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Soundproofing a Cubicle?
Anon! A Mouse Cowered! asks: "I work in a 10 x 10 ft. cubicle that's about as low-end as it can be (my back wall is made of my filing cabinets). I have a cheap set of speakers on my desktop for internet radio, but if I play anything other than light jazz or classical at anything above a squeak, it's annoying to my coworkers. Are there any other Dilberts (or Wallys, even), who can offer ideas on making a workspace more livable so that I can enjoy my Primus albums at an audible volume while working?"
I know of an amazing new technology named (tentatively of course) 'headphones'. They may be the answer to your prayers - be an early adopter!
Get yourself a pair of monumental speakers, turn them up to full volume, and liberally distribute earplugs among your co-workers.
I don't think you should give in to the tyranny of your coworkers. Buy THEM all noise-cancelling headphones, and listen to your music at any volume you like.
Get a pair of rather nice, open-back, full ear headphones. The set I use with my iPod are Sennheiser HD 590's (purchased at The Great Indoors for ~$30, down from ~$70). They sound absolutely amazing, but because they aren't sealed you can still hear the phone, people talking directly to you, etc.
Earbuds are nice and cheap, but they block out too much sound. You need to ensure that the headphones are really comfortable and have a nice long cord, though, since you'll probably want to move around your desk a bit and be wearing them for hours on end. Also, if you are running the sound out of your desktop or notebook and it's kinda crappy (bad S/N ratio, interferance, etc) look into a Griffin Technologies iMic. As they are just a standard USB audio device, they work without drivers on Macs or PCs and sound excellent.
I personally find it extremely rude when coworkers insist on playing music out loud (headphones solve this) or having conference calls on speakerphone (that's what headsets are for). Hopefully if more people start using a more personal listening device, the workplace will be calmer for everyone.
since the headphones solution is so obvious, maybe we should assume he has a job that requires a telephone headset.
------ hi mom
That's it, I am now filtering 'Ask Slashdot' posts because they are way too stupid to warrant my attention...
Who the heck is publishing these stupid submissions?
Out of 25 'Ask Slashdot' posts there are maybe 1 or 2 that are worthy of being published.
I mean come on! Sound proofing a Cubicle so someone can listen to Primus? Try head phones! Try working instead of listening to music at work. Try an iPod. Try tailoring your listening to something in the least common denominator of the general public. Primus is not easy listening material!
Headphones are the cheapest solution next to inventing a 'Cone of Silence' or trying some form of noise cancelation (180 deg out of phase amplifier).
Heck, keep playing Primus in your cubicle! Crank it up! Get fired so someone with a clue can take your job!
Is this not /.? Do we not strive to be bionic? Cochlear implants let you pipe music directly into your brain by stimulating the cochlear nerve. When these things get perfected I'm gonna get one even if I have perfectly "normal" hearing.
-I am an elective eunuch.
Or you could just do what I do: don't put them directly on your ears. This will let you hear stuff out in the room (like phone ringing, boss walking in, etc). You can always take them off in a hurry if you need to answer the phone.
Or for a more geeky solution: hook up a mic and enable it as an input source. That way anything the mic picks up will be mixed in with the music. Adjust the volumes to suit and you're good to go.
=Smidge=
Good headphones will give you exactly what you want and more...
Get a good set and you'll be amazed by the sound and your neighbors will be happy.
I recommend a high-end Sennheiser model, like the Sennheiser HD-580
After using them for a while, you won't go back to "computer speakers"
Since water does a fairly decent job of muffling sound, the answer is obvious: build yourself a cubiquarium. A few sheets of plexiglass, a snorkel and a standard garden hose should get you started.
and buy a pair of fucking headphones, dumbass
I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven, I told bill that if Sandra is going to listen to her headphones while she's filing then I should be able to listen to the radio while I'm collating so I don't see why I should have to turn down the radio because I enjoy listening at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven.
I've been using AKG Acoustics K-240 Monitor for many years - superb sound quality, durable, comfortable.
There's also K-240 Studio and K-240 DF, but I haven't had a chance to try those out.
Like the tent of doom?
RFC1925
I knew better than to read Ask /. hoping for an answer.
Headphones, at least for me, cause discomfort and pain after 45 minutes or so with music at a reasonable volume. (Reasonable volume being where I can still hear a coworker's typing.)
Noise-cancelling headphones are even worse. I've never found a pair that I could stand having on more than five minutes. I'd imagine I'm not the only one.
Now gimme that damn red stapler back.
Back when I was in a cubichell I regularly put on headphones without playing any sound so that I could work. I immediately had an excuse to not answer the "Hey, dude, how do I tell someone to do X?" (I was an admin but the support reps were in the same cube farm). To get an answer they had to walk to my Cube (which was strategically placed as far away from the door and farthest away from the other cubes except the guy next to me who was a friend and a web designer who didn't need to bug me with dumb questions), which was usually more effort than just looking it up themselves.
:)
... I didn't get one but a friend got one that allowed him to put his headset into it and mute the music when answering the phone. There are also motorcycling products that might be useful here. It will help if your phone has a headphone+microphone style jack instead of only the RJ-11 type.
I would frequently hear them ask an inane question and simply ignore it, listening to the others try to figure out the answer. I think I upped my productivity (and in the end theirs since they had to figure it out themselves) by at least 50%.
Then I started bringing in incense candles to kill the smell from whoever kept eating chili for lunch.
After that I clad the entrance to my cube with a curtain and put boards across the top of it to dim the lights from the amazingly bright overhead flourescents.
By the time I left I pretty much had an office and almost didn't care about the work from home program
Point? None except that headphones have significant benefits. If you need to be answering the phone regularly, look into one of the headphone mixing systems
It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
...as loudly as possibly. Every day. For several months.
It's what Wally would do.
After that, people will be relieved when you stop to listen to your music.
From Office Space:
"I was told I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume...I believe you stole my stapler..." -Milton
Since the obvious ( headphones!!! ), for whatever reason, is not applicable, there are a few ways sound travels from one cubicle to another and a few good ways to make it not travel so well.
Your cubicle is a big speaker cabinet that's pointed at the ceiling. Anyone within a few cubicles will get the reflections from the ceiling.
* Place sound deadening ceiling tiles above your cubicle (and out 8-10 feet). Cover them with loosely attached cloth (so it drapes several inches below ceiling height). This will reduce the largest portion of sound reflection.
Cubicle surfaces are attached to neighbor cubicles. Sounds from within the cubicle can be transmitted directly to the cubicle and reproduced at other points as the sound travels through the system.
* Place the speakers on sound deadening material and then on top of a rubber pad. Surface your entire cubicle with sound deadening material. Place loosely attached cloth around the cubicle (the heavier weight the cloth, the better)
Sound, by its very nature, travels through the air very well. All the previous measures only prevent reflections and transmissions through and from solid surfaces. Now you need to prevent the sound from traveling through the air to your neighbors.
* Extend your cubicle walls to the ceiling, or at least place several layers of cloth, preferebaly with sound deadening materil inbetween, from the top of your cubicle to the ceiling. Install a door of some kind. Put cones around your speakers to direct the sound energy towards you - you shouldn't be sending sound pollution to places you aren't at, so place the cones to prevent the sound from going all over the cubicle.
Of course, some sound is still getting through, and, let's face it, Primus isn't intended to be played at low volumes. I recommend installing a concrete block on top of a rubber pad/shock system inside your cubicle. On top of that pad you'll need double walls with sound insulation between them, and, of course, a similar door and ceiling.
But you'll probably have a better time (easier, cheaper, faster) buying wireless headphones or convincing your employer to allow you to telecommute.
For my part, I just find this hilarious when the worst part of your job is you can't listen to Primus at your preferred volume.
You must really be suffering, but remember that you need to choose your battles wisely. You may win this one, but the next one might be more important, and you might not have any more room to move.
-Adam