Good noise canceling headphones?

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Not being too fussy. I own noise cancelling headphones, noise isolating ear buds, ear plugs, and ear muffs/ear defenders. Some people need help with sound.

So,

Because you don't like white noise and don't care about music, noise cancelling headphones aren't good for you. They're most expensive, and people who are sensitive to sound can hear white noise from the cancellation effect. They're great for playing music through while also cancelling low frequency (engine) noises, but they're the most expensive, and for your uses don't seem to be the right choice.

For when you want music, and for not looking funny, noise isolating ear buds are going to do some. They won't reduce sound as much, but they will make some difference. They'll make stuff quieter and sound not so overwhelming. You'll also not be sticking out as weird with earplugs/earmuffs with this option.

The other two options are pure sound protection options.

Ear plugs are straight forward, they go in your ears. They block sound by being in your ears. Some people find them uncomfortable. You'd need to find a comfortable pair with a higher NNR rating

Ear muffs go over your ears. They're the picture that was posted earlier in the thread. They'll get most noticed. You can get some which can play music if you want to, but they'll be more expensive to do that. Some pairs of these will start to put pressure on your head if you wear them too long, but that tends to vary pair to pair how much. They will put some pressure, but I don't find mine uncomfortable. These also use the same NNR ratings. Higher means more sound isolation.

For both of them the highest they go is 33.



If I were you I'd probably get both some type of straight hearing protection - whichever of the ear plugs or ear muffs matches your needs better, and noise isolating ear buds for when you want music or to blend in more and have lower sound blocking requirements.


What I do is use noise cancelling headphones when I'm not just out for short periods of time, noise isolating ear buds carry with me, ear plugs for low sound isolation, ear muffs for high sound isolation, both when I need both. (I carry the ear plugs and ear muffs always).

@Tuttle

Thank you very much for all that information. I'm actually tempted to do what you are doing - get all of them.

I think ear plugs and ear muffs don't seem to be extremely expensive. So I should be able to get them quite easily. Just figuring out which ones (brands) are better than others might require some effort.

Sound isolating ear buds are new to me. If I don't want to listen to music, (which is the case most of the time because I'm becoming musicophobic,) then sound isolating ear buds are not good, are they? Without music they would be the same as simple ear plugs? But I think I'd still go to some audio shops and see how they are. If they are not too expensive I wouldn't mind getting a pair. I might actually listen to some language listening practice files.

I was actually almost buying Bose QC15 because there are so many good reviews about it. Now I really need to try them on and see if that white noise is actually tolerable for me.

I was prepared to pay whatever the cost as long as it doesn't reach 4 digits. It's for my mental and physical health. I'll go to the shops and spend some time there. I wonder if these things could become addictive.

Any way, thanks again.

I read what I said, and I can see how it looks like I look down at aspies/auties who wear noise blocking ear muffs. I wanted to apologize, because I do not intent to look down on you or others for wearing them.

I am sorry.

I have QC15's they're great. No more hum/droning sounds from AC's, refrigerators, fans, computers, etc. It turns down the volume on nearby people but doesn't completely block them. Still my colleagues called them my "people cancelling headphones".

btw they do block people out too if you play music through them even at a low volume. If you're really odd maybe you could download a white noise / brown noise / pink noise mp3 and put it on a loop (like: http://simplynoise.com/)

PS - there's nothing wrong with people on the spectrum having a sense of style and sacrificing some noise cancelling for some better aesthetics. Personally wouldn't be caught dead wearing those construction site style headphones (unless my noise sensitivity was much worse and made it necessary)

@DVCal

You didn't mean to look down on anyone. So your intention was good. It's nice of you to apologize.

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@oceandrop

Thanks for valuable information. I'm really tempted to get Bose QC15. I wonder how well it will cancel noise in a busy cafe. My main concern is the running car/motorbike engine noise, but if I can reduce people/music noise as well, it would be so nice.

I've heard great things about the bose QC15s. I'm using older, non-bose noise cancelling headphones and you can hear a drastic difference when it turns on. Those ones are supposed to be the best that's available now too. I couldn't afford them and got some old ones off ebay.

yes I listen to music occasionally but mostly podcasts. in both cases the quality of the reproduction is highly dependent on the quality of the source.

kind of obvious i know but just pointing out that if you have low quality input then your going to notice it more with higher quality of headphones

also depending on what sort of music you like; some headphones will be more suitable so its worth doing as much research before trying some out in a store (don't forget to take your ipod or whatever to listen to them with your music)

I moved up from basic ear buds to my shures over a year maybe. the cheaper types usually died in one channel or the cable developed defects

something else to consider is comfort especially if you plan on wearing them for a long time, I found I can wear mine for hours with no discomfort

Hi drybones, thanks for your information. Since you seem to be very familiar with sound isolationg ear buds, I'd like to ask how well they block the outside noise, such as running cars, buses, trucks (engine etc) and unwanted music, people's voices in busy places, if I'm not listening to music or anything through the ear buds. I'm not much of a music listener nowadays and just want silence. I probably will listen to some language practice audio files. I looked at Shute website and they showed comparison of their products with Bose QC2 and Sony. Their sound isolating ear buds gave far better results, but it's their website and so I can't simply take it.

I'm tempted to buy all different kinds of noise reduction products as Tuttle is doing. Shute is one of the ones that I might consider getting. It would be good to know what the actual users of the products are thinking about them.

typically I travel around London during rush hour both walking and on public transport so its pretty hostile environment for unwanted noise

music leaking from other peoples headphones is almost non-existent to me

cars/buses etc., peoples voices... all significantly subdued too

yet the occasional motorbike will still freak me out if its exceptionally loud racing past and the person talking loudly into his phone when sat next to me on train still cause a problem though

Sometimes I also just leave them in without listening to anything from my ipod and its still good experience

occasionally I remove the ear buds just to see quite how noisy it really is and wow it always amazes me how 'horrible' it is without my ear buds

Thank you, drybones! For the very useful information.