Keeping Out the Noise, Letting In the Sound
ISOtunes Wired and Plugfones Guardian both are wired work earplug headphones with a noise reduction rating of 29. They combine hearing protection earplugs with the ability to listen to music and audio books. I have decided to test and compare these particular models because they offer pretty much the same ear tips as the more …
Read moreISOtunes Wired vs Plugfones Guardian Earplug Headphones
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 …
Read moreHow to Make Quiet Recordings Louder on 3M Worktunes and Other Earmuffs
During celebrations like New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year, and 4th of July, it is almost impossible to escape firework shows. Besides, most people, including myself, enjoy the spectacle. Fireworks are beautiful, but they can get really loud. You may have heard that active noise cancelling headphones are particularly good against low-frequency noise, and the …
Read moreDo Noise Cancelling Headphones Block Out Firework Noise?
Quality active noise cancelling headphones work great against low-frequency noise, OK against mid frequency noise (speech, office noise, etc.) and well against high frequency noise. Then we have noise cancelling earbuds. They can be nearly as good as over-ear ANC headphones for low-frequency noise, but are substantially weaker against mid and high frequencies. Good hearing …
Read moreCombining ANC Earbuds and Earmuffs: Ultimate Noise Cancellers?
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 …
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. …
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 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 …
