Noise-Canceling Headphones

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I finally got a job, but I have to take a long bus ride to get to work. Every single day, rude people get on the bus and play radios without headphones, have 10-, 15-, or even 20-minute conversations on their cellphones. There is nothing I hate in this world quite like listening to other people's noise. It is driving me insane; I'm angry a lot of the time, even hours after I get off of the bus.

I'm going to ask my Vocational Rehab counselor if he can get funds for me to get noise-canceling headphones. Has anyone purchased anything like this, what brand did you get, and how well did it work? I saw some at the mall last weekend from a company called Boise (American company, I assume). I was surprised that they cost so much: three hundred dollars.

I looked into this a couple of years ago.
Some headphones are closed (with a hollow ring of padding) and some open, letting a lot of outside sound in.
The padded ones press on the sides of my head and feel uncomfortable.

I got a pair of "noise cancelling" in-ear phones with an MP3 player, but though they cut down the noise around me noticeably, they also notice every bump and make a dull "thunk" noise every time the bus goes over a pothole or bump. This interrupts the music and is too distracting for me so I don't use it.

It's best to go to a shop where you can try on lots of pairs for comfort as well as their ability to block the noise. The cheaper ones are not true "noise cancelling" but noise reducing (read the label carefully). The more expensive ones are better at cutting out the sounds though acoustic manipulation rather than through padding. They may be draining on your MP3 batteries.

There are comparisons online between models.

I tried a pair of Bose and took them back because the buds kept falling out of my ear despite being designed and marketed for active persons, eg joggers. Also I noticed they sounded really bassy when I tried generic rubber buds on them that did fit. I had terrible trouble getting the shop to accept a return as in-ear phones are considered like earings, once used cannot be re-sold. But I successfully argued they were not fit for purpose because they didn't stay in when I walked around or run for the bus!

You might want to try earphones like the ones you use for a MP3 player or phone that are designed to block outside noise, though as the previous poster mentions it only reduces rather than cancels out noise. Though you might find a simple reduction of the noise level is enough to reduce the stress of travelling on the bus, and it'll be cheaper as well. Also when I'm listening to music it distracts me from the outside noise and I don't think about it so much. If people make a lot of noise consider moving seats if you can.

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I have specified earplugs, that are fitted to my ears. They have a small opening, so that air and moisture can circulate. They are not completely noise cancelling, but reduce noise around 45 dB, depending on how deep or high the noise is. I like them really, becaue I still can understand people that are standing in front of me and are generally talking loud (like my coworkers), so I dont need to pull them out and back again all the time. But they are sufficient to reduce the noise of coworkers phoning or talking with each other. (And all the other noises they produce. -.-)

They costed around 90 EUR and I had them from a specialist for hearing devices.

I've been wearing noise-cancellation headphones since I was younger. I usually wear them when I sleep, so people don't wake me up when they talk or watch TV. I used to wear Bilson brand headphones, but they've become so worn out, they don't work as much anymore. Plus, they're not as comfortable as they used to be.
At that point, I decided to get earplugs. I used a variety of brands, but I'm currently using Hearos. When I put the earplugs on, they were pretty much effective, blocking out most of the noise. The only downside is that earplugs do irritate your ears after a while, but other than that, they work.

I second Schneekugel. I got flat attenuation earbuds for band practice and loved them, now I wear them practically all the time.

"Flat attenuation," by the way, just means that it basically cuts down on the noise around you without changing pitches. So you can still hear everything around you including the inflection in people's voices, but it's just...quieter. All the small noises that can be really distracting and overwhelming go away.

If you Google "musician's earplugs" you'll find a huge range of products out there. Mine were about $40 and have interchangeable filters for 9, 16, and 25 decibels, but you can get much higher noise cancellation as well.

You can also get custom-fit ones, but they can run closer to $200 and you usually have to go to an audiologist to get them made.

Hope that helps!

Two benefits of noise-cancelling buds on the bus:

1) You don't hear them, and
2) They don't hear YOUR noise either!

If you can't find the right set, just accept that the bus is a public space...

Personally, I missed out on opportunities for friendship as acquaintances would say hi, and because I was zoned out, I did not notice...

My headphones are not specifically noise canceling but they are "closed" and I can listen to music and not hear other people's sound at all. It's really a life saviour.