Noise Cancelling Headphones for Car / Bus Engine Noise

I can't stand the sound of a running car or bus engine.

Currently I am using earplugs + ear muffs when using a car or bus. Which makes it somewhat tolerable but still annoying.

I have read that noise cancelling headphones are better at cancelling out low frequency sounds like engine noise. Is this true? Has anyone had any experiences with this?

 

@xyz

Earplugs, earmuffs and noise cancelling headphones may offer some relief from your over sensitivity to sound or hyperacusis. However, this is not a long term solution and you could make your symptoms worse by overuse of these products. If you're not careful other conditions can develop which are associated with over sensitivity to sound: Phonophobia and misophonia. Sorry to sound so sobering and I sympathise with what you're going through but please keep in mind what I've said. Click on the links below and read my articles that you might find helpful.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-complexities-of-tinnitus-and-hyperacusis.25733/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

That is my experience too.
I am using noise cancelling headphones in a van.
I then turn up the radio and the higher frequencies are getting through better than lower frequencies.
The lower frequencies of road and engine noise are down to a luxurious level.

 

Yes, NC headphones should work well for these kinds of noises. I use mine on planes. They work quite effectively.

 

@Michael Leigh to not protect in these situations is currently not an option for me as I would jump out of it like out of boiling water. If this improves I will certainly reconsider their use. So I have ordered the Bose 700 and see how they work out.

 

What NC headphones are you using? I am bothered most by the noise of the wheels while driving, so I am considering NC headphones plus ear plugs over muffs as well.

 

They work great on a highway and in a plane. They will probably work well at regular speeds too.

I think you are doing the right thing listening to your own body. Eventually you ought to be able to handle being in a car, but for now there is no reason to force yourself to do it.

Having said all of the above, some people swear that noise cancelling headphones had caused their tinnitus. This is why I always wear earplugs underneath my headphones. The idea is to protect myself from the headphones, but of course it helps with the noise too.

 

If the audio capabilities are disabled, could the noise canceling headphones function as a muff, and potentially perform better than the Peltor 3M X5A muffs? (I believe that the X5A muffs have a noise reduction rating of 31 decibels.) I imagine that the noise reduction ratings of some of these products are comparable, but as you guys have discussed here previously regarding the low frequencies, some models might be subtly more efficient at blocking specific frequency placements.

A quick google search showed this:

"Bose is no longer at the top of the noise cancelling headphone race, but the 700 is an excellent option with powerful ANC. However, Sony's WH-1000XM3 has better overall audio, and arguably better noise cancellation -- all for $100 less. The 700isn't the best, but it's still really damn good. Aug 16, 2019"

That quote is from a year ago, and I'm not familiar with the noise reduction ratings of the noise canceling headphones, but people keep mentioning these products to me. Does anybody prefer them to muffs? Are there any that block the higher frequencies better? Honestly, I'd be willing to drop a grand on a better muff.

Thanks,

-Humpty

 

I am using the Sony WH-1000Xm3.
I am using headphones just for the noise canceling function (in the van).

 

Great, my brother is bringing a pair so I can test them myself.

 

For the Bose you need a smartphone and install the Bose app on it to actually use them. I don't have a smartphone so I will send them back. May be I am too old school for this.

@Reinier, do you need a smartphone for the Sony?

 

No. You can use a computer. I found a link without too much searching and downloade an application. This way I was able to program the headphones.

 

So today I tested the Sony for my idling car engine noise. They work better at cancelling the noise than the 3M X5A muffs. So if I have to travel probably I will use them, but with ear plugs as these NC headphones produce some white noise like tone and as @Bill Bauer said some got tinnitus from it. Also the voice guidance is annoyingly loud but there seems to be an option in the app to completely turn this off. For high frequency sounds dishes clanging and so on they work not better than ordinary muffs, but for travel I will use them.

 

Mirrors my experience. Very good for car travelling.

 

If you're interested in them for occasional use, you can get a decent pair of knockoffs, for a fraction of the cost of the name brands, without as many bells and whistles, which you might never even use. I use my cheapo pair for the subways (with plugs as well), while using loud mechanical equipment, and in the street to guard against motorcycle and noisy four wheel vehicle sounds. I rarely leave them on for more than 90 minutes. I have no desire to own better models, such as those by Sennheiser, as I don't use headphones of any kind at all anymore, for listening to music.

 

What model of noise canceling headphones do you use? I also want something less expensive.

 

The wireless bluetooth N/C headphones are made by Taotronics. I have them since May 2019 and they still work fine. I can't find them online anymore, perhaps they've been discontinued.

 

Hi everyone,

Has anyone tried noise-cancelling earbuds (Apple or Samsung) while driving? I can get by without earplugs for short drives up to about 1 hour, but I find on longer drives, or multiple drives per day, that the road and engine noise make my tinnitus worse (I have reactive tinnitus).

Thanks in advance for any insights.

Michael

 

I got severe hearing damage whilst wearing noise-cancelling headphones, due to acoustic feedback from a PA system. I later learned that noise-cancelling headphones are great at damping down low frequency sounds like engine noise, but they don't handle high frequencies so well and could even make them worse.

So it seems to me that if a bus has brakes that make a lot of squealing noise, that may not be a good thing for noise-cancelling headphones, and earmuffs might be better. Same for traveling on a train where mechanical clanking sounds again aren't handled so well by some types of noise-cancelling headphones.

If it's a normal bus journey without too much brake squeal then you'll probably be ok with them within moderation.

 

I haven't tried earbuds, but foam earplugs + noise-cancelling headphones is probably the best protection you can get when driving a car. It's also more comfortable than normal double protection as the noise-cancelling headphones do not sit so tight on the head.

 

I am lucky to have a radio with a kind of a muffled rather than a sharp sound. I listen to it throughout the morning and the evening. Occasionally I miss a piece of the message on the news and that, but for music and background noise it suits me fine.

In the afternoon I walk into town and and later back home. And this is where my ears get exposed to loud sounds: Motorbikes, trucks driving by, having to pass a building site where there is one of those circular saws operating, road works and pneumatic drills, ambulance sirens etc. My 3M hearing protectors (€20) are good for the higher frequencies but not for the lower ones such as motorbikes.

Today I went into a 2nd hand store and asked for a demo of the ANC noise-cancelling headphones on offer. Clam headphones (€75) were described as noise-cancelling ANC, but imho the 3M I already own were better. Then I tried the Sony WH-1000XM4 (€280) and yes they made a difference. Quite soothing to wear. Of course this was inside the store. What they might be like on the street outside is something I can't tell from the demo... I'll have to save up and buy them I guess.

This would seem to suggest that one should go for the top end of the market... but on these there are loads of bells and whistles such as microphones for calling people and lights that indicate to the other office workers that you are taking a call --- which I don't need. But perhaps the equalizer function would allow me to listen to the TV and YouTube? Other than that, I'm only interested in the hearing protection... duh... and the price.

 

All quiet on the western front? Sadly not. Walking home yesterday with my 3M hearing protectors not one, but two heavy duty motorcycles roared by and although I have no absolute proof, it would suggest that these incidents provoked a recent spike of tinnitus.

Today I walked into town with the Sony noise-cancellation headphones. So far so good, with ordinary traffic. But how much protection they give with motorcycles I haven't found out yet.

My tinnitus is a high-pitched ringing which leads me to believe that I have hearing loss in the high frequency range.

The very loud sound of 750 cc motorcycles, why would that affect my high frequency tinnitus? Beats me.

We are all on a learning curve.

Don't take this as a recommendation to wear noise-cancellation headphones. It's just the story of me trying to find m way in this difficulty.

I'll keep you posted as things develop

It could very well be that Michael Leigh's advice is better... to get used to the loud sounds around you. Best follow the advice of your audiologist/tinnitus specialist... and there ain't many of of those available.