Keeping Out the Noise, Letting In the Sound
Against low-frequency noise, active noise cancelling headphones (ANC headphones) reign, but against everything else, foam earplugs are more effective. That’s what I used to think, having used both for years now. But ANC headphones and ANC earbuds have become better and better, so I wondered, “Is this still true?” Besides, maximum noise reduction and isolation …
Read moreNoise Cancelling Headphones vs Earplugs: Who is Boss?
You have been running your white noise machine at maximum volume to drown out the stomping from above, the neighbor’s bass-heavy music, or the rumbling of the trucks passing by. Or perhaps you tried to cover an obnoxious hum permeating your room. Alas, the white noise machine didn’t help all that much. Now you are …
Read moreWhy Most White Noise Machines Don’t Block Low-Frequency Noise
You are sitting in an office, a coffee shop, or your home office and can’t focus because you have to listen to your coworkers or the folks at the next table. Or you are in your bedroom or a hotel room, having to listen to your neighbors having a good laugh and cranking up the …
In my experience, a good white noise machine can completely drown out moderate but not loud snoring from a partner sleeping next to you. It tends to work well against snoring coming from a distance (e.g., snoring roommate, snoring neighbor, or snoring dog). For loud snoring, a white noise machine can still help you to …
This review is based on in-depth tests of (so far) 10 white noise machines, all acquired at standard retailers. The 10 candidates were shortlisted over time from a much larger selection of machines (through experience, reading, and listening to samples). I have used each of them until I was confident I had figured out most …
Read moreThe 5 Best White Noise Machines (with Sound Samples)
My search for effective earbuds to cancel low frequency noise has led me to a real gem, 1More‘s Dual Driver ANC Pro. Having put them through an in-depth test, I can report that these are very effective noise cancellers. In fact, they are substantially more effective than my current ANC earbuds reference, the Bose QC20. …
Are you concerned you might not hear your morning alarm if you are wearing earplugs? I can usually hear my alarm even when wearing earplugs, provided I select a loud alarm tone and set my phone to maximum volume. It has happened though that I didn’t hear it. I should add that I often play …
Read moreHow to Hear Your Alarm Clock with Earplugs? [5 Simple Ideas]
I have now used the Sound+Sleep SE for a couple of months and want to share my review. Most nature sound machines work like a simple MP3 player on repeat. You choose a sound like “ocean surf,” the machine plays a recorded sound, and having reached the end, it starts over and repeats the recording. …
Read moreSound+Sleep SE Sound Machine Review: No Loops Please
The best over-ear active noise cancelling headphones (ANC headphones) feature impressive noise reducing performance and sound great. But, they take up a lot more space than active noise cancelling earbuds (ANC earbuds). ANC earbuds also use electronics to reduce noise, so perhaps they could do just as well? They fit in a handbag or even …
Read moreNoise Cancelling Headphones or Earbuds? It Depends on Where and When
You may have just gotten a white noise machine for your bedroom and are unsure how loud you should set it. Or you have tried to use it for a while but it doesn’t seem to be soothing enough or block enough noise. Now you are wondering how loud you should play white noise to …
