Question Voice cancelling/blocking headphones - Struggling working in a loud office

[UnderOpenSky]

I know there's another thread about noise-cancelling headphones, but this is a little more specific. I'm working in a fairly loud office and I find myself getting really distracted by people talking. I mean, I quite like getting distracted some of the time and I like the team, but as more is expected of me, I find it super stressful trying to work whilst people are talking around me. There's not much space between desks and yesterday I finished the day absolutely shattered, it's so draining. I've been doing some reading on headphones and buds with noise-cancelling and my understanding is that it works far better on low frequency, repetitive noises and is a bit rubbish when it comes to voice? I'm currently using a big pair of SteelSeries wireless headphones for music and teams calls, which helps a bit, but I can't turn the music loud enough to block out voices and still be able to work. So I'm wondering if some sort of buds would be a better option to actually block out noise, or would that get really uncomfortable to wear for hours every day? Would it be a totally bonkers option to just get some ear plugs that fit really well and wear them under my headphones?

 

[kalmatthew]

I know there's another thread about noise-cancelling headphones, but this is a little more specific. I'm working in a fairly loud office and I find myself getting really distracted by people talking. I mean, I quite like getting distracted some of the time and I like the team, but as more is expected of me, I find it super stressful trying to work whilst people are talking around me. There's not much space between desks and yesterday I finished the day absolutely shattered, it's so draining. I've been doing some reading on headphones and buds with noise-cancelling and my understanding is that it works far better on low frequency, repetitive noises and is a bit rubbish when it comes to voice? I'm currently using a big pair of SteelSeries wireless headphones for music and teams calls, which helps a bit, but I can't turn the music loud enough to block out voices and still be able to work. So I'm wondering if some sort of buds would be a better option to actually block out noise, or would that get really uncomfortable to wear for hours every day? Would it be a totally bonkers option to just get some ear plugs that fit really well and wear them under my headphones?

You might be better with buds in and ear defenders over the top. Or traditional closed back headphones. None of the Active noise canceling is great at high pitched variable sound so big and bulky is probably your answer.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

I know there's another thread about noise-cancelling headphones, but this is a little more specific. I'm working in a fairly loud office and I find myself getting really distracted by people talking. I mean, I quite like getting distracted some of the time and I like the team, but as more is expected of me, I find it super stressful trying to work whilst people are talking around me. There's not much space between desks and yesterday I finished the day absolutely shattered, it's so draining. I've been doing some reading on headphones and buds with noise-cancelling and my understanding is that it works far better on low frequency, repetitive noises and is a bit rubbish when it comes to voice? I'm currently using a big pair of SteelSeries wireless headphones for music and teams calls, which helps a bit, but I can't turn the music loud enough to block out voices and still be able to work. So I'm wondering if some sort of buds would be a better option to actually block out noise, or would that get really uncomfortable to wear for hours every day? Would it be a totally bonkers option to just get some ear plugs that fit really well and wear them under my headphones?

I had this issue when I worked in a Council call centre until recently. I have ADHD and find it really difficult to not latch on to other people's conversations - of which there were many as you might imagine in a call centre.

I used a pair of over ear Bose QC45 headphones with noise cancelling and low level Brown Noise playing - this worked very well for me. These cans completely encompass my entire ear so there's nothing getting in - plus the ANC was on. You could do this and also have wired buds in playing music. Or as someone suggested on another thread, use buds for music and ear defenders for noise blocking - this may be a cheaper option as you can get really good ear defenders for much less than a pair of decent ANC headphones.

e2a - what kalmatthew says about variable sound is right - it still gets through, especially if close enough to you I found - but the low level brown noise or music without words worked for me.

Prior to that I used to use the free version of Coffivity.

Now I use Apple stuff at home I make use of the Background Noises facility which seems to be built into iPhones, iPads, Macs to provide Dark Noise or a Babbling Stream in the background and listen to music or a podcast at the same time. I was using this in the Uni Library today.

 

[maomao]

Silicon earplugs under over-ear NC headphones or ear defenders over NC ear buds.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

You might be better with buds in and ear defenders over the top. Or traditional closed back headphones. None of the Active noise canceling is great at high pitched variable sound so big and bulky is probably your answer.

I mean, the thought crossed my mind, but I'm not sure I want to stand out that much if possible.

I had this issue when I worked in a Council call centre until recently. I have ADHD and find it really difficult to not latch on to other people's conversations - of which there were many as you might imagine in a call centre.

I used a pair of over ear Bose QC45 headphones with noise cancelling and low level Brown Noise playing - this worked very well for me. These cans completely encompass my entire ear so there's nothing getting in - plus the ANC was on. You could do this and also have wired buds in playing music. Or as someone suggested on another thread, use buds for music and ear defenders for noise blocking - this may be a cheaper option as you can get really good ear defenders for much less than a pair of decent ANC headphones.

Funnily enough, I'm on the waiting list for Psychiatry UK. And the fact I like them and find the geeky conversations super interesting makes it ten times worse.

 

[chilango]

Some of my neurodiverse students use these:

Loop Switch: 3-in-1 Earplug Sound Control

Discover the Loop Switch earplugs, offering revolutionary 3-in-1 sound control. Tailor your listening experience and enjoy comfort and style in any setting.

www.loopearplugs.com

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Some of my neurodiverse students use these:

Loop Switch: 3-in-1 Earplug Sound Control

Discover the Loop Switch earplugs, offering revolutionary 3-in-1 sound control. Tailor your listening experience and enjoy comfort and style in any setting.

www.loopearplugs.com

I've had summat similar (lost them )

lil'Angel just bought some of those exact model off Amazon - they were £30 iirc.

Plus you can use them under a pair of cans I suppose.

 

[Red Cat]

Loops are popular with autistic and other neurodivergent people, I got them for my children, I wear them at night to sleep so I don't know how effective they are for voices in a loud office.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

If it’s that important to you get a set of custom moulded earplugs made by ACS.

https://acscustom.com/uk/recommendations/our-earplugs

 

[UnderOpenSky]

So in quite a surprising turn of events I mentioned all this to my partner, and she actually has a pair of loops she's not using. So I'll try them tomorrow under my headset.

 

[Orang Utan]

Reading this with interest.
I’m in a similar situation.
I also need to be aware enough for someone to get my attention and for me to be able to quickly remove the phones and speak to that person without them feeling like a pain-in-the-arse for interrupting me, so earplugs are probably not an option.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Funnily enough, I'm on the waiting list for Psychiatry UK. And the fact I like them and find the geeky conversations super interesting makes it ten times worse.

There's lots of stuff online about ADHD (if that's why you're seeing PUK) and Office Noise or the inability to deal with or block out background noises.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

There's lots of stuff online about ADHD (if that's why you're seeing PUK) and Office Noise or the inability to deal with or block out background noises.

At some point I'm going to request some WFH, but one thing I like about the job is that it is around people. I just want to be able to block them out when I need to. I started to struggle a bit when I ended up mostly WFH in a previous role.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Reading this with interest.
I’m in a similar situation.
I also need to be aware enough for someone to get my attention and for me to be able to quickly remove the phones and speak to that person without them feeling like a pain-in-the-arse for interrupting me, so earplugs are probably not an option.

I feel like ear defenders which are also headphones that have ANC should probably be a thing (and probably are).

 

[Orang Utan]

I feel like ear defenders which are also headphones that have ANC should probably be a thing (and probably are).

I’n not quite sure what the difference is?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I’n not quite sure what the difference is?

From my understanding (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) is that ear defenders block noise passively with a close fit and foam. ANC (noise-cancelling) have a microphone on the outside and generate the opposite sound wave that cancels the noise, which is why they're better at more predictable sounds like engines rather than voices.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

The loops worked fairly well. I don't expect be able to totally block out voice given how close people are to me, but it muted it a bit more. Part of it is training myself to ignore the noise and I think these help. I tried the loops and headphones when I arrived yesterday, which is normally fairly quite time, but after removing them I really noticed the noise of switches and PCs and even the server room, behind it's closed door. When I put my headphones back on with out them I also noticed how much louder the music was. Later when it got busier it really helped.


I've not paid for the loops, but I can't see myself using anything but the max setting so if I was buying a pair, the none adjustable Loop Quiets are only £20 rather then £50. I've ordered a pair of Anker Q30s noise cancelling head phones to test the Loops with, belt and braces. It doesn't have a boom mic, but I'm hoping the inbuilt on is good enough for teams calls, so I can just have one headset on my desk. Maybe if I'm feeling rich at some point I'll try the custom ones beesonthewhatnow suggested.

 

[Sasaferrato]

23 years of call centre work has given me the ability to screen out any sound other than the one I'm listening to. In a wing of 72 people all talking at the same time a very useful skill.

 

[Orang Utan]

I wish there was tech that filtered out other annoying things, such as people standing behind you while you’re trying to work.
I end up temporarily loathing them with every atom of being until they move away, even if they are family members or lovely colleagues.

 

[danski]

I wish there was tech that filtered out other annoying things, such as people standing behind you while you’re trying to work.
I end up temporarily loathing them with every atom of being until they move away, even if they are family members or lovely colleagues.

Ever thought of becoming a lighthouse keeper?!
My mum has suggested this to me, many times


She’s so right

 

[Hollis]

I've not paid for the loops, but I can't see myself using anything but the max setting so if I was buying a pair, the none adjustable Loop Quiets are only £20 rather then £50. I've ordered a pair of Anker Q30s noise cancelling head phones to test the Loops with, belt and braces. It doesn't have a boom mic, but I'm hoping the inbuilt on is good enough for teams calls, so I can just have one headset on my desk. Maybe if I'm feeling rich at some point I'll try the custom ones beesonthewhatnow suggested.

We've just moved to a new office room which seems to have booming acoustics - think it might be the glass wall all down one side. It doesn't help that in a room of 30 people we have a mixture of people needing to do quiet work - researchers and back-office, intermingled with a call-centre and comms staff.

My trusted Sony CH720Ns were good enough in my old office, and tended to reduce everthying to background 'coffee shop' levels which I can deal with... however I'm struggling in the new place. The app 'Nosili' on android is also good if you need to further blank out stuff.

I'll be interested if the Loops noticably improve things above having ANC headphones.

It doesn't help in my place that the prevailing culture seems to be that lots of noise = healthy office. Though I know I'm at the opposite extreme.

 

[Fez909]

This isnt useful now, but there's lots of exciting technology being worked on that 'solves' this issue. Here's one:



My girlfriend is deaf. Profound deafness in one ear, and extreme (don't know the term) in the other. So she wears hearing aids which allows her to hear in her good, left, ear. The right hearing aid is actually just a mic, as she can't hear anything from that side.

Hearing aids in general sound like a nightmare (no pun intended), but especially when you only have one working ear, as you can't tell things like direction etc. All sounds are amplified the same, and in noisy environments, it means she can't hear anything over the sound of everything else. This kind of tech, if it takes off, will be a game changer for her - assuming she can afford it.

But also looks perfect for the kind of issue in the OP.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Tested today with the Loops and Q45 noise-cancelling headphones and it's pretty impressive. I can still hear voices, but I have to really struggle to actually pick out what people are saying, which makes it very easy to blank out. It's also the case that they both improve each other a lot. Luckily, despite not having a boom mic, the Q45s work great for Teams calls as well.

 

[sim667]

low level Brown Noise playing

Do you mean “white noise” per chance?

 

[Orang Utan]

Do you mean “white noise” per chance?

Brown noise works better for some - more bass, less hiss

 

[maomao]

Do you mean “white noise” per chance?

There are several colours of noise (white is represented in the middle as grey/green for some reason, the others: pink, purple, brown and blue are the right colours):

​

Brown noise is at the bassy end and has less hiss. Though my current fave blocking tone is the USS Enterprise background noise off Star Trek TNG:

 

[bellaozzydog]

I feel like ear defenders which are also headphones that have ANC should probably be a thing (and probably are).

Peltor if you are getting industrial

I’ve found bose ultra 2 ear buds take away all the pain of other people. Also on flights and ships.

In fact wearing them when walking around is a bit of hazard.

Maybe a pair of in ear buds (find the reviews and price to your taste) and a cheap pair of over ear phones to increase your noise deadening.

My colleagues tend to wave at me before poking me otherwise my head ends up through the ceiling tiles

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Colors of noise - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Wiki has a pretty good explanation of what the different types of noise colour are.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Do you mean “white noise” per chance?

No I don't.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Do you mean “white noise” per chance?