Please stop the incessant drilling!

February 20, 2024 11:29 AM

I need to block loud construction/drilling sounds while working from home. The problem is I'm really fussy about earplugs and headphones. So I'm looking for very light, over-ear headphones that have active noise cancelling.

I moved into an apartment last summer and many days since then, there have been frequent unpredictable, long-lasting and VERY loud construction noises (mainly drilling). I'm sensitive to noise so it bothers me a lot and I have trouble focusing on things like meetings when working from home, which I do most days.

I currently have an over-ear headset that I like a lot (hyperX cloud) and it blocks out a good amount of most other noises, but they don't have active noise-cancelling and the drilling noise is still pretty intense with them on. I'm hoping that active noise-cancelling would help, but I'm really sensitive to the weight/pressure from most over-ear headphones and couldn't wear any for long before getting headaches until I bought my current ones, specifically because they're well known for being extra-light and comfortable. Even these aren't perfect and start bothering me after a few hours.

So, are there any over-ear headphones that are extremely light, low-pressure and comfortable, ideally also have decent passive noise-blocking similar to my current ones, and also have active noise cancelling? Or perhaps extremely good passive noise isolation would be enough, but I'm not sure if these would be any better than my current ones.

I'd prefer wireless with rechargeable batteries that last a long time but these aren't dealbreakers. I'd also prefer a mic included (ideally detachable) but I guess I could buy a separate mic if there are otherwise-ideal headphones without one.

Other noise-blocking ideas also welcome, with the following caveats:

-absolutely no in-ear earbuds, including the ones for extra-small ears. Yes even if they guarantee they'll fit any size of ear, are extra soft, etc etc.
-I have tried flare earplugs (their tiniest softest ones) and while they were less annoying than most earplugs, they still feel very annoying and also didn't make the sound any less intense or annoying.
-I've tried foam earplugs (the extra-small "for women" kind) inside my headphones, it does help the most but I can still hear the drilling at an annoying level and I find them very uncomfortable to wear
-I've tried the on-ear silicone plugs, they're a bit more comfortable but far less effective, not sure they actually do anything at all
-A noise machine doesn't seem to help at all, plus I use it as a sleep trigger already and don't want to mess with that association.

posted by randomnity to Technology (7 answers total)

Unfortunately, neither my Bose nor my Jabra noise-cancelling headphones have been able to block out construction noise for me. Between those two, Bose has the larger and lighter ear cup. That said, I’ve worn my Jabra Elite 85h set every day for the past three and a half years and it’s held up well. (Adjusting the headband frequently to take most of the weight helps, too.)

If you’d like to try on sets personally, Best Buy or other electronic stores often have displays with demo headsets.

I’ve acclimated myself to Hearos Nanos for sleeping in a city with nightly garbage-truck ruckus, but they still hurt a bit sometimes - so I literally feel your pain on foam plugs. Still, a pair of those *plus* noise cancelling has been my only recourse when construction is taking place on my block.

An option I’ve recently been thinking about again myself recently is looking into custom earplugs from an audiologist - my understanding is that they’re also a couple hundred bucks, similar to high-quality noise-cancelling headphones, and are a more comfortable option than foam plugs. I hope you find a solution!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 12:06 PM on February 20, 2024

I don't have a product recommendation, but I would warn strongly against the Bang+Olufson H9i.

When placing the H9i headset over my ears, the right earpiece would often make a very loud shrieking sound that hurt my eardrum.

After several instances of this, I no longer use them and would strongly recommend against them for anyone who is concerned about hearing loss.

I suspect that this is a general consequence of the noise cancellation functionality responding poorly to the noise of air rushing over the microphone when being placed over the ear. I notice the same issue (though much less pronounced) when inserting an Apple AirPods Pro earbud.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:26 PM on February 20, 2024

I really like my noise canceling headphones that I’ve had for several years now. They’re listed at 9.3 oz, but the headphones you listed are 340 gram, or approx 12 oz.

I mostly use them on planes and for work calls. They’ve always been fine on work calls picking up my voice, bu the most other sound they’ve competed with is lawn companies working nearby.

https://www.amazon.com/Soundcore-Cancelling-Headphones-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B07NM3RSRQ
posted by raccoon409 at 5:02 PM on February 20, 2024

I have a pair of Anker Soundcore Q45 and in my experience they have excellent active noise cancellation. Almost too good, as I often feel like I can hear the sounds inside my body better than the sound coming from the environment. The onboard mic is so-so, but perfectly usable for zoom calls. I find them to be comfortable and light compared to most wireless headphones.

Here's a good review of them from rtings who I generally trust for good quantitative reviews of consumer electronics. They might have some other recommendations that suit your needs.
posted by arcolz at 5:53 PM on February 20, 2024

There is a playground right underneath my apartment and I work from home. Sometimes my neighbour also drills into the wall at 9:30pm. I use a combination of these: Loop earplugs underneath my JBL Tune 770. Using both of them blocks out the drilling and sounds of children screaming, and using just the Loops helps with my noise sensitivity in public as well as sleep, though they make a specific one with soft silicon specifically for sleeping purposes. FWIW I was never an earplug person as I found them extremely uncomfortable and never fit my ears just right, but the Loops come with interchangeable buds that can fit different ear sizes. Another plus is that I take these to gigs and can go to metal shows without my ears ringing for a day after.

The JBL headphones are light enough; I wear glasses so most other over-ear devices hurt my head. With this one, it stays on my head 6-hour work or gaming sessions just fine. They don’t have a detachable mic, though, and they don’t come with a bag. I haven’t found it troublesome yet - I just pop them on my neck when I’m out and don’t have a purse large enough to fit them.
posted by antihistameme at 6:19 PM on February 20, 2024

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are apparently 250 grams. They are expensive, but the pair I have from two generations ago that I bought in 2019 is still going strong despite multiple hours of daily use and that I treat them terribly, never using the case, shoving them in my bag, etc (don't do this obviously). They block construction noise and other noise extremely well. They have excellent battery life and I find them very comfortable to wear. Sony has pretty good support and they replaced them on warranty with no friction when I had a slight white noise sound on a certain setting. They're very widely sold so perhaps there's a store where you could try them on.
posted by lookoutbelow at 8:23 AM on February 21, 2024 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you for the suggestions! I decided to go with the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 since I found them on sale for a very reasonable price. They are similar to the other Anker models recommended here and I'm pleased with them so far. They are quite comfortable and light, although a bit too big/loose for my ideal preference (and pretty average-sized head, I think). I've been wearing them for almost the whole workday and they aren't bothering me yet.

The drilling noise is still noticeable (unsurprisingly) but the noise cancelling does make it much quieter, sounding like it's coming from outside or even down the block instead of within the same room, which is a tremendous improvement and makes it much more tolerable (the construction is happening inside my building and/or on its balconies, and it's shockingly loud). It made it much easier to listen to music or people talking. They also get rid of many smaller sounds I didn't realize were bothering me like air blowing out of the vents. The active noise cancelling gives me a strong sense of pressure/discomfort in my ears, which surprised me and I'm hoping I'll get used to it, but it's less annoying than earplugs or the noise itself. I'm not sure if a more expensive set would have better sound blocking, but I'm very happy with these for the price. As a bonus, the bluetooth connection reaches to every corner of my apartment without any static or loss, even through 2 walls, unlike my bluetooth earbuds.
posted by randomnity at 1:54 PM on February 23, 2024 [1 favorite]