# Cheap, "muzzling" headphones



## AntAltMike (Nov 21, 2004)

I recently installed a DirecTV analog SMATV headend in a work environment so noisy that I can't evaluate or adjust the audio. This place is so noisy that even when I use CVS ear plugs, it is still annoyingly noisy. 

I'm looking for headphones to use to enable me to hear the test TV while minimizing background noise. The last time I shopped for headphones, which was in the late 1980s, they didn't do much to block out room noise. What is available cheap that can do that for me?


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## EdJ (Jan 9, 2007)

I got a set of Bose QuietComfort Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones for my RV. I sit next to the TV at the RV desk and use them to watch computer videos & listen to MP3's. They work GREAT. The sound/noise from the television speaker 18 inches from my head is totally canceled. All I hear is the computer audio. I saw a demo setup in the Best Buy store for checking out the Bose headsets. You put them on to listen to the voice/music and they generate very annoying external sounds. It is a great way to show how well the headsets work.

The drawback is that they don't meet your requirement of being cheap....


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

AntAltMike said:


> I recently installed a DirecTV analog SMATV headend in a work environment so noisy that I can't evaluate or adjust the audio. This place is so noisy that even when I use CVS ear plugs, it is still annoyingly noisy.
> 
> I'm looking for headphones to use to enable me to hear the test TV while minimizing background noise. The last time I shopped for headphones, which was in the late 1980s, they didn't do much to block out room noise. What is available cheap that can do that for me?


While I don't have a good answer as to what works these days, one thing to checkout is the frequency range the headphones actually block or minimize. I couldn't afford the Bose units so tried some of the $50 models. They worked well on most normal stuff, but high frequencies they didn't do so well. Especially train squeals and higher frequencies of jet takeoff.

So you might have to do some testing in your environment to find the ones that work the best.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Here are two inexpensive active noise cancelling headphones I discovered on Amazon.
They've gotten good customer reviews. Understand that when you want really good noise reduction, you're going to pay a good deal more than you would for conventional headphones. You need only look at the price of Bose headphones (in the hundreds)
ABLE PLANET NC200B True Fidelity Foldable Active Noise Canceling Headphones (Black) $69
Targus AWM02US Active Noise-Canceling Headphones $29.17

You might also check J&R - www.jr.com for a wide variety of headphones.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

I have the Targus model and they seem to work pretty good. I don't use them all that often. Unfortunately the batteries leaked and I'm trying to clean them out so they will work again.



Cholly said:


> Here are two inexpensive active noise cancelling headphones I discovered on Amazon.
> They've gotten good customer reviews. Understand that when you want really good noise reduction, you're going to pay a good deal more than you would for conventional headphones. You need only look at the price of Bose headphones (in the hundreds)
> ABLE PLANET NC200B True Fidelity Foldable Active Noise Canceling Headphones (Black) $69
> Targus AWM02US Active Noise-Canceling Headphones $29.17
> ...


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## AntAltMike (Nov 21, 2004)

I just bought the Targus model. No matter how well it works or doesn't work, it has to be a big improvement over listening to the little TV speakers in open air.

GroundHog45 has commented above that the batteries leaked in his headphones. Is that a common problem for such headphones. These will be going without being used for months at a time.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

AntAltMike said:


> I just bought the Targus model. No matter how well it works or doesn't work, it has to be a big improvement over listening to the little TV speakers in open air.
> 
> GroundHog45 has commented above that the batteries leaked in his headphones. Is that a common problem for such headphones. These will be going without being used for months at a time.


Probably not a function of the headphones so much as a function of the batteries. Good batteries help, but even they can have a blow out every so often.

Cheers,
Tom


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

I haven't tested many of the cheaper active noise cancelling models but beware that many of them may introduce a good amount of white noise as a method of "cancelling the noise". I find that you're often better off using passive noise isolating earbuds or over the ear models that just block the noise and don't introduce any noise. My wife bought a pair of entymonics for under $60 and she seems to really like them, they sounded pretty poor compared to my Shures but for the money they aren't bad at all.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

AntAltMike said:


> GroundHog45 has commented above that the batteries leaked in his headphones. Is that a common problem for such headphones. These will be going without being used for months at a time.


Probably just cheap "oem" batteries. I went about a year without using them and even though it was off, I got some leakage. I should have taken them out.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

AntAltMike said:


> GroundHog45 has commented above that the batteries leaked in his headphones. Is that a common problem for such headphones. These will be going without being used for months at a time.


Although it may not be common, I'd advise you to take the batteries out when the phones aren't in use, just to be safe.


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