How Do You Drown Out the Office Noise? 91
An anonymous reader asks: "We've recently had yet another office re-organization, which is not so bad in itself, but the noise level has increased significantly due to the type of furniture as well as job functions of those whom I share the office with. The first thing I think I'm going to do is to get a pair of noise canceling headphones, but before I spend hundreds of dollars I'd like to hear some opinions or alternatives. Two of the ones that look neat are the Extreme Isolation Headphones and Plane Quiet Headphones. What have others done to cope with noise level?"
For me it's a non-issue: (Score:5, Funny)
I only wish I were joking.
Re:For me it's a non-issue: (Score:1)
Good job.
Re:For me it's a non-issue: (Score:1)
Re:For me it's a non-issue: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:For me it's a non-issue, I... (Score:1)
Note: I work in a call center and I get calls from people that are mad. I usually have to tell them a couple of times to repeat what they said as I am reading Slashdot.
Again, this is not a plug for Slashdot, this is what I do to tune out the noise here.
in-ear headphones (Score:4, Informative)
Mine is a pair of Koss The Plug [koss.com] headphones. Honestly, they're not very good by themselves, because the foam earplugs that come with them are very poor - it's impossible to get a good seal with them. I replaced them with a pair of my own earplugs modified with a hole through the middle (for the 'acoustic tube' that channels the sound into your ear). With that one change, they become a decent pair of headphones. The sound is still weak comparied to some professional in-ear headphones that you can get for 10-20 times as much money, but they are better than your standard earbud.
But on the upside, they also block out background noise much better than my friend's Bose noise canceling headphones that also cost 10-20 times as much money.
Re:in-ear headphones (Score:3, Informative)
Re:in-ear headphones (Score:4, Interesting)
Now, with my Altec Lansing's (Amazon [amazon.com]), I can't even hear her talk to me (just like a mute button - lips move and thats it) when the volume is just on medium. I can't hear the keyboard when I type anymore either... Not bad for a $23 dollar solution.
Now, when the volume is just off (which I've caught myself doing a lot here lately), I can still here some noise, but not nearly as loud. My only gripe is that, originally, I didn't like the feeling of the cups, but thats because I had never used this type before.
Last but not least, I have a pair of ear buds too and I like the Altec's better due to in-line volume control and the cup over ear instead of in-ear. I tend to get headaches after about 2 hours of buds in the ear. That and I tend to walk around on breaks with the buds in to keep from killing my ears putting them back in within 5 minutes.
And no, I'm not trying to push them that hard, I just happen to like the cheap solution my wife found. Oddly enough, she knew about these due to her profession - professional flute player in a band...
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro (Score:3, Insightful)
They do not have any specific noice-cancelling technology per se,
but they are the "closed" variety of headphones with circumaural
pads (surround the ear instead of rest upon it). For me, they
block out the world quite nicely. Oh and they also sound great too.
I got 'em online for under $90 back in summer.
Before that I had a set of Sony headphones of the same style (closed,
circumaural) but they cost more, wore out faster, and didn't block
out the noise as good as these Sennheiser's do.
regular old headphones (Score:4, Funny)
Re:regular old headphones (Score:3, Funny)
Air Circulation/White Noise system... (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't know if the effect was intentional or not, but it might have been. In any case, it helped (and helps!) to remove unwanted distractions.
Re:Air Circulation/White Noise system... (Score:2)
Re:Air Circulation/White Noise system... (Score:2)
In the building where I am now it's an air system because it only runs part of the time (maybe 70%).
Shure E3c (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Shure E3c (Score:2, Informative)
Check out the Comparison Chart [shure.com] of the different models. Yeah, they are pricey, and I wouldnt' spring for th
Just how noisy is your office? (Score:2, Insightful)
Have you tried any non-noise canceling headphones? The HVAC system in my office is quite loud, but, using some cheap Sony headphones, I have never needed to turn my music up to painful levels to drown background sounds out.
If you feel you need such expensive headphones I think you should consider looking at what is locally available - making returns much easier.
Earplugs (Score:2)
What noise. (Score:1)
For those cases where the air system isn't enough (Score:2)
Most of the time I don't have to be social 'cuz I'm busy either analyzing or writing code.
Strategy: Escalation (Score:5, Funny)
Remember, in the cubes everyone can hear you scream.
Re:Strategy: Escalation (Score:1, Funny)
I happen to work for a speaker company [klipsch.com] and I have found the best way to drown out my co-workers is to have a more powerful speaker setup [klipsch.com] than they do.
maybe (Score:2)
http://www.faqs.org/docs/electric/Exper/EXP_4.h
http://www.n
Re:maybe (Score:2)
In-ears are not all that... (Score:2, Interesting)
You will see many people trying to sell you on in-ear phones such as the Shure E3 [shure.com] or the Etymotic ER6 [etymotic.com]
Trust me - these are mostly overkill. I have a set of Shure E3s that I bought to cope with our extremely loud drummer - however, unless your coworkers are using jackhammers, a good quality set of closed-back headphones (AKG 270, Sennheiser HD580, Sony MDR-7506) will sound better and be more comfortable.
Re:In-ears are not all that... (Score:2)
I have spent a few thousand hours wearing in-ear and closed regular headphones for periods of 4+ hou
Intrinsic noise protection! (Score:2)
Furniture Noise? (Score:3, Funny)
the noise level has increased significantly due to the type of furniture
My office furniture doesn't make any noise as far as I can tell. Of course I'm not lucky enough to have my "wastebasket vibrate with happiness when trash is thrown into itRe:Furniture Noise? (Score:2)
Noise-cancelling not required (Score:2)
I use inexpensive Sony MDR-EX71SLB Fontopia in-ear headphones. I like their sound very much (not too harsh on the high end, and with a very deep and solid bass). You don't need to turn the volume all the way up to make all disturbances (including a yakking wife or girlfriend
I find them much more comfortable than over the ear headphones (YMMV), and they're very inconspicuous.
Re:Noise-cancelling not required (Score:1)
Come on! This is slashdot, you are lucky to have ONE not both. Please share, dude.
Re:Noise-cancelling not required (Score:1)
Plain Old Full Ear Headphones (Score:5, Informative)
Unless you work next to a drill press or milling machine, a good pair of cheap over the ear headphones will do you fine.
Just put them on with the music off, and you'll notice that they muffle the noise around you excellently.
BTW, I loved mine, perhaps too much. I think that my hearing has suffered somewhat from them. You may catch yourself listening at '10' to catch every detail, and that's not a good thing to do for several hours every day.
If you insist on getting noise cancelling headphones, you may want to wait for the Aiwa Noise-Canceling Headphones - HP CN6 [amazon.com], which are only about $50.00.
Try cheaper first? (Score:4, Informative)
For the ability to ignore/drown out more of the rest of the noise, I kept the headphones hooked up to a music source. Walkman, iPod, or whatever. If I really didn't want to be disturbed, I turned up the music until I couldn't hear normal-conversation voices from outside the headphone. Generally worked great, but if someone came up to me said "Hey!", I'd still hear them.
One interesting note to this type of headphones - your own chewing/swallowing noises aren't reduced much (if at all) while wearing them, as it is mostly transmitted through your jaw. When I had the headphones on and was chewing gum for the first time, it sounded like a disgusting mess. Something to bear in mind.
Re:Try cheaper first? (Score:3, Informative)
For about $60, they work r
Re:Try cheaper first? (Score:2)
Exactly. What is it with goofy coworkers that think scaring the hell out of you to get your attention is funny?
I swear, if I didn't need the money, I'd throw one in particular through the wall the next time they do it, and deal with the consequences.
Re:Try cheaper first? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Try cheaper first? (Score:1)
Chop
Plane Quiet, Bah! (Score:5, Informative)
Lot's of choices with a little looking.
noice cancelling headphone reviews (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.epinions.com/elec_Audio-Headphones_Kos
Here's some more headphones from Epinions:
Maxell:http://www.epinions.com/Maxell_
Coby:http://www.epinions.com/Coby_Digital_Noise
The Kenwood headphones have no reviews.
This search from Epinons lists a lot of different brands but the only reviews are above. Check it out if you want to see more brands.
http://www.epinions.com/search/?submitted_form=se
code at home.. (Score:2)
well.. otherwise i'd just leave the Sony MDR-EX 71 SL's in my ears all day long.
$3 (Score:2)
Note that some of these earplugs come with a longer-than-necessary fingergrip, which you use to insert/remov
Earplugs (Score:2)
I spent a few years doing remote developent work (program from home) and got used to being able to control every environmental aspect of my work day
I get a handful of the neon squishy ones at the gun range and keep them in my drawer - over the course of the week I spend as much time with them in as out. Serves a double purpose : in addition to the sweet serenity within my head, their bright neon yellow / pink give
Get a loud keyboard (Score:2)
I always use a "clicky" buckling spring UNICOMP keyboard. Once I start typing the rest of the world just disappears.
Tough nuggies for everyone else.
I guess the downside is everyone can tell when I'm on my 45 minute space-out.
Headphones? How about keyboards? (Score:3, Funny)
This only becomes a problem when I don't hear the fire alarms, but that's an edge scenario.
Management's answer: (Score:2)
Strongbad answers this question for you (Score:2)
zerg (Score:2)
I personally use Leightning 31, but that's not for music...
Have you tried telling the boss? (Score:2)
thunderstorm cd (Score:1)
http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.
That combination drowns out just about everything.
Re:thunderstorm cd (Score:2)
I just sing louder (Score:1)
Two words: (Score:2, Insightful)
"Led Zeppelin"
Knee jerk reaction..... (Score:5, Insightful)
What
In noisy environments you have a few choices:
- Get earplugs or over the ears headphones (no music, or if you inisist not loud music all the time).
- Hint to your employer that if you go deaf due to the noise they may have a legal case on their hands (not joking, if the noise is real bad your employer may be in hot water, pointing this out to them may get tehm into action, i.e. changing furniture or the office arrangements in order to reduce noise).
- Talk to your colleagues! You could come up with ways to make your environment less noisy (no talking in the corridors, no music, no conference calls in the phone's loudspeakers, all mobile phones put into vibrating mode or off, etc.).
Re:Knee jerk reaction..... (Score:1)
Well, that would take care of the original posters problem?
85 Dba is the magic level (Score:1)
1. Ask your employer if it needs to be fixed. They have an obligation to prevent/mitigate exposure of their employees to hazards.
2. Go to radio shack and buy a cheap sound meter and measure it yourself. The action level is 85 dBa, Time Weighted Average over an 8 hour shift. The action level for i
Hearing protectors for shooting (Score:1)
They work pretty well, and are pretty comfortable.
In-ear plugs make my ears feel all nasty and waxy after a little while, and I don't like the way they seem to enhance perception of bone-conducted internal sounds.
Re:Hearing protectors for shooting (Score:1)
They look like really old-school headphones, only they're not made of metal.
Don't waste money (Score:2)
Do they work? (Score:2)
Re:Do they work? (Score:2)
how do I drown out the noise? (Score:2)
Losing one's hearing certainly has its advantages!
Headphones Not an Option (Score:2)
Given that, what are my other option?
[Despite the supposed conservative culture, I still have to contend with co-workers obnoxious phone conversations and loud (sometimes lewd) gossiping]
Re:Headphones Not an Option (Score:1)
Earplugs are the most obvious alternative. They come in many varieties, some of which are not noticeable by others.
Of course, what you should do is buck your workplace's conservative culture and use the headphones! Are they going to fire you if you do? And if they do, perhaps that's a sign that such a company isn't really the best place to work. After a week or two, you'll probably find others also wearing headphones, now that you've shown that it's "okay". Dare to be a little different...
Re:Headphones Not an Option (Score:2)
Simple (Score:3, Insightful)
Telecommute. It saves fuel as well.
Plane Quiet Headphones same as Kensington (?) (Score:2, Insightful)
I've read some very negative reviews of the latter.
Re:Plane Quiet Headphones same as Kensington (?) (Score:2)
I have a pair of Plane Quiet headphones which look almost entirely unlike either the Kensington or the Sony that someone else mentioned. I have no doubt that Plane Quiet is simply re-branding some other manufacturer's stuff, but the particular model I have is neither of these two.
In general, I like them. My "office" is in a converted cleanroom. Hard walls and floor and a monster ventilation system designed to keep a positive pressure in the room. Plus there's an environment chamber running all the tim
home office (Score:2)
2. use hush [hushtechnologies.com] as workstation
3. when kids get back from school speak quietly and carry a large stick
full headphones PLUS earplugs! (Score:1)
Much cheaper than noise-cancelling headphones (Score:3, Interesting)
I own the Plane Quiet headphones (Score:3, Interesting)
The sound they're good at cancelling is engine noies and other fairly low frequency stuff. They damp voices, but not by that much. If you wear them in a conversation, you hear the other folk -- they just sound low-fi.
My hugely favorite thing for damping noise and actually getting work done is called a DOOR. If you don't have one, ask your boss for one. If he's smart and able, he'll get one for you. Your productivity will go up.
As for using music to dampen, see Tom DeMarco's book, _Peopleware_. In it he runs tests with silence, office noise and music. The music ain't much better than the office noise for concentration. (page 78)
Re:I own the Plane Quiet headphones (Score:2)
Well heck, why didn't I think of that! It's so simple! I'll just ask my boss for a private office! Great idea, I'm sure he'll be just fine with it, hang on, he sits in the next cube over so I'll go ask him.
simple (Score:3, Funny)
Re:why bother with headphones? (Score:2)
Be open minded (Score:2)
What they are forgetting is that to benefit from cheapo headphones is that you have to be playing music or some other kind of noise.
The major advantage of the noise-canceling headphones (especially the ones from Bose), you can just put the headphones on and get silence.
In my last job I would borrow my cube-neighbor's every so often in order to concentrate harder.
skip the headphones, get a waterfall (Score:2)
Ear plugs (Score:2)
I used to sit next to one guy, his whole family had loud gobs. When he called home you could actually hear both sides of the telephone conversation (no exaggeration!) The earplugs didn't cancel the noise out
This is really a problem at my office (Score:1)