Sound sensitivity ear plugs?

Started by Gromit, December 18, 2022, 08:17:27 AM

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Gromit

I am seeing advertisements for ear plugs which dampen down sounds more often now, thanks algorithms. I first came across them in the summer, someone was using them in the exams I invigilate. I am wondering if they may help me with triggers, like my OH cursing the PC in another room? Has anybody tried them? Any particular brand or type? The ones I have seen are Flare calm and Loop. I am in the U.K.

G

Papa Coco

Gromit

I'm not sure what ear plugs you are referring to. I use various sound deadening devices because of incessantly barking dogs in my neighbor's yard, just a few feet from my bedroom and living room windows.

Regular sponge ear plugs are better than nothing. SUPER cheap and available in bulk at any hardware store or industrial safety store. But sponges don't block sound, they muffle it. They help with dogs from two or more houses away, and cars that are not playing thumping stereos at 2 am. When I worked in a very loud factory, I wore them all day to protect myself from hearing loss. When the sound was really sharp, I'd wear them AND a pair of over the ear muffs for maximum protection. But that was in the 1980s and 1990s when there was no better technology available.

One step better: I now have electronic ear plugs that Bluetooth to my phone. They actually block sound better than sponges because they have rubber, which blocks noise better than sponge does, plus they have electronic noise cancelling qualities. I bought Sony's top of the line so the music would sound crisp and real. They are comfortable in my ears, and they don't fall out as I move around. I would say they work pretty darn well for blocking the usual noises of people talking and walking around on the floor above. When I worked in an office environment, they were helpful in allowing me to work while people were chatting at the next desk. When on long drives, they provide quality music and GPS voices.

One more step even better: I also have a pair of Sony's over-the-ear headphones which also have electronic noise cancelling, plus they Bluetooth to my phone for music and/or telephone calls. I can also connect them with a wire to my ROKU TV remote, so I can watch TV at night without bothering my wife, AND I can watch TV without having to listen to the incessant barking. But, noise cancelling is not the same as noise blocking. Noise cancelling does a great job of removing higher pitched sounds but doesn't stop base sounds. It also does NOT protect your ears from harmful sounds like power tools.

The best thing I've purchased yet: I work in my yard with chippers and mowers and chain saws, and my neighbor's dogs are huge...and many...and nobody loves them, and nobody is allowed to, per their nasty owner's lying, agressive personality, so they bark and bark and bark with a deep, base that penetrates the whole house. So, I recently purchased several sets of construction grade over-the-ear headphone/earmuffs. Each pair can Bluetooth to my music or phone calls. These work so well that I can actually go out onto my deck and cook on my BBQ only feet from the aggressive dogs, and not even know for sure if they're barking at all. The sound is so well blocked, and with the music playing in them, I can't hear large dogs from only a few feet away. I scoured Amazon Prime for anything that was less than $100 U.S. dollars, had Bluetooth AND a Decibel Reduction Rating (DRR) of 30. That's the highest hearing protection you can get, I think.  What I like about the construction earmuffs is they block out all levels of sound: Deep or high pitched. They cover the ears completely. They are not terribly uncomfortable, and they are so sturdy that I can wear them to bed every night without fear of breaking them if I toss and turn. I am a back-sleeper with a CPAP machine, and if I use a towel instead of a pillow, the headphones will rest very comfortably on my head while I sleep. I can turn on some meditation music and sleep very soundly regardless of the irresponsible trash that lives only a few feet from my bedroom window. My favorite set is the one that has a volume nob on the set itself. When I wake up and want to lower or raise the volume I don't have to put on my glasses, then find my phone, then wake it up, then look for the app, and adjust the volume with a finger movement. I can just grab the nob and twist to raise or lower the volume, or to turn the unit on and off. Another set I purchased has a radio tuner in it, so if I want to listen to public radio broadcasts, without having to Bluetooth to my phone, I can even do that.

I have a serious sensitivity to intrusive sounds. Especially when those sounds are intentionally arrogant and offensive; like barking dogs, car stereos that cost more than the car they're in, loud motorcycles...things that are like expressions of aggression and anger and rudeness. For me, when my neighbors are being aggressive, angry and rude, my only solution is to protect myself and let them be the jerks they believe they have the right to be.

Pick your battles, right? Headphones don't make enemies out of the already bad element in our culture.

rainydiary

I have used both the Loop and Flare.

The Flare don't suit my ear canals as much as the Loop, but I find both to be helpful in specific situations.

I wouldn't say they completely tune out noise.  They do seem to help block some sounds which I find helpful.

Gromit

Thanks Rainydiary, those were the ones I have seen advertised. I asked somewhere else and somebody said they found that sounds became more noticeable when they were not using them, so more intrusive. Simply listening to pod casts may be more useful as a distraction from the triggering sounds. I do have a lot of those I have subscribed to so I am trying to remember to download and listen to them.
Thanks for the replies.
G

CactusFlower

Just popping in to give a thumbs up to my pair of Loop earplugs. Very comfy and excellent noise reduction. I mainly use them on holidays that mean fireworks will happen, because there are idiots in the neighborhood that will a bunch off. Loop ones can be slept in and they have 5 sizes of tips. I would imagine that having a loop in one ear and the earbud for the podcast in the other would be very helpful. Good luck.

seshprinny

I've been wanting a pair of the loop earplugs for a few years now. I work with kids, and I struggle with their loud playing. They're still on my list as I think it could help me to stay calm and not get triggered as the noise levels increase!

One of my friends got a pair for Christmas. They were going to bring them to the nightclub we were in on New Year's Eve, but forgot. They can get overestimated by noise, and are hoping the earplugs will help. They seem to be all the rage at the moment.