In Desperate Need of Noise-Canceling Headphones--Ideas??

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Hi Folks,

Posting this 'cause I'm desperate for solid recommendations for noise-canceling headphones.

Never thought of myself as having sensory issues... but in light of an array of recent noise-related frustrations at work, topped by last night's brutal insomnia, I guess maybe I actually do.

Long story short: Per usual, the alcoholic jerk next door is an inconsiderate [insert favorite swear-word here], and he would not stop yammering. All. Night. Long. Far from getting the restful night's sleep I deserved, I spent the long waking hours alternately plugging in my obscenely loud A/C unit to drown out his stupid voice (almost worse, as solutions go), and imagining creatively violent and fantastical ways in which he might somehow magically meet his demise and leave the rest of us in peace and blessed silence.

But as I can't control him, I must instead control my own environment So... Any ideas for a high-quality pair of noise-canceling headphones that are comfortable to wear while sleeping? I'd be willing to spring for fancy ones if they work!

Any advice/replies much appreciated.

I own several pairs of expensive noise-canceling headphones(5)/earphones(3) but none of them is good enough. I can still hear unwanted noise. I bought them so that I can have a quiet environment without listening to music. It turns out that you have to have the music on to not hear the outside noises. Also, sleeping with the headphones/earphones on is extremely uncomfortable.

The best solution is to use silicone earplugs. They work very well. Almost complete silence. Foam earplugs cause inner ear pain, which in turn causes headache and toothache. So use silicone ones.

I have six sets of earphones ranging from $14 to $400. None of them work as well as I need them to and I also have to constantly play my own music so that I can function. I also find that silicone earplugs do not work for me either. And they are also very painful. foam earplugs are less painful but they don't work either. I hear that some earphones work really well but I can't try them because they are $1000. I wish people could just be considerate of others. But of course, when I say that, people say that I am asking too much and being unfair to have such an unreasonable request.

Active/electronic headphones/earbuds tend to block out specific frequencies, loud noises, but allow others though, like speech. They'll block out a bit, but it won't be as dramatic as passive/non-electronic earmuffs/earplugs. So, one will need to test them out to be sure.

I'd just save a lot of money, research and trial and error and look for slim passive/non-electronic earmuffs that you find comfortable, and I'll wear such if there's noises bothering me when I'm trying to sleep at home, and they'll be sturdy enough that there's no need to worry about sleeping with them on. An alternative is earplugs, and maybe putting them in halfway so they'll be more comfortable, but will block out what you want blocked out. I've used the latter in those insomnia sessions known as hospitals or when I've needed to hear yelling but also protection from loud noises.

Of course, you can always try on various active headphones/earbuds and see how they work for you (earbuds are probably more suited for sleeping). I'm sure there's plenty of people here that wear such. I guess I tend to go for the boring old practical approach.

I have a pair of...Peltor X4A earmuffs next to me when I sleep.

You are lucky those work for you. They do nothing for me.

skibum, the muffs are good enough for thunder and such for me, making it sound far more muffled. Earplugs are fine for me with speech (foam ones in halfway, so comfortable), as I always forgot/forget to bring muffs with me to places where speech would be another bother with trying to sleep. I naturally live in an area that experiences many thunderstorms, which I find amusing in that ironic sort of way.

I take it you have extreme hypersensitivity to specific sounds, like voices? Yeah, that'd be a bother, and you have my sympathies there.

Thank you so much. Yeah, my sound sensitivities are extreme like crazy extreme. I have even tried wearing earplugs and muffs together but the physical pain of that combination can be unbearable. Interestingly, though, I love thunder. I love thunderstorms so much. I was even yelled at once because I did not want to come inside during one. And it's really fascinating because I cannot process bass thump or certain other low frequency sounds like the global hum that I actually hear. I also cannot process music that is really fast like rap or that Latino beat that everyone plays. I also have issues when the kids bounce basketballs in the street. So for me, my sound sensitivities are actually specific. We believe they are more frequency based. Also the repetitive pounding is not something I can handle. So something like the strong bass beat on a song can affect me so much that I can actually go into sensory overload shock and physically collapse and even stop breathing.

Thunder is a very different sound. It is very organic and pure and it has a very different energy. So my brain is able to understand it and connect with it. The problem with the ear muffs and the plugs is that the cannot stop the bass thump like from stereos or the global hum. And sometimes those sounds are actually augmented by the ear muffs and ear plugs. So it can be torturous for me and incredibly dangerous. I am experiencing quite a bit of neurological deterioration because I am constantly being exposed to these sounds and it is even causing me to have some potentially life threatening effects. So I have to just do the best I can. I have to play my soothing music through my headphones pretty much almost 24/7 literally. That is also very difficult because when you have to wear things all the time, the pressure on your ear cartilage causes excruciating pain. And it's difficult when I have to wash my hair because if I have to take them off, I am at greater risk of having a major neurological episode from an auditory assault like if someone drives by blasting a stereo. So for me, it's not just that the sounds are unpleasant of annoying, they could actually potentially kill me.

It's no problem. I'm sorry to hear of your suffering, problems, and they sound quite marked (that's an understatement considering your dangerous physical reactions to such). Frequent wearing of headphones and/or earmuffs really do a number on your head, and I've seen that one. Physical deformations around the ear. Your physical reactions would also be quite dangerous when it comes to the potential for physical trauma, such as hitting your head. It does sound like specific frequencies. Sadly, bone conduction of noise is also a thing, so things will bypass the protection you have on, as you mention, and it's interesting how it can augment the effects. Hoping the best for you there and you find some relief from it all. It'll be very difficult for you.

I'm kinda boring. Mostly mental illness in my case for why I dislike some sounds. I do have a little hyperacusis, some deafness, balance issues and tinnitus from acoustic trauma, though. I've never liked lots of people talking, and that one is probably the auditory processing disorder from autism.

Thank you so much.
Oh my goodness, you are not joking about bone conductivity. I actually had my bone conductivity tested once and the guy who tested me said, "Your bones are so big in the back of your skull, I don't understand how you are able to stay sane!" Yeah, it can really be a nightmare. I have gotten concussions from collapsing from people's stereos. That even happened to me in line at the pharmacy. I had regular ear protectors on and I physically collapsed because of the music playing in the store. I have also had screaming meltdowns in stores because of the music. I have also had to leave with my groceries at the register because a song came on and I could not stay in the store so I had to abandon my groceries at the register.

I also have very severe tinnitus. I have never known a time when I did not have it. So that can also overwhelm me. Actually, sometimes I get completely overwhelmed by the sound of my heartbeat.

I never even considered the physical deformity that can happen to your ears from wearing these devises 24/7. Wow, what a thing to add to the mix. It's so crazy that we have to go through all of this. It would be so much easier if people just wore headsets to play their music rather than blasting it for the whole world to hear and if stores and public areas only played soft and soothing music or no music at all. But if I say that, people tell me that I am asking too much and that I am the one who is being rude for asking people to turn their music down or when I ask public places like stores to just play a different kind of music that is not neurologically invasive. I am made to be the bad guy for begging people to not neurologically assault me. I have even had neighbors threaten to beat me up in my own home and on my own property because I asked them to turn down their car stereos because they were overwhelming me in my own house with my ear muffs on. So yeah, it's a tough road. I don't know how long I will be able to keep surviving it because my body is becoming more neurologically weak every day that I am exposed to the assault.

I try to get relief by spending as much time as I can in nature parks or on the lake kayaking or skiing in the winter. But unfortunately people bring their stereos and blast them in the parks and on the lakes. And even the ski resort plays overwhelming music at the lifts now and in the lodge and they allow people to blast music in the parking lots and tailgate, so I have no where at all that is safe for me. It makes just existing so hard. So I am so grateful for any moment of quiet that I can get. Of course with constant tinnitus, there is never a moment of actual quiet but if I can have moments where I am not hearing other people's music or cars, or basketballs, or loud conversation, that is like heaven.

My ears have been ringing for the past 30 years and also the neighbor dog likes to bark at all hours so I use an air purifier on high speed at night when I sleep. The white noise of the air rushing sound from the air purifier tends to mask out both the ringing and the noisy dog and helps me to sleep way better.

I bought this set some months ago, and have been very pleased, for the price:

Srhythm NC35 Noise Cancelling Headphones on Amazon.com

I paid $54.73 at the time (Amazon Warehouse Deal)

Darron