Keeping Out the Noise, Letting In the Sound
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
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 …
Read moreNoise Cancelling Headphones vs Earmuffs: Electronics or Big Ear Cups?
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 …
Read more7 Great Earmuffs for Large Heads and 5 That Are Too Small (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 …
Read morePeltor Sport Ultimate and Peltor Sport Bull’s Eye Review
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 …
I have lived in quite a few apartments and stayed in countless hotel rooms where traffic noise was waking me up several times a night. Over time, I have developed a good understanding of what works to block out enough noise to help me fall and stay asleep. Whether you have traffic noise keeping you …
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 …
This article looks at when and how active noise cancelling headphones (=headphones that use electronics to reduce noise) can help to protect your hearing. Used correctly, good noise cancelling headphones have the potential to protect hearing in many situations, but they are not safety earmuffs. And, they can also damage your hearing if you play …
Read moreDo Noise Cancelling Headphones Protect Your Hearing?