Noise canceling headphones Forum

[SlimShadyMcCoy]

So I just found out that my new house has a squeaky floor and I can hear when my roommate is walking around on the floor above. It's not super loud, but enough to break my concentration when studying. Can anyone recommend a pair of headphones I can wear that will make the bad noises go away?!?!

[SilverE2]

Are you planning on listening to music through them? Noise cancellation earphones tend not to do much unless there is sound playing through them. You might just want to invest in a good pair of earplugs instead.

[musicfor18]

So I just found out that my new house has a squeaky floor and I can hear when my roommate is walking around on the floor above. It's not super loud, but enough to break my concentration when studying. Can anyone recommend a pair of headphones I can wear that will make the bad noises go away?!?!

Noise canceling headphones use "active noise reduction," and are really designed only to reduce constant noises, such as aircraft hum, the sound of an air conditioner, etc. While they may reduce the volume of the creaking a bit, they will likely not help as much as you want with that kind of intermittent noise. The better choice for that would be earplugs or headphones that are built for "passive noise reduction." In other words, they simply block sound from getting to your ears by plugging up your ears or sealing the area around your ears.

[SlimShadyMcCoy]

I'm not planning on listening to music through them, and I don't want to do earplugs because I used them before and ended up hurting my ear canal. Any suggestions on passive noise reduction headphones? I can't seem to find any on the internet that aren't built for music.

[theintern]

There really is no such thing. Bose in-ear headphones keep things quiet but they do not come close to even cheap ear plugs. Honestly, if you are going to spend upwards of $50, go to an ear doctor and get fitted for a good pair of ear plugs. People who work in the concert biz wear these all the time. They are incredible.

Noise cancelling doesn't work the way 99% of people think it does. What these headphones are actually doing is employing a microphone to filter out incoming noise by stopping that frequency from entering your ear. It's complicated, and doesn't work unless you're listening to music.

Get professional grade ear plugs, you will not regret it.

[dingbat]

Make him buy a carpet - that makes a world of difference

[SlimShadyMcCoy]

Ha, we have carpeted floors! I think the house is just old and has architectural flaws :-/

[smaug_]

I mean, if you're not talking about headphones and you want a passive option, you could go for something like this and just wear earbuds in there or not at all.

[Cerebro]

So I just found out that my new house has a squeaky floor and I can hear when my roommate is walking around on the floor above. It's not super loud, but enough to break my concentration when studying. Can anyone recommend a pair of headphones I can wear that will make the bad noises go away?!?!

I know it's probably not what you're looking for, but have you considered a white noise machine? I use these when I have difficulty concentrating because of noises like what you described, and it works well for me, particularly if you listen to it through headphones.

[skw]

Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. They are pricey, but nothing compares quality-wise. I use mine to study at home and at school and cannot recommend them highly enough. Bonus is that presence of headphones signals others you are busy and don't wish to be interrupted.

[PMan99]

Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. They are pricey, but nothing compares quality-wise. I use mine to study at home and at school and cannot recommend them highly enough. Bonus is that presence of headphones signals others you are busy and don't wish to be interrupted.

+1

The good Bose ones are pricey ($300) but I've found are far more comfortable than earplugs and work better. Also haven't needed music playing at all to block out the majority of noise. They're usually on display at their stores (or bestbuy or whatever) so you can try it out before you drop all that money. Haven't tried Beats, but thought SOUL didn't do a great job in terms of blocking out noise.

[SlimShadyMcCoy]

Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. They are pricey, but nothing compares quality-wise. I use mine to study at home and at school and cannot recommend them highly enough. Bonus is that presence of headphones signals others you are busy and don't wish to be interrupted.

I've been looking at those. Do they cancel out noise when you don't have any music on? I.e. do you think will cancel out the footsteps of someone walking on the floor above me?

[SlimShadyMcCoy]

So I just found out that my new house has a squeaky floor and I can hear when my roommate is walking around on the floor above. It's not super loud, but enough to break my concentration when studying. Can anyone recommend a pair of headphones I can wear that will make the bad noises go away?!?!

I know it's probably not what you're looking for, but have you considered a white noise machine? I use these when I have difficulty concentrating because of noises like what you described, and it works well for me, particularly if you listen to it through headphones.

Interesting...my little sister recommended them...

[dextermorgan]

Just get construction/shooting ear muffs (the non-electronic kind). They are a lot cheaper than Bose and will work just as well for what you are trying to do. You might look a little weird, but it's in your house so who cares?

[PMan99]

Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. They are pricey, but nothing compares quality-wise. I use mine to study at home and at school and cannot recommend them highly enough. Bonus is that presence of headphones signals others you are busy and don't wish to be interrupted.

I've been looking at those. Do they cancel out noise when you don't have any music on? I.e. do you think will cancel out the footsteps of someone walking on the floor above me?

Yes they are noise cancelling even w/o music, at lest the over-ear ones.

[bostonlawchick]

I just wanted to add that at my school at least we weren't allowed to wear them during exams, only earplugs were allowed. Granted adrenaline might get you through an exam or you might just suck it up and use earplugs those few times, but it is something to think about if you're easily distracted.