4 ms·

I loved everything about the AirPods except that they have no noise reduction. The New York City subway is loud as hell. Street noise is loud as hell. Even when

I loved everything about the AirPods except that they have no noise reduction. The New York City subway is loud as hell. Street noise is loud as hell. Even when not wearing headphones I wear earplugs to block out all the noise.

naravara 8y ago
The BeatsX are earplug type headphones that do decent sound isolation. They’re not as snazzy as the AirPods and they have some minor UX frustrations, but for the most part have been pretty good.
- abakker 8y ago
  The Shure ones are great. Standard Bluetooth issues, but, good sound quality and great passive noise isolation.
- ggreer 8y ago
  I'm in the same boat. I replaced the BeatsX tips with some 3rd party foamies and they do a pretty good job of damping external noise. I don't recommend the PowerBeats though. No matter what sort of tips you use, they mute almost nothing. Also, the slightest breeze causes tons of wind noise.
drngdds 8y ago
I don't understand the appeal at all of headphones with no noise reduction. How does anyone use them in a noisy environment without setting the volume uncomfortably high?
- bunderbunder 8y ago
  > How does anyone use them in a noisy environment without setting the volume uncomfortably high? This is a large part of why doctors are starting to warn of an epidemic of hearing loss. Headphones with poor noise isolation tend to encourage people to crank the volume way too high.
- codq 8y ago
  a) Noise reduction usually requires a powered component, or some kind of neck brace to contain the battery required for active noise cancelling. This adds expense and weight. b) Sometimes it's good to be aware of your surroundings! When I'm listening to music, noise is usually sufficiently blocked by the sheer volume of the track, and during podcasts and audiobooks I'm also not bothered by the sounds of the streets. If anything, it's good to hear a siren, or the ramblings of a nearby crazy person in order to avoid them. The only time I find noise cancellation useful is on airplanes.

naravara 8y ago

The BeatsX are earplug type headphones that do decent sound isolation. They’re not as snazzy as the AirPods and they have some minor UX frustrations, but for the most part have been pretty good.

abakker 8y ago
The Shure ones are great. Standard Bluetooth issues, but, good sound quality and great passive noise isolation.
ggreer 8y ago
I'm in the same boat. I replaced the BeatsX tips with some 3rd party foamies and they do a pretty good job of damping external noise. I don't recommend the PowerBeats though. No matter what sort of tips you use, they mute almost nothing. Also, the slightest breeze causes tons of wind noise.

drngdds 8y ago

I don't understand the appeal at all of headphones with no noise reduction. How does anyone use them in a noisy environment without setting the volume uncomfortably high?

bunderbunder 8y ago
> How does anyone use them in a noisy environment without setting the volume uncomfortably high? This is a large part of why doctors are starting to warn of an epidemic of hearing loss. Headphones with poor noise isolation tend to encourage people to crank the volume way too high.
codq 8y ago
a) Noise reduction usually requires a powered component, or some kind of neck brace to contain the battery required for active noise cancelling. This adds expense and weight. b) Sometimes it's good to be aware of your surroundings! When I'm listening to music, noise is usually sufficiently blocked by the sheer volume of the track, and during podcasts and audiobooks I'm also not bothered by the sounds of the streets. If anything, it's good to hear a siren, or the ramblings of a nearby crazy person in order to avoid them. The only time I find noise cancellation useful is on airplanes.