Being a startup I know working in a coffee shop is a great cheap way to get out of the house. Loud Noises! They can ruin my day, anytime. Thank God, noise cancelling headsets were invented! It used to be that the aviation and industrial markets are the only ones privileged to use these magical gadgets, now they are readily available from every retail outlet.
How do they work?
They utilize microphones and fancy tech processing to generate an opposite sound wave going against the one that's on its way to your ears. Simply put—it's an inverse sound wave.
Below are my three favorite noise cancelling headsets. These can be used on planes, trains and at the gym.
1. Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones
The noise blocking works very well, especially for constant monotonous noises, like fans, engines, AC, airplaine noise etc. It does attenuate other noises (like voices, sudden noise etc) slightly. The sound quality is very good. It's not perfectly shielded to the outside, so you can't use it in a library or other places where you might annoy people. Then again, if you're American, you probably don't care anyway.
Price $350
2. Paww WaveSound 3 Headphones
Excellent isolation and the ANC works reasonably well. They are a bit on the heavy side but they are nice and sturdy. The side controls are great to have. I flew for 5 hours with noise cancellation active and it didn't miss a beat. I also like the included case even though it can be a little bulky when traveling, it is worth it.
Price $100
3. Naztech i9 Headphones
The noise canceling is very nice. The bluetooth works very well (though the range is only about 20 feet). The leather is extremely soft around my ears so I have absolutely no problem with wearing these for a long plane flight .... even with my glasses on. I love the nice toggle to turn the noise canceling on and off though I wish they had done the same with the bluetooth. It has three buttons on the left earpiece to control the bluetooth.
Price $80
