang up your phone) (Touch and hold for 2 seconds to activate SIRI) All the gestures respond well to the touch and do what I intended. Battery Life: With only the initial charge I’m on day 4 and I think I have a few more hours left before a recharge. With the charging case serving as a storage and juice pack I don’t think I will have issues with them not being ready on the go. The charging case have led indicators to let you know about errors and when successfully completed an action on the charging case. Solid red= battery needs charge Flashing red= earbuds are not in the case correctly Flashing white= earbuds are placed in case correctly and charging Solid white= charged and connected to device Voice Controls: To activate voice assistant I can say “hey SIRI” or when I touch and hold any of the earbuds for about 2 seconds it activates my SIRI voice assistant. From there you can ask it questions or any other information you need. I can get the weather, make calls, play music and more. I’m really surprised on how well it works with the iPhone. Pros: -The surface earbuds have touch controls that allow me to do things without having on me but in Bluetooth range. -Sound quality is great and it allows me to hear a lot of details in what I’m listening like it was intended to by the artists. -Very good battery life. I used it lightly for 4 days and I was still on the same charge. -I’m able to leave the right earbud on to use SIRI and be on calls. Cons: -I would of love the surface earbuds more if they were smaller so they can be more discreet when I have them on. Only reason I’m not giving the Surface Earbuds a 5 star rating. Tip: *The first thing I recommend is to download the Surface Audio app because it walks you through the setup.* “Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews.”

Disclaimer: I am affiliated with the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program and I received the Surface Earbuds from Best Buy for the purpose of writing an honest, unbiased review. I was slow to the Bluetooth world, the early clip-ons for handsfree calling just didn’t do it for me. Poor sound quality. Difficulty in pairing. Specialized charging. All this changed for me with the introduction of the Apple Airpods and I have never looked back to wired headphones since late 2016. With Microsoft coming this late to the party (2020), I was interested in finding out if the Surface Earbuds were a flop like the Microsoft Zune MP3 Player put out to compete with the iPod, or if it was a success like the Microsoft Surface computer line. I have listed out detailed pros and cons below as well as a direct comparison to the Airpods to help you with the features, but I will start with some general comments. First of all, NOT a flop. Microsoft did NOT copy the features of other products but headed out in their own direction. That leaves you with choice which is always a good thing. None of the ‘cons’ were deal breakers for me. The Earbuds work well. Whether they are for you, is going to be a matter of personal preferences. Three things are likely to be polarizing: 1) The fit is ‘different.’ I had to read the instructions to figure out how to put them in so that they would not fall out (pointed down, insert, then twist 90 degrees). There are three choices of ear inserts to customize for your ear. But they are easy to dislodge. I didn’t like the fit for that reason. On the plus side, they were comfortable when they weren’t falling out. 2) The appearance is ‘different.’ Check out the picture. You are either going to think they are chic or ugly. To be honest, I don’t really care how they look. I buy my tech for how it works not how it looks. No one has pointed and laughed yet. But I know some care. 3) The overall sound is ‘moderate.’ The open ear design means no noise cancellation and people can hear you. In a quiet environment they sound good, but no base. There are some features everyone will love. Great battery life*. Easy gestures. Well integrated in MS Office (if that’s your thing). They come with a decent App (Android and IOS) that does allow for some customization, including an equalizer. I grew up with equalizers (analog) and miss them in the digital world. Love that in the App. * One interesting caveat on battery life. The right earbud drains significantly faster than the left one. Perhaps this is because the left Earbud is slaved to the right. For maximum battery life while listening after 6 hours I had to put the right Earbud in the case. So who are these made for? They seem to be best suited for an office environment where you want to optimize for comfort (open ear design) at the expense of a tight fit or even best sound. Clearly better for people in the Microsoft world versus the Apple world. People who want the longest charge outside of case possible (trans Atlantic flights?). People that live in Microsoft Office. Why three stars and not five? - Value. I thought for the feature set/performance they were a bit expensive. - Design. I had to down grade for me due to fit (might be better for you). Also thought the case was blah. And don’t like the lack of wireless charging (at this price). I WOULD recommend to a friend they consider them as long as they know the caveats. Here are some specifics. Pros: - Battery life. Battery life. Battery life. 8 hours play time out of case (for the left ear). 24 total with charging. - Equalizer control in Surface App. Really good. - Bluetooth. No obvious lag. Good range. - Good touch gestures with large surface for controlling in ear. Very easy. - Good microphones for phone calls or voice dictation in Office. Sound seems optimized for voice. - Integrates well with MS Office. Cons: - No Wireless charging. USB C only. - Only pairs with one device at a time outside of Surface environment (no switching between phone and computer seamlessly) -No ear sensors for pause when you take them out. They will play on for 10 minutes before turning off when you remove them - Volume seems low. - No noise cancellation, active or passive. Open ear design. Your Mileage May Vary: - Sound. Open ear design results in weak base, and to my ears they sounded a bit tinny out of the box, but I could compensate with the equalizer. Decent sound, doesn’t stand out one way or the other. - Fit. For me very comfortable for long periods of times (better than most). But came out easily. So not going jogging with them. - Appearance. Like wearing white quarters on your ears. Matter of taste. - Case. Coffin shaped. Hard edges. For me, not the best feel in the pocket as compared to other cases. Slightly hard for me to get buds out of case. - Privacy concerns. They collect a lot of information in the Surface App about your listening habits/devices. Not sure why Microsoft needs this. May not concern you. - For the feature set at $200 I would not call these competitively priced, i.e. not the best value. Versus Apple Airpods: Let’s face it Microsoft is late to the party and the comparison to Airpods is inevitable. I’ve been using Airpods since 2016 so the following is 100% opinion on what I prefer. Your mileage will vary (see above). Straight out of the box, to me the Airpod Pros have a slight edge in sound. Very slight. But the App equalizer gives you more option, so I might give the nod to the Earbuds. And the Surface Earbuds are slightly more comfortable over long times. I definitely like the longer in-ear battery life in the Surface Earbuds. And the touch gestures are easier in the Surface Earbuds. But they lack voice control which I enjoy with the Airpods. I prefer the rounded and thinner Airpods case in my pocket. It’s pretty much a toss-up on phone call quality. They do work well with MS Office. The Bluetooth pairing is not as seemless as the Airpods, but is stable once paired. So in the end, the Airpods remain my go to for out and about and I am likely to just leave my Earbuds paired to my computer at work. The right tool for the right job I like to say.

At first glance I was surprised Microsoft released wireless earbuds. While the white gauge-looking earbuds are not my style, they are comfortable, the battery life is great, and have some nice features including touch sensitive controls. Even though the style of these earbuds might not be for everyone, you cannot just throw out everything else that is great about them. Microsoft included nice features; a USB C practical case for their storage that can charge them fully twice, comfortable ear tips for listening to music for hours at a time, the ability to change the volume, song you're listening to, or dictate voice commands with just a tap or swipe on the right earbud, and a nifty app for equalizer adjustment and battery information. Other than the things mentioned above, I would like to note a few other things after my time with the Surface wireless earbuds. I enjoyed the battery life they had and noticed only about a 6% drop in battery when listening to music for a little over an hour. Also, the sound produced from the earbuds was great; voices were clear, bass was not punchy though. All in all they were great sounding and to me their comfort helped when listening to my favorite songs. Now for the bad. After doing some exercise while they were on (they are waterproof having an IPX4, handling sweat well) and since they fit a little loose in my ear, I noticed I had to adjust the earbuds in my ear after a little while. Changing the eartip to a larger one did help although they were a tiny bit loose and still achieved the same results as before. Additionally, I tested how far of a distance I was able to go away from my phone using the earbuds without audio clipping. Both supporting Bluetooth 5.0, I was able to go about 40 feet from the source of music around my house before the sound started clipping. In the end, it is enough for when cleaning around the house without having your phone with you but I recommend keeping it in the same general area while you move around with the earbuds. The Surface wireless earbuds truly were nice and I can see myself using them daily. The only downsides for me are how they look and it's inability to stay in my ear with great movement. Overall I recommend them for those who like different looking headphones that bring cool features and great comfort. Note: I received the Microsoft Surface Earbuds via BestBuy because of my affiliation with their Tech Insider Network program and did not pay for them. Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews.

NOTE: I’m reviewing the Surface Earbuds as part of the Tech Insider Network. Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews. This review was dictated using the Surface Earbuds – and then minimally corrected with my keyboard. ;) My favorite thing about these earbuds is their design, which is probably the most divisive thing about these. My wife does not find them attractive. Me? I love the look. They have a spartan appearance that’s modern, unique and like nothing else on the market. The fit and finish is lightweight and premium. I can’t say the same for their case: there’s a bit of wiggle on the lid of my unit, which makes me extra careful flipping it open considering how thin it is. There are a number of little things that bug me about the case – first, difficult to open; there are no divots for your fingers to easily pull out the buds and you have to stick your nails into the ridges around their edges, making it easy to drop them; and there's only one "right" way to put the buds back into the case but no clear indication how to do so. You just have to learn how to do it, and even after a week of using them exclusively I still put the Surface Earbuds improperly into their case one in every three times. But the buds themselves, despite being plastic, are beautiful. I love how well they’re machined; how good they feel in your hand, and how well they stay in my ears when lots of similarly designed out-of-canal sets fall out with minimal movement. A lot of hubbub has been made about the sound quality of these earbuds and its lack of active noise cancellation. I agree it’s a big omission, but genuinely feel the tradeoff here is legitimate. Microsoft wants these to be earbuds you wear all day for work, which is made possible by excellent battery life but most critically making them extremely comfortable to wear. No, they don’t block out sound by nestling into your ear canals, but every set of earbuds I’ve tried that does this has been painful to wear for longer than an hour or so. I LOVE wearing these. I really can walk around wearing these all day. The buds probably would dislodge with a good physical push or taking off your sweater around them, but with general movement and a good fit they don’t come out of your ears. My biggest complaint, actually, would be the lack of intelligent switching between your devices - to switch from your computer to your phone, say, you have to select the Buds from your Bluetooth menu of the device you want. Sometimes you even have to put the Earbuds back into the case and re-pair them. Hopefully this can be added in a firmware update. It's a small but ultimately huge convenience that would really elevate the seamlessness of use and that magic, futuristic feeling the Earbuds' marketing strives to convey, especially if you're going to be using them all day long in different contexts. The Earbuds have a full soundstage but overall skews toward a warmer vibe. Bass is very pleasant but doesn’t reach the lows in sealed-canal earbuds and there is distortion at the lowest end. The midtones are a bit muddled: it’s difficult to separate fine details when there are a lot of instruments playing at the same time. For hip-hop, easy listening and spoken-word content like podcasts or conference calls, these have excellent clarity. In other words, if you’re looking at this for a true immersive music experience, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re looking for everyday true wireless earbuds that look and feel great, with excellent battery life, I would recommend these. I'm personally going to be using these as my daily driver from here on out.

Note: I received these earbuds as part of the TIN review program. Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews. First, I want to say that the earbuds right out of the box were packaged well and ready to use within a few minutes. Sound: The acoustics are great with a rich sound. If you want earbuds where you can hear everything around you, but still hear what is coming through the earbuds, this is the pair for you. They have a good sound for music and great clarity for phone calls. So a good balance for people who use both features. Look: I think for most people these are either a love or hate. They have a very distinctive look that is not subtle. If you like the fashion statement of having white disks in your ears, then these are great. For me, I was not sure at first, but they are growing on me and I like them better the more I wear them. Fit: I had some challenges when getting the earbuds to fit in my ears. I am sure this is very personal and many people will not have this problem. The fit is a little strange for me, but is not uncomfortable. The earbuds are secure in my ears, but they have a little wobble to them which makes me feel like they are going to fall out. However, they are secure. I am sure I can get used to the fit over time. Features: The earbuds have controls on the earbuds to swipe for volume and to select the tract. These features are very responsive and work well. Overall, are a good set of earbuds. The style is very distinctive and if they appeal to you, you can't go wrong.