Sound Isolation & Noise Cancelation Technology

Can you listen for a long time with the active noise canceling on without any damage to your ears? A friend says that the noise canceling function is harmful if you leave it on your ears too long.

No there is no risk. I’m sure of that.

But I would recommend noise blocking (such as Shure) instead of noise cancelling. The Noise cancelling will block the lower constant frequencies, but higher, frequently changing ones it can’t. So for commuting for example you are much better off with noise blocking

Put on these Bose headphones at the apple store and clicked a song and they had it up full volume – turned it right down, but for a second there it was pretty darn loud.
got a little ringing now, seems kind of muffled.

Here is a rule of thumb for permanent hearing loss vs exposure time:

85db = 8 hours
88db = 4 hours
91db = 2 hours
94db = 1 hours
97db = 30 minutes
100db = 15 minutes
103db = 7.5 minutes
106db = 3.8 minutes
109db = 1.9 minutes
112db = 1 minute
115db = 30 seconds
118db = 15 seconds
121db = 7.5 seconds
124db = 3.8 seconds
127db = 1.9 seconds
130db = 1 second
133db = 1/2 second
136db = 1/4 second
139db = 1/8 second
142db= 1/16 second

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/hearingloss.cfm
Ringing is not good. It is an indication that some damage has occurred. If you are exposed to extended periods of high volume, you first lose your ability to hear higher frequencies.

In the United States, Bluetooth gets absolutely no respect. It is however, becoming more and more common in notebooks, PDAs, and especially cell phones. Bluetooth will provide wireless users a way to transmit small amounts of data over short distances.

Now, Bluetooth is facing stiff competition from new wireless technology. Referred to as UWB or Ultra Wideband, it promises data transfer of up to 480 MB a second – while most current Bluetooth devices transfer data up to 721 KB a second.

For the time being, Bluetooth devices are surely cropping up. Below, we will look at some of the accessories offered with Bluetooth technology.

More Free Info on Bluetooth devices visit here: http://www.simplyusedphones.com/bluetoothfront.html

Talking to the dashboard

When pairing it with a cell phone, the CCM Blue Warrior car kit becomes a great speaker phone that plugs into the power adapter of your vehicle. The noise canceling microphone will reduce background noise efficiently, with the large buttons making adjusting the speaker volume a snap. Although the Blue Warrior is far from sexy or sleek, it’s very practical.

Tiny tuning box

Part MP3 player and part hands free phone, the compact and lightweight Sony HBM-30 is an attractive gadget that lets you accept calls with minimal interruption of your tunes. When you get an incoming call it will automatically pause your music, then you speak into the built in microphone that you can wear around your neck or clip to your clothes.

The pen

With Nokia’s SU-1B digital pen, you can doodle and make hand written notes in ink on a special pad then transmit them from the pad to your Bluetooth phone. Being an alternative to typing on a cell phone keypad, the pen is very handy, although a pricey tool from MMS fans.

Snapshots

If you want to make slide shows with your camera photos, the Nokia SU-2 image viewer will let you display your pictures on a TV or projector. Simply hook this square gray device to your TV’s input with the built in cable, and then beam the pictures to the SU-2 from your Bluetooth enabled phone and the photo fest will begin.

This device is a snap to set up and use, although it displays resolutions of up to 640 by 480. If you have a newer phone that takes high resolution photos, you won’t be able to use the Nokia SU-2 image viewer.

Keep in mind, the 640 by 480 pixel photos will appear blocky on TV screens, no matter what you do. If your phone can send batches of photos, you can create a slide show – although Nokia claims you can use sequentially beamed shots as well.

Mark Allen
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/bluetooth-in-action-92434.html

With audio and video gear taking center stage in many households, it’s bound to happen: You’re relaxing to a classical CD when your kids start blasting MTV or a DVD movie. Rather than resorting to a duel of decibels, you can keep the peace by doling out headphones.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

There are a few hundred different headphone models on the market. Sony is the market leader; other leading brands include Aiwa, Jensen, Koss, Panasonic, and Radio Shack.

Home/studio. Most look like earmuffs, with earpieces on a headband. They can be corded or wireless. Corded sets, which account for 9 out of 10 sales, have a wire about 8 feet long that connects to your receiver, CD or DVD player, or TV. Wireless sets have a battery-powered headset and an AC-powered transmitter that connects to your audio or video gear.

Price range: $20 to more than $1,000.

Portable. Headphones for use with portable audio devices such as CD and MP3 players vary mostly by whether the earpieces sit on or go into your ears. Because many sacrifice sound quality for size, serious listeners may prefer a home/studio model even with a portable player.

Price range: about $10 to $30.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

Headphones feature a few basic designs. Closed over-the-ear sets cup your ears and create a seal to your head that reduces the amount of sound that escapes. They also muffle ambient sound. But you may miss some things that you want to hear, like a doorbell. Open over-the-ear models don’t press as firmly on the sides of your head and are usually lighter. They let more sound in and out, so late-night listening could keep your spouse awake.

On-ear headphones have earpieces designed to lay flat on your ears, with no gaps. Models can be open or closed. They let more sound in and out than closed over-the-ear headphones. Comfort is a very individual matter; any type of headphone may feel uncomfortable after a while, especially when it’s hot.

Portable models vary in a few ways. Lightweight on-ear headphones, a good choice except in noisy environments, are secured by a headband, neckband, or earclips. The in-ear style features earpieces held securely in place by ear clips or a neckband. These are a good choice except in noisy settings. Earbuds (and a variation called earplugs) are the lightest, but active use may shake earpieces loose. Earplugs are best for noisy settings.

On wireless models, multiple channels are a plus. As with cordless phones, you can switch channels to minimize interference. On some wireless sets, the transmitter uses radio frequency (RF) to communicate with the headphones. Other sets use infrared, much like a TV remote, which requires a line of sight between the headphones and the base.

For connecting headphones, most models have a 1/8-inch plug and a 1/4-inch adapter so they can work with home- and portable-audio systems. Some home/studio models have volume and mute controls. On some models, earpieces swivel and fold for easier storage; of these, some have earpieces that reverse for single-side monitoring, of particular use to DJs.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Performance differences. Headphones should feed you clear, accurate sound with sufficient volume. Based on our tests, corded models are likely to offer better sound quality than wireless units. Wireless models are prone to interference from devices such as cordless phones resulting in static, hissing, or clicking. All the models we’ve tested recently should produce adequate volume with any home-audio device, but some sets exhibit lower sensitivity that results in reduced volume with used with certain portable players.

Recommendations. Price isn’t always the best gauge of sound quality. Some low-priced corded headphones have performed as well as sets costing far more. Headphones scoring good in our Ratings are fine for watching TV or, if you’re not too fussy, for music. Like speakers, headphones may emphasize various parts of the audio spectrum, so sets with the same scores may sound different.

Because potential interference problems with wireless headphones wouldn’t be known until you tried them at home, we suggest you buy wireless models only if they can be returned for a refund.

Whichever type you go for, try them on before buying, if possible, to judge the comfort and sound quality. Online shoppers should be sure to check out return policies.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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Headphones with Easy Deal

ShopNdeal.com

Brooke Yan
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/consumer-reports-headphones-95493.html

Copyright (c) 2008 Kentaro Konika

The iPod Nano is one of the most successful gadgets of recent years. It is a product by Apple Inc. that allows you to play your music on the move on a stylish and coveted machine. Ever since the iPod was first launched by Apple in 2005, sales have been growing and growing and more than making up for the fact that sales of Apple computers were in decline.

The iPod Nano is a spin-off of the original iPod, using the iPod Shuffle program. The player includes a flash memory, a small screen and a simple-to-use click wheel. The flash memory is the main difference from the original iPod, meaning that the Nano is extremely lightweight and even more portable.

Not only are the Nano players themselves becoming extremely popular, but there are a number of accessories available for music lovers who own this player. These accessories can really enhance the enjoyment. For a music player the biggest factor is without a doubt the audio options, and Nano really excels in the area of portability, with its ability to store hours of music.

The Nano is designed to be listened to by a single user, which means that earphones are absolutely essential when using the product. Earphones come in a wide variety of styles and different functions, where the best will have the ability to block out excess background noise and to deliver a crisp, high-quality audio directly to the ear of the listener. The great thing about the Nano is that you can either use your current earphones, or upgrade their quality whenever you want.

Some of the varieties that earphones come in include the differentiation between earphones in the ear, and headphones which cover the whole area of the ear. Whichever one you choose could impact on their ability to reduce background noise, though it will all depend on the particular brand and model that you choose. These can come with or without cords, can be smaller or larger depending on your needs, and range from extremely cheap (around $30) to much more expensive ($200+). You can easily do some research into individual models of earphone to decide which one suits your needs.

Ear buds are also a newer form of earphones. They are named due to the way in which they look like the bud of a plant, and they will fit easily into the inside of the ear canal. These may be slightly higher in price, or cost the same as other earphones depending on the quality. Just make sure that you find some that fit your ears well.

The iPod Nano can be used with all types of earphones, and also comes with popular iTunes software designed for both Mac and Windows OS. This software is used by a variety of users, so is a bonus when using the Nano and iTunes together. As you can see, the iPod Nano is a very nifty machine, that still continues to grow in popularity.

Kentaro Konika
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/ipod-nano-accessories-690582.html

I just started a new job cutting grass, and cutting lawns gets boring without music. I would love some inconspicuous earbuds to listen to my ipod with and i dont want to ruin my hearing by having to turn my ipod up all the way. Does anyone suggest some good earphones (buds or not) that will help cancel the noise from a lawnmower? I hear most noise canceling headphone will only block out ambient noise, not loud noises.

Sure makes some good earbuds that are noise isolating, not noise cancelling, so they should work well for mowing the lawn. I have a pair and I must admit they kick ace. Go to http://store.shure.com/store/shure/DisplayHomePage. They are a little expensive, but I am sure if you look at them to get the idea, you can find some cheaper versions that are similar.

I heard noise cancelling needs batteries, major turn off? And which one do you recommend, is there any good brand that’s cheap?

sound isolating completely covers the ears and blocks sound.

noise cancelling have an audio amp built in and a microphone so that when you are wearing the headphones, you can hear normally until you are in a loud noise enviorment and the headphones become isolating headphones.

Hunters and shooters use noise cancelling. The report from a shot causes the headphones to block the loud report.

I buy my shooting headphones at Harbor Freight, they are under $25.00 with a coupon and are every bit as good as the $99.00 ones from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

my neighbors slam the door a lot, and my roommate stays up really late when i’m trying to sleep. she opens/closes her drawers a lot, shuffles papers loudly, etc. will sound-isolating earphones work in this situation?

Some are better than others.

Noise cancelling earphones work in two ways:

(1) they block out a good amount of the ambient noise by covering you ear or blocking your ear canal.
(2) they create a negative image of the noise and play it through the earpiece, rather effectively reducing the remaining noise that gets past the intentional blocking.

Noise cancelling earphones work best, of course, when there is other "noise" (or music) to help over-ride the noise you want to cancel. Just using the earphones by themselves, and not connected to an MP3 or other sound-generating device, may not be as effective as you might wish. There will always be some quantity of sound that gets to your eardrums directly through your head. This is, in part, known as "bone conduction hearing", and there is no way to prevent it.

I use a set of noise cancelling headphones to practice on my Casio keyboard while my wife watches TV. With the noise cancelling turned off, the headphones block out a lot of the TV sound. With the headphones switched on, there is a noticeable reduction in the sound I hear from the TV; but I do still hear a little of it. When I start playing the keyboard, I don’t hear the TV at all because the keyboard is louder than what little sound from the TV still gets through.

Such as the microphone is pointing down, and noise is going through the door, would the microphone pick it up and either cancel or reduce it?

You’d also need an amplifier, a processor circuit with noise canceling software and appropriate speakers, but theoretically you should be able to reduce the noise (probably not eliminate it. It may be only effective in specific directions or locations relative to the speakers, however. And it would probably take more than a little bit of work (and expense) to make it worth anything. Not a hobby I would suggest getting into casually.

To see beyond what astronomers can see using traditional telescopes, which count on visible light for their viewing, a radio telescope is designed to hear the sounds from outer space as opposed to the sights. Most designed as a parabolic antenna, a radio telescope allows the user to listen to sounds emanating from sources in space.

Most people with an interest in space have probably heard of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Activity (SETA), which is a group of people monitoring space for signals with a radio telescope that may indicate life from outer space. To date there has been no success in isolating sounds from space that can be blamed on extraterrestrial sources, except of course in movies.

Neutral hydrogen and carbon monoxide are examples of radio waves picked up with a radio telescope, along with other sources of electromagnetic signals picked up as sound. The first radio telescope in use was back in 1937, a dish about 30-feet in diameter, with interest growing ever since and the first arrays being put in use in the 1950s. Today, the largest is the 1894-foot diameter RATAN600 in Russia.

Sound From Space Sparks Science Fiction Imagination

With the ability to receive sound signals from space picked up on a radio telescope, the imagination of writers and amateur star gazers have fueled by beliefs that some of the sounds are being created by other life in space. Continual argument persists on the existence of life in space and signals not readily identified is used as questionable indications of extraterrestrial life.

A very large array of radio telescope dishes in New Mexico boasts 27 dish antenna, each with a diameter of about 82 feet. They work in tandem searching the skies for sounds, acknowledging that considering the speed of sound is much slower than the speed of light, any sound picked up could be from yesterday or hundred of years ago.

Under construction in Western Europe is a low frequency array radio telescope, which will consist of 25,000 smaller antenna designed to develop radio pictures of the sky based on the origins and current location of the sources of sounds picked up by the array. Clusters of antenna will be spread out over an area approximately 220 miles square. With the added power to pull in radio signals from space it is hoped a better map of this galaxy and adjacent galaxies can provide a better understanding of the space being lived in.

Rohit Chopra
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/radio-telescope-lets-you-hear-into-space-347308.html