Microsoft Audio Dock: USB-C docking station with speaker and microphone

Besides new Surface devices, Microsoft also introduced an exciting new USB-C docking station at a launch event. The Microsoft Audio Dock offers plenty of ports and also has speakers and microphones that are supposed to be especially suitable for video conferencing, but also for listening to music.

The Microsoft Audio Dock in detail

With the Microsoft Audio Dock, the manufacturer has introduced an interesting USB-C docking station. It is connected to the PC or notebook via an integrated USB Type-C cable and turns out quite bulky with 167.7 mm x 80.2 mm x 81 mm as well as a weight of 650 grams.

However, this is mainly due to the installed technology, because Microsoft integrates an exciting speaker configuration, which consists of a 15-watt woofer and several 5-watt tweeters. They offer a sound pressure level of up to 90 dB SPL and cover – when listening to music – a frequency range of 70 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

There are also two forward-facing omni-directional microphones including noise cancellation, which are supposed to ensure clear intelligibility in calls or conferences. The device is operated via physical buttons on the top, which you can use to control media playback and mute the microphones.

A special Microsoft Teams button opens the manufacturer’s conference software. However, this can also be reconfigured to call up other applications. In addition to Windows 10 and Windows 11, macOS is also supported.

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The Connectors

In terms of ports, the Microsoft Audio Dock is quite well positioned. There are a total of four ports to choose from on the back: Among them, once HDMI 2.0 for high-resolution 4K monitors up to 60 Hz, twice USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2 with PowerDelivery for a maximum of 7.5 watts and in one of the ports including DisplayPort function, and once USB-A 3.1 Gen 2.

The permanently installed USB-C port for connecting to the notebook also offers a charging option via PowerDelivery with a maximum of 60 watts. The cable is quite short with a length of one meter.

Price and availability

The Microsoft Audio Dock also goes on sale in Germany with immediate effect. The recommended retail price is 289 euros. So far, however, only the english product website is online, which provides additional details.