Animated cartoons may show characters successfully blocking out the noise that disturbs them with ear muffs, but in real life, the process isn’t so simple. If you live in the city and a building nearby is undergoing construction or renovation, you know that you’ll need more sophisticated noise canceling technology. Or if you happen to live with a heavy snorer, you could benefit from a pair of noise cancelling earplugs.
Noise cancelling earplugs are not necessarily high-tech. You can buy simple foam ear plugs at a drugstore, roll them up into small cylinders, and insert them into your ears. They naturally expand to their normal size, successfully molding themselves to the shape of your ear canal. While snoring, construction work, and flying on commercial airliners are some of the most popular reasons for using noise canceling earplugs, some people use them in everyday situations so as to reduce distractions. (It can be dangerous, however, to wear noise blocking earplugs while walking on busy sidewalks unless you are very careful to look around when crossing streets.)
Many people find it easier to concentrate when wearing ear plugs, comparing the sensation to wearing an iPod that only plays your thoughts, and the sound of your own breathing. To do this successfully may require some trial and error with the foam earplugs, wax or rubber earplugs. Earplugs come in degrees of sound blocking, with an assigned number showing how many decibels the ear plugs theoretically can block out. These numbers generally run from 26 to 33.
History of earplugs
The history of today’s noise cancelling earplugs began in 1967 in a company called National Research. A scientist named Ross Gardner was creating joint sealants and came up with a resin that absorbed energy well. Believe it or not, the material’s name was abbreviated as E.A.R. At first it seemed counterintuitive that a foam earplug could effectively block a lot of noise, be cause it was porous. But Gardner tested out his new resin on humans, first ascertaining that they knew he was speaking. He then started banging on a steel plate with a hammer, and then asked his subjects to remove their earplugs. It was only then that they realized just how much noise those simple foam earplugs could block.
The product proved remarkably popular – almost as ubiquitous as disposable tissues for dealing with a runny nose. Howard Leight Industries, the leading manufacturer of noise cancelling earplugs, has annual sales of $120 million. Now, specialized earplugs are coming onto the market as people realize just how noisy their everyday environment is, and worry about irreversible hearing loss, which can be a real threat.
The World Health Organization says that noise not only is annoying and disrupts sleep, but it also increases stress and even affects the immune and cardiovascular systems. Today a whole array of noise canceling or noise reducing earplugs are available to address specific noise blocking needs. They are designed to reduce high-pitched noises and excessively loud noises and to help prevent hearing loss. Earplugs are made specially for applications like air travel, firearm use, music enjoyment, and the noise of automobile racing. Mostly made from soft silicone or foam, there are even earplugs designed to fit children and pets!
Earplug use
Following are just a few of the choices in noise cancelling earplugs and their intended application, in no particular order.
Alpine MotoSafe earplugs are made to cope with the noise of shooting ranges and motorcycle riding and can be custom fitted.
Kilnoise foam plugs are made for traveling, noisy sporting events, and for improving focus and concentration.
Moldex Spark Plugs reduce noise by 35 decibels and are useful in industrial applications.
MusicSafe Pro are made for DJs and musicians with specialized ear filters that let the music through while blocking harmful noises.
PillowSoft Earplugs can be worn while swimming to keep water out, as earplugs for snoring, or for air travel.
SleepSoft Earplugs do not fully block background noise, but reduce other noises. Sleeping in these will still allow for hearing things like smoke alarms.
Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise cancelling headphones are, of course, not the same as noise cancelling earplugs. The headphones reduce unwanted noise by means of active noise control, or ANC, technology. A microphone is placed near the ear, and electronic circuitry uses that microphone signal to generate an “antidote” signal. The antidote signal is produced by the speaker driver in the headphone, canceling out the unwanted noise. ANC technology can make it possible to enjoy music without having to raise the volume too high. Frequent airline travelers also love them because they make it quiet enough to sleep.
The ANC technique is used by most retail noise cancelling headphones to cancel out low-frequency parts of the noise, while relying on more traditional soundproofing to keep higher frequency noise out of the ear. This reduces the need for complicated electronic circuitry, which is not that effective at higher frequencies anyway. To really cancel out high-frequency noise, the sensor and the emitter for the antidote waveform have to be right next to the eardrum, which is not possible and probably not safe.
Bose applied their noise canceling technology to the creation of headphones to protect the hearing of pilots back in 1986. Today, noise cancelling aviation headphones are commonly available. This analog technology is still in use for the majority of noise cancelling headphones. In fact, some airlines supply noise cancelling headphones in their first class cabin s.
But noise canceling headphones aren’t perfect. For one thing, they consume power and require batteries that will have to be recharged or replaced. For another, though they work well against continuous sounds like the drone of an airplane, they aren’t so effective for blocking out speech or audio signals that change rapidly. And in some cases, they introduce extra noise, such as a high frequency hissing.
Noise Cancelling Earbuds
With technology becoming tinier all the time, it’s no wonder that there are now noise cancelling earbuds. There are actually noise cancelling earbuds and noise isolating earbuds. As you probably know, earbuds fit into your ears snugly and bock off the opening to the ear canal. This alone blocks out some noise, which is why the term “noise isolating” is used. Noise isolating earbuds are made to fit more snugly into the ear by extending the earbud into the ear canal with soft silicone plugs. Noise canceling earbuds, on the other hand, work like noise canceling headphones, using ANC technology to cancel out the noise’s sound waves.
Perhaps the best solution to blocking out unwanted noise is noise cancelling earphones that combine active noise cancellation with noise isolation so the two processes work together to block the maximu m amount of noise. One example of noise cancelling earbuds is the Philips HN060/37 Noise-Canceling Earbuds. They cost about US$40, and have cone-shaped earbuds with noise canceling technology. They are designed to block background noise and enhance music, and have built-in volume control. They have a 3.5 mm jack, and come with a 1/4-inch plane adapter.
Users describe the Philips HN060/37 as a decent headphone that works best if their shape happens to fit your ear canal well. They reduce fan noise and computer noise, airplane noise and air conditioner noise. They do not block out all ambient noise by any means. Some users feel that simple full-enclosure headphones do almost as well at reducing noise as noise canceling earbuds.
There are a number of brands of noise canceling earbuds and headphones, including the Klipsch Image S4 Earphones,which are in-ear models, which are reviewed as having superb sound quality and cost under $100. Shure’s SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones are high-tech earbuds that can be found for anywhere from $250 to $500. Fortunately, the sound quality is reportedly good enough to earn the high pricetag.
Koss PortaPro Noise Canceling Headphones have a retro look to them, and have been around for a long time. But for under $40, they have great sound quality and are comfortable. The best thing is that if they break, Koss will replace them free. At the other end of the price scale are the Bose QuietComfort 3 noise canceling headphones that are favorites among frequent air travelers who don’t like the feel of earbuds. They cost about $350. Another pricey option are the Nokia BH-905 Noise cancelling headphones, which are stereo wireless (Bluetooth) headsets that go with some models of MP3 players and phones. They cost about $250.
Noise will not go away
Whether people are taking hearing protection more seriously than before, or whether they’re simply fed up with all the noise of modern life, noise cancellation is a big deal these days. The technology has advanced enough that everything from two-dollar foam earplugs for snoring to noise canceling headphones that cost hundreds of dollars are available for keeping noise out. Some block noise by physically filling the ear canal, and some use ANC technology to produce sound waves designed to cancel continuous ambient sounds like industrial equipment or the noise of an airplane.
Maybe it means that today’s world is too noisy, but it is unlikely that it will become any quieter any time soon. Living in a modern society means putting up with sounds virtually 24 hours a day. And protecting hearing is only part of the equation. Many people use noise cancelling earplugs to protect their sanity as well, whether they’re dealing with construction noise or a snoring spouse (which can literally be almost as loud). Audiophiles use noise cancelling technology to enhance their music listening experience, and frequent fliers use it so they can grab some sleep while in transit.
Fortunately, there is noise blockage available to suit every budget. Some of the best noise blockers are simple foam earplugs that can be bought at any drugstore. Even noise isolating earbuds can be found at very low prices. While they may not do as good a job as $200 noise canceling earbuds, they really do block out noise with their silicone plugs that go into the ear canal. Even people who aren’t necessarily bothered by excess noise should consider investing in noise cancelling earplugs to ensure the future health of their hearing.