As rumored, Microsoft announced the Microsoft Surface Headphones 2+ For Business along with the new Surface Laptop 4 As the name suggests, these noise-canceling headphones are designed with professional use in mind, especially for remote meetings and video calls

Microsoft also made a surprise announcement of two new low-cost headsets and business-focused USB speakers that, along with the Microsoft Modern webcam, will provide a full range of AV kit for working from home

While the Modern product line appears to cater to more budget-minded buyers than the flagship Surface family, the Surface Headphones 2+ For Business is Microsoft's most expensive ANC headphone set of ANC headphones to date Priced at $299, $50 more than the Surface Headphones 2, this is not a simple rebranding

For starters, the Surface Headphones 2+ For Business can connect via USB dongle as well as Bluetooth This is said to improve reliability and sound quality to the point of being, in the company's words, "Microsoft Teams certified"

To enhance the clarity of voice communication, there are also eight onboard microphones that can be enabled with 13 levels of active noise cancellation to cut through ambient noise when trying to listen to an important call

On-ear controls work directly with Teams during meetings, and battery life is rated at 185 hours for music playback and up to 15 hours for voice calls Like previous Surface Headphones, the Surface Headphones 2+ For Business can also be used with the Microsoft 365 app

If your video conferencing needs are less high-tech, you might be interested in the $49 Microsoft Modern USB Headset instead This is a more basic on-ear headset with a foldable boom microphone and no ANC For example, the in-line control module has a dedicated button to instantly join a call The Modern USB Headset also has a status light that lets you know it is muted, reducing the frequency of "hmm, the microphone is not on" moments

The Microsoft Modern Wireless Headset has a similar design to the Modern USB Headset, although without the cable and in-line controls, as well as the Surface Headphones 2+ For Business, It can be connected via dongle or Bluetooth Call and Teams controls are located on the earcups, and battery life exceeds that of the Surface Headphones 2+ For Business, with up to 50 hours of music playback and 30 hours of talk time However, pricing for the Modern Wireless Headset has not been announced

The last of Microsoft's audio announcements was the Modern USB-C Speaker, a sort of compact speakerphone that can be used in place of a headset The microphone is noise canceling and attempts to muffle ambient noise that is easily missed by the headset's boom microphone The onboard controls are the same as the inline module of the Modern USB Headset, and again, there are dedicated buttons for Teams

The Modern USB-C Speaker will begin shipping in June for $99 and, like the Surface Headphones 2+ for Business and other telecommuting headsets, can be purchased directly from Microsoft