Noise Cancelling Headphones

Hi there,

My son has Aspergers and learning difficulties.  He is extremely noise sensitive and struggles at school.  I am trying to research the best noise cancelling headphones/ear defenders.  I have bought him some ear defenders on Amazon which he has tried out today but they didnt help.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Lettie

  • Many enclosed Religious (Nuns) have said the same thing in Catholic documentaries - and it is because people’s lives are so full of noise that they cannot hear the voice of God speaking to them - I was a bit taken aback by my diagnosis report in 2021 after I’d returned to my Catholic faith 18 years previously (which was the only thing that carried me though Covid) when references were made to my “Passion (implying “obsession” with and for) for the Catholic Church” and I was quite surprised by this - it just shows that our world is in denial about the fact that it needs God more than ever in our times, even though I was raised in Vatican II and went away from my faith for many years since my teens in the 80’s on the gay scene, until I came back to my faith 18 years ago, going back to the Traditional Latin Mass and self-taught praying the Rosary in Latin - I would never have been made aware of this were it not for my grandparents generation who took their faith very seriously and were totally opposed to Vatican II 

  • Hi, I was moved by your message because I have similar problems coping with "urban" noises - particularly music from third parties (a kind of misophonia/melophobia), which causes meltdowns because the emotions are so strong and automatic. It's not uncommon at all and whenever I mention it to people quite a few of them tell me they have the same problem and start to shake and get anxious when exposed to noise (usually music) from third parties. It's a pity people aren't considerate enough to think twice before making noise. We only have "mental health" issues because the world is the way it currently is and we were dealt a set of "cards" which doesn't make it easy for our lives to run smoothly under these conditions. Change the planet for a quiet one (or turn the clock back a few hundred years) and all those inconsiderate noise-makers would be going mad because it's too quiet and having to have therapy to cope with the silence. You are right - the world is getting noisier and noisier. Perhaps we can try to lobby for quiet areas in towns reserved for quiet people who don't make noise and don't want noise. Would be great if every town in England (and Ireland) could have a quiet zone. You need to move out of your accommodation if possible. Good luck to you and best wishes.

  • I live alone in a council flat and the area is very noisy even with double glazing and new doors, as the external walls are paper thin at all times, even the road outside - the council are not receptive at all to reports of ASB noise pollution in the 21 years I’ve lived here and are far more inclined to take legal action against those making “malicious” reports of ASB because of “perceptions” of noise rather than the offenders, because they take the mindset that council tenants “do not have any right to make any comments on any issues” even when it is trying to improve the community they see this as being “negative” - noise cancelling headphones are essential in this area, not just for travelling and compared to 21 years ago, the noise levels in both the U.K. and Ireland have become far greater, even in Rural Ireland - because we are perceived to have “mental health issues” when we attempt to object to much of this, we will never be taken seriously, we will be fobbed off and we always be dismissed as being cranks when we attempt to raise issues even via the “official” channels (used as a way of silencing complaints) 

  • I am not a kid anymore, but I love my ear loops I wish I had had them in school. I wear them all the time even when I have my headphones on. I especially love them for the movies. They play movies way to loud. 

    I have 2 pair one that cuts out sound and one that's allows me to hear a conversation but cuts out loud sounds.

    us.loopearplugs.com/.../homepage-lp1

  • Amazing! I love hearing about other innovative people. Bravo Clap

  • I am not a kid anymore, but I love my ear loops I wish I had had them in school. I wear them all the time even when I have my headphones on. I especially love them for the movies. They play movies way to loud. 

    I have 2 pair one that cuts out sound and one that's allows me to hear a conversation but cuts out loud sounds.

    us.loopearplugs.com/.../homepage-lp1

  • Lettie. Don't cheap out if you can afford to. I've spent £500 plus on cheap junk. 

    Sony do a noise cancelling series headphones. Mx1000s I think. We have gone through two pair, and they are our default. The noise cancelling is incredible!!

    They do a 900N or something like that, which are slightly cheaper and still very good noise wise.

    Honestly. Go to Currys or whatever it's called now. Ask for the Sony over ear, mx1000s and plug your phone in. All the noise around you, even with no music playing goes away. Try before you buy. They ain't cheep

    My tupence worth.  

  • i also purchased headphones but that doesn't solve the learning problem completely

  • I use these Stanley noise defenders and they work so well. It can be found at www.screwfix.com/.../4859f.

  • Reading this warmed my heart 

  • @anewman   can you turn off Amazon Alexa & google assistant etc also in the app?  ..as I do not wish to speak to them or have them overhear anything when people are visiting me.

  • Bravo!

    Love your Dad ingenuity. Thumbsup

    I don't have autism (that I know of.)

    But I'm proudly listening to my green and black PowerLocus noise cancelling headphones right now.

    To block out the annoying woman in my open-plan office who works in social media. Grimacing

    Thanks!

    P.S. Also good for noisy libraries.

  • My Sony WH1000-XM3 are configurable in the mobile app. You can specifically turn off filtering for voices and adjust the noise reduction level.

  • I recently got my first pair of noise cancelling headphones, Sony WH1000-XM3. They're quite expensive but I'm very impressed at the noise cancelling  They can cancel human voices, which I understand traditionally noise cancelling headphones couldn't do. You can also just wear them with noise cancelling activated and no music playing, so long as you switch off the auto power off in the mobile app. They also have a nice feature that let's you hear surrounding sounds by putting your hand on the ear cup.

  • I realize this is a somewhat old post, but I'm leaving this reply for any parents with the same issue that might come across this post.

    As a father of a 12-year old with autism, I know the struggle.

    I've always thought ear defenders would be more of an annoyance than a help. Our doctor suggested she got a cheap pair to try them out so that's what we did. We didn't really use them much in the beginning as they annoyed her slightly. She didn't like wearing them. We were happy with the effect they had when she wore them though. She seemed so much more composed in situations she couldn't handle before and that's one of the biggest moments you can have as a parent.

    So we recently opted for a better pair with comfort in mind. Today she uses the Vic Firth Kidphones. They're like $20 on Amazon. I definitely feel that's money well invested since it increases the life quality in socially demanding situations for my girl. It's almost as if she forgets they're there.

    There's some solid information on the topic here: soundwiz.net/.../

  • Hi Juliet

    Yes My Headphones Cancel Any Background Noise Out Especially When It's Very Noisy And I Think These Headphones Will Be A lot Of Help To Your Daughter Because Loud Noises Upset Me And I Always Wear Them When There Is Loud Background Noise.

    Hope This Is Helpful For Your Daughter.

    Juanita

  • What are the QuietOns like at cancelling various types of noise, e.g. refrigerator "rumble", the thumping of a football against a wall, loud music played some distance away, petrol mowers, shouting?

    How do they compare with Bose QC35s?

  • Hi guys, I thought I would update you on my investigations.  I have been trying various ear plugs, some are powered with noise cancelling and some are just ear plugs.  

    I tried Vibes, ( http://www.discovervibes.com/our-products/ ) as these have been recommended for autism, although they are virtually invisible once you have them in, I did not find them that good, they were also a little uncomfortable.

    I do own some fantastic Bose Quiet Control 30's and they are the best I have ever had, although they are full size headphones, so a little bulky.

    I have recently received my Quiet On ear plugs and they are rather good.  They are very discreet and noise cancelling.  The block the sound really well.  They do not connect through your phone and do not play music etc.  They are just for noise cancelling.  So for now, these are my favorites.

    https://quieton.com/

  • Hi Juanita,

    I was wondering, do your Noise Cancelling Headphones mean that you can't hear if someone talks to you either or do they just cancel out background noise? My daughter is 8 and is quite noise sensitive but it is just certain background noise that upsets her. Many thanks.

    Juliet

  • thank you caretwo

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