Noise Canceling Headphones
 

Ok. These have been recommended to me but I have some questions before I spend the money on them.

1. How well do they block out chatter/regular talking noises? I'm wanting to get them to wear at work and there's a ton of constant chit-chat sounds. I don't like that and want to reduce it.

2. Has anyone tried the Bose earbuds? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D42...8&sr=8-25&vs=1 I like the idea of buds much better than regular headphones, and I've no doubt my company would too as they're more subtle but I wonder if they're as effective.

3. Is Bose the best brand? They're obviously well-known but does anyone have another recommendation?

4. Anything else I'm not thinking of that I should know?

Thanks

Have you tried using the yellow foam ear plugs ? They work great for me at reducing the backgound chatter. I can still hear others if I focus on what they are saying and I can even hold a conversation with them in.

I bought them from futureshop and the ones i have work well ,there is a switch on it that blocks out all noise except somepne talking 2 feet from you or touch the switch to hear a little more. It allows handsfree phone calls.
Has made my life better to block out a lot of distracting noise, well worth it.
And of corse good quaility music .
Mine are the bose as well.

Another option..
 

I know you are talking about noise cancelling types but I wanted to share my experience with a cheaper option (solely because it is the only thing I can afford). I got the Sennheiser HD202II headphone for about $23 on Amazon and it does a good job of blocking out some external noise. Put on music, and it is amazing.

It isn't ideal, but it is another route to try if you don't have hundreds of dollars. If it doesn't work for you, it wasn't that much wasted. I hope you find something that works well for you!

It depends what sort of noise and how much noise you're wanting to block out.

Autism spectrum sites usually have good information about different types because of sensory issues.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffrey...ng-headphones/
Noise Cancelling Vs. Noise Isolating Headphones - Forbes

There's also interesting info on this site below about Hyperacusis.
There's a small section there talking about Recruitment too - in the section on Hearing Loss
http://www.entnet.org/content/hypera...veryday-sounds

Thanks for the replies guys. I tried on a pair of the Bose headphones. They worked really well. I'd like to be able to try on a pair oftthe earbuds but I doubt that's going to happen due to sanitation concerns. But it's definitely something to consider. I have to speak with my doctor, although my therapist may be the better route now that I think about it. It's something I'd have to work out with work as well. But now I have an idea.

I have the Bose noise reduction headphones and they are amazing. I would also like to try the earbuds just cause they would be less bulky for travelling. Have you tried to contact the company - they must have a customer service number - to see if the earbuds work just as well?

I use foam earplugs alot ( the concert ones are really good) but my ear canals are very narrow so they are not always comfortable. Just got a pair of musicians earplugs and they allow me to hear conversations clearly while blocking out all the background noise. They are custom made so they don't hurt my ears. They were around 200 dollars.

I tried Bose noise cancelling headphones, and while they were excellent in filtering out the noise, they gave me a headache after about two hours of use.

I'm guessing the headache came from them pressing on my scull.

So I ended up using ear plugs on during flights.

That's a concern I have. I have TMJ to such a degree that laying on the wrong type of pillow gives me a headache. Obviously the ears are not the jaw buy I worry that just the pressure will lead to a headache. I've never really worn that type of headphone before. The buds would be idea, if they would work. But I don't want to spend all that money and have it not work.

Socks,

Do you jaw clench or grind your teeth ? This is often a sleep habit that messes up TMJ and makes head aches worse. There is a procedure where the doctor injects Botox into the jaw muscle to weaken it. It needs to be repeated from time to time but for some, it saves their TMJ.

While considering the Botox treatment, I found a physical therapist who did myofacial release and was able to get my TMJ to settle down but I needed to resolve the jaw clenching to get long term results. My jaw clenching was likely due to an SSRI I was taking. I took gabapentin and it helped reduce the jaw clenching.

Sorry i forgot to mention in my post above ,I have the buds and can wear them all day without discomfort . They come with 3 different sizes for whatever earsize you are.

I bought mine at Costco and then when I ended up not liking them due to a headache, I just returned them. Costco has a 90 day return policy for electronics.

Most places will give you two weeks or so to return. So just go buy whatever you think you like and try them for several days, worst case return them.

I have recently done a lot of research into the Bose noise-cancelling earphones and earbuds, as I'm thinking of getting some for my son (with PCS). I have read a lot of reviews, including quite a few very detailed ones.

I have concluded, based on everything that I have read about advantages and disadvantages, comparative quality, etc., that the Bose earbuds are what I would buy for my son.

I started with a much cheaper pair of noise cancelling headphones and they literally fell apart after a couple months. So its well worth the price of the Bose.

Also I have a smaller sized head so I dont have a problem with pressure, my Bose are actually a tiny bit loose. But I have had this problem with other regular ear protectors which fit tightly so you want to be sure you can actually wear them before you buy them.

I like the headphones, really want the musician's ear plugs
 

For what it's worth, I bought my Bose NCHP on December 27 and have worn them every day since then--what's that? 4 months.--and they hold up great and work excellent. I have a big head but my headphones fit comfortably, even loosely, on me.

The NCHP will not really block out the chatter per se but it does filter it and makes it easier to handle. If the chatter is real bad, I add some music. If the chatter/noise is excruciating (such as having to go to my nephew's birthday party at "Shenaniganz") then I add foam ear plugs AND use the head phones

I agree with Mark-- if you are primarily concerned with chatter then the cheapest and easiest thing to do is just buy foam ear plugs.

The problem with those are they indiscriminately block out everything whereas the noise canceling headphones/earbuds allow the sounds you want in.

I don't know about the earbuds; it sounds like those that have them love them. I feared as long as I wanted to wear them they would hurt my ear canals as all ear buds tend to do. The major draw back that I see from them is that they won't allow you the "belt and suspenders" approach of you must go into a particularly noisy environment like a 5yo birthday party. On the other hand, they are more discrete.

I say "ditto" to the poster who brought up the musicians ear plugs, though. My wife had read about those and now I am trying to get into an audiologist in order to get a pair custom. I am happy to hear they are so reasonably priced. They will be even more discrete than the earbuds but still allow me to have conversations. If I ever want to get back in a courtroom that will be mandatory for me.

I have both Bose noise cancelling headphones....On the ear and over the ear....I down right wore out the on the ear pair....Time for new battery and cushions....They really are the best for blocking out the noise!

But I have new used 3 different Sony noise canceling ear buds, very pricy unless you get a deal....This is all I use now to reduce "feeling like a freak"....

All have pros and cons.... anyone interested on a real review and model numbers just PM me.....Ive used this for 8 1/2 years to coup with my problems from my TBI!...

Bose ear-buds
 

I have concluded, based on everything that I have read about advantages and disadvantages, comparative quality, etc., that the Bose earbuds are what I would buy for my son.[/QUOTE]

Just to report that I did end up buying these for my son (paid A$350 and the sales guy included a set of airplane adapters). who has tested them out during our recent 3.5hr coach journey to Sydney. He thought that they were excellent -- and he isn't the sort of person who would say that just to please me!