Active noise reducing hearing protection

[tim walker]

I had a great pair of active noise canceling earmuffs that could be used passive or had an electronic noise canceling function for really loud work like router use. I allowed the electronic part to corrode from the battery and it no longer works.

What are your go to brands? Only interested in over the ear muffs. Would like Bluetooth capabilities as well. Thx all

[Edward Weber]

I like the Peltor Sport, they're not cheap but have everything you inquired about.

[Robert Hayward]

What model do you use Ed? I see them priced from $25 to $150.

[Aaron Inami]

There isn't actually "noise cancelling" hearing protection that is available to us at our price level. The only "true" noise cancelling system is used by military aircraft carriers (Aegisound DANR) and costs around $5k per headset.

What you can get is something that I call "active noise leveling" ear muffs. It uses the earmuff itself as a noise barrier which is typically somewhere between 25-32 db reduction in sound. Then has an active microphone/headphone system that allows sound through at a "capped" level. Some of these will amplify all the frequencies and then apply a compressor/limitor function to level out the volume. It is very interesting. It allows you to hear someone talking at standard voice level right next to you at the same time a table saw and dust collection system is screaming. Without this active "amplify/compress", you wouldn't be able to hear the guy talk at all (even without earmuffs).

The best and most comfortable system I found are the Pro Ears Pro Mag Gold:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RMWO9A/

The Pro Mag Gold use a larger earmuff which has a higher reduction of 30 decibles (compare to about 25 db on the thinner earmuffs). Soft leather surround that is very comfortable and actually breathes -- so that you don't have a vacuum effect which pushes pressure against your eardrums. The active part is very effective. At max amplification, you can hear someone whispering about 20-30 feet away in a quiet environment.

The Pelter earmuffs are very effective and actually somewhat comfortable, but they have too much of a seal against your head which creates the "vacuum pressure" against your eardrums. Some people may not be as sensitive to this, but I don't like it at all.

[David Walser]

Tim -- I have the LINK AWARE earmuffs from Isotunes. However, I hardly ever use them. They are fine. The 'aware' function allows me to still hear what I'm doing without the noise level being so high it damages my hearing.

However, I found that I prefer to use my Beats Fit Pro earbuds. For most things I do in my shop, the Beats active noise canceling is more than adequate. They, too, have an aware setting. The reason I prefer them over my Isotunes earmuffs is my earbuds do not interfere with wearing a face shield or a respirator. I can wear the Isotunes earmuffs with a face shield and/or a respirator, but it is a hassle. If something I'm doing is too loud for my earbuds, I simply wear a cheap pair of earmuffs over them. It works great.

[John Ziebron]

Over the years I've purchased several active noise cancelling headphones and 4 years ago I finally got a pair that really worked for me. I don't use them in the shop because of intermittent use and so I just use standard muffs there. I purchased this set primarily for cutting grass on my zero turn which takes 2+ hours. They are bluetooth enabled so I listen to playlists on my phone. I would say I have a med-large head but one of the issues I had with other muffs is a small cavity for your ears. I don't have that problem with these and they are very comfortable. https://www.cowinaudio.com/products/cowin-e8-perfectquiet-noise-cancelling-headphones

[Alan Lightstone]

I typically use a good pair of non-electronic earmuffs with 30dB noise reduction. For flying I own a pair of Bose and a pair of Sony. I've used the Sony in the shop, and it does work very effectively.

How is this technology different from the $5K Aegisound DANRs?

[Edward Weber]

What model do you use Ed? I see them priced from $25 to $150.
I had the Tactical 300, they don't have Bluetooth.

[Keegan Shields]

Not active noise canceling but very comfortable gel cups and 23 dB reduction. Bluetooth functionality and battery life is excellent. 3M products are a good bet in my experience.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N6XXCWM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Edward Weber]

Thanks for the link Keegan

[Andrew More]

I'm also keen to learn how there is no true "ANC" headphones. The ones that I have used, in the ~$100 range, will actively cancel a number of repetitive sounds that are the common target of noise cancellation. These include things like shop vacs, HVAC systems, and other background rumbles. They do so far better when switch on, than off, even with the headphones over the ears. This is with no other sound input, (music, tv, etc) just the ANC active. So I have to conclude they are performing some level of ANC.

[Aaron Inami]

Interesting.

Andrew - what specific models have you used for these active-noise-cancelling headphones?

[Bert McMahan]

My Samsung earbuds ($50 for a refurb pair) do a great job and have a "passthrough" mode and a "quiet" mode that you can toggle by tapping them on the side. I'll never go back to earmuff style protection again since these work so well. Then again, they may not be quite enough for a router which I haven't tried with these yet.

Tim I know you didn't want this style, but figured I'd throw out my experience in case others were looking for "earbud" style headphones.

[Keith Outten]

I use Bose earbuds that have noise cancellation. They work well in my shop, on the diesel tractor, lawnmower and my UTV.

[Andrew More]

Andrew - what specific models have you used for these active-noise-cancelling headphones?

I've got these headphones (which btw do not seal around my ears).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083W7V3RG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've also got the Google Pixel Bud Pros.
https://store.google.com/product/pixel_buds_pro?hl=en-US

Both cut out all the background noise quite dramatically.

[Bill Dufour]

3M products are a good bet in my experience.

I beleive 3m bought out Peltor several years ago and is selling some of the Peltor stuff branded as 3m. If it is made in Sweden it was/is Peltor.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

Several years ago i bought the harbor fright electronic noise earmuffs. They worked okay but they did not turn off. There was always a static hum, crackle when it was quiet. I could not wear them unless it was continually noisy enough to need the reduction effect. Turning tools on and off did not work for me. I returned them.
Bill D

[tim walker]

Still further researching, but I found an article from an ENT doctor concerning hearing protection. He stated that he had never seen music focused headphones with active noise cancelling circuitry state what the ANSI noise ratings were. Here is his statement : Cancelling noise is hard – like, REALLY hard. There are only a few headsets that actually cancel noise, and NONE of them are considered a hearing protector. Try to find a Noise Reduction Rating* (NRR) on the Bose Quiet Comforts– you can’t, because they aren’t hearing protectors. They are designed to give you a high fidelity listening experience while reducing lower frequency sounds, but they will not protect your hearing in really loud noisy environments. In fact, they could actually increase chances for hearing loss if used in a noisy environment dominated by high frequencies.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with that doctor. ANC works by listening through a microphone to background sound and injecting the same sound that's targeting 180º out of phase so it "cancels" it to a noticeable effect -- the media being sent to your ears isn't then being overrun with that background sound. Noise cancelling is very helpful to reduce "background noise" (low frequency drone mostly) in certain environments but for actual noise protection...ya need something that's actually made with that in mind. You can certainly have a devices that does both and the ANC can further reduce the "drone" primarily from low frequencies, but you have to stop the actual sound level in its tracks to protect hearing from high decibel sound. So be sure whatever is chosen is picked for actual noise reduction first and then for any additional benefits. Typical NR headphones are not a good choice.

[mike calabrese]

some of this may help your search also seethe additional vids at the right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7u0RK9FE5A
calabrese55

[Bruce Page]

Not for everyone but Santa gifted me a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones with eight integrated microphones that make for some amazing active noise cancelling. I wear them for everything from mowing to running the cnc router. They work as good or better than my 3M 34db passive muffs.

[Eugene Dixon]

When using my orange tools (Husky, Kubota), I use Isotones buds with the electronics turned off. When the electronics are on, particularly for the tractor, they seem to amplify the engine noise. YMMV.

[George Yetka]

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Amplification-Electronic-R-01902/dp/B007BGSI5U/ref=sr_1_5?crid=GWCJF2QZ6C2V&keywords=shooting+impact+pro&qid=1687272928&sprefix=shooting+impact+pro+%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-5

I added gel to these and they are very comfortable. 30db NRR I use them to shoot

For the garage the Isotune pro aware are very nice for my use.

[Wayne Cannon]

My "Avantree Aria Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones with Microphone, [optional, removable] Boom Mic" to work very well. I work surrounded by racks of electronic equipment where I cannot hear my phone ring at max volume over the noise.

They are $80 to $90 (compared with $150 to $250 for most mentioned here) and the active noise cancellation reduces the background noise tremendously.

They are quite light and comfortable (minimal head-squeeze) for over-the-ear muffs, so much so that I frequently find myself accidentally wearing them to lunch or to the restroom.

[Wayne Cannon]

Re: Sound-Protection muffs interfering with face shields, etc.

Try "3M PELTOR Optime 105 Earmuffs H10B, Behind-the-Head" muffs. They are identical to their over-the-head models, but instead have a thin fabric strap over the head and a behind-the-neck spring wire for tension.

3M PELTOR Optime 105 Earmuffs H10B, Behind-the-Head Black https://a.co/d/84ivE2Y

They work equally well (no interference) with my 3M PAPR helmet-faceshield in the shop and my wide-brimmed hat for outdoor work.

They are, in my not-so-humble opinion, more comfortable than any over-the-head muffs.

[Wayne Cannon]

I would like to hear/read more about the non-cancelling "active noise cancelling" (ANC) headphones issue.

As an electrical engineer, my understanding of ANC is that sounds picked up by an external microphone are injected inside the headphones/muffs at an equal amplitude, but opposite phase to literally cancel the outside sounds -- nice for listening to wired or Bluetooth music or phone conversations. Without selectively filtering frequencies (desirable in most cases), this would attenuate ANY "external" sounds, including voices.

[Michael Burnside]

Not active noise canceling but very comfortable gel cups and 23 dB reduction. Bluetooth functionality and battery life is excellent. 3M products are a good bet in my experience.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N6XXCWM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is what I use and best of all after 3 years of using them, I was able to pickup a replacment set of earpads for pretty cheap. These work every time I use them, battery lasts a very long time and they're comfortable for hours on end. But, they aren't noise canceling...irrelevant when I'm listening to something, but usually if it isn't noisy, they're not on my ears.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Reading between the lines, it seems that if you want to "cancel" the sound of your table saw, 3-1/2 HP router, dust collector, or the old extra loud peasant-level shop vac I have, you don't look for electronics in the ear muffs. You just get muffs that lower the sound as much as possible. That's not in question here, is it?

Where the confusion comes in for me is with those units that let you listen to music. Sorry, but when I'm in a dangerously loud environment, the last thing I want is to listen to music. My many years of international travel with Bose cancelling phones taught me that I was just replacing an annoying loud sound with a pleasant loud sound. Overall, not so good for my ears.

I use "3M Pro-Grade Noise Reducing" muffs that claim 30 dB Noise Reduction Rating. Got them at Home Depot and chose them because they had the highest NRR on the shelf. I just saw an online description of them saying "highest NRR in retail stores." That got me thinking.

I came across this thread because I wondered if any muffs are made that both 1) reduce all sound by at least 30 dB and 2) use out-of-phase sound waves to cancel incoming sound. You can find guys hawking muffs for shooting with electronics specs like "1.5 ms response time" or that compress any ambient noise above 85 dB. But I don't think anyone's mentioned them here unless I missed it. And I'm in Jim Becker's camp that this is probably not what we want in the wood shop.

I'm very happy with my 3M set –– I reach for them before I throw any switch in the shop –– but I just got curious whether augmenting something like these with active sound wave cancellation would be an enhancement. So far, it's hard to find.

[Monte Milanuk]

I've worked in high noise environments most of my adult life, and do a fair bit of target shooting as well. I've tried several different kinds of the in-ear buds with various styles of 'ANC'... and have been very disappointed in the performance. Granted, when I'm used to wearing NRR 32 plugs at work, electronic hearing protection rated @ NRR 25 doesn't impress me very much. I'm more inclined to double up plugs and muffs than to go for the electronic ear buds, personally.

[Ole Anderson]

Key to any earmuffs working correctly is a tight fit. Key is tight but not uncomfortable. Adjustable would be best. My wife has a pair of Sony headphones with active noise cancelling, but they aren't as effective as her cheap pair of regular muffs that fit very tightly. I mow (JD z425) with a pair of ear plugs, or a set of Stihl earmuffs or a set of no-name bluetooth earmuffs, that claimed in the ads to be noise cancelling but were not. None work as good as the earplugs.

[George Yetka]

I use a few different pairs for shooting but prefer isotoon pro aware for the shop(depending on what im doing) The shooting muffs dont have music unless you use a cable

[Paul F Franklin]

The Fine WW podcast had a show a couple months ago with an audiologist and two folks from ISOtunes where they talked about hearing protection in the workshop, including the difference and pros and cons of active vs passive, how to interpret the various types of noise reduction ratings, and other related issues. One of the interesting points they made was that muffs with active noise reduction are required to be tested at the ratings lab with the active noise reduction turned off, because the assumption is the batteries will die and often won't be replaced right away, especially on a job site.

Another interesting point concerned muffs that allow you to listen to music (or whatever) and the importance of limiting the volume to 85 db because that's the generally accepted maximum safe threshold for long term safe exposure.

Anyway, worth a listen if you're shopping for new hearing protection.

[Roger Feeley]

I have Bose QC15 for the airplane. They are freakishly effective. I can hear conversations several rows away when people think the engine noise affords them privacy. Once I head a man and woman talking about him cheating on his wife and what they were going to do to each other in great detail. Talk about Too Much Information!