Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones for Guided Meditation?

So I’ve had tinnitus and hyperacusis for 4+ years and lately I’ve been learning to meditate with guided meditation.

Problem is when I get into a deep meditative state, any noise I hear during (even the sound of my cat grooming himself), sends my nervous system off the charts, which results in the volume of my tinnitus going up to level 11.

So I need some decent and comfortable headphones to help keep out the noise.

Any suggestions?

 

I have had two pairs of noise cancelling headphones that were great for continuous loud sound, airplane engines for example, but allowed in other sounds, even people talking. Just wanted to give you a heads up in your search. Best of luck with it. Maybe there are headphones capable of cancelling variable exterior sounds.

I had massive hyperacusis, similar to yours, 12 years back. At that point I saw an acupuncturist and was using Ayurvedic herbs. My hyperacusis reduced over about 6 months to a year, but I can't be certain why it diminished. (I kept my storm windows closed because the sound of crickets, a neighbor's air conditioner, etc. sounded louder than a jet plane. After I installed heat pumps, I only ran the air conditioning if I was not in the room because gently blowing air was intolerable.) I did do some meditation and also Pranayama, e.g., alternate nostril and Bhramari in particular, as well as breathing through the gut and doing so hum meditation (note: this is a YouTube video with Dr. Lad so you might want to turn off sound before clicking and then turn on YouTube settings for subtitles to follow what he is saying). Breathe in thinking of the sound so, breathe out thinking of the sound hum.

 

I have 2 noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones. One is Bose, the other is Sennheiser. Both cancel airplane noise, lawn mowers, and such, but the Sennheiser's controls are incredibly confusing and unlabeled. I have to pull out the instructions every time just to use them, so I seldom use them and can't recommend them. Model number to avoid is HD 450BT.

Bose makes awful speakers but good headphones. Perhaps you have one of the few remaining audio/video stores in your locale which would allow you to try on a pair. (Bring alcohol wipes.)

I doubt any 'phones will mute your cat grooming.

 

Do you know which Bose headphones you have? It’s just they range between £190 - £400?

 

Sorry for the delay in replying. It took me all this time to find them. I have the QC25 wired phones (no Bluetooth). I believe I paid around US$300 for them in 2015.

 

I'd like to try noise-cancelling headphones but always been worried about them setting off whilst I am wearing them with a beep or voice - or a 'battery low' message etc...

Do you get this with noise-cancelling headphones?

I am planning a flight next month for the first time.

 

I can't remember if mine beep a "power low" alert but they do announce "power on" or some such when first turning them on as well as "power off " when turning them off, so you might want to first turn yours on before wearing them. I would experiment at home to ascertain as many quirks as possible.

Mine hold their charge for many hours, way longer than a trans-Atlantic fight of 6 hours. I think I used them successfully when traveling to India which was about 16 hours with a layover. (I may have recharged them on the layover or on the plane; it's hard to recall.) Check how many hours the headphones are rated for. Mine charge using USB and many planes have USB ports at each seat.

Good luck.