Author Topic: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders  (Read 2215 times)

Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« on: 12 January, 2021, 03:43:32 pm »
wfh and the kids are wfh.  #1 son is struggling with all the noise from #2 son and we were thinking of noise cancelling headphones.  It's not clear to me that these work unless you are listening to your own music and they are cutting out background noise.  Also, will they just cut down the background buzz but you'll still get the nagging from your kid brother?
simplicity, truth, equality, peace

Edd

Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #1 on: 12 January, 2021, 04:57:00 pm »
I managed to get some good Bose headphones as a freebie with my phone recently (QC 35 II). The noise-cancelling on them is very good especially with consistent sounds and low pitched sounds, you can toggle it round from high cancellation to off and can clearly hear a difference. They seem to work well when they are on and I'm not playing anything (yet) but they don't cut out everything and someone right next to you talking can be heard although I need to take them off to hear them properly. Siblings tend to be very difficult to mute though, especially when they don't want to be

Jaded

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #2 on: 12 January, 2021, 05:04:04 pm »
I have QuietComfort Bose too, as said, continuous noise very good, intermittent not so much, but still good.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #3 on: 12 January, 2021, 05:10:19 pm »
I don't use them, but my partner has some Bose (not sure which model as they're several years old, but they look like the QC 35). I can confirm that the noise cancelling function works too very well. :demon:

Kim

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #4 on: 12 January, 2021, 05:44:58 pm »
I have some Bose QC15s.  Yes, they can be used without an audio input (indeed, you can disconnect the cable[1] and use them purely for noise cancellation).

As Edd says, the active noise cancellation is designed for continuous machine noise (engines, fans, that sort of thing), but is also astoundingly effective at "large room full of people" noise, and noticeable but underwhelming against continuous alarm beeping noises.

It does very little for clear human speech, loud music, impulse noise and so on, where most of the attenuation comes from the physical muffs of the headphones enclosing your ears.  This is brilliant if you want to hear someone talking to you[2] in a noisy environment, where the active noise cancellation serves to improve the signal to noise ratio.  It's largely useless when you want to hear yourself think over the sound of someone having a phone call next to you, or similar.

More generally, while the Bose active noise cancellation is second to none, they're only mediocre headphones.  They lack the clarity of my late, lamented Sennheisers, the build seems a bit plasticy, and they don't fit my head[3] very well.


Top tip: Beware of misleading use of the term 'noise cancelling' to refer to either  a) headphones which passively attenuate all external sounds  and  b) headsets with microphones designed to reject background noise.


[1] This model is wired only.  Later versions allow for wireless input via The Devil's Other Radio.
[2] Though it comes with the serious gotcha that since you can't hear the noise the other person can't hear you over, you probably won't speak loudly enough to be heard.
[3] Most things designed to fit heads don't fit my head very well, so don't hold that against them.

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #5 on: 12 January, 2021, 07:35:26 pm »
Bricks. Get some bricks.

Bricks are cheap, re-usable, don't need re-charging and they keep the annoying little shit quieter for longer. Just tell #1 son not to overdo it with the velocity.
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #6 on: 12 January, 2021, 08:31:20 pm »
I have Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. The active noise cacelling works very well at blocking noise whilst not being used to play music etc.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

tiermat

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #7 on: 13 January, 2021, 10:48:02 am »
I'd go with active sound cancelling ones (the gold standard appears to be Bose, but other manufacturers are available).  Ear defenders, such as those worn in DCs and on ait-side at airports are designed to block out continuous noise (the sound a P595 and a 777 make are roughly the same, and at a similar volume) whilst allowing conversation to take place.

The last time I worked in a DC I had a pair of air-side rated ear defenders bought for me (I had one hearing aid then, now two, thus couldn't use the foam butt plugs).  I found that they blocked out all the AC/fan noise and allowed me to hear my colleagues.
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #8 on: 13 January, 2021, 04:23:40 pm »
As mentioned, it's unlikely that noise cancelling headphones alone will help for your situation, but suitable 'noise' played through headphones might.

Take a look at https://mynoise.net – it can generate a wide range of ambient 'noise' for a variety of reasons and the frequencies can be tuned to help mask unwanted background noise.

I find it helps me concentrate when working when stuff is going on in the background. The addition of noise cancelling headphones may improve the experience still further, but you can obviously try it without.

Regulator

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #9 on: 13 January, 2021, 04:47:08 pm »
I have a pair of Sennheiser Momentum over ear headphones with noise cancelling.  I've had mine a while but they're very good.  The more up to date version is supposed to be very good and can be fine tuned via an app.
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arabella

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #10 on: 15 January, 2021, 01:17:35 pm »
I got to the stage where I couldn't stand any more cshcshcshcshshchshchshs/plinka-plinka-plink sounds leaking from other people ear phones, on trains.  (rant about people not bothering with earphones at all removed)
So I went to Screwfix and got their £35-anna-bit (?) muffs/deffenders, something called delta plus.
Muffles other folks leaky earphones - so far so good
But I can still hear speech, announcements etc.
(tinnitus untouched of course)
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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #11 on: 16 January, 2021, 06:58:15 pm »
I have some Plantronics Backbeat Pro (over the ear type headphones). They do work very well with or without music on, though you can still hear someone next to you if you aren't listening to your banging tunes.
The other really good thing with them is if you are in an online meeting with other people in the same room - they help to filter out that annoying slight delay you get where you hear the person directly, then a second later through the app. Bung on the noise cancelling headphones and you only hear them through the app.

Morat

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #12 on: 21 January, 2021, 01:34:43 pm »
I managed to get some good Bose headphones as a freebie with my phone recently (QC 35 II). The noise-cancelling on them is very good especially with consistent sounds and low pitched sounds, you can toggle it round from high cancellation to off and can clearly hear a difference. They seem to work well when they are on and I'm not playing anything (yet) but they don't cut out everything and someone right next to you talking can be heard although I need to take them off to hear them properly. Siblings tend to be very difficult to mute though, especially when they don't want to be

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #13 on: 22 January, 2021, 08:39:37 am »
I'm very sensitive to distracting noises* and find a combination of isolation and masking works for me.  I swap between passive ear-defenders over ear buds and moulded silicone ear plugs used with bone-conduction headphones. Sticking to one or the other for too long is uncomfortable.   The headphones play instrumental/foreign language music**, white noise or recorded natural sounds*** according to my mood.

If I'm just reading, not typing, then raising the desk up and gently pedalling the turbo trainer also works quite well!  :thumbsup:

* Or rather, speech - mechanical noises**** such as fans, workmen, etc don't bother me much at all.
** Because if I have English language songs on I end up listening to the lyrics.
*** Birdsong in woods, running water, rain - you know the sort of thing.
**** No2 son's 3D printer is by my desk, and can be quite handy for drowning out No1 son in the room next door!
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Regulator

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #14 on: 22 January, 2021, 01:10:19 pm »
I'm very sensitive to distracting noises* and find a combination of isolation and masking works for me.  I swap between passive ear-defenders over ear buds and moulded silicone ear plugs used with bone-conduction headphones. Sticking to one or the other for too long is uncomfortable.  The headphones play instrumental/foreign language music**, white noise or recorded natural sounds*** according to my mood.

If I'm just reading, not typing, then raising the desk up and gently pedalling the turbo trainer also works quite well!  :thumbsup:

* Or rather, speech - mechanical noises**** such as fans, workmen, etc don't bother me much at all.
** Because if I have English language songs on I end up listening to the lyrics.
*** Birdsong in woods, running water, rain - you know the sort of thing.
**** No2 son's 3D printer is by my desk, and can be quite handy for drowning out No1 son in the room next door!


I've got a thing for Icelandic folk/chamber music at the moment (e.g. Árstíðir).  Very good for working to.   I also find Mozarabic chant good as well.
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #15 on: 02 February, 2021, 11:18:38 pm »
I’ve got Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Younguns have some (less expensive) Sony ‘extra bass’ headphones. All sound cancel well and are nice headphones.

Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #16 on: 03 February, 2021, 09:05:23 am »
I’ve got Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Younguns have some (less expensive) Sony ‘extra bass’ headphones. All sound cancel well and are nice headphones.

I've the XM3 headphones, and they are very good, and comfortable enough for extended use - I use them (or did) for flights to Japan.  I also have the XM3 earbuds for occasional office use.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #17 on: 03 February, 2021, 05:14:17 pm »
Much of my music collection is in 'forrin' because my brain is better at not desperately trying to parse the words that way which it will do on English (which is tiring as hell). I'm partial to Romanian Rock, which I blame my Romanian hosts for introducing me to in 1998 when I lived there for a few months.

Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #18 on: 04 February, 2021, 04:44:48 pm »
If you like east European rock you might try Laibach - me and the girls all find it a bit too scary though😮

Mr Larrington

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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones or Ear Defenders
« Reply #19 on: 04 February, 2021, 06:13:50 pm »
A lot of Laibach's stuff is sung in German, which might or might not be an issue.  Plus listening to it for an extended period may instil ideas about annexing the Sudetenland ;)

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