Good Inexpensive Noise Cancelling Headphones

Snowman999

Snowman999

Active member
These aren't for me. I have a friend in NYC who travels on the bus every day, and between the people with their phones, talking, listening to music, and the bus driver who plays music, it's driving her insane.

Years ago I tried a few pairs in stores, and they didn't really cancel anything out. I still heard the music the store was playing. It did lower the volume of the people talking. But, overall every pair I've ever tried, did nothing.

Does anyone know a pair that would work for her? She can't spend a lot. But, she's looking for some help.

Inexpensive and works well, that's what she's looking for.

THANK YOU!
 
About 22 months ago, I bought the Sennheiser 450SE Bluetooth w/noise canceling and have been very happy with their performance. I don't have extremely loud noises to deal with, so can't tell if these will work for your friend. They cancel out all the outside noise in my environment.

NOTE : The 450SE are special edition with Alexa built-in. I bought them on Amazon because they were on sale for $89.95 (Jan '22). They're still available at a much higher price, but the non-Alexa 450BT are actually on sale on Amazon for $107.79. I don't know if that fits the "inexpensive" requirement. I was checking out the 1-Star reviews on Amazon and I can tell you I have not suffered any of those problems. I'm in the 5-Star section praising the quality and performance.

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 
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spantini said:
About 22 months ago, I bought the Sennheiser 450SE Bluetooth w/noise canceling and have been very happy with their performance. I don't have extremely loud noises to deal with, so can't tell if these will work for your friend. They cancel out all the outside noise in my environment.

NOTE : The 450SE are special edition with Alexa built-in. I bought them on Amazon because they were on sale for $89.95 (Jan '22). They're still available at a much higher price, but the non-Alexa 450BT are actually on sale on Amazon for $107.79. I don't know if that fits the "inexpensive" requirement. I was checking out the 1-Star reviews on Amazon and I can tell you I have not suffered any of those problems. I'm in the 5-Star section praising the quality and performance.

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

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Thank You. I'll let her know.
TAE said:
Or ear plugs and a book
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She's a Peter Frampton FANATIC. She's literally travelled the world seeing him. She won a Zoom call with him, that is going to take place over the next 6 months (at his discretion) So, she has him on in earbuds. But the drivers have radios, and most inconsiderate passengers (all of them) are either talking on their phone or listening to music without earplugs.


I find it amazing how in the halfway sane days, people talked on pay phones for important things. If they were going to be on the phone a while, they'd find a booth for privacy. Now, in the middle of a store, people are just yakking away about the most banal, uninteresting shit. I'd be embarrassed if I had conversations like that, and these people are talking at the top of their lungs with the speaker up to 10.

I've always had an idea I wish I could impliment. An app that you press when you're in the vincinity of someone talking on the phone, and it disconnects them. I'm sure it's possible. I just have no idea how to do it. Whoever makes that, is going to be a billionaire.
 
When I'm in a store shopping and someone (almost always a guy) walks by me seemingly talking to himself, I catch that he's wearing the earpiece and is in conversation with.. who knows. Half the time I respond in a conditioned reaction to something he says, then realize the situation. Then I will begin to have an imaginary conversation of my own, totally unrelated to what I'm hearing outta him - as if I were also on a call.

It gets more interesting, and fun, if we happen to arrive at the same checkout area at the same time. I'll begin speaking louder. Then I'll notice him looking over at me as if I'm intruding on his conversation. I just keep it up, paying no attention to the guy. These guys are often in high gear and moving quickly. They usually set speed records for checkout times - and keep on yacking as they steam off into the distance. My usual shtick is to pretend I'm a First Responder communicating with the station, base or hospital.
 
spantini said:
When I'm in a store shopping and someone (almost always a guy) walks by me seemingly talking to himself, I catch that he's wearing the earpiece and is in conversation with.. who knows. Half the time I respond in a conditioned reaction to something he says, then realize the situation. Then I will begin to have an imaginary conversation of my own, totally unrelated to what I'm hearing outta him - as if I were also on a call.

It gets more interesting, and fun, if we happen to arrive at the same checkout area at the same time. I'll begin speaking louder. Then I'll notice him looking over at me as if I'm intruding on his conversation. I just keep it up, paying no attention to the guy. These guys are often in high gear and moving quickly. They usually set speed records for checkout times - and keep on yacking as they steam off into the distance. My usual shtick is to pretend I'm a First Responder communicating with the station, base or hospital.
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That's a good one Spanitini! :laughings:

Been there several times when I am wondering if the person is just a crazy ass talking to themselves....then I see the ear buds

I have to admit I sometimes am that idiot. I don't normally use earbuds unless I'm on a plane or in the car. It's an oops kind of thing for me and when I realize I am harshing someone's mellow I try and kill the conversation or slide off into an area where I am not bothering anyone. For sure it's annoying when I am the one whose mellow is being harshed.

Yep this mobile phone thing is whack...soon enough they'll just implant a chip in us and we can have a conversation silently with no audible sound.

On the noise cancelling headphones thing she has two choices over the ear and earbuds...In my experience the over the ears are going to do a better job...I have both. I just purchased an inexpensive set off of Amazon for travel HERE They are not incredible but they work just fine and cancel out the noise well enough to piss off the wife when she's call me and I have em on....:eek:

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I've got two pairs of pit lane capable headsets for two way radios. They also have a 3.5mm socket for connecting to a music source or your phone (not for talking). They're brilliant BUT they clamp your head like a metalworker's vice.
 
spantini said:
When I'm in a store shopping and someone (almost always a guy) walks by me seemingly talking to himself, I catch that he's wearing the earpiece and is in conversation with.. who knows. Half the time I respond in a conditioned reaction to something he says, then realize the situation. Then I will begin to have an imaginary conversation of my own, totally unrelated to what I'm hearing outta him - as if I were also on a call.

It gets more interesting, and fun, if we happen to arrive at the same checkout area at the same time. I'll begin speaking louder. Then I'll notice him looking over at me as if I'm intruding on his conversation. I just keep it up, paying no attention to the guy. These guys are often in high gear and moving quickly. They usually set speed records for checkout times - and keep on yacking as they steam off into the distance. My usual shtick is to pretend I'm a First Responder communicating with the station, base or hospital.
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Listen to one of my songs, and imagine it without melodyne. I can't sing a note in tune. Even with melodyne it's iffy. I will start humming really loud and bad if a person annoys me enough with their conversation.
rob aylestone said:
I've got two pairs of pit lane capable headsets for two way radios. They also have a 3.5mm socket for connecting to a music source or your phone (not for talking). They're brilliant BUT they clamp your head like a metalworker's vice.
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Is there a model number or manufacturer?
 
TAE said:
That's a good one Spanitini! :laughings:

Been there several times when I am wondering if the person is just a crazy ass talking to themselves....then I see the ear buds

I have to admit I sometimes am that idiot. I don't normally use earbuds unless I'm on a plane or in the car. It's an oops kind of thing for me and when I realize I am harshing someone's mellow I try and kill the conversation or slide off into an area where I am not bothering anyone. For sure it's annoying when I am the one whose mellow is being harshed.

Yep this mobile phone thing is whack...soon enough they'll just implant a chip in us and we can have a conversation silently with no audible sound.

On the noise cancelling headphones thing she has two choices over the ear and earbuds...In my experience the over the ears are going to do a better job...I have both. I just purchased an inexpensive set off of Amazon for travel HERE They are not incredible but they work just fine and cancel out the noise well enough to piss off the wife when she's call me and I have em on....:eek:

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I see deep bass in all the ads. I can't even imagine how horrible that would be.

I was right up front for the band War On Drugs in Asbury Park a few weeks ago. Lining the floor in front of the stage were huge bass speakers. To say I had bass overload is an understatement. I completely get dance music cranking the bass. Rock or country overloading bass is ridiculous and awful. One of the roadies taped a sign in front War's singer's mic "10:30 hard close". At 10:29 the last song ended and they literally cut all power to sound. I've been to quite a few outdoor shows, and I've never seen that before. Having to end, yes. Cutting power, no.

NYE on The River tour, Springsteen played Nassau Coliseum. After the show we stayed in our seats after the lights came on, and people filed out. It can take a while to get out of the parking lot. There weren't many of us left, and they came back out and played another few numbers. It was special, and way past union overtime hours.
 
Snowman999 said:
I see deep bass in all the ads.
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It's a thing these days ...it's all about the bass ugh!

I've noticed it at the gigs we did this year that a few of the sound companies were really proud of their subwoofers and want to prove how incredible their bass is...Annoying.....Sure is crazy how a sound team can make or break a show.
 
I have Bose e20i earbuds - they are not inexpensive - but they work fantastic - I like them better than the Headphone types - less interference - and easier to handle.
 
Thanks everyone. She's giving the Berbies a try.

I do my best not to use any kind of headphones. When I walk or jog in the colder weather, I wear a knit cap. I put my OLD OLD OLD android (fits nicely) in the back of the cap. I don't even have to put it on loud, because it's sitting at the base of my head. It's stereo and with what I listen to, it sounds fine.

Another FREE IDEA: create a sweat band where something like this can be placed in. You can still hear traffic, and listen.
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