5 Noise Cancelling Headphones for Autism

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Has anyone had experience with Mpow H5's? On a fixed income these are still a major expense, but doable if they work.
Mpow H5 active noise cancelling headphones

This is a review I wrote on Consumer Reports several years ago on the Bose QuietComfort 20i noise-cancelling headphones (earbuds), which I think were the first of the kind. Since that time, they've come out with a newer and better model.

Don't be taken back by the price ...
The reviews I've read on these online all comment on the price. My take is this: they're worth every single penny. Being on the autism spectrum, noisy environments tend to overwhelm me, and my attention is constantly being diverted. Comfort (incl. weight), is also a primary factor. I was one of the first fans of the QC1 and still have them. Until now, I never saw a reason to upgrade those. But headphones in general bother me as time goes on (and I just plain can't use them for working out). The noise cancellation on the QC20i is comparable to ANY of the other QC models, and they're light-weight and comfortable to boot. You can wear these for hours and it seems like they're a part of you. I wear these to work out (upgraded from the IE2), in an environment that's a virtual cluckfest, people jabbering away and multiple TV's on different channels, all seemingly clamoring for my attention (unlike most people, I don't have a good 'tuning out' capability). I don't hear a thing I don't want to hear with these. (Okay, I exaggerated a bit there, I did hear one guy with a huge belly laugh about three feet away from me, it was more like a shout.) BTW, they do have an 'Aware' mode that allows you to hear sounds from your environment. I tested it and it works, but I never use it (I think I'd use it waiting for a flight to be boarded!). It's a simple on-off button on the control device next to the line split, very handy. If you can fork out bucks for a QC3 or QC15, you certainly won't mind the cost of these in the least bit. We're talking value here and you're sure to love 'em! Indeed, you might well think of these as mini-QC15's. When it comes to environmental noise, I'm probably much more sensitive than you, and I can certainly tell how effective these are. I'm probably one of their tougher judges on this. (Caveat: audiophiles may criticize the sound, but I'm not all THAT picky about that. It's plenty good in my book.) One of my first tests was to use the noise-cancellation in a crowded room without playing music. It passed with flying colors, so you can use them simply to shut out noises, if that's your preference. These are truly a Godsend, especially for those of us 'blessed' with sensory challenges. Thank you, Bose!

https://www.consumerreports.org/product ... er-reviews

Be that as it may, some of us aren't blessed with that many pennies. I'm on Social Security, a large portion of which is devoured by Medicare co-pays and Rx drugs. $250+ headphones are simply not on the menu.

I purchased a pair of the Sony #1, and they auto shut down after 5 minutes if not connected to Bluetooth or playing music thru a cable connection, so pointless for someone like me who only wants noise cancelling and no music.

I have Sony MDR-1000X noise cancelling headphones. I wear them quite a lot at my desk at work, just have noise cancelling on and enjoy the silence. They are blue tooth connected to my phone but my phone is not playing anything so they are silent.

They are £275 but i bought them with vouchers I had last Christmas in the sale. One of the best purchases i have ever made.

Headphones cost $$. They feel uncomfortable, wearing. (Weight/touch)



It seems unfair that I should have to wear headphones , just because sometimes , someone talks too much and too loudly , they give me headaches.

Some precious lil "people" at the bookstore were sitting around talking about sports, slavery, random subjects.

Absolutely not

And I couldn't read

They were too distracting

Maybe they should not have been talking





But, "life" is not fair

At least they didn't kill me, so I should be grateful


nobody on Wrong Planet invented the headphones

It's neither realistic or practical to expect the rest of the world to adapt to my needs.
It's up to me to adapt to the rest of the world.
Sometimes adaptation requires ear plugs.

Thanks for the info Alex!

Magna, I also wear the earmuffs around the house but am too self conscious to wear them in public. Lol! They work pretty well, but Alex is right that they can start to hurt your head after awhile.

Can anyone recommend some good wired headphones that block the sound effectively? I have a pair of Sony bluetooth headphones with noise cancellation, they're great but the battery thing annoys me and it has too many buttons to play with. So, I'm looking for an old school plug and play solution that will give me great sound and great noise isolation and that I can wear for long. One of my main problems is I wear glasses, so they should be comfortable. I was looking into the Audio Technica M50x, but I read in a few places they don't go well with glasses..

I've found noise-cancelling headphones to add a further noise similar to placing an ear to a conch shell. Actual dB reducing hearing protection with Bluetooth has worked best for me, although they are a bit warm and make me sweat.
I use 3M WorkTunes Connect Hearing Protector with Bluetooth Technology. They are usually less than $50, and the battery lasts very long.

You can get "Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, TaoTronics ANC Wired Noise Cancelling Earphones" or similar. As long as it says "Active noise cancelling" then it should do the job, but some art better than others. You can use them without music playing.

I have a pair of custom molded earplugs that reduce ambient/background noise by ~30 decibels. I love them

And about phones who use wires on pc for gamers? I use a turtle beach p11 one, and its pretty good at isolating sounds, but terrible for sounds like birds sings, or loud bass sound coming from cars that are just passing on the road, or dogs barking. Come on! Do a part 2 with wired headphones!

I read your post. It is very informative and helpful to me. I admire the message valuable information you provided in your article. Thank you for posting, again!

Alex, when you find noise-cancelling headphones that will cancel my tinnitus, let me know

There’s been a swarm of crickets inside my head as long as I can remember.

As a long time user of the Bose QC 35 I'm curious about what I'm missing out on by not having other brands.

My girlfriend has a pair of Sony noise cancelling earbuds but the noise cancellation seems to be almost non-existant on those.