Can Someone Explain What Those Noise Reducing Head Things Are?
 

I have been reading about those noise reducing headsets people wear on the planes or in noisy hotels. Can anyone explain to me what they are and where you get them? I think I have read that Bose makes some but I was wondering what the expense was and where you would get them.....and do they really work.

Thanks everyone.

Sure. How well you'll get the explanation depends on how much physics you grasped in school, about how sound is a wave. While sound doesn't look (mathemtically) like a simple sine wave (a tuning fork does, or fairly close) - - let's pretend that it does.

And that sine wave cycles... we'll arbitrarily say from "1" to "5" to "9" to "5" to "1" and so on...

Now, if you generate a sound wave that goes from -1 to -5 to -9 to -5 to -1 and so on... and if you "play" that sound, at the right volume, at the right location next to your ear... then the resulting "sum of the sounds" is...

ZERO! (i.e, it comes close to real "silence").

And so, that's what the Bose headphones do... they have a microphone, and a simplified "computer" and a sound generator - - to create the necessary "negative" sound wave so that you hear fairly accurately... NOTHING. It's a silence that even really good ear plugs don't match (I guess).

I have never used them.

Best wishes,

Rex

I have a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones, which use the destructive interference principle that rbmd describes.

I haven't used them extensively yet, and I actually may return them. Basically, they seem to work very well at eliminating white noise-type sounds like the hum of fans and air conditioners. They'd probably be great for drowning out the roar of jet engines on airplanes. On the other hand, they don't seem to work so well for drowning out more dynamic sounds, like people talking, or a television that someone else is watching.

I've seen the Bose headphones all over airplanes, and, mine came with little cards that I'm supposed to hand out if anyone asks about them. I've also read good things about Etymotic earphones, which one inserts directly into the ears. Pretty far in there, apparently. I'm not sure if they use the destructive interference thing. My impression was that the seal they make with your auditory canal is good enough.

And that's what happens when you ask a doctor a simple question ;-) ! (No offense, Rex!)

Dejais: these are earphones that will filter out (yeah, Rex, it isn't a filter, it's a cancelling -- but that's a bit of scientific overexplanation in this case, I think) certain ranges of frequencies so that you experience less sound, esp. the sound of plane engines or similar "roaring" sounds, like crowds, etc.

If you wear them on a plane, you get far less generalized noise, and if you play music through them, fortunately they let most of the frequencies through that you'd want to hear -- so it's much clearer.

They work very well, but they are both bulky and expensive. Sennheiser makes pretty good but less expensive and less bulky noise-reducing headsets. Stay away from the things at Sharper Image/Brookstone that only cost about $99 -- they work poorly and filter out music you'd want to hear.

Search on "noise" or "noise-cancelling" or "headphones" or "Bose" or some such on this forum and you'll see a much longer discussion, more thorough, with lots of expert advice.

Read comparative reviews and a strong recommendation for the Plane Quiet version on the TravelInsider site. I bought them online for $50.

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roa...headphones.htm

In a nutshell,

Noise + Antinoise = Silence

My friend just purchased the Bose headsets for about $300. I think Rex explained what they do pretty well in his post. My friend swears that they're worth the money. I never tried them myself. Maybe I'll ask to put them on when I see him next time.

All I want to know is---Do they filter out the screaming baby in the seat behind me? How about the 2 year old 6 rows back who yells all the way to Rome? Is there a cure for that??!!

Saw a pair in Fry's today for $39.99 made by Coby. (Chinese electronics mfgr). I've seen other stores carrying some in the $50-$60 range. While the noise cancelling technology may be similar, the quality of the components, comfort and quality of the sound you want to let through varies greatly.

If you want to also block out not just the white noise but the 'white trash noise' (i.e. non-stop yaking in the row behind you), then a full over the ear cup like the full sized Bose work better - the noise cancelling takes care of low rumbles (fans, engines, etc) and the ear-muff insulation blocks out other cabin noises (dishes, chatter)

I have a pair of smaller Sennheisers that I love - they have good audio quality (even though it's usually just an MP3 player or DVD on my laptop), are compact and are comfortable. They were also about 1/2 the price of Bose, who seem to want to stick to the $300 price no matter how inexpensive the underlying technology has become.

Here's a thread that might be of interest to you.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34565847

I have a pair of the Bose headphones and I swear by them. They make a long airplane trip so much more relaxing because you don't have to listen to the roar of the engine. My husband recently came home from a European business trip that was delayed in total over 12 hours. He had the Bose headphones on his head most of the time, listening to music, and when I met him at the airport, he didn't look half as bedraggled and exhausted as he should have! Believe me, those things remove a lot of the stress of travel.

I wish someone who has both the Bose and the less expensive brands would post and tell how they compare to each other. One of these days my husband and I are going to want to use the Bose at the same time...and I don't know if I want to share!

Dorgal,
unfortunately, NC headphones can have a tendency to actually let you hear the screaming baby better than before, since he's not competing with then engines for your brain's attention.

I've found the best cure for cabin noise like that is business class/upper level on a 747.

A few minutes' research on the web reveals widespread agreement that Sennheiser are the best quality regardless of price, Plane Quiet are the best for the money, and Bose is overpriced junk. Even the little Jensens that Amazon has for $25 sound pretty good.

You say that with such authority, Robespierre. Have you actually tried out all the different brands, personally? Or is it just research you're quoting? (No sarcasm intended, either, because I'd love NOT to spend another $300 on the noise cancelling headphones, so I'm really interested.)

I have Sennheisers. I bought them based on personal side-by-side comparisons, reviews, plus the fact that I have owned their HD414s since the early '70s and wouldn't trade them for anything.

The Jensens do an amazing job for $25 (plenty good for the teens), and compare favorably to Bose at ten times the price.

mermaid,
As I said, I love my Sennheisers. 95% of the time I like having the low profile headphones - I can lean my head against a pillow, my neighbor, or the wall and not have my head propped up by bulk. There are times I wish I had a full cup over my ear to cancel out unwelcome chatter.

I've even found that waiting in the airport is far more relaxing with the NC headphones on, reading a book or listening to music. There's a lot of background noise in a terminal.

Thanks, guys!

My goodness! You ask a question, have dinner, go to sleep and VOILA! Instant answers from the intricately defined (thank you, as always, Rex) to the comical comments that everyone really wants answered (a smile for Dorgal).

But seriously, thank you all for your wonderful answers and comments. With only a week until I leave, I am not sure I have enough time to give this great thought and purchase but I am grateful for your quick answers.

You're welcome, Dejais (and thanks, h2babe)...

I was actually a little chagrined to read the expression "scientific overexplanation"! I stll have a number of nieces and nephews in grades 4-11, and I feel like (maybe with a chalkboard to help), I could get them to understand this explanation.

Alas, perhaps I overestimate!

I think your explanation is pretty basic, Rex - sound is a wave; that's high school physics. I didn't have to put on my engineer's cap to grasp the idea.

I remember one day I was out to lunch with three of my co-workers, and the next thing I knew, they were all engaged in a passionate conversation about cars (gasp!), and I couldn't understand a single term they used. Instead of being sarcastic or defensive, I just laughed it off and asked them to water down their terminalogy to *my* level. I'm not apologetic of what I know or don't know.

AA provides Bose noise-canceling headphone to business and first class passengers on international flights, so I have had the opportunity to use this type of headphones on about ten flights. They work so well that the flight attendant has to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention; you cannot easily hear someone speaking next to you. The Bose headphone are expensive - about $300 and they are a tad bulky.

I purchased a pair of Sennhauser for about $150 and they are almost as good as the Bose at blocking noise. However, I can hear someone speaking to me if the person is sitting next to me and speaking a little louder than usual. The Sennhauser headphones are much smaller; they also fit my ears better. The Bose headphones tend to be heavier and cause a little discomfort after hour number six or eight on a plane.

I am extremely happy with my Sennhauser headphones.