Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones — Are They Used to Block Noise or to Listen to Music?

[Bill Bauer]

High nc can feel like an uncomfortable kind of over pressure which makes me wonder if they're actually not too good to wear for long periods.

Even when you were earplugs underneath them?

 

[Michael Leigh]

This is very true and i know a lot of people don't believe this but it is so very true. I have personally been affected by fear before I even got tinnitus.

I am sorry to know of the difficulties that you went through with bulling @Sarah200 and commend you for sharing, something so sensitive and private. I have corresponded with a lot of people with tinnitus and hyperacusis. These experiences coupled with my own, has made me aware of harmful effects panic, fear and hysteria can have on a person, if they are not managed. Left to fester one's life can become quite miserable and that is not living.

Michael

 

[Sarah200]

I am sorry to know of the difficulties that you went through with bulling @Sarah200 and commend you for sharing, something so sensitive and private. I have corresponded with a lot of people with tinnitus and hyperacusis. These experiences coupled with my own, has made me aware of harmful effects panic, fear and hysteria can have on a person, if they are not managed. Left to fester one's life can become quite miserable and that is not living.

Michael

Thanks @Michael Leigh, fear and anxiety etc is so much more powerful than people think and I often go in schools and tell my story to help prevent bullying as bullying is so much more serious than people know. I hate it when people say "oh well it what kids do" nobody thinks of how it affects the victim for the rest of their life. A lot more has to be done. Both for bullying and tinnitus.

I thought it would be good to share so anyone who reads can see how powerful fear can be as you said as it's so true. I always told myself after I got bullied what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I try to stay as calm as I can. Tinnitus has defiantly tested that. But my nephew Theo helps me massively, if I'm really down he gets me to play a game with him so I don't focus on my tinnitus. He makes me smile everyday. He also is the only boy of his age that tells people shush my auntie Sarah's ears are sensitive.

 

[Gman]

Even when you were earplugs underneath them?

No, there was no pressure sensation whilst wearing them underneath. But it was like being locked in a silent chamber ... v claustrophic just listening to the T

 

[Starthrower]

I have never told anyone apart from my mom and sister what I'm about to share on here but i want to share it if it helps people realise how fear and anxiety can ruin your life.

Before I got tinnitus I was very badly bullied as a teenager to the point they beat me up twice, strangled me and nearly killed me. A teacher saw them and stopped them. They would come to our house and kick footballs at our house and we had to call the police, the main bully went as far as to post threatening letters to me saying he was going to kill me.

After we moved and the bullying stopped I became terrified to leave my own home on my own and it paralysed me with fear. I started having panic attacks if I was on my own. It took years of help to be happy to be on my own again, even to just get the bus by myself as I had become scared of people and if they would hurt me like he did but thankfully I'm a lot stronger now and with help have overcome my fear.

@Sarah200 I am so sorry your young life was so affected by horrible people. You overcame that so well even if it took years.

fear, anxiety, stress can and does have a very real effect on our bodies both physically and mentally. As it did with me. A year after i overcame my fear i ended up getting my new battle tinnitus.

Did your past experiences and overcoming the fear and panic help you deal with the issues with tinnitus?

 

[Deamon22]

Noise cancelling headphones seem to provide a little more noise reduction. They are also more comfortable - after wearing them for many hours, you won't feel like your head is in a vice (something even the best muffs will likely do after a couple of hours).

Of course I understand where you are coming from, and if earplugs are offering a false sense of security (I don't think this is the case, but anything is possible), then of course I am wrong to recommend the use of noise cancelling headphones.

@Bill Bauer you use the Bose QC25 right? Any major difference to the 35 except the price? I will fly next month to Kopenhagen (around 2 hours) so i am thinking about getting some NC Headphones.

 

[Bill Bauer]

@Bill Bauer you use the Bose QC25 right? Any major difference to the 35 except the price?

35 ones are wireless (no need to use a wire to connect to a player in order to listen to music). However, I don't use these headphones to listen to music. The noise cancelling feature doesn't require your headphones to be connected to anything - no need for a wire anyway.

 

[Deamon22]

35 ones are wireless (no need to use a wire to connect to a player in order to listen to music). However, I don't use these headphones to listen to music. The noise cancelling feature doesn't require your headphones to be connected to anything - no need for a wire anyway.

Ok thanks, so probably i will get the 25. I think i will use them mainly just for noise cancelling on flights so i don't want to spend a fortune. Altough maybe i will use just ear plugs, not too sure yet

 

[Bill Bauer]

Altough maybe i will use just ear plugs, not too sure yet

There is a noticeable difference in the noise reduction when you use NC headphones over earplugs compared to just earplugs.

 

[Deamon22]

There is a noticeable difference in the noise reduction when you use NC headphones over earplugs compared to just earplugs.

Yeah i'll probably end up using both

 

[Sarah200]

Did your past experiences and overcoming the fear and panic help you deal with the issues with tinnitus?

Yes it has helped me stay calm and ignore my baseline tinnitus as through therapy I have learned to stay calm in a lot of situations but my tinnitus is definitely testing my patience at times when it changes or if it goes louder for no reason. But even then I just have to collect myself and then breathe and calm down. The only time it hasn't worked is when I have fleeting tinnitus even though it only lasts a few seconds my whole body turns to jelly and my heart rate goes faster straight away before I even get chance to calm down.

 

[Starthrower]

The only time it hasn't worked is when I have fleeting tinnitus even though it only lasts a few seconds my whole body turns to jelly and my heart rate goes faster straight away before I even get chance to calm down.

@Sarah200 I remember those days. It still happens to me when faced with stress situations suddenly.

I love the posts about your knowledge of puppies. I can sense a real passion about this from you.

 

[Sarah200]

@Sarah200

I love the posts about your knowledge of puppies. I can sense a real passion about this from you.

Thank you so much. I could talk all day about dogs. I know I bore my family , I'm just in love with dogs. They are the best . I have a degree in dog behavior as I was going to be a dog behaviorist but my tinnitus stopped that so I went into physiotherapy instead which I also love.

 

[OnceUponaTime]

@valeri
Hi Val, how are you? And where are you going?
Big hug,
Once

 

[Matt1234]

Hello Everyone.

I want to ask advice on these bose headphones. I suffer from mild tinnitus and pain hyperacusis and I want to buy these headphones for the office as a protection. Anyone that has these headphones, how do you to set up them, so no noise comes out of them while wearing them like: voice prompts or beeps.

Thank you.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Hello Everyone.

I want to ask advice on these bose headphones. I suffer from mild tinnitus and pain hyperacusis and I want to buy these headphones for the office as a protection. Anyone that has these headphones, how do you to set up them, so no noise comes out of them while wearing them like: voice prompts or beeps.

When you say "no noise comes out", did you mean to say "no noise comes IN"?

Those headphones work well in airplanes and other places where one is exposed to white noise. They don't work as well with human voices.

They also have been reported by some people here as causing their tinnitus. So what I do when I wear them in airplanes is I wear earplugs underneath those headphones. The earplugs are there to protect me from the headphones. Of course it isn't a good idea to be actually Using (i.e., play music) headphones. With Bose noise cancelling headphones you can turn on the noise cancelling and not turn on the music, which is what I recommend that you do.

 

[Luman]

Hello Everyone.

I want to ask advice on these bose headphones. I suffer from mild tinnitus and pain hyperacusis and I want to buy these headphones for the office as a protection. Anyone that has these headphones, how do you to set up them, so no noise comes out of them while wearing them like: voice prompts or beeps.

I do not own any BOSE products, but I do have a pair of N/C headphones by another company. Are you planning on using these for the N/C only, or for music as well as N/C?

 

[Matt1234]

When you say "no noise comes out", did you mean to say "no noise comes IN"?

Those headphones work well in airplanes and other places where one is exposed to white noise. They don't work as well with human voices.

They also have been reported by some people here as causing their tinnitus. So what I do when I wear them in airplanes is I wear earplugs underneath those headphones. The earplugs are there to protect me from the headphones. Of course it isn't a good idea to be actually Using (i.e., play music) headphones. With Bose noise cancelling headphones you can turn on the noise cancelling and not turn on the music, which is what I recommend that you do.

I mean are there any sounds coming like voice prompts or various beeps when using noise cancellation feature. For example voice prompt saying battery is low etc.

 

[Matt1234]

I do not own any BOSE products, but I do have a pair of N/C headphones by another company. Are you planning on using these for the N/C only, or for music as well as N/C?

I'm only going to use N/C and occasional phone call. I just want to make sure no audio comes out of the headphones. I want to pick the beat option. Thanks

 

[Bill Bauer]

I mean are there any sounds coming like voice prompts or various beeps when using noise cancellation feature. For example voice prompt saying battery is low etc.

No. There is a little light on the side of the headphones, which comes on when you turn noise cancelling on. It starts blinking when the battery is low, and it turns off when the battery is dead.

These headphones will help you with the noise of the AC, but they won't work if, say, there is a fire alarm. They work best for steady white noise, but not for sudden short impulse noises.

Note, that I am talking about an earlier version of Bose noise cancelling headphones that I hit the market about 3-4 years ago (I bought them 3 years ago).