Nanny Knows Best, Dears

[richardfinegold]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31661789

If we follow the WHO, it will be a more difficult choice than Desert Island Discs - What shall I put in my hour today?

Well, as a Physician I can tell you that people are losing their hearing at a much faster rate than in previous generations, and loud music is cited as a frrequent cause.
Still, I don't think that the average concert of a Mozart String Quartet will challange the cochlea as much as a live Metallica concert...

[Dave2002]

Well, if you are simply wanting to block out the noise inside an aeroplane why go to the expense of Bose headphones? I find wax or foam earplugs from Boots are very effective.

Have you ever tried noise cancelling headphones? I have tried them on aircraft, and I can assure you that as long as they work well, they beat phone earplugs by a mile. However, I do use the foam earplugs mostly, as I don't have my own set of noise cancelling headphones.

I don't know whether noise cancelling headpones will always work - there is the possibility of positive feedback which would increase the noise, rather than reduce it. They may also reduce the noise in some frequency ranges, yet increase it in others. Do noise cancelling headphones work on trains and tube trains, for example = where the noises may change quite rapidly? I don't know.

[Frances_iom]

Well, as a Physician I can tell you that people are losing their hearing at a much faster rate than in previous generations, and loud music is cited as a frrequent cause.
....

One of the truly life changing interventions of health + safety was to limit industrial noise in the workplace + require employees to wear supplied protective gear (tho too many didn't wear these) - I'm of the generation who worked during vacations in the old industrial 'metal bashing' industries (we still had industry then) and the noise would not be legal today hence I suspect the poor hearing of many of the older people of that period - my own pet hate is the noise escaping from the cheap earbuds (Apple seems the main culprit here) - the users seem totally oblivious to the noise pollution they produce

[Old Grumpy]

Have you ever tried noise cancelling headphones? I have tried them on aircraft, and I can assure you that as long as they work well, they beat phone earplugs by a mile. However, I do use the foam earplugs mostly, as I don't have my own set of noise cancelling headphones.

I don't know whether noise cancelling headpones will always work - there is the possibility of positive feedback which would increase the noise, rather than reduce it. They may also reduce the noise in some frequency ranges, yet increase it in others. Do noise cancelling headphones work on trains and tube trains, for example = where the noises may change quite rapidly? I don't know.

I have noise cancelling headphones (not Bose - too expensive!). These work well with relatively contstant (and consistent) noise e.g. aircraft, train, but cope less well with variable noise levels. Still worthwhile though.

I find the best way to avoid aircraft noise is not to travel on them - can't remember the last time I flew anywhere.

OG

[MrGongGong]

Careful what you say about Bose (notoriously litigious .......... allegedly )

If you want clean sound in noisy environments I would go for isolation headphones
something like this

http://www.extremeheadphones.com/passive-noise-isolation-hearing-protection-headphones/studio-products/ex-29-headphones/

[Bryn]

For most of the year I have a choice of either driving to work by car (35minutes to an hour or so, depending on traffic) or using my national bus pass to travel in free of charge (around two and a half hours). When opting for the latter I used to use a set of cheap TCM noise cancelling headphones. They did a reasonable job in reducing the noise from the general rumble and hubbub but also significantly coloured the sound of music played through them, not unpleasantly, but somewhat disconcertingly. A few months ago I took the plunge and invested in a set of Bose QC25s. The too colour the sound, but much less disconcertingly than the TCMs. What struck me most is the relative transparency they offer to human speech they offer. This can be very handy but not always. Part of my journey is on London buses with recorded announcements for every stop. Can't win 'em all.

I should add that I have been very wary of Bose products for decades. This, I think, was largely conditioned by their mode of advertising. I now have to admit that I consider the QC25s worth every penny I spent on them.

[Dave2002]

One of the truly life changing interventions of health + safety was to limit industrial noise in the workplace + require employees to wear supplied protective gear (tho too many didn't wear these) - I'm of the generation who worked during vacations in the old industrial 'metal bashing' industries (we still had industry then) and the noise would not be legal today hence I suspect the poor hearing of many of the older people of that period - my own pet hate is the noise escaping from the cheap earbuds (Apple seems the main culprit here) - the users seem totally oblivious to the noise pollution they produce

Ear defenders are very helpful in some situations. People who work with noisy equipment would be silly not to use them. One of the loudest noises I experienced was at Farnborough Air Show one year, when I didn't have ear defenders, and I think it was a Tornado taking off. At the time I was behind the aircraft as it "revved up" - it was still deafening even with fingers shoved firmly into my ears. However noise can be closer to home. We have some domestic cleaning machines (carpet cleaner, and also an upright cleaner - VAX) - which I feel are far too noisy for use without ear protection. Many people seem oblivious to the problems, or just don't care.

I agree about the chattering noises from cheap earbuds, and it can be heard quite easily even in noisy environments such as trains.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Careful what you say about Bose (notoriously litigious .......... allegedly )

Oh, I don't know. Getting a reaction from them is hard enough.

When they advertise their overpriced ghetto blasters as being suitable for the garden, my hackles rise at their promotion of such selfish, antisocial behaviour. However many times I e-mail them, write to them, etc., I draw a complete blank. Bring on the litigation. I would welcome it.

That said, I think their overpriced noise-cancelling headphones are the best.

[Flosshilde]

Have you ever tried noise cancelling headphones? I have tried them on aircraft, and I can assure you that as long as they work well, they beat phone earplugs by a mile. However, I do use the foam earplugs mostly, as I don't have my own set of noise cancelling headphones.

I don't know whether noise cancelling headpones will always work - there is the possibility of positive feedback which would increase the noise, rather than reduce it. They may also reduce the noise in some frequency ranges, yet increase it in others. Do noise cancelling headphones work on trains and tube trains, for example = where the noises may change quite rapidly? I don't know.

I'm a bit confused (no change there then, some might say) - are you talking about listening to music using headphones that block out other noises, or simply putting something over your ears to block or muffle external noise?

[richardfinegold]

Oh, I don't know. Getting a reaction from them is hard enough.

When they advertise their overpriced ghetto blasters as being suitable for the garden, my hackles rise at their promotion of such selfish, antisocial behaviour. However many times I e-mail them, write to them, etc., I draw a complete blank. Bring on the litigation. I would welcome it.

That said, I think their overpriced noise-cancelling headphones are the best.

I'm not an English Barrister, and I don't play one on the telly, but I can't see someone being sued because they state that a consumer object is out of their price range. I bought one of their noise cancelling headphones about a decade ago and it still works, but I only use it when I fly, so they haven't gotten much use. They do sound quite good and do a great job of drowning out the roar of the plane engines. The biggest problem is managing the cord, which is about 6 feet long.
I auditioned the Bose bluetooth phones a few weeks ago. They are very comfortable and sound impressive but cost over $200. I bought a $30 Phillips phone that also sounds quite good but isn't quite as comfortable.

[gradus]

Anyone remember the original (?) demo of noise-cancellation on Tomorrow's World. The intrepid Raymond Baxter stood next to a jet engine and removed his ear protection when the boffins turned up the 'anti-noise' to 11, at which point the engine could no longer be heard roaring. Beat that!

[Beef Oven!]

Anyone remember the original (?) demo of noise-cancellation on Tomorrow's World. The intrepid Raymond Baxter stood next to a jet engine and removed his ear protection when the boffins turned up the 'anti-noise' to 11, at which point the engine could no longer be heard roaring. Beat that!

I always thought Raymond Baxter should have been given the role of Captain Kirk in a British version of Star Trek.

[ahinton]

I always thought Raymond Baxter should have been given the role of Captain Kirk in a British version of Star Trek.

Interesting thought (not that I've ever cared for the actual version); who would you have cast as Spock? And would you have had its time-honoured split infinitive removed for British audiences?...

[MrGongGong]

Anyone remember the original (?) demo of noise-cancellation on Tomorrow's World. The intrepid Raymond Baxter stood next to a jet engine and removed his ear protection when the boffins turned up the 'anti-noise' to 11, at which point the engine could no longer be heard roaring. Beat that!

Baxters law (NOT the one about soup) says that anything that was on TW isn't part of the future

Hearing isn't just what comes through your ears (but I guess not everyone does to D&B clubs)

[Beef Oven!]

Interesting thought (not that I've ever cared for the actual version); who would you have cast as Spock? And would you have had its time-honoured split infinitive removed for British audiences?...

Spock? Robin Day. We Brits would demand a more emotionally inquisitive reasoning from our Spock.