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Wearing Noise Cancelling Headphones Over Earplugs: How Effective Is This?

Published on October 16, 2021 by Helmut

How effective is wearing noise cancelling headphones over earplugs?

In this post, I am reporting on my noise reduction test results for two top active noise cancelling headphones (ANC headphones) when worn over foam earplugs. If you are bothered by environmental noise but your headphones (or earplugs) alone don’t block enough noise, this post is for you. I often wear noise cancelling headphones together …

Active Noise Cancelling vs Noise Isolating Headphones [Tested]

Published on September 13, 2021 by Helmut

In this post I am reporting on my performance tests comparing noise cancelling headphones, over-ear noise isolating headphones, and in-ear noise isolating earphones. Apart from noise reduction charts, I have also included tips based on my experience to help you decide which headphone type is right for your use case. Let’s get right to it. …

Etymotic ER2XR Review: Great Noise Isolation and Good Bass

Published on August 31, 2021 by Helmut

Etymotic ER2XR Noise Isolating Earphones Review

The Etymotic Research ER2XR earphones are excellent at reducing noise, and they can drive a good beat. I am getting 30+ decibels noise reduction with these virtually across the whole tested frequency range. A while ago, I tested the Etymotic MK5 Isolator, neutral sounding budget earphones with great noise isolation. I like the MK5 but …

Slamming Your Fridge Door: A Simple and Effective Earplug Test

Published on August 7, 2021 by Helmut

slamming-doors-earplug-impact-noise-test

Getting a consistent, deep fit with your earplugs is crucial if you want to effectively reduce lower pitched impact sounds such as door slams, stomping noise, etc. But how do you know you are getting a good, deep seal? Judging your earplug fit by listening to everyday noises can be deceiving. Your earplugs might muffle …

Moldex Pura-Fit vs SparkPlugs [Noise Reduction and Comfort Test]

Updated on June 11, 2021 by Helmut

The Moldex Pura-Fit (green) have been one of my favorite earplugs for several years now. They are easy to insert and exert just the right amount of pressure in my ears to stay put. Most importantly, I get a good seal with them and they effectively reduce noise. In this review, I am comparing the …

Flents Quiet Time vs Quiet Contour vs Quiet Please [tested]

Published on June 2, 2021 by Helmut

Flents (Apothecary Products) distributes several very different earplugs in their Quiet-series. The short cylindrical Quiet Please are made of beige PVC. They may look retro, but in my experience, they shine as low frequency noise blockers and exert very little pressure in the ear canal. The longer Quiet Time (purple) and Quiet Contour (green) are …

How to Make Your Earplugs Block More Low Frequency Noise

Published on May 20, 2021 by Helmut

how to make your earplugs work against low frequency noise

Many people feel that their earplugs don’t help against low frequency noise that is bothering them. This could be traffic noise, hums from appliances and HVAC systems, stomping upstairs neighbors, and bass noise from music, to name a few. I too used to believe that earplugs don’t do well against this type of noise. However, …

Etymotic Mk5 Review: Great Noise Isolation on a Budget

Published on May 6, 2021 by Helmut

Etymotic MK5 review and noise isolation test

Do you want earphones with excellent noise isolation and save some coin? The Etymotic MK5 in-ears don’t have active noise cancellation, but chances are you won’t miss it with these earphones, if you don’t mind deep-insertion ear tips. I am sitting on my balcony listening to some coffeehouse music: basically piano and acoustic guitar to …

AGPTEK Sleep Earbuds Review (Isolation and Durability Tips)

Published on April 17, 2021 by Helmut

AGPTEK sleep earbuds are wired micro earphones with interchangeable ear tips. They are so small that I can insert them almost completely in my ear, allowing me to sleep comfortably on the side without ear pressure. Also, the sound of the earbuds doesn’t change when I hit the pillow. Apart from sleeping, these are also …

Ohropax Classic Wax Earplugs Review (plus Tips & Tricks)

Published on April 9, 2021 by Helmut

Invented in Germany in 1907, Ohropax Classic wax are one of the first modern earplugs. They are made of a mix of cotton, Vaseline, and paraffin wax. Not surprisingly, these wax earplugs are a bit sticky, stickier, in fact, than pure wax and silicone putty earplugs. I have found this stickiness to be an advantage: …