Noisy office & Noise cancelling headphones

[S11Steve]

I've recently moved from my own "bunker" to an open plan office, and the background noise is killing me! I'm sat on the edge of a sales team so phones are constantly ringing and lots of loud voices going on coupled with high ceilings and bad acoustics, , it is not ideal for a lot of the analytical type of work I do.

At the moment there isn't an option to get back into a space of my own, so I'm wondering if NCH would be a possible solution - but I've never used them, and not sure how they work, or if they even are a solution.

I'd also prefer something in-ear rather than a set of big DJ cans.

Any advice please?

[JontyR]

I had a set of the bose QC30 NC in ear headphones. They were good, however one of the ear pieces stopped working and the noise cancelling wasn't as good as Id hoped. Certainly not as good as the QC35s. Annoyingly Bose wouldn't swap them for the other type and they had put up the price by around £40.

I bought the in ear sports ones instead...and although they are comfortable and give a good quality of sound they don't offer as good cancelling and kind of wish I had just taken a set of replacements instead.

However Ive now said I'm working from home more as one of the guys that works in the office winds the fook out me with his annoying coffee/chunterings and eating habits.

The battery life isn't great on the Inear versions...I get 5 hours which means I have to go for a walk at lunchtime and then put them on charge. They do however come with a nice carry case that allows me to charge from in there....

I did look at getting some earpieces made for them though.

I think the thing that pisses me off the most is that I shouldn't have to wear headphones....this stupid open office idea is just crap!

[Order66]

S11Steve said:

I'd also prefer something in-ear rather than a set of big DJ cans.

So buy a set of proper noise isolating in-ear headphones. They work better than any noise-cancellation headphones, fit in your pocket, don't need batteries and are cheaper.
I had etymotic ones, bought them about a decade ago, can turn an aircraft absolutely silent - almost disorientingly so if you wake up and take them out in a noisy environment.

Some info:
https://headphonesaddict.com/best-noise-isolating-...

[S11Steve]

Order66 said:

Some info:
https://headphonesaddict.com/best-noise-isolating-...

Very useful - thank you.

I don't tend to listen to music at work, but I'm not adverse to wearing earbuds just so I can concentrate more. This move has been a bit of a culture shock for me...

[bloomen]

Noise cancelling won't make much or any difference to you. The physical barrier will work of course but the actual cancellation will do pretty much nothing. It's for nullifying extended droning. You can pick up sharp sounds and voices just fine.

Edited by bloomen on Friday 21st April 19:02

[williaa68]

bloomen said:

Noise cancelling won't make much or any difference to you. The physical barrier will work of course but the actual cancellation will do pretty much nothing. It's for nullifying extended droning. You can pick up sharp sounds and voices just fine.

Edited by bloomen on Friday 21st April 19:02

I agree that the physics would say that this is true but i find they do (or did, I am not in an open plan office any more) help. I think in a largish open plan environment the combined noise causes a hum that can be quite effectively cancelled. They won't stop a ringing phone but some gentle background music can make things much more tolerable.

[JontyR]

bloomen said:

Noise cancelling won't make much or any difference to you. The physical barrier will work of course but the actual cancellation will do pretty much nothing. It's for nullifying extended droning. You can pick up sharp sounds and voices just fine.

Edited by bloomen on Friday 21st April 19:02

Yes...it is weird that....I had a set of DJ style headphones for my first round of trying to shut out the noise and as you say...it eliminates the hum but voices it made clearer and so drove me batty! They didn't have NC on them though. The QC30s were very good...and the app for the phone would allow you to turn off the NC so that you could chat to some clearly when necessary. Plus I like the fact Bose allow you to connect to two devices. Phone and or computer in my case. Great for listening to music on the computer and then if the phone rings you a) don't miss it and b) can answer it.

Although it is a bit weird chatting with the NC as you feel as though you have a really bad head cold before you get used to it

[12TS]

I feel you pain.

I use these >>>

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/n10/Earphones-Westone-W...

Discrete, very little leakage and cuts out almost all background noise when using Comply foam buds.

An essential part of my day to day life now.

[Durzel]

Just to add a bit of contrast.. I have a set of Bose QC20i and if I use the noise cancelling on them I can't hear anyone talking in the office at all. I think you need to have something playing through them for the noise cancellation to work though.

[pherlopolus]

I bought some inairs memory foam buds for my sennheiser headphones. They almost completely blocked out the central line so offices are no problem, people actually comment how noisy the office is on calls, but I literally can't hear anything.

Would only work on closed back headphones.

[Engineer792]

Has anyone tried them out to deal with snoring?

[anonymous-user]

I sympathise, have the same problem at work and it is sending my stress levels through the roof. I have some AKG NC-60 noise cancelling headphones, these do a reasonable job but not up to being physically separated and really only reduce the level.

[JontyR]

This is rapidly turning into a support group for frustrated office workers who have ignorant co-workers

[TheGuru]

I had a pair of Shure in-ear headphones, with the foam tips they really were the best at drowning outside noises. Too good some times as you could literally have someone shouting at you from behind and you wouldn't hear them.

[anonymous-user]

JontyR said:

This is rapidly turning into a support group for frustrated office workers who have ignorant co-workers

What an ignorant comment

Co workers are going about their daily business in my case. But the environment makes the noise levels high.
Should these ignorant co workers go outside to make their calls or make a noise?

[trowelhead]

You need these, they are awesome

Yeah they won't stop every noise but the difference is night and day in a plane / office etc and stops alot of fatigue

https://www.johnlewis.com/bose-quietcomfort-noise-...

[Order66]

trowelhead said:

You need these

No, they don't. They need noise isolation, not noise cancelling. Noise cancelling fundamentally doesn't work in an office environment with inconsistent noise.

[12TS]

Order66 said:

No, they don't. They need noise isolation, not noise cancelling. Noise cancelling fundamentally doesn't work in an office environment with inconsistent noise.

Agree. Foam buds do the job, music is an option, the foam cuts out lots of noise.

[Durzel]

Noise cancellation on the Bose works just fine with inconsistent noise in an office in my experience. It doesn't render it completely inaudible but it does a good enough job to filter it out.

I use my QC20is regularly at work (have an office but I like having the door open, more welcoming) and I can't hear conversations, phones ringing, etc at all.

Don't think the OP was after total silence was he?

[trowelhead]

Durzel said:

Noise cancellation on the Bose works just fine with inconsistent noise in an office in my experience. It doesn't render it completely inaudible but it does a good enough job to filter it out.

I use my QC20is regularly at work (have an office but I like having the door open, more welcoming) and I can't hear conversations, phones ringing, etc at all.

Don't think the OP was after total silence was he?

Yeah exactly. I don't know the tech - all i know is i use these all the time and they work. And would probably be exactly what the OP was looking for. I'm assuming he simply wants to concentrate, i use the bose at work/planes and find them perfect when i need to get on.

Hard to explain but cuts enough of the noise out so you can concentrate. I wouldn't want total silence either that can be distracting too.

When i'm working at a coffee shop for example, these are great. Especially with a bit of quiet music too.

Edited by trowelhead on Sunday 23 April 16:36