Noise Cancelling Headphones/Earbuds Suggestions?

[GearHd6]

My girlfriend wants some variation of these to cancel out some irritating people/noise in her office. Can anyone offer some advice as to which way to go on these? She'd be wearing them most of the day so comfort is definitely a main concern. I was looking at the Bose Quiet Comfort 15 headphones and they seem decent but I hate to lay that kind of cash out if there is something better and more economical. Most reviews online seem good but there is always someone that isn't happy.

She currently uses just some cheapo earbuds but they hurt her ears after a short time. Maybe a quality earbud wouldn't have that effect?

Thanks.

[OneCheekRider]

looking for over-ear or in-ear headphones? I suggest getting a nice set with bluetooth. Life is so much better without cords! Plus they usually have a microphone so you can answer calls without removing them.

[GearHd6]

Now won't Bluetooth only work with her phone? She has an iPod she uses mostly.

[oVTo]

Why noise cancelling instead of just regular over-the-ear headphones?

[GearHd6]

That was her request. She has a super annoying guy right beside her at work and I think she wants to eliminate as much of that as possible. I don't think she wants to blast the music to down him out.

[GearHd6]

Maybe normal ones will do. I think she'd more like a comfortable fitting earbud so it doesn't mess her hair up during the day.

[oVTo]

Normal headphones will be a better bang for the buck. Noise cancelling headphones work well at reducing repeatable noise like fans, ac units, jet engines, and things like that. They won't be any better at reducing a loud talker in the cube next door, or any other noise (coughing, whistling, etc) than regular headphones.

[GearHd6]

So do you think headphones will suit her purpose better or will earbuds work? I guess he makes constant sniffling noises and likes to bang his mouse around and it drives her nuts. And then sometimes he's on the phone with someone talking about sports and TV shows for a long period. I really think she'd like to smash him over the head but I don't think that would be too great for her employment.

[oVTo]

Over-the-ear vs. earbuds are mostly a matter of comfort. She might want to consider some custom-molded earbuds, they'll be more comfortable than generic ones. Both can become tiring after a while, so one of each type might work best for getting through a long day with Mr. Sniffles.

[khuygie88]

I have Bose ie2 ear buds and they kick ass. Spent the extra money and got the Ines with the mic that work with my android so I can just answer the phone and keep them in or talk hands free while at work.

At $100 they're kinda pricey bit they come with multiple ear piece insert sizes and are pretty sturdy- I've stepped on mine when I dropped them once and they were fine.

[GearHd6]

I was looking at those Bose earbuds. How do you like that style ear piece? Do they fit snug enough to drown out background noise?

[marshdrummer]

flame me all you want, but the skull candy ink'd sound pretty damn good for $9 (on sale). I use them every day a the gym and they cancel out all the gym noise and my huffin' and puffin'. They come with 3 different size buds for 'comfort'. My first set lasted about 6 months until I lost them. The second set is going on a 6 months...

[luukasama]

I would either go for Bose noise cancelling OR, in my experience, I would highly reccommend these: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-blackshark

The Bose headphones are good and are worth the price, I think. I once tested them out in the Bose store in the Burlington mall, and I swear to God, all these people talking just outside the door just audibly disappeared. I don't actually own them and I haven't really flown to test the air vent noise, but they are supposed to be pretty sweet.

However, I can't speak highly enough of the Razer Blackshark. Me and my boyfriend both bought this set, both as a headset and to use whenever we're playing different games, and don't want to have to share the same speakers for both sounds. The noise isolation is so good, I have to yell at him or pull his headphones off to get him to pay attention to me. The microphone can be easily disconnected and you can plug up the port with an included, flat metal cork (it's shaped specifically for that port. They are comfortable, keep the sound within your ear since they go over them, and are multipurpose. The mic can be used with any phone. Just plug it in and it works.

I used to keep wanting to get the Bose noise cancelling ones, UNTIL I bought the Razer (cost did go into this decision).

I started using over the ear headphones because earbuds make my ears itch really bad, I don't know why. Like Marsh said, Skullcandy has really good earbuds even though they are so cheap, but I can't rave enough about Razer's Black Shark over-the-ears. Take a look into it. I guarantee you girlfriend will love it, and she'll be comfortable wearing them too.

[breakdirt916]

she can talk to the dude

is she playing music??

if not...use ear plugs, not headphones



if headphones, how high is she keeping the volume?

in my experience, ear buds with enough volume is enough to block out sniffling & mouse tapping

if you want "better" ear buds, and not your regular skullcandy variety, then try the etymotic tips that look like this:



I personally don't think they're any more effective than the skullcandy ones...and the proper etymotic ones are like $80-$100

you can try the active noise cancellation, but I never tried them...and I don't think they're much better than regular earbuds for noise cancellation

lastly, you have the over-the-ear variety...some with noise cancelling (again, with sufficient volume is sufficient to block out mouse tapping), and hunting headphones will just flat out block noise

[audiojeff]

Really good and current resource on headphones at The Wirecutter.

http://thewirecutter.com/leaderboard/headphones/

[GearHd6]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll have to do some more research.

[timmyho414]

The BOSE are awesome at canselling back ground noise not so much for voices. My girlfriend had SUPER sensitive hearing due to Lyme disease and we got them for that reason and the work great. I started my race bike in the garage which is right below our living room. You could hear something but almost all of the noise was gone. Play music through it and you would hear nothing.

barking dogs...gone. outside noise...gone and they are really light and comfy

[GearHd6]

Which Bose, the $300 earbuds? Those are what I'm looking at but I'm having a hard time with that steep price tag.

[rsw81]

I personally really like the Klipsch S4 ear buds. They fit like ear plugs, so they block the sound even when music isn't playing, plus the sound quality is stellar. They're usually $70, but I found them recently on Amazon for like $39. Had my current pair for 4 years and running strong, no issues with quality or wire-shorts.

[Kawi Ken]

I personally really like the Klipsch S4 ear buds. They fit like ear plugs, so they block the sound even when music isn't playing, plus the sound quality is stellar. They're usually $70, but I found them recently on Amazon for like $39. Had my current pair for 4 years and running strong, no issues with quality or wire-shorts.

I have the Klipsch image x 10 noise cancelling andlove them! Very small and work incredible even on bike.137 on Amazon