ISO: Over-the-Ear Headphones for Hearing Protection
July 10, 2017 8:24 AM Subscribe
Unfortunately, I spend a lot of time in an environment where someone plays either the radio or the television at what feels like ear-splitting volume. I'm aware of Hearos and other effective OTC and bespoke earplugs, but I really hate having objects stuck in my ears, or even atop them. Fellow MeFites, do you have any recommendations for Over-the-Ear headphones that will block most of the noise and protect my hearing?
According to an app on my phone, the volume varies between 65 and 90 db; 80 db is typical. For Reasons, turning it down isn't an option. Trust me that I don't have status to request that the volume be lowered and stay that way; I've done that repeatedly, I've breached protocol and turned it down myself, etc. It's a losing battle. I will be spending time in this environment for the foreseeable future. I am happy to throw money at this problem.
For the past year or so I've coped by wearing my Bose noise-cancelling headphones, which also enabled me to hear people talking to me, but lately they're not doing enough to block the sound, especially at higher registers (which is to be expected, but I'm fuzzy on the Science! details). I don't think there's anything wrong with my headphones; I think the volume is now even louder. So much sound leaks in that I can't listen to music or podcasts either because the aural conflict is crazy-making.
Speaking of crazy-making, the constant exposure to noise is really affecting my enjoyment of life. I've come to hate the entire genre of music that assaults me, which is too bad because I used to like it. The bombast means that I want to spend as much time as possible in total quiet, so I'm also giving up my own music, shows, etc. Occasionally it'll be quiet at the noisy place and then the din begins and I just want to weep. After a few hours I feel shell-shocked.
Possibly relevant: per an examination by an audiologist about five years ago, I have hearing loss at one specific frequency that corresponds to the pitch of my tinnitus. I also have a little misophonia/phonophobia around sounds children and other people with high-pitched voices make: talking, yes, but especially shrieking, screaming and laughter. I can hear every word a kid says across a crowded restaurant and a baby crying feels like someone is plunging a knife into my head. So my problems with the loud place could be entirely due to my own quirks, but I still need help.
I've been hesitant to try models intended for people working in construction, firing guns, etc. because I don't know enough about whether the sound profile for those situations is so specific that it wouldn't be right for my circumstance. My ideal product would be similar to my Bose Over-the-Ear Noise Cancelling headphones but better at blocking music/tv while still allowing me to hear other people talk and follow whatever is being broadcast. If earplugs are the only way to achieve that mix, I will work on acclimating to them, so feel free to recommend a model that might work for me. If your experience has been that you hated earplugs and got used to them over time, please tell me about that!
Thank you so much!
According to an app on my phone, the volume varies between 65 and 90 db; 80 db is typical. For Reasons, turning it down isn't an option. Trust me that I don't have status to request that the volume be lowered and stay that way; I've done that repeatedly, I've breached protocol and turned it down myself, etc. It's a losing battle. I will be spending time in this environment for the foreseeable future. I am happy to throw money at this problem.
For the past year or so I've coped by wearing my Bose noise-cancelling headphones, which also enabled me to hear people talking to me, but lately they're not doing enough to block the sound, especially at higher registers (which is to be expected, but I'm fuzzy on the Science! details). I don't think there's anything wrong with my headphones; I think the volume is now even louder. So much sound leaks in that I can't listen to music or podcasts either because the aural conflict is crazy-making.
Speaking of crazy-making, the constant exposure to noise is really affecting my enjoyment of life. I've come to hate the entire genre of music that assaults me, which is too bad because I used to like it. The bombast means that I want to spend as much time as possible in total quiet, so I'm also giving up my own music, shows, etc. Occasionally it'll be quiet at the noisy place and then the din begins and I just want to weep. After a few hours I feel shell-shocked.
Possibly relevant: per an examination by an audiologist about five years ago, I have hearing loss at one specific frequency that corresponds to the pitch of my tinnitus. I also have a little misophonia/phonophobia around sounds children and other people with high-pitched voices make: talking, yes, but especially shrieking, screaming and laughter. I can hear every word a kid says across a crowded restaurant and a baby crying feels like someone is plunging a knife into my head. So my problems with the loud place could be entirely due to my own quirks, but I still need help.
I've been hesitant to try models intended for people working in construction, firing guns, etc. because I don't know enough about whether the sound profile for those situations is so specific that it wouldn't be right for my circumstance. My ideal product would be similar to my Bose Over-the-Ear Noise Cancelling headphones but better at blocking music/tv while still allowing me to hear other people talk and follow whatever is being broadcast. If earplugs are the only way to achieve that mix, I will work on acclimating to them, so feel free to recommend a model that might work for me. If your experience has been that you hated earplugs and got used to them over time, please tell me about that!
Thank you so much!
So, I think you basically want just regular ole over-the-ear hearing protection earmuffs.
Earmuffs or earplugs make everything quieter. No earmuff or earplug can selectively block the TV while still allowing you to hear other people talk. They will tend to attenuate high frequencies more than lows, so things will sound a bit bass heavy, and talking might sound a bit like the teacher from Peanuts. Custom or musician earplugs have a flatter frequency response, and I tend to recommend them because the sound quality is preserved but everything is softer, unless people don't like anything in their ears.
The big difference between your standard over-the-ear muffs and something like the electronic Peltors made exclusively for hunting is that the hunting ones turn on in response to impulse sounds, like the gun fire. Your situation is much more steady state, so I don't think you'll want those.
Whatever you get, make sure it has a decibel reduction rating (DRR). A good rule of thumb is that the actual attenuation of the earplug or earmuff is (DRR-7)/2. So a DRR of 23 is actually closer to 8. 90 is pretty loud - the safe exposure level is 85, so err on the side of conservative and get at least something with a DRR or 23 or so.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:27 AM on July 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
Earmuffs or earplugs make everything quieter. No earmuff or earplug can selectively block the TV while still allowing you to hear other people talk. They will tend to attenuate high frequencies more than lows, so things will sound a bit bass heavy, and talking might sound a bit like the teacher from Peanuts. Custom or musician earplugs have a flatter frequency response, and I tend to recommend them because the sound quality is preserved but everything is softer, unless people don't like anything in their ears.
The big difference between your standard over-the-ear muffs and something like the electronic Peltors made exclusively for hunting is that the hunting ones turn on in response to impulse sounds, like the gun fire. Your situation is much more steady state, so I don't think you'll want those.
Whatever you get, make sure it has a decibel reduction rating (DRR). A good rule of thumb is that the actual attenuation of the earplug or earmuff is (DRR-7)/2. So a DRR of 23 is actually closer to 8. 90 is pretty loud - the safe exposure level is 85, so err on the side of conservative and get at least something with a DRR or 23 or so.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:27 AM on July 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
You might check out some of the electronic hearing protection. They block all especially loud noises, and you can change the volume on everything else.
If you're going to wear them all day every day, it would make sense to go ahead and buy some rechargeable batteries too.
posted by gregr at 9:27 AM on July 10, 2017
If you're going to wear them all day every day, it would make sense to go ahead and buy some rechargeable batteries too.
posted by gregr at 9:27 AM on July 10, 2017
Koss makes a pair of passive noise-reducing headphones that is popular among metal detector/scanner hobbyists—the QZ99. They're like big earmuffs.
posted by Polycarp at 10:07 AM on July 10, 2017
posted by Polycarp at 10:07 AM on July 10, 2017
If you're open to trying something completely new in the field of hearing preservation, some clever little pills called Soundbites are about to hit the market.
Briefly, they don't cut the dBs, so the sound will still be loud, but they do support your ears' natural defences against exposure to noise. And you can continue to wear headphones too. Belt and braces.
You can read all about them on the Hearing Health Science website.
Full disclosure: I work for the company.
posted by ZipRibbons at 11:33 AM on July 10, 2017
Briefly, they don't cut the dBs, so the sound will still be loud, but they do support your ears' natural defences against exposure to noise. And you can continue to wear headphones too. Belt and braces.
You can read all about them on the Hearing Health Science website.
Full disclosure: I work for the company.
posted by ZipRibbons at 11:33 AM on July 10, 2017
I used to work in one of the loudest environments there is, the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Everybody was issued David Clark Model 19As.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:42 PM on July 10, 2017
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:42 PM on July 10, 2017
« Older What's the best message to send to the Afghan... | wheel-spoke track near Black Butte, CA? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Etrigan at 8:47 AM on July 10, 2017 [1 favorite]