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

I've found that having the cheap as chips silicon ear plugs that have 3 tiers in are really handy. I basically keep them in most of the time, but i can push them in or balance them in the ear depending what noise is around me, it's a non techincal sound adaptive system that has helped me feel less vulnerable to unexpected noise. Even just resting in the ear they give a slight dampening effect.

Noise cancelling headphones made my tinnitus worse, so just something to consider. If I need extra noise cancelling i stick ear defenders on top of earplugs for emergencies.

THere is also a new fireworks law in process that willl hopefully ban louder ones, as it's a nightmare for so many. Tessa Lunt MP is looking into it who is ME sympathetic if anyone want to give any testimony.

 

I did that but then had irritation problems so I have a very scheduled elaborate system of earplugs while I sleep and industrial grade earmuffs during the day.

And then when leafblower/fireworks/caregivers visit I pop in the earplugs under.

 

moved posts

I’m in the same situation. How do you manage irritation? I tend to do a complex system of cycling earmuffs and earplugs but I’m open to other ideas because it’s not doing the trick really.

 

I used wax earplugs if the noise levels were not too high. The additional benefit is that they kind of lubricated the ear canal, so they also made the foam plugs less irritating.

 

@DigitalDrifter @Yann04 @Utsikt
I assume you're aware of the noise cancelling headphones/ear buds - Bose etc? We have a few threads on those

I recently got the Bose QC Ultra & they're amazing, an absolute godsend

 

@JemPD Yes, but they are not sufficient when I’m in a crash. And I have to lie on my back with them.

I use them when I’m outside crashes.

Edit: the others are more severe, so I believe their thresholds are lower than mine.

 

Do you find them less effective than the foam plugs then?

I use both combined when in PEM. I got a memory foam pillow and picked out oa hole in the foam so I can lie on my side with the over-ear Bose NC700s.

They not great for voices though, so i often use then + these silicone plugs combined, i find they itch my ears less than the foam ones

 

Yes. The headset is equivialent to ~20dB plugs. My foam plugs are ~30dB.

I’m considering getting custom plugs before the summer because I have to keep the window open due to heat intolerance. But the trip out will be costly in terms of PEM.

 

To be completely honest that was what I used to use a while back but it was far from enough. I found replacing them with work-duty earmuffs (the kind of stuff construction workers wear) to be far more efficient.

As far as wax earplugs @Utsikt , I have not tried them. I currently use this fancy thing called “loop quiet” whixh is a reusable earplug thats far more soundproof and a little less irritating than the foam ones.

 

interesting, which ones do you use? (headphones i mean)
mine reduce more than my 33dB plugs. But it does depend a lot on consistency of the sound I trying to block & the frequency of it.

 

again wondering which noise cancellers you used? theyve come on leaps & bounds recently. I do need plugs as well though but find the combo pretty good, but it does depend on the type of dound.

I find the max strength industrial ear defenders pretty good but they grip so tight it hurts so much to wear them

Nothing is enough really is it

 

Not sure exacly. I don’t have them by me now.

I think it was this decently expensive (couple hundred?) one from a brand called Sennheiser. I bought them a year and a half ago.

But yes, never really is enough. It remarkably hard to completely isolate yourself from sound. From light all you need is a tight and fancy eyemask and to close the blinds.

Sounds is impossible in comparison.

 

I’ve heard of those, but I don’t trust the hype. If you can tolerate them, it might be worth it to try them.

Can you used them while resting on your side, or do you get pressure points against the pillow?

I’ve bought several reuseable earplugs, and all of them are very uncomfortable regardless of head position.

Sony WH-1000XM4

 

I’ve found it fine on the side. I sleep on my side and I use these ones to sleep. If it feels weird I can usually rotate them and they feel okay.

Interesting that you heard of them, my partner got them as a gift for me and I had never heard of them before but to me as someone with severe sound problems that was like the best gift ever.

As for if they are uncomfortable in general, they have the added benefit of having with a bunch of different sizes in the box you can fiddle with. For me, I wear them around 12hr every day and have no problems. But if I try to wear them more often, my ears sometimes get irritated. (So my system is usually the earplugs while sleeping and the earmuffs during the day).

After a year of wearing, they’ve noticeably shrunk so they aren’t as effective anymore. But to be fair I got like 4000+ hours of effective sound blocking with the first pair (I’m onto my second), I can still use the first, but it just doesn’t block as well as before.

 

They market agressively and they are hyped in the online LC-community in Norway.

Seems like they might be worth a try based on your descrition. Thanks!

 

people rave about loop quiet but i find them nowhere near enough, i think th dB reduction is only 23.

so we dont go further off topic, & in case helpful for others, i found these threads where we've discussed before Noise cancelling headphones! Oh Joy! (and other ways to block sound) | Page 8 | Science for ME

Recommend soft safe earplugs, such as a soft medical grade silicone that immediately returns to its default manufactured shape [edited] | Science for ME

while i think of it also, should anyone be considering noise cancellers. this guy does some great reviews/tests of ANC where you can actually hear the device rather than just opinion
REAL Plane Test! ✈️ Bose QC Ultra vs Sony WH-1000X5 ANC Comparison

 

I dont know if i posted this already way up thread, but I have foud these reviews helpful SOUND SAMPLES — Aaron x Loud and Wireless

I think theyre all on his you tube channel for free but i dont have the energy to sift through all the stuff i dont care about so am happy to pay the £1 to join (its per month but i just join, find what i need then cancel)

 

do you know of earplugs that do any better? because they are far better than foam but that’s all i’ve tried earplug wise. I’m very willing to buy anything more effective. Sound is like my biggest problem.

Obviously the best combo for me is the earmuffs + the eaplugs, but i can’t sleep with earmuffs on because I can’t sleep on my back for some reason.

 

see my post here;

you do have to jiggle them a bit to get them positioned.
If you dont feel the air pressure change then theyre not in right, I know this because whereas carer can put loop ones in for me, nobody can do these but me.

You have to point them in and up towards the inner corner of your eye, then once in, put the pad of yr thumb on the end & do a little circle movement while pushing gently. So you're almost screwing them in lol, this is especially the case when new or just washed because they dont slide in.

but the angle is also impotant - i find the angle of the ear canal (upwards towards the bridge of my nose) to be very counterintuitive. I mean i know thats the direction it just seems 'wrong' to be pressing upwards instead of inwards at 90 degrees, when i push the plug in (which is where I imagine the canal to run vs where it actualy runs!)

You'll know when its positioned because you'll feel the pressure change, it's a really good air seal. I cant imagine going back to foam after these.

 

Bookmarked. Thanks