Etymotic hf5: 35-42 dB isolation + good frequency response and accuracy
+1 happy with my ER-4S, but they are probably not worth it compared to those (which weren't available at the time).
Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
31–40 of 80 posts
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#32Sennheiser HD-380 Pro headphones have excellent isolation and are circumaural (enclose your ears, rather than sitting on your earlobes) which makes them very comfortable for long sessions. They also sound great. Only downside is they're not that portable, but if you just need headphones for your desk then I highly recommend them.
+1 for the HD 380 Pro.
Although they're large, can be folded and come with a solid case.
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#33I'm trying out loud white noise in a moderately loud environment. For about 30 minutes I"m able to concentrate. Not sure how long this will last though.
This can be dangerous, white noise is hard to modulate volume wise, and does the exact same amount of hearing damage as playing death metal or (insert type of music here).
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#34Commented here in the past on this subject, I think the best solution is a combination of headphones and two other things: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4802700
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#35Really, by far the best solution is IEMs. But, if you must got with active noise cancellation, the PSB M4U 2 is about the only decent one of I have auditioned... most active noise cancellation phones absolutely sound like muddy crap.
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#36I'm deaf, so I don't have quite the same needs in headphones that most people do. That said, I do sometimes like to listen to music and need isolating headphones (so they don't leak sound and annoy my coworkers) that fit comfortably over a behind the ear hearing aid.
Accordingly, I've been using a set of Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro over-the-ear headphones and I've been really happy with them. I have to adjust them a bit funny to fit over the hearing aid without causing feedback, but they're generally pretty comfortable.
They're a bit more expensive at around $175 to $200 depending on where you shop, but might be worth a look.
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#37I am huge fan of Bose headphones, I work in a very crowded environment and these headphones pretty much save my day.
It has a great sound quality and is comfortable to wear all day long.
It is a little expensive but worth the money in my opinion.
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/n...
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#38The 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 owned a pair as well until I left them in the seatback on a flight. I was given them as a gift and really enjoyed them - the quality and isolation provided by the noise cancelation was very good considering the price range.
I will say that it is somewhat inconvenient to have to enable the noise cancelation in order to use at all. There are some instances when I prefer to have some external awareness, and this didn't really accommodate that need.
Overall, I think these are a great option for someone looking for a pair without significant tradeoffs and with limited time to research. That said, there are definitely pairs with better quality out there. If you have the time I highly recommend reading reviews on Head-Fi prior to purchasing.
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#39Shure SE215s
Re: Ask HN: Best isolating headphones for hacking?
#40Etymotic hf5: 35-42 dB isolation + good frequency response and accuracy
ER-4 with custom molds here. Customs give you almost complete isolation but there is a warming-up period. They actually hurt for the first week or two that you wear them. Recommended if you can put them in and keep them in but not if you must be interrupted regularly.
One more thing to be aware of with Etymotic products: the microphonics. Lots of noise from the cable hitting stuff. It looks super dorky but the cable clip fixes a lot of that.