Noise cancelling headphones

Working in a noisy environment can not only affect your productivity, but it could also force you to quit your job.

Commissioned by Plantronics, a study by Oxford Economics revealed that employees working in noisy office environments are likely to leave their job in the next six months.

There are two common methods that employees used to block out the noise. The first is to walk out of the office to refocus before going back into the office, and the second is the use of headphones.

We understand that walking in and out of the office to refocus could be too troublesome. So we’ve come up with five headphones that could help you stay in your seat for a longer duration without being distracted.

1. QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II

Bose - Noise Cancelling Headphones
[Image credit: Bose]
Bose is one of the top audio brands in the world and needless to say, their popular QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II is one of our top picks for your noisy office.

The QuietComfort 35 has what they called Acoustic Noise Cancelling, which actively detects, compares and reacts to external noises. It then squashes the signal that it deemed undesirable for your audio experience.

In Bose’s words:

QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II utilise both active and passive noise reduction technologies. They use a sophisticated proprietary electronics approach to active noise reduction, placing microphones both inside and outside the earcups. The electronics system senses the sound in almost any environment. It then measures, compares and reacts—instant by instant—to produce an opposing cancellation signal. The passive noise reduction is achieved by the combination of the acoustic design and materials chosen for the earcups and cushions.

One advantage of QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II over other competitors is that its noise cancelling function can be adjusted. That means if you do not want to drown out the sounds completely, you can change the setting, which is a good idea especially when there are a lot of cyclists and personal mobility devices (PMD) zooming around.

The headphones can last up to 20 hours per full charge, and a 15-minute quick charge can give you up to 2.5 hours worth of playtime. If you run out of battery, you could also wire it up with its cable to continue your quiet comfort.

It retails at S$529.

2. 1000XM2 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones

Sony - Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones
[Image credit: Sony]
How can we forget the brand that introduced portable music to the world, Sony?

Sony’s 1000XM2 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones have different features to offer than the other competitors. Like what the name already suggests, the 1000XM2 has noise cancelling function. What’s different is that it can optimise noise cancelling to your preference and accordingly to the atmospheric pressure when you are on a plane, giving you high audio quality wherever you are.

Its controls are embedded in the external side of your earcups. You can double tap to make calls, talk to your Google Assistant or cover it with your palm to pause the noise cancelling.

A full charge on the 1000XM2 can last you up to 30 hours and a quick 15-minute charge can give you an additional 70 minutes of playback.

It retails at S$549.

3. Voyager 8200 UC

Plantronics - Noise Cancelling Headphones
[Image credit: Plantronics]
The Voyager 8200 UC is Plantronics’s latest wireless Bluetooth headset. It has a best-in-class dual-mode active noise cancelling (ANC) that is capable of reducing external sounds to the minimum without the need to blast your music.

One of the handy features that the Voyager 8200 UC possesses is the smart sensor technology. It mutes your calls or pauses your music when you take the headset off.

According to Plantronics, a full charge can give you up to 24 hours worth of playback, 20 hours of talk time and up to one month of standby time. Connecting it with the 3.5mm cord can help extend the battery life.

It retails at S$579.

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