11–20 of 80 posts
For this reason I've been using the new style Apple headphone recently, they off some noise isolation but are a lot easier to take off.
The company that I work for purchased these for me a few days ago: http://www.amazon.com/Bose%C2%AE-QuietComfort%C2%AE-Acoustic... I'm pretty happy with them. I'm fairly easily distracted by noises: Heavy walking noises, talking, laughing, phones ringing, folks rustling potato chip bags... It can all mess up my concentration if it comes at an inopportune moment. I'm the only programmer here so most of the folks here…
I personally dropped $38 on the Superlux HD668b Evo, and could not be more pleased. They are semi-open, so not as closed, but they're still pretty isolating - I can't hear anyone unless they're yelling into my ear. And the sound quality to price ratio is astounding. They are far superior to the pair of Bose on-ear headphones I had a while back.
The bible for purchasing headphones is here: http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide I personally dropped $38 on the Superlux HD668b Evo, and could not be more pleased. They are semi-open, so not as closed, but they're still pretty isolating - I can't hear anyone unless they're yelling into my ear. And the sound quality to price ratio is astounding. They are far superior to the pair of Bose on-ear headphones…
>Things to avoid In general it's best to avoid products made by Skullcandy, Bose, Beats, or Monster unless otherwise specified in this thread. These companies spend a lot of money on advertising and looks rather than quality. That isn't to say these companies haven't put out headphones worth buying, the Monster Turbine Coppers are actually fantastic IEMs, it's just that a lot of the time you're paying a premium for the name.
While surfing the previous amazon link I actually fell in love with the Sennheiser HD800 - though I'm pretty certain my employer won't shell out 1500$ for those...
The company that I work for purchased these for me a few days ago: http://www.amazon.com/Bose%C2%AE-QuietComfort%C2%AE-Acoustic... I'm pretty happy with them. I'm fairly easily distracted by noises: Heavy walking noises, talking, laughing, phones ringing, folks rustling potato chip bags... It can all mess up my concentration if it comes at an inopportune moment. I'm the only programmer here so most of the folks here…
Sennheiser's HD25-1? You can browse reviews at headphonereviews.org .
tl;dr - if you're willing to give up some isolation (compared to active) for better music, these sound good, last forever, and won't bother coworkers.
I use a pair of earphones[0] covered by industrial ear muffs[1]. For comfort reasons, it's important that the earphones are not pressured by the surrounding ear muffs. I haven't found any inner ear headphones that meet this constraint. Sometimes I'll swap out the earphones for ear plugs for double ear protection / white noise.
I'm not a fan of open office plans, but this combo lets me tune out everything. Coworkers have gotten used to pinging me or waving to get my attention.
Edit: Drowning out distractions by turning up the volume leads to hearing damage. A better alternative is to eliminate ever hearing external noises. However to prevent incoming noise, ear muffs create a tight seal around your ears. My wife is uncomfortable with the pressure for extended periods of time. I wear them hours daily, and especially love them for sleeping on planes.
[0]: JBuds J2 affiliate link (the white color is $7):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GS8FZC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?...
JBuds J2 non-affiliate link:
http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Noise-Isolating-Earbuds-Headph...
[1]: 3M Pelter H10A Optime 105 affiliate link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009LI4K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?...
3M Pelter H10A Optime 105 non-affiliate link:
http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-H10A-Optime-Earmuff/dp/B0000...
It's actually a little bit spooky (and often makes me jump) if I'm working and someone comes into the room behind me then comes into my field of vision, or someone taps me on the shoulder...