Headphones For Noisy Environments?

Here's another query from an Anonymous Coward with ringing ears: "I may be forced to spend a lot of time in a computer machine room soon, and was thinking of using some noise-cancellation headphones (like those made by Sony or BOSE). Unfortunately, I must spend a lot of time on the telephone. I can try and hack one of the airplane model units BOSE makes (which also has a built in boom microphone) to interface to a telephone, but it occurred to me maybe someone knew of something better that already exists? It would be nice to be able to listen to music when I'm not on the telephone..."

Comments

Re:OSHA's rules about noise

[bluGill]

My company has foam ear plugs in the labs, for anyone to take if they are spending time in the lab. Some of us care about our ears enough to use them too. (I find them very handy in the office area for runing everything out once in a while)

Re:How to cope with machine room noise.

[ptomblin]

Finally, if you expect to be "on the phone" while being in the machine room, a regular noise-cancelling headphone won't help you. You'll get much of the machine room noise fed back to you because telephones have "sidetone" (which feeds back what you say into the mouthpiece back into your earpiece -- it helps to regulate the speech volume of the telephone user).

I'd be really suprised if you can't get a decent passive noise cancelling electret mic on a headphone. We pilots have them on our headsets (passive or active noise cancelling), and it allows us to be heard over an incredibly noise piston engine and propellor. And yes, we have side tone in our in-plane intercomms - I often turn on the intercomm even when I'm alone in the plane so that I can hear myself muttering to myself. "mixture rich, check carb heat, throttle back, trim back, maintain altitude until I've slowed down to 70..." (Yes, I've been a licensed pilot for 5 years and I still say these things to myself)

I believe the noise cancelling mechanism on aviation headset microphones is something as holes on the back of the microphone diaphram that allows the ambient noise to "push" on the back as well as the front, while your talking only "pushes" on the front of the diaphram. But I could be wrong about that.

OSHA's rules about noise

[scotpurl]

You might check OSHA's web site about noise exposure, and limits, then wander over to Radio Shack and buy a decibel meter, then see if it's even legal for you to spend that much time in a noisy environment.

Most employers could care less about safety and their computer geeks. Save your ears. Ruining them now, and being deaf when you're old, sucks.

An electronics project to do just that.

[bbk]

Check out this project:

http://headwize.com/projects/noise_prj.htm

It's instructions to build your own noise canceling headphones.

BBK

How to cope with machine room noise.

[toybuilder]

I have sensitive ears, and yet work with lots of machines, so I understand your plight. I once had a job where the idiot manager almost forced me to have my "office" in the machine room.

Well, the best solution is to avoid being in the machine room as much as possible. You can usually get by with "remote control software" like VNC or PCAnywhere. If you have to do a lot of pre-boot activity on PC's, a KVM extender might be in order.

Buy high-noise-reduction foam earplugs. You can buy them easily at any drugstore (the foamy ones kinds with NRR of 27 or higher are best). Better yet, by them in bulk-buy them from medical and/or construction supply stores.

Finally, if you expect to be "on the phone" while being in the machine room, a regular noise-cancelling headphone won't help you. You'll get much of the machine room noise fed back to you because telephones have "sidetone" (which feeds back what you say into the mouthpiece back into your earpiece -- it helps to regulate the speech volume of the telephone user). (BTW, if you're at an airport/concert/etc. and have a hard time hearing the other party, just cover your mouthpiece with your hand. It helps a lot.) A telephone with noise-cancelling mic might help. I dunno.

By the way, an active-noise-cancellation headset helps cut out the low-frequency noise, but it doesn't help you much with the high-frequency noise. So, you're still better off avoiding the noise in the first place.

Good luck.

Here's exactly what you need

[ArcticChicken]

What you need is a tank crew helmet!

Come on ... admit it. It's exactly what you were hoping for for Christmas. Stylish and functional! And you won't have to worry so much about stray bullets at your workplace anymore.