

Coping with Speech Noise in the Modern Workplace - tyn
http://chatterblocker.com/whitepapers/conversational_distraction.html

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silentbicycle
Aside from noise cancellation headphones, sometimes I wear silencing earmuffs
(something like this: [http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/product/Bilsom-
Viking-V3...](http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/product/Bilsom-
Viking-V3-Earmuffs.html)). Most brands I've tried have been pretty equivalent,
though some will probably be more comfortable for your head than others.
Those, coupled with good earplugs* , usually tunes out most human speech
around me.

* Earplug reviews here: <http://www.slate.com/id/2118800/> My favorites are the Moldex Rockets, not listed: <http://www.labsafety.com/search/Moldex/12675/?type=brand> . Again, fit is at least as important as noise reduction; you want to be able to put them in and forget about them. Earplugs are quite cheap, so you may want to get a grab bag with two pairs each of ten or more kinds.

Alternatively, wearing headphones with pink noise (like white noise, but with
less hiss: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_noise>) works well, particularly
if you can wear earmuff-style headphones over earplugs.

Here is a pink noise loop I made by stitching together the sample loop on
wikipedia: <http://shenani.gen.nz/~scott/pink_noise.mp3> (It's released under
the same CC license as the sample on wikipedia, as a derived work.) _Also,
mirror it if you like it, as I am moving this week and in a day or two it will
disappear._

Of course, not having a cubicle or open-air office is the better solution.
(And not having loud neighbors.)

For more thoughts and studies on ambient noise ruining productivity, see
_Peopleware_ by DeMarco and Lister.

~~~
ryanmahoski
I love earplugs. My favorite design is foam and rated 30 decibels. For $10 you
can get a 50 pack at CVS pharmacy.
[http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?fi...](http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=317536&productId=317536&navAction=jump&navCount=3)

Your pink noise loop is great. Mirror:
<http://audiothink.s3.amazonaws.com/pink_noise.mp3>

~~~
iigs
FWIW I tried those and they don't fit snugly in my ears unless I put them in
backward, wherein I suspect they may have reduced effectiveness.

They're probably good enough for lowering the noise floor in an office
environment, though.

------
gtani
i like in-ear monitors (IEMs) from Shure, etymotic or westone myself. I'm
looking at custom molded ones also. They usually talk about 25 dB of
isolation/noise reduction, which is enough to make jet planes, subway trains,
loud clubs, lots of other environments tolerable (I'm very sensitive to
noise).

Read (thousands of) reviews

<http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103>

~~~
LogicHoleFlaw
I have a pair of Shure canalphones. The noise reduction is impressive. It's
fantastic on flights. The only drawback for me is that after a few hours I
start to get ear fatigue from the pressure of the foam on the inside of my
ears.

------
wallflower
If this weren't so expensive: "Babble is the only voice privacy device
currently on the market that offers voice confidentiality during a phone
conversation. It camouflages conversations about rash decisions, or
discussions about rashes. Babble accomplishes this by using a pre-recorded
script of the user’s voice, which is “babbled” and emitted from proprietary
speakers positioned outward from the user. The “babbled” voice provides cover,
making a phone conversation unintelligible to individuals surrounding the
user. “White noise” simply masks overall interior sound, Babble “babbles” the
users voice keeping private phone conversations private."

[http://www.thebecollection.com/catalog/product/5-babble-
voic...](http://www.thebecollection.com/catalog/product/5-babble-voice-
privacy)

------
nikils
if you have iphone use this app [http://app-
store.appspot.com/?url=viewSoftware%3Fid%3D285538...](http://app-
store.appspot.com/?url=viewSoftware%3Fid%3D285538312%26mt%3D8)

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pasbesoin
Thanks for this post/thread. I am extremely sensitive to (human) noise in my
environment. For me, any degree of audibility can become very distracting and
therefore frustrating. One exception is when there are so many voices that
they become unintelligle; it seems my brain is then "willing to give up" and
the distraction can be less. The presence of all that sound is still somewhat
distracting and is tiring, but I stop being forced to perceive individual
elements of conversation.

I'd run across chatterblocker or a similar item but had not tried it. This is
a good reminder to give it a go, the next time I find myself in an appropriate
circumstance.

I wonder, has anyone found quality recordings of crowds, e.g. of conversation
in a busy coffee house or cafe? In lieu of a computer and program, I've
wondered whether such a thing would be useful, but I do not have the recording
equipment to make a professional-grade (and therefore, comfortable for long
use) recording.

In my struggles to get away from work environment noise, I've run across these
resources:

Direct Sound Extreme Isolation® Headphones

<http://www.extremeheadphones.com/>

Ear Plug Superstore

<http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/>

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DabAsteroid
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro closed headphones seal out external noise fairly well.
They are professional DJ headphones and fairly rugged (and popular, too). They
probably don't work as well as in-ear monitors, but they could serve as an
alternative for people with sore ear-canals.

[http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE...](http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=sennheiser+hd+280)
($100 shipped; $200 list price.)

My pair is five years old, and well-used, and it still works. (Headband is
slightly cracked, though. Be careful not to pull the phones apart too widely.)

