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

I use the Loop quiet when in bed (sleeping on my back), or I put in 1 of them (if sleeping on my side).

I also have used the Bose noise cancelling earbuds when in bed.

Both are comfortable for me - I don’t have shooting pains but I do have very very sensitive ears, that cause a lot of pain when I put in things too far into my ear. I also have a lot of earwax all the time! So I can’t use a lot of the other earplugs that other people use (eg wax ear plugs, flare isolates etc as they go too far in) - as they hurt me.

I find the loop quiet to be both very soft/flexible and also not go too far into the ear. And the Bose noise cancelling also is the same - soft and doesn’t go too far in. The Bose is far superior to the Loop in terms of noise reduction, because it has active noise cancelling technology & needs to be charged, rather than just being a physical blocker like the loop. But of course that’s reflected in the price as well. I think both Bose & Loop have a 90 or 100 day try it guarantee, if you buy on their website, so if you don’t like it you can return. I honestly don’t know how you’d fare with them if you have shooting pain, but the money back guarantee makes it easier to try!

 

Personally I find Loop pretty useless. I dont think they cut out much sound & i find the little loops that stick out to be uncomfortable to lie on afetr a while.
I seem to be in the minority in this.
I find Hearos foam plugs with the tips cut off so theyre not pointed when inserting, to be much better. They are softer than the usual bullet foam plugs, but I do cut the tips off. I sleep on my side in these, every night.

I have pressure issues too, silicone plugs are the worst for that, and I'd advise not using the plugs i recommended a few wks ago recently (the ones that look like little trees) because they do create an air seal.

But noise cancelling headphones are amazing. I havent found the cheaper varieties to be much good, and i cant sleep on my side with any kind of earbud in.

However I do lie on my back with the Bose NC700s on, they are the over-ear headphones & are very very good. I mean they dont 'cancel' noise, they reduce it and are best suited to reducing lower pitched or continuous sound - not quite as good at reducing things such as voices.

They are expensive, but if you buy direct from bose you can send back within 90days if you dont find them to be what you need. I have used that service over the yrs and have found it to be good - have bought 4 items and returned 2 (although 1 of the returns was for a replacement) the customer service is very good

I've bought literally dozens of different types of ear plugs and noise cancelling ear buds and headphones over the years. What i can tell you is that ear buds will never be as effective at sound reduction as headphones, just because of the physical nature of them.

The Bose QC ULTRA ear buds are the best noise cancelling I have found but theyre too big to lie on, fine for lying on back though, but they are uber-sensitive to the slightest tap.

Bose NC 700s over ear headphones are truly excellent. For example when i put them on i cant hear neighbours DIY at all, nor lawnmowers.
The BOSE QC ULTRA headphones are the latest NC offering from BOse & are meant to be the best NC you can get (outside of the apple Air Max), but I haven't tried them yet, because they changed the control pad to put it now on the back of the earcup, which when you lie as i do, pretty flat or reclining, with head & neck fully supported, i wonder if a natural head movement will trigger a command.

I also have the Sony MX5 headphones, these are good too, but i find the controls more difficult to understand.

Bose actually speak words to you to confirm actions, so for example when they are pairing you hear the word 'pairing', or when you switch intensitit of Noise cancelling it will say "noise cancelling, 5". I found this really ittitating, until i bought a pair which only play a tone when you do different functions - which is really confusing as its a different tone for ech function, which involves literally learning what each tone means & theyre really similar, brain fog makes that realllllly hard!

There is a reviewer on you tube called Aaron Loud & Wireless who does comprehensive reviews of noice cancelling tech, i find him very helpful.

So in summary, yes you can certainly wear over ear phones while lying on back with lots of pillows etc, but personally i dont find them good for lying on my side in them, although some people do.

I find hearos soft foam earplugs good for sleeping in, even with pressure issues. much more effective than Loop.

Noise cancelling tech is amazing but in my experience you do get what you pay for. I have tried Earfun & Soundcore earbuds which do do something, but i find them very poor compared to the Bose - although they are a 1/4 the price.

If you want to try noise cancelling i recommend trying bose as you can at least return them after a couple of months if you decide they werent worth the money.

Also I do recommend reading this thread at least the last page or so as there is stuff you'll find useful i think.

Plus someone, i forget who it was now, but someone has commented that the noise cancelling tech makes them feel really ill when its turned on. I actually found this with the older generation of BOSE in ear buds triggered my vertigo and gave me headache, but the latest ones dont do that & i never had an issue with the ear cup ones.

Edited to add: when i refer to 'Hearos' foam ear plugs, i mean the 'Extreme Protection' ones. Just discovered that since i first started buying hearos, they brought out all kinds of other plugs, none of which i have tried.

Also just to mention they have 33db protection vs Loop Quiet only having 24db, so that'll be why i dont like the loop so much. Loop are comfy & easy to insert though.

 

I have a couple of sets. The cheaper Quiets for sleeping, and then another pair. I can’t remember what they are called, but they came with the extra insert that deadens noise more. I like the ease with which I can take one out when I need to chat more easily. And they are so easy to put back in too.

However for social situations, I have just got a pair from Zound. They allow much easier conversations, as there’s less of a problem with hearing your self too loud - which is an issue with Loops & the reason I often pull one out to talk to people.

The Zounds are trickier to put in however. They have a sort of filter section in a silicon earplug. Definitely fiddly and not quite as comfortable for me. . But much better for conversations. They block a lot of background noise, yet don’t have the echo back when I talk. I used them for a full evening meeting with friends. I had expected to stay only an hour and go, but these helped so much I was there for 2 hours!

I also use ones from AudioFlare. They block the least sound but take the edge off the annoying sharp or loud noises. They are the most comfortable of all, and have zero echo back of my own voice. I wear them a lot when away from home.

As you have maybe gathered, I like to have options. So I have a little tin box in my handbag for my various earplugs!!

 

Thats interesting, I'm mainly housebound and live alone so the issue of talking with them in, isnt big for me. My main issue is about blocking maximum sound - wi=hich is likely why i find the Flare ones useless as they only change the nature of it, whereas i find sounds i love just as PEM-causing as sounds that annoy me.

However recently I was explaining why I coundlnt converse with my plugs/ear buds in - because it makes my own voice sound so loud in my own head.
So do the Zound ones somehow block outer sound & yet not have this effect? that would be most helpful i will have to check those out

 

Aah interesting, thank you! I went to a coffee shop at the weekend (which was so wonderful to do!) and the noise was horrendous - Starbucks was so loud! So I put my Bose noise canceling earbuds and put it on the “Focus” mode which I think cut out at least 50% of sound, which meant I could stay in there for an hour or two and chat.

However I also couldn’t hear myself properly and I knew I was talking too loud / too quiet at times. It was really difficult to talk. So I’m trying to solve that problem. The Zounds seem ideal for that? I think I might try them too, but do they go deep into your ear? I like the Loop as they don’t go in that deep.

Which Flare have you been using? There seem to be a few different types of flare Calmer now! Is it the Flare calmer?

(Edit; I’ve bought the Loop switch & Zound too so will update after I’ve tried them. )

 

Hi Luna its great to see you

Wondering which bose earbuds you use? I have the QC ultra which are pretty big - not the bit that goes into the ear but the outer, i dont see how you could ever lie on it?

 

I think I have the first generation of the QC noise cancelling earbuds - Bose QuietComfort earbuds. They dont really cause any obstructions, they are definitely bigger than others like Loop but not too big when lying on my back! I can’t lie on my side with them though. I really like them!

 

Oh, lol silly me, 'sleep' for me means sleeping on my side, i cant sleep on my back so I always associate sleeping with lying on my side. Yes the most recent bose are fine for back lying too, although they are a bit 'hair trigger' when it comes to responding to touch controls. I think you can modify that in the app though - i just havent got to grips with the app yet

 

I note Bose have a sale on, should anyone be interested. Significant reductions....

 

I haven’t yet found any ear buds that are ok for lying on my side. I only use the Loop quiet and even then I only put it on the ear that isn’t on the pillow! The slightest pressure hurts when it’s on the pillow, so I’ve mostly given up on that!

 

just reread my message & realised i said i'd give feedback on the soundcore liberty 4 ... they are good in terms of function for calls etc, and are very comfortable, the noise cancelling does work, but is minimal compared to bose. But its a good budget option if you want to listen to audiobook/talk on phone while also having a bit of NC.

The other thing to mention about the overear headphones is that while they are v good re NC... i wouldnt recommend if you have a lot of headaches. While they dont clamp as hard as ear defenders... they are still something clamping onto your skull, and resting on the top. I cant sleep in them for that reason, i cant stand it for long term use as my head is just too sensitive.

I have to put a folded microfibre cleaning cloth between my head and the phones as I have a very pointed skull & I find it very uncomfortable with the weight of them. I look a right prat, but i dont care!

 

Also just to repeat for anyone who hasnt read my post on these plugs: 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

which are the best, most effective, most comfortable plugs ever. I only just discovered them. You have to be very gentle pushing them in & pull out v slowly because they create a seal so you get pressure alteration. Theyre also tricky to angle in in the right direction, but once you get them pushed in good & firm, i can lie on them and they cut out almost as much sound as the bose over ear noise cancellers, they are very good, for me at least.

One thing they have taught me is that the angle of the ear canal is not at all what i thought. Its weird how it angles somewhat forwards, towards the nostril rather than the brain. it feels so counter intuitive that it takes me a few goes to get it right every time, but once in, man theyre good

I do have to stick my finger down the side of them before taking out, to kind of break the air seal though, because otherwise it hurts to pull them out as the pressure alters. People with sensitivity to pressure need to be careful of that when using them

ETA yeesh i could waffle on about ear plugs etc for ages. i'll shut up now. at the end of the day its such a personal thing!

 

yes its interesting I forget now do you have small canals? The ones i recommended in my above post i find i can sleep on without issue, something about where the firmer bit is located - it seems to sit in a place in my outer ear that is not actually leant on. More comfy than the foam ones for me. But i dont have small or overly sensitive ear canals, i'm quite lucky that way i think. I use the medium tips for everything

I got those Quieton ones the same time as you, i dont find them any better than anything else, i dont even know where i put them lol theyre in a drawer somewhere

 

I’m not actually sure if I have small ear canals, but I might do. I feel pain when anything goes too far into the ear.

I also don’t use QuietOn- but it’s because they don’t work anymore, and it’s out of warranty now

btw for all Loop enthusiasts - today I just got an email about the new Loop dream which are specifically designed for sleep and they say they’re good for side sleepers! So I’m going to give them a try and probably use them instead of the Loop quiet if they’re good. I’ll report back!

 

Did you like them/use them before they broke?

Yes i saw the Loop Dream email too they look quite good.

Its interesting I think my ear canals are quite long - but then i have a very very wide head!

 

Very interested in all your comments. I use ear defenders and under them wired in ear headphones in the day when needed. There’s good white/pink/dark/whatever colour you want noise generators as apps or built in to most devices these days. But am looking for alternatives for the future. I look forward to hearing how the night options go as my current setup is a bit of a faff and I’ve never found any in ear solution that works.

 

No I didn’t use the QuietOn much before they broke! I do remember taking them into hospital and found them quite useful there to sleep , but they still hurt when sleeping on my side so could only use 1. Then when I got home, I was just using my Bose noise cancelling in-ear earphones / earbuds during the day. I just felt the QuietOn were nowhere near as good as Bose in terms of noise cancelling tech, so I just stopped using them. Then I discovered Loop Quiet and used that in 1 ear for sleep.

Anyway, I’ve now tried the Loop Switch, Loop Quiet 2 Plus, and the Loop Dream. (I already had the older Loop Quiet). Long reviews incoming…

Im sending back the Loop Switch and Loop Quiet 2 plus. I’m keeping the Loop Dream.

Loop Switch: I found it really fiddly to switch between modes. I kept dropping it on the floor and having to clean them. So I don’t think it’s something I can take out with me. Also, I didn’t notice a huge difference between modes, and also felt that the lower modes didn’t cut out enough noise for me.

Loop Quiet 2 plus: honestly didn’t notice any difference in noise cancelling between these and the Quiet 1. So not worth the upgrade for me.

Loop Dream; I actually LOVE these! The reviews on the website are mixed. For me, I’d say the noise cancelling is on the same level as the Loop Quiet, BUT they are SO much more comfortable when sleeping on your side! I actually have slept with them several times on my side. I wouldn’t say they are super comfortable/undetectable etc - you can still feel them, but out of all the things I’ve tried so far, this is the best. It’s really soft, the ear tips have memory foam & silicone, and they do cut out sound. Several times at night my mums said there’s been loud noises & I haven’t heard it! I think it’s worth trying IMO, but ofc everyone’s ears are different which is why there’s mixed reviews.

I also tried the Zound earplugs (these aren’t related to the Loop brand), I agree that they don’t have that weird muffle-y thing that Loop & other earplugs do, BUT, they also cut out much less sound than the Loop do (for me anyway). The sharper sounds were still there with Zound and it didn’t really help for my sound sensitivity - but bear in mind my sound sensitivity is very severe, so I can definitely see how they could help others (for conversation etc).

 

Has anyone figured out something that helps at the dentist? I have to go soon, and think I shouldn't wear foam earplugs and Bose over-ears as I'll amplify the noise of the instruments in my head. Is it just a suck-it-up situation?

 

I got the Loop Link for mine, so they're hanging around my neck when not in my ears, and it massively reduces the faff of constantly dropping/picking up/cleaning/losing them.

 

I live alone so don’t like to spend too much time with noise cancelling headphones on as I might miss deliveries, particularly pharmacy deliveries which only attempt one redelivery before asking me to go to the pharmacy to collect it. I am having noisy neighbour issues. I have bought a video doorbell which links to an app on my phone and will notify me via my phone when somebody is at the door, which will temporarily pause my music/rain noise.