I used to work in a call center doing analytics/development work and I found that loud noise wasn't the issue but rather hearing dozens of conversations at the

I used to work in a call center doing analytics/development work and I found that loud noise wasn't the issue but rather hearing dozens of conversations at the same time, each with their own rhythm and pitch. It sounded like literal cacophony to my ears. I would put on noise cancelling head phones and blast music which helped, but headphones can be uncomfortable and more often than not, you want to be able to think in a quiet environment. After everyone left, I would be massively productive in complete silence. However, when I was later moved to a quieter area, what would be massively distracting was the sound of people walking by lightly breaking the silence. The only way I could avoid being distracted by these events was to put on headphones and blast music.