Work Archives - Page 3 of 5

How to Make Quiet Recordings Louder on 3M Worktunes and Other Earmuffs

Published on December 25, 2020 by Helmut

Worktunes-and-other-earmuffs-volume-too-low

Worktunes and Bluetooth safety earmuffs in general are designed to protect your hearing from loud noise (e.g., power tools, gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, etc.) while at the same time allowing you to listen to audio. Unlike standard headphones, Bluetooth earmuffs are first and foremost hearing protectors. Most of them attempt to limit the maximum …

How to Block Out People’s Voices

Published on November 13, 2020 by Helmut

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 …

Mpow HP102A Bluetooth Earmuffs Review

Published on September 10, 2020 by Helmut

The MPow HP102A earmuffs are advertised with a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 29 decibels. This is among the highest I have so far seen for Bluetooth hearing protection earmuffs, so I had to get a pair and try them out. Summary I compared the noise reduction of the Mpow HP102A to that of three …

The 5 Best White Noise Machines (with Sound Samples)

Published on September 1, 2020 by Helmut

best white noise machines for sleep and focus

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 …

Sound+Sleep SE Sound Machine Review: No Loops Please

Published on August 5, 2020 by Helmut

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. …

Noise Cancelling Headphones or Earbuds? It Depends on Where and When

Published on July 18, 2020 by Helmut

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 …

Noise Cancelling Headphones vs Earmuffs: Electronics or Big Ear Cups?

Published on July 9, 2020 by Helmut

In this post I am comparing two of my favorite noise reduction tools: active noise cancelling headphones and earmuffs. The results of an everyday noise reduction test are also included. Noise cancelling headphones (ANC headphones) have become all the rage in recent years, and for good reasons: They get rid of bass noise like no …

7 Great Earmuffs for Large Heads and 5 That Are Too Small (Review)

Published on July 1, 2020 by Helmut

I have been asked a few times to recommend earmuffs that suit people with large heads, so here is my take on this. I have an above-average but not huge head, and over time, I have used my share of earmuffs with different designs and different-sized headbands. For this post, I have also measured their …

Peltor Sport Ultimate and Peltor Sport Bull’s Eye Review

Published on June 25, 2020 by Helmut

Peltor Sport Ultimate and Bulls Eye Review

The 3M Peltor Sport Ultimate and Peltor Sport Bull’s Eye are two more recent additions to 3M’s large portfolio of hearing protection earmuffs. Seeing them, my first thought was: “Hey, these earmuffs look cool.” “They could be used in the workshop as a hearing protector, as well as in the coffee shop to get rid …

Do Bone Conduction Headphones Work with Earplugs?

Published on June 4, 2020 by Helmut

Runners and cyclists use bone conduction headphones because they want to keep their ears open and maintain awareness of what is going on around them. Used this way, bone conduction headphones are not suitable for very loud environments because the louder the environmental noise, the more it drowns out the headphones. But what if you …