Controlling tha Noise?

Quite a few submitters have asked "How do you make a quiet PC". Well, rather than tackle it from the PC standpoint, how about devices that can quiet a whole environment? Along these lines, 16977 asks: "I've been considering building an active noise control system for an area about the size of a closet. ANC today doesn't work quite as well as it did in Silence, Please (works best for low frequencies, only covers small areas, etc.), but it is still a fascinating technology. I'm wondering if anyone out there has done similar projects with either the hardware or controlling software of ANC, and what information they have to share." And since I have your attention on this subject, sammy.lost-angel.com asks: "I would like to ask the slashdot community about their recommendations for noise-cancelling headphones. Traveling in planes is very noisy, and with MP3 players becoming more and more common, I would like to hear some experiences with various different noise cancelling headphones paired up with MP3 players. How well do they work in general? What is the best and most cost-effective headphones available?"

Comments

One thing I have had some success with

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Use some foam (the kind used in upholstery works nice) around the edges of fans where they meet the case. You'd be surprised how much of that fan noise is actually due to the vibrations being transmitted to the steel itself.