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Old Feb 10, 2013, 3:28 pm
  #7  
oshelef
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 639
I'm confused by the recommendation of white noise to drown out mechanical noise. White noise adds noise and does and can drown out other noise sources, but doesn't quiet noises.

Passive blocking (ear plugs, tight fitting earbuds, full ear headphones to varying degrees) and active noise cancelling (playing frequencies that attempt to counter the noises that the included microphone hears) both effectively block engine droning and mechanical sounds.

Only passive blocking stops conversations, crying, etc... White noise will drown these out, but is effectively adding noise.

I often use cheap, disposable (though I use them several times) foam ear plugs as passive blocking. I'll occasionally wear them with active headphones over them (though I'm contemplating a pair of active ear bugs). If I want to listen to something, I tend to use etymotic earbuds (passive cancellation). But I find that I need to turn the volume on the source down very very low because these go well into my ear. If the static noise level in the source is high (e.g. airplane av systems, some computers, etc...) I sometimes use the active headphones instead.

The great thing about earplugs and passive measures in general is that I can use them from boarding to deplaning, without worrying about electronics restrictions. Especially for redyes where I endeavor to sleep from the gate until landing.
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