What If The Telephone Rings

[breakfastchef]

This is my first post on head-fi, so please excuse me if this subject has been beaten to death in the past. When wearing headphones, you essentially block out the world around you. This is good until someone or something needs your attention. What do you folks do when the telephone rings or an enraged spouse comes sceaming at you to "take those things off"? Has anyone invented a device that alerts you to the aforementioned situations? For example, if I am on the computer donning headphones and my spouse needs my attention or the telephone rings, what can alert me to this situation? I expect this to be an interesting thread or I will quickly learn that solution already exist.

[jsmithepa]

I frankly can't stand females that REQUIRE my attention ALL THE TIME! Can't stand needy ppl in general. Change wife.

As far as the phone, I guess turn the ringer up and put it right next to you. Am sure u can fit a light to it, meant for hard-hearing ppl. Do a forward from lanline to cellphone and put cell on vibrate.

[Fitz]

The obvious solution is to just get a AKG K1000, then you can still hear everything around you.

[uraflit]

well u wont be COMPLETELY isolated... i hope.

what if your house catches fire and you are lounging on a chair with your eyes closed?!

just be careful! i usually take my headphones off every ~15-30min just to be sure something needs my attention

[silverrain]

Before using headphones, just be sure to ask wife for permission to wear them....

[FeedMeTrance]

Open Headphones

Best of both worlds

[Dobro]

Not all headphones shut out external noise only closed headphones and ear canal phones do that. Open headphones and most earbuds let outside sound in. With these, depending on how loud you play your music, you should be able to ear most of whats going on around you, certainly a phone ringing.

There are lights you can attach to your phone that will flash when the phone rings, but, as far as I know, an "angry spouse detector" has yet to be invented.

[xnothingpoetic]

Then they must take a message.

I am not to be bothered when listing to music anyway.

[ueyteuor]

get a stax or grado, and you'll be able to still hear outside noise, unless you max out the volume..

[ShinyFalcon]

A vibration based alert system perhaps? I haven't seen one, but it should work in most situations.