Noise cancelling headphones! Oh Joy! (and other ways to block sound)

Ooh, did you? Do let me know what you think, when you've had a chance to wear them for a while.

I turned the floppy part of the silicone thing "inside out", which made it easier to aim and push it over the tube. One side first, and then stretch it a bit to go over the rest of the tube?

 

@mango
That worked a treat, thank you.
The tree surgeons, with their chain saws and chippers, have left now. They, loop thingies, are comfortable and greatly reduce the noise from neighbour's mowers and I'm now prepared the gardeners - who would have thought leaf blowers could be so very noisy.
Thanks again for the tip.

 

Just wanted to make another 'plug' for the flare audio calmer ear pieces, they have really helped today with the hustle and bustle at the family home, all of the noise of Christmas lunch preparation and pots and pans etc., I would totally recommend trying them if you have any sensitivity to sound whatsoever.

I would like to know whether the night time ear pieces are worth getting too (the noise reducers not the actual ear plugs) if anybody has tried them both, and whether the pro versions are much better than the normal versions.

 

I used Loop earplugs today when eating with my large lively family.

Definitely helped me stay longer at the table, and also be able to talk to those round me. I think they are the Engage Plus ones.

Glad to be back home now, in my own quiet space again.

Happy Christmas

 

I acquired a pair of Bose QuietComfort 45's from amazon a few days ago (on their pay over 5 months scheme).

It's 'unbelievable' how much they cut the noise down in my relatively quiet flat (compared with where i used to live anyway).

It's not, most of the time, that noisy here, but I do have an upstairs neighbour who makes a racket every morning, who seems to take half a dozen showers a day, seems to like running/rolling around on an office chair chasing his 45 stone cat until 3am etc.

But compared with where I used to live, it's quiet, mostly.

It had however been noticed, by me, that on days when I muffled the din out a bit, using my old £45 cheap and nasty noise cancelling headphones, that I slept better, even though I have never used them to sleep in.

In other words it seemed likely that the noise, such as it is, was still too much.

So I invested in a higher grade (i.e. working) pair of noise cancelling headphones.

and found it's not just the noise from neighbours, 2am traffic, etc. that's noisy - it's practically everything.

Hence the 'unbelievable' comment above - all my kitchen gadgets make an absurd amount of noise, determined by flicking off ANC and then turning it back on again.

Very effective noise removal, not total (i.e. running water can be heard, my food mixer can just about be heard, as can my washing machine - but at very low levels, easy drowned out), but good enough. Comfortable with one exception. They need some form of ear cooling - as they, by necessity, totally enclose the ears, and apparently my ears run rather hot.

If it wasn't for that oen drawback I'd probably wear them every waking minute

 

Good to have that review, @Wonko – sounds like they might be a worthwhile investment for me too. I'd looked at them before, as Bose sells factory reconditioned ones for quite reasonable prices, but I wondered how good they were. Sounds like the answer's brilliant!

 

Read the reviews, of a few models

I didn't go for any of the Sony headphones because I don't like bass much, and reports of them not lasting all that long due to build quality issues. Kinda mitigated the 8 hours extra battery life


I didn't go for the bose 700 coz there was something I didn't like about them, but don't remember what, and most other bose headphones cost more than these ones so thought I'd try these first.

ETA my problem with the bose 700 headphones was the controls. Capacitive sensors on the right ear cup. I don't get on with such things so chose the 45s which use actual buttons.

 

Bose noise cancelling cant be beaten i dont think Kitty, they are like a miracle in some ways. My 700s are a godsend when the man comes to cut the lawn with a petrol mower - eradicates the sound so completely i cant tell when he finishes.

And the best bit is that if you buy direct from bose everything (even the reconditioned ones i think) have a 90 day trial that if for any reasonyou dont like you can send back.

I have tested this i actually bought some QC 45s (over ear i hate ear buds) to try them out see if they were more comfy than the NC700s (i have a really pointy head so i struggle) & they werent noitcably, and i didnt think the ANC was any better than the 700s (is on a par i think), so i returned them after a couple of months of use & got full refund no hassle at all.

I've bought other cheaper ones but i find them compeltely rubbish tbh, no better than foam ear plugs, although the foam plugs tend to block out more high pitch sound & ANC is better for lower frequencies but i'd say they are defo worth the money of you are sound sensitive.

and i also have a pair of Sony XM5 ones that i just got which are amazing too.

I tried all the others - loop, quiet on, flare - & find them of no use to me because i dont want them to change the nature of the sound i want them to block it out. So i think it does depend on the type of sound sensitivity you have - if its all sound thats a problem even sound you enjoy like bird song - because it drains the battery and brings on PEM, and or it hurts.... that's a bit different to people who find sound 'only' emotionally overwhelming or stressful or certain sounds they hate (like a misophonia type problem).

 

This is an interesting point. Just want to add that my kind of sound sensitivity is the one that is painful, heavily distorts sounds, drains my battery and brings on PEM. The Loop earplugs do block and change many sounds enough that I can tolerate them.

 

I have some Sony headphones, bought in 2016/17, which make a huge difference for me. I can’t compare them with anything else (apart from earplugs) because I never tried anything else (these were a loan that turned into a gift) tho.
The warm ears thing really is a bit of a bother …but without a better alternative I’d not do without them.
Anyone who just needs to rest brain from audio would benefit I think. I try not to wear them all the time, but it can be tempting. I use them most often to wind down when I really need rest so I tend to be watching a show to start with, then an audio book. I do wear them with nothing playing but they’re not -that- good.
I mention as you were wondering about longevity. Nothing wrong with mine and they get a LOT of use.

If there’s a way to trial them, that sounds like a great plan. You’ll know pretty quickly.

 

Loop Quiet vs Quiet-on Vs Bose:

I tested the Quiet-On earplugs last night (the noise cancelling in ear-buds that you can sleep in), they helped me fall asleep as they drowned out some noise from outside my room that was going on. However, I’m also testing the Loop earplugs (the “quiet” version) today, and I think these may perform just as well as the Quiet-On - but they’re much, much cheaper! Having said that, for side sleeping, I think I find the Quiet-on earplugs to be softer/more comfortable (due to the foam?), although you can of course still feel it and it’s still not totally comfortable. But for someone who is not super touch-sensitive, the Loop will probably be just as good!

However when testing these Loop earplugs (and Quiet-on) against the Bose - the Bose is way way better. As an example, I have the fan on in my room right now (middle or high speed). I just tested the Loop earplugs and I can hear the fan still - it is quieter but I can definitely still hear the hum. When I put the Bose noise cancelling on, it is pure silence, actual pin drop silence, I can hear nothing whatsoever. So I definitely recommend Bose noise cancelling for anyone who is really noise sensitive - and it’s the Bose that I keep on hand for when I’m really unwell, for when I need to drown out sound or whenever I leave the house.

 

Oh I also have the Flare Calmer earplugs and I’m not convinced that it does much (for me at least). It definitely doesn’t reduce noise like Quiet-on, Loop quiet or Bose. I can still talk normally and hold a conversation and can hear meowing in another room, can hear the washing machine just as much and cars revving outside and it’s still super loud. I know it’s only supposed to reduce noise a little.. but I can’t think when I will reach for these, because when I need to reduce noise - I need it reduced enough that I can actually cope with my surroundings.. and this won’t do that.

 

thats amazing Mango i'm so glad they work for you! i am the same and find them not quite useless, but certainly no better than a standard foam earplug. Just shows how different we all are. Although i dont get any sound distortion with my sensitivity, it just drains battery super fast & makes me crash at which point even the slightest sound becomes torturous agony.

One thing i do like about loop though.... is that you can safety pin the case to your top so you have them always clean and on hand, and they're good while out as you dont have to touch the bit that goes inside the ear so you dont have to worry about whether your hands are clean. But i find them less effective than the hearos foam plugs so i only take them to what healthy people would consider 'quiet' environments.

 

Might be of interest to people on this thread: https://www.s4me.info/threads/noise-reduction-acoustic-vents.37011/

 

Has anyone here tried the new Loop Switch earplugs? Thoughts?

https://www.loopearplugs.com/products/switch

 

I’ve not tried the Switch ones, but I have other Loops ones. I find they make such a difference for me.

 

Am trying out the Bose QC Ultra earbuds currently - since i got a smart phone I need buds rather than over-ear ANC.

So far the ANC is much better than my other earbuds (earfun & soundcore P3) and i mean MUCH - 4 times the price so they should be, but i rate them.

Reviewer AaronLoudnWireless on youtube, does all kinds of vids where you can actually listen to the noisecancelling comparison between different headphones.

He rates the Soundcore Liberty4 ANC & they sound pretty good in the sample he shows so I'm going to give them a try, if they're as good as the Bose ones I'll be sending the bose back for a refund Will let you know

I also just made a post recommending these earplugs Silicone Ear Plugs for Sleeping Noise Cancelling, 10 Pairs Reusable Earplugs for Sleeping, Concert, Snoring, Travel, Work, 10 Colors, 33dB SNR : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

see here for details if you're interested in why Recommend soft safe earplugs, such as a soft medical grade silicone that immediately returns to its default manufactured shape [edited] | Science for ME (s4me.info)

 

Did you end up buying these? If so I’d be interested in your thoughts!

Hi, which loops do you have? I’m thinking of buying either the loop experience plus, loop engage plus, or loop switch, but not sure which to go for?

I am primarily thinking about using them in public places like shops, museums etc?

I already have the loop quiet (the old version) for sleep which I love.

 

WHEEEEEEE!!!

(Sorry, I'm just so delighted at the very thought of you being in public places like shops and museums )

 

Apologies I haven’t read the thread in full snd am possibly coming at this from a side note angle.

I’ve found headphones and earphones a not easy solution because

I’ve had really bad ear pressure pain all my adult life, get shooting pains to the bit just in front or my ear (dismissed by gps or medics as ‘must be your jaw’ - it’s not and it’s most common on the left)

I also get shooting pain where I think it’s my eustation tube , this was at its worst in the years after glandular fever (I’ve had burst ear drums etc) where I had a Quincy fir 2yrs til tonsils were removed and an airplane flight for example was terrifying because it felt like it might burst the pressure was so bad including the air pressure in that tube down my neck.

plus I get hanky ears very easily so in- ear is hard

but I am having to lie down most if the time and in particular having to have my head, neck, face (whichever sude my body demands at that point) absolutely fully supported and surrounded - normally by pillow which envelopes just the right points. And that’s hard enough without getting painful ear from how heavily I lie on it without trying to put over ear headphones into the mix

I also get vertigo- like but it’s motion sickness like when what I see or feel differs at all from what I feel. So when I had eg awful neighbours who were jumping on my party wall literally fir 14hrs and it felt like someone was jumping on my bed or shaking the other furniture I was on then knocking the sound out didn’t help because the ‘vibrations’ (but it didn’t feel like small vibrations it was like someone just pulled your sofa from under you) were harder to deal with almost because of that separation / interference . I also had very close proximity building work like someone putting a skip on the road 5m in front of my bed then throwing their bricks and other stuff into it from the first floor window to save themselves trips, and mangold and pneumatic drill being used with all windows and doors between us being open. It was also still like having two noise sources interfere with each other because of that .

that latter part has been solved now so I’m in a place where it takes really heavy jumping which is more intermittent to make less of a vibration and building work is more normal or further away

but I’m wondering whether for shorter periods of noise eg banging from running round in adjoined homes or if music was playing loudly the reduction in energy drain from this noise cancelling might offer would work for me without making me more dizzy. And if there are any that can be used when you need that lying where everything including neck had and arms need to be supported ‘just so’ in order that they can relax, and they don’t get in the way of that is present discomfort.

does anyone else who uses these use any of them whilst they are sleeping or lying in bed in this way?