Microsoft Surface Headphones 2

The new headphones keep the great noise-cancelling, upgrade the sound and lower the price

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The original Surface Headphones were brilliant pure noise-cancellers – but they cost approximately `32,000 a pair. Their unhappy grey finish didn’t help, either. But now they’re back in black-sounding better and costing less.

In terms of sound, they’re much more forgiving of a standard Spotify stream now. Bass frequencies have much more solidity about them, so the bottom end is much punchier, but at the same time it’s better controlled – there’s no more swamping of singers by bass that’s overstayed its welcome.

It’s really only up in the higher frequencies that they’re anything less than confident. There’s not quite the bite or the shine to treble sounds that there really should be – mind you, it’s more sensible than the hardness and brilliance some rivals indulge in.

There are also some very commendable touches in terms of build quality. The memory foam that forms the ear-pads and lines the inside of the headband is soft, yielding, slow to heat and very comfortable. The earcups themselves swivel through 180 degrees, so the headphones fold flat enough to be easily (and safely) transported.