Noise-cancelling Earbuds, any good?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Noise-cancelling Earbuds, any good?

peejayw

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#306325 13-Jul-2023 07:47

I have been asked to recommend some ear buds for a person who has a partner with a snoring problem.Idea is to be able to filter out the snoring while listening to tablet/phone/tv etc. Are earbuds any good at filtering out "ambient" noise like snoring or will she be better with over-ear phones?

I saw some at NL called JBL Wave Buds True Wireless Earbuds for $50 but they mentioned "Ambient Aware" which would seem to be the opposite of noise cancelling?

The noise cancelling is a higher priority than sound fidelity so any suggestions in the lower/budget range appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

tehgerbil

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#3103515 13-Jul-2023 08:19

I've got a pair of Jabra Evolv2 NC earbuds, they're not nearly as good as my old AKG NC700's which are entry level over-ear noise cancelling but I enjoy them due to being comfortable and excellent battery life, I see their cheaper entry level model The Elite4 are only $140 from pb which may be worth a steer.

gehenna

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#3103523 13-Jul-2023 08:40

Buds noise cancelling isn't stellar but it does work well enough for me at masking consistent noises like snoring or fans or whatnot. It's not going to cocoon your head in a shell of silence, but it does help to minimise some of the annoying noises that cut through the buds audio. Each brand is different though, so check reviews. I use the Buds2 Pro and they are excellent for my purposes but others may not find they meet their needs. Ambient aware is the usual ambient mode where it passes audio from the world through to your ears, alongside the audio you're listening to. It's good for cycling and other activities where you need to be aware of your surroundings. It also helps some people when on a call, as some don't like hearing themselves talk with their ears blocked.

pih

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#3103551 13-Jul-2023 09:58

A good pair of over ear are definitely better at filtering out noise. If money is not a problem, I highly recommend Sony WH-1000XM4/5's. They are an excellent noise cancelling headset with good battery life, sound and comfort. 4's might be able to be picked up cheap or second hand, 5's are the latest and greatest.

networkn

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#3103577 13-Jul-2023 10:29

They work, but in my experience, not as well as over-ear ones.

@handle9 recently mentioned he thought they were better, so YMMV.

The benefits are they are a lot more compact. For me the Over ear ones are more comfortable and I prefer the touch controls.

nitro

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#3103583 13-Jul-2023 10:48

pih: A good pair of over ear are definitely better at filtering out noise. If money is not a problem, I highly recommend Sony WH-1000XM4/5's. They are an excellent noise cancelling headset with good battery life, sound and comfort. 4's might be able to be picked up cheap or second hand, 5's are the latest and greatest.

agree with over ears being better, but trying to address someone's snoring suggests use in bed. if one is in a sitting position, over ears might be fine... however, when lying down in-ears are much better for me.

unfortunately for OP, the quality of anc is among the first to suffer when cost is reduced. not saying they're all bad/worthless below a certain price point, but it could be a challenge finding a good one with no buts.

gehenna

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#3103591 13-Jul-2023 10:59

I sleep with the Buds2 Pro and they're so small as to be almost unnoticeable when i'm lying on my pillow.

surfisup1000

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#3103605 13-Jul-2023 11:01

Earbuds can really hurt when you lie on them for extended time. Over ear are too bulky.

Bose sleep buds were best, but they discontinued...

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/wellness/noise_masking_sleepbuds/noise-masking-sleepbuds-ii.html#v=noise_masking_sleepbuds_ii_white

I bought some soft silicon wired earbuds and they were pretty comfortable, but fragile and the cord snapped .

My solution now, Echo Show 8, brown noise on medium-loud. Like listening to the rain at night :)

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gehenna

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#3103611 13-Jul-2023 11:21

I agree generally, but find the Buds2 Pro small enough to be unnoticeable while retaining functionality.

Handle9

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#3103835 14-Jul-2023 08:01

networkn:
They work, but in my experience, not as well as over-ear ones.

@handle9 recently mentioned he thought they were better, so YMMV.

The benefits are they are a lot more compact. For me the Over ear ones are more comfortable and I prefer the touch controls.

“Better” is pretty subjective. AirPods Pro noise cancellation is excellent and for me having a very compact set of ear buds is preferable to carrying a large set of on air head phones. I’m in Europe at the moment and my Airpods were great for the 6 1/2 hour flight. I had to charge them once, so I did that while I ate the meal. YMMV but for anything other than ultra long haul AirPods are great for me.

hairy1

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#3103848 14-Jul-2023 08:57

The sleepbuds are fantastic. I slept through a huge party at our house. They are discontinued but you can grab refurbished ones here. They are expensive but I wouldn't be without them

https://www.bose.co.nz/en_nz/products/certified_refurbished/refurbished_earbuds/noise-masking-sleepbuds-ii-fr.html#v=noise_masking_sleepbuds_ii_fr

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everettpsycho

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#3103905 14-Jul-2023 09:49

I have both the Sony over ears xm4 and Samsung buds 2. The Sonys definitely have better ANC but the Samsung ones are pretty good when paired with the level of passive isolation offered by in ears.

Personally I wouldn't wear either to bed though. Laying on ear buds pushes them in and I find it painful after a short period. You'd probably be better wearing soft ear plugs in the pillow side and using just a single earbud in your other ear to listen. I think most in ears would isolate snoring pretty well if you have any content playing through them to mask the last but of sound leaking through. If ANC is a must the Samsung's arent bad, I think the Sony buds would probably be good too based on their over ears noise cancelling ability.

networkn

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#3103951 14-Jul-2023 13:03

Bear in mind the risks related to sleeping with ANC headphones on, you are far less likely to hear alarms, crying kids and other things you may WANT to hear.

Technofreak

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#3104014 14-Jul-2023 13:49

I have both the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds and the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, and so therefore able to compare like for like

I prefer the headpones to wear as I find the earbuds tend to come loose over time. The earbuds were bought specifically for use in bed where I find the headphones far too bulky.

So far as the noise cancelling properties of the earbuds go, they are excellent. I would certainly recommend them. You also have the ability to control some functions by tapping the outside face of the earbud. You get about 3 hours use before they need puttng back into the case for recharging. The case will recharge the buds about 3 times before it needs recharging.

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