[chuck833]

Hello,

I'm a musician in need of some headphones that totally eliminate all outside noise. I recently moved into an apartment in L.A. and my upstairs neighbor stomps around all night long, and the neighbor kids play (scream) directly outside my window during the afternoon. Seriously, I'm going to go insane if I can't get some quiet time while recording and mixing.

Are there headphones out there that can make absolute silence? I don't have much money so I'm not looking for the best thing out there, just something that will put me in my own little silent world.

Thanks

 

[feh1325]

etymotic er6 for an iem, which is like an earplug

i don't know much about closed phones, but i'm sure anybody here would be happy to help you in that department

 

[vidas7de7jesus7]

IEMs. Called in-ear monitors. There are four main brands that headfi-ers will tell you about: Shure, Etymotic, Ultimate Ear, and Westone. With a price range, and some other details, we can head you in the right direction

 

[swmtnbiker]

IEMs will NOT, I repeat NOT, eliminate all outside noise. They attenuate quite a bit of it, but not all. Variations can also be expected depending on which tips you use (foamies, triflanges, etc.) and how good a seal you get in your ear canal.

That being said, if you're listening to music with them then they will go a long, long way towards making you a lot happier in your current situation.

Relatively inexpensive options:

* Etymotic Er6i
* Shure E2C
* Altec Lansing iM716

All under $90 online.

 

[Alex M]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck833 Hello, Are there headphones out there that can make absolute silence?

No, such a thing does not exist at any price. IEMs can provide a respectable level of isolation, but they do not eliminate all the noise. Their prices range from around $100 to $900.

 

[nikongod]

i recomend the broomstick hitting the celing.

the alternate is a call to the landlord.

after that, i KNOW you have a good speaker rig. if not quality, you surely must have something that can hit at least 100DB in your home at 2am for exactly 5 miniutes....

ooh, and an iem will block sound adequately, especically when playing music.

 

[jagorev]

For ultimate isolation, I say an Etymotic (ER-4P or ER-6i) with the foam tips, underneath an HD 280.

 

[wnewport]

Bose Quiet Comfort 2

Seriously , if you want isolation, IEM is the way to go. Closed cans do not block out nearly the amount of noise IEM's do. I own the shure e2c and find them great for noise cancellation. The only IEM that isn't supposed to be that great for noise cancellation are the UE pro 3/5, that is just what I have read though.

 

[Firam]

If money wasn't an issue Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pros and shooting muffs.

If he had room Sensory Deprivation Tank with waterproof earplugs.

More realistically I would say IEMs and/or HD280. It depends on your budget and use. If you need to take them off to hear others in the middle of your work you might want the HD280 or IEMs with Shure's new Push-To-Hear. If the kids are very loud a combination like jagorev said of HD280 and IEM will work fine.

 

[TheSloth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firam If money wasn't an issue Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pros and shooting muffs. If he had room Sensory Deprivation Tank with waterproof earplugs. More realistically I would say IEMs and/or HD280. It depends on your budget and use. If you need to take them off to hear others in the middle of your work you might want the HD280 or IEMs with Shure's new Push-To-Hear. If the kids are very loud a combination like jagorev said of HD280 and IEM will work fine.

Well it doesn't need to be a 280 - if it's an IEM, then just get a noise reduction headset (closed headphone without the headphone) to use outside. That will get everything except bone conduction which you can't help.

 

[1Time]

I use my HD280s at work and can't hear any outside noise. Of course I accomplish this by listening to techno at fairly high volumes.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firam If money wasn't an issue Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pros and shooting muffs.

I've always heard that universal fit IEMs, while they may be less comfortable, have more isolation than customs - with the Ety+foam tips out-isolating anything else. Can't say for sure since I've never tried a custom IEM.

 

[Atomicfission92]

Im gonna recommend the Altec Lansing IM716 for the $70 bucks. They sounds pretty good, and with music playing block out almost all noise.

 

[Okigire]

Two possibilities... in-earplugs + head-earplugs... it cuts out an amazing amount of outside noise.

There are also devices that can emit an inverse sound wave thus cancelling out the outside noise. It actually works... not perfect, but it helps.

 

[K2Grey]

Use IEMs, then wear noise-blocking headmuffs, earmuffs, or whatever those things are over them.