Headphones?

Headphones?

Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
the
ear headphones. But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
drown out TV and other noise?

Re: Headphones?

"nickravo@gmail,com " wrote:

> Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
> Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
> still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
> the ear headphones.

No, you need a larger house ! ;~)

> But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
> drown out TV and other noise?

See if you can find some Koss Pro4AA headphones. They're an old US design

that was resurrected by a (good large) company I know in China. They will

nearly crush your head if worn for hours on end but are probably the best

headphones ever to exclude extraneous sound.
http :// reviews.cnet,com /headphones/koss-pro4aa-titanium/4505-7877_7-1589445.html

Graham

Re: Headphones?

On 2 Jun 2008 22:17:15 GMT, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail,com > wrote:

>"nickravo@gmail,com " wrote:
>
>> Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
>> Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
>> still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
>> the ear headphones.
>
>No, you need a larger house ! ;~)

Cheaper solution: Make her wear the headphones.

Kal

Re: Headphones?

On Jun 3, 8:17 am, Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelati...@hotmail,com >
wrote:
> "nickr...@gmail,com " wrote:
> > Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
> > Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
> > still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
> > the ear headphones.
>
> No, you need a larger house !         ;~)
>
> > But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
> > drown out TV and other noise?
>
> See if you can find some Koss Pro4AA headphones. They're an old US design
>
> that was resurrected by a (good large) company I know in China. They will
>
> nearly crush your head if worn for hours on end but are probably the best
>
> headphones ever to exclude extraneous sound. http :// reviews.cnet,com /headphones/koss-pro4aa-titanium/4505-7877 7-1...
>
> Graham

Better than Beyerdynamic 880s?

Re: Headphones?

On 2 Jun 2008 04:22:25 GMT, "nickravo@gmail,com " <nickravo@gmail,com >
wrote:

>Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
>Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
>still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
>the
>ear headphones. But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
>drown out TV and other noise?

The Sennheiser Divorce, or maybe the cheaper model, the Separation :-)

---

Rob Tweed
Company: M/Gateway Developments Ltd
Registered in England: No 3220901
Registered Office: 58 Francis Road,Ashford, Kent TN23 7UR

Web-site: http :// www .mgateway,com

Re: Headphones?

On Jun 3, 8:17 am, Rob Tweed <rtw...@mgateway,com > wrote:
> On 2 Jun 2008 04:22:25 GMT, "nickr...@gmail,com " <nickr...@gmail,com >
> wrote:
>
> >Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
> >Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
> >still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
> >the
> >ear headphones. But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
> >drown out TV and other noise?
>
> The Sennheiser Divorce, or maybe the cheaper model, the Separation :-)
>
> ---
>
> Rob Tweed
> Company: M/Gateway Developments Ltd
> Registered in England: No 3220901
> Registered Office: 58 Francis Road,Ashford, Kent TN23 7UR
>
> Web-site: http :// www .mgateway,com

tres funny.

Re: Headphones?

On Jun 2, 12:22 am, "nickr...@gmail,com " <nickr...@gmail,com > wrote:
> Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
> Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
> still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
> the
> ear headphones. But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
> drown out TV and other noise?

How much weight are you willing to endure? I have a pair of Koss Pro
4AAAs that pretty much eliminate anything short of explosions close
enough to smell the burnt powder. But they are pretty clunky by
weight. There are several other options along those lines.

Sadly, the only effective way to screen against stray sound is by mass
- movie theatres either use lead-lined drywall or multiple (minimum 5
x 5/8") layers of same, or solid concrete block - the same principle
applies to headphones.

Noice-cancelling headphones are most effective against steady sorts of
noises such as fans & HVAC noise, vehicle interiors and so forth. They
are entirely ineffective (no better or worse than standard headphones
of similar physical design) against deliberate sources such as
conversation, television, even other music sources - nor were they
designed for that purpose.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

Re: Headphones?

On Mon, 2 Jun 2008 15:18:18 -0700, Peter Wieck wrote
(in article <g21rja01g2a@news3.newsguy,com >):

> On Jun 2, 12:22 am, "nickr...@gmail,com " <nickr...@gmail,com > wrote:
>> Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
>> Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
>> still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
>> the
>> ear headphones. But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
>> drown out TV and other noise?
>
> How much weight are you willing to endure? I have a pair of Koss Pro
> 4AAAs that pretty much eliminate anything short of explosions close
> enough to smell the burnt powder. But they are pretty clunky by
> weight. There are several other options along those lines.

Yes, I recommended the Koss Pro-4A's with the same reservations.
>
> Sadly, the only effective way to screen against stray sound is by mass
> - movie theatres either use lead-lined drywall or multiple (minimum 5
> x 5/8") layers of same, or solid concrete block - the same principle
> applies to headphones.
>
> Noice-cancelling headphones are most effective against steady sorts of
> noises such as fans & HVAC noise, vehicle interiors and so forth. They
> are entirely ineffective (no better or worse than standard headphones
> of similar physical design) against deliberate sources such as
> conversation, television, even other music sources - nor were they
> designed for that purpose.

Yep!
>
> Peter Wieck
> Melrose Park, PA

Re: Headphones?

Sonnova wrote:

> Yes, I recommended the Koss Pro-4A's with the same reservations.

I'd recommend them too - if you're going fishing and need a boat anchor.

Pro4AAs are heavy, uncomfortable, and sound like dog meat. The things
they have going for them are that they are:

o damn near indestructable
o low impedance, so old mixing boards from the 70's can drive them to
audible levels in a noisy environment

Unless you're doing PA using an old Peavey, you have no reason to use them.

Seriously, there's no reason to even *think* about these cans for home
use with a stereo that happily drives 600 ohm headphones. I understand
why they had a following way back when, but that was then, this is now.

//Walt

Re: Headphones?

On Jun 4, 11:02 pm, Walt <walt ask...@yahoo,com > wrote:
> Sonnova wrote:
> > Yes, I recommended the Koss Pro-4A's with the same reservations.
>
> I'd recommend them too - if you're going fishing and need a boat anchor.
>
> Pro4AAs are heavy, uncomfortable, and sound like dog meat. The things
> they have going for them are that they are:
>
> o damn near indestructable
> o low impedance, so old mixing boards from the 70's can drive them to
>    audible levels in a noisy environment
>
> Unless you're doing PA using an old Peavey, you have no reason to use them.
>
> Seriously, there's no reason to even *think* about these cans for home
> use with a stereo that happily drives 600 ohm headphones.  I understand
> why they had a following way back when, but that was then, this is now.

a) The 4AAA is, for a fully enclosed headphone, considerably lighter
than the A, or AA. One of the refinements thereto is the removal of
the boom-lug for one thing - mass that does not contribute to
isolation. Similarly, the head support is made of lighter materials -
also non-contributory mass.
b) What would you suggest instead? The OP wants true isolation from
the TV when he listens. Along those lines you would use what??

As to the "cheapo Sony" vs. the Koss or Beyer options, that would
depend entirely on the OP's pain threshold - which I have taken for
"low". Those who regularly "multi-task" for lack of a better
descriptive would have been fine with the Bose isolation headphones -
already described a inadequate. The cheapo-Sony would perform along
those lines, but not give anything near isolation.

Again, sound is attenuated by mass, not cancellation waves in this
case. Deliberate sound is far to 'fast' for noise-reduction headphones
- nor were they designed for that.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

Re: Headphones?

On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 21:02:09 -0700, Walt wrote
(in article <g27og104am@news3.newsguy,com >):

> Sonnova wrote:
>
>> Yes, I recommended the Koss Pro-4A's with the same reservations.
>
> I'd recommend them too - if you're going fishing and need a boat anchor.
>
> Pro4AAs are heavy, uncomfortable, and sound like dog meat. The things
> they have going for them are that they are:
>
> o damn near indestructable
> o low impedance, so old mixing boards from the 70's can drive them to
> audible levels in a noisy environment
>
> Unless you're doing PA using an old Peavey, you have no reason to use them.
>
> Seriously, there's no reason to even *think* about these cans for home
> use with a stereo that happily drives 600 ohm headphones. I understand
> why they had a following way back when, but that was then, this is now.
>
> //Walt

They are very isolationatory, which is what we were discussing. The heaviness
and the discomfort go with the territory of being mechanically capable of
shutting-out outside noise.

Re: Headphones?

On 2 Jun 2008 04:22:25 GMT, "nickravo@gmail,com " <nickravo@gmail,com >
wrote:

>Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
>Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
>still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
>the
>ear headphones. But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
>drown out TV and other noise?

Same here. I use Sony noise cancelling in-ears.

The in-ear system creates dampening as it is - enhanced by the
electronic stuff. Not everybody can live with the in ear "feeling",
but it works for me.

Sound quality is fair, not excellent.

While it does not drown out the unwanted sounds completely, it is good
enough to not interfere with the desired sound from the laptop / MP3
player / E-book application I have running.

I doubt (but did not try) that over ears would work better. I once
tried an aircraft comm headset+mike set (Very bulky and expensive) -
and that might have been better performing with passive dampening
only.

YMMV..

--
- René

Re: Headphones?

On Jun 3, 8:18 am, René <rjz~nosp...@xs4all.nl> wrote:
> On 2 Jun 2008 04:22:25 GMT, "nickr...@gmail,com " <nickr...@gmail,com >
> wrote:
>
> >Spouse watches TV. I listen to music. She won't close caption. I use
> >Bose noise-reduction units on my laptop to listen to music, but I can
> >still here the TV, no matter how low it goes. I assume I need over
> >the
> >ear headphones. But what are the best that will close to 100 percent
> >drown out TV and other noise?
>
> Same here. I use Sony noise cancelling in-ears.
>
> The in-ear system creates dampening as it is - enhanced by the
> electronic stuff. Not everybody can live with the in ear "feeling",
> but it works for me.
>
> Sound quality is fair, not excellent.
>
> While it does not drown out the unwanted sounds completely, it is good
> enough to not interfere with the desired sound from the laptop / MP3
> player / E-book application I have running.
>
> I doubt (but did not try) that over ears would work better. I once
> tried an aircraft comm headset+mike set (Very bulky and expensive) -
> and that might have been better performing with passive dampening
> only.
>
> YMMV..
>
> --
>  - René

What model Sony's? Better than the Beyerdynamic 880s, someone
recommended to me -- with an amp, no less.

Re: Headphones?

On 3 Jun 2008 22:45:47 GMT, "nickravo@gmail,com " <nickravo@gmail,com >
wrote:

>What model Sony's? Better than the Beyerdynamic 880s, someone
>recommended to me -- with an amp, no less.

I believe it is MDRNC22W or some such. It was relatively cheap and
small, requiring only one AAA, and it still works as a normal earphone
when the battery is depleted.

It does not work absolute, but it lowers the S/N ratio enough to
enable me to watch a documentary on the laptop while the wife /
daughters watch the incidental soap.

It may not work if one wants to listen to the subtilities of
soundstage in classical music during a pianissimo interlude, but for
light entertainment it works adequately.

--
- René

Re: Headphones?

On Jun 5, 9:26 am, René <rjz~nosp...@xs4all.nl> wrote:
> On 3 Jun 2008 22:45:47 GMT, "nickr...@gmail,com " <nickr...@gmail,com >
> wrote:
>
> >What model Sony's? Better than the Beyerdynamic 880s, someone
> >recommended to me -- with an amp, no less.
>
> I believe it is MDRNC22W or some such. It was relatively cheap and
> small, requiring only one AAA, and it still works as a normal earphone
> when the battery is depleted.
>
> It does not work absolute, but it lowers the S/N ratio enough to
> enable me to watch a documentary on the laptop while the wife /
> daughters watch the incidental soap.
>
> It may not work if one wants to listen to the subtilities of
> soundstage in classical music during a pianissimo interlude, but for
> light entertainment it works adequately.
>
> --
>  - René

Ok, let me get this straight: the cheapo Sony -- without an amp, no
less -- are better than the Koss Pro 4AAs or the Beyerdynamic 880s,
both with amps? Everyone agree with this? (Blocking out, as much as
possible, the incidental soap opera on TV, while I watch a documentary
or listen to the radio on the laptop, the the usage here.)