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Comment by grahamburger | Hacker News Reader

I see this recommendation often (using noise-cancelling headphones in an open-office) but I'm confused by it.

The headphones will actively remove (a little bit of) white noise from your environment (air conditioners, server fans, etc) which in practice actually makes 'signal' type noises more audible. I've noticed, for example, that I can hear the flight attendants on the intercom much better with my noise cancelling headphones on than without because the noise from the engine is partially cancelled.

I can see how heavy over-the-ear headphones would help in that they will dampen all noise, especially if you add in some white noise on top of that.

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> I can see how heavy over-the-ear headphones would help in that they will dampen all noise, especially if you add in some white noise on top of that.

This is what I use. Only way to make offices bearable. You have to have music playing in the headphones though. Doesn't block out the office otherwise.

My Beats make the office feel like I'm sitting home alone. It's amazing. Sometimes people start talking to me from 2ft away and I don't realize they're there unless I see them.

I don't know why people like white/brown noise so much. I find it very stressful. I hate being around A/C units, fans, airplanes‚ engines and other things that produce incessant white-ish noise. (Noise-canceling earbuds are amazing on airplanes and trains for that reason.)

I just want quiet. While noise-canceling earbuds/headphones don't completely block voices and other loud, irregular background sounds, they do isolate the music and make my surroundings quieter. I don't use the earbuds without music. I find that with noise canceling on and music playing, I can completely zone out — or rather, zone in.

> I see this recommendation often (using noise-cancelling headphones in an open-office) but I'm confused by it.

Me too, and I hope someone will chime in and mention a variety of noise canceling headphones that block out voices. I'm in an open office space for the first time in a while, and finding it extremely stressful and distracting to hear other people talking constantly when I'm trying to focus.

> I hope someone will...mention a variety of noise canceling headphones that block out voices.

I don't think that is even possible, since noise canceling is by statistical analysis of ambient sound. What you want is a white noise generator. Rain sounds nice, but I've found the rumble of a large fan to be more effective at covering the most bothersome frequencies of noise.

Look into proper IEMs, they're generally made for wearing on stage and tend to do a great job blocking out external noises.

I've got Shure SE535s for flying, they do a better job passively cancelling noise than any active "noise cancelling" headphones I've ever tried.

Do you have any experience with/thoughts on the SE215-K? The SE535s are a bit out of my "give it a try" budget range.

Not really, but they appear pretty similar to mine (perhaps you even get the same tips?) and other people seem to be very satisfied with the isolation http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-se215

Instead of using noise cancelling headphones, put in a set of foam ear plugs and then add a pair of headphones over your ears playing static.

Unfortunately, that ends up not being very comfortable for long stretches.

So, I actually agree with you, but I am going to guess for opposite reasons (which is why I put forward the idea anyway): you probably mean the foam plugs are uncomfortable, but I actually sleep every night with foam plugs and actually kind of enjoy wearing them, but absolutely despise having standard over-ear headphones on my head/ears.

Yep. I find the foam plugs to be uncomfortable, and having them pressed in by the over-ear phones makes them worse. Do you have a recommended brand/style of in-ear foam plugs?

I buy 3M Disposable Earplugs in 80 packs from Home Depot, but I actually also like the fairly standard Hearos that you see around. My recommendation if you find them tight is Mack's Dreamgirl Soft 30dB, as they are extra small but are still made out of material almost (but not quite) as good as the Hearos and 3M. (I swear the 3M are slightly better than the Hearos, btw, and you can buy them in tiny packs as well to try out, but I might just be crazy and they might literally be identical to Hearos.) The one thing to absolutely avoid is the "Sleep Pretty in Pink" variety of Hearos: I don't know what the hell they did to them but they just don't work correctly. (And you probably want 32dB if you go with normal size, not 33dB, which are much larger. I wear those on plane flights, dental work, and parties, but generally not for sleeping or random work.)

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