Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload 2023
An effective solution for auditory sensory overload is to avoid noise, but is it possible?
Can anyone avoid places like subways, train stations, schools, and even home where the vacuum cleaner is being used which have sound levels of 70-90 dB?
The problem is solved with the use of noise-canceling headphones. I know you are thinking about how can noise-canceling headphones help with sensory overload?
The answer lies in the feature of Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) which can reduce the noise by up to 40 dB.
The next question that arises is how can you find the best noise-canceling headphones? Worry not! We have brought together for you the best noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload.
After all the research work I have done to find out the best noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload, these are the best ones I could find out on Amazon.com.
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
| Image | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
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New Bose Quiet Comfort 45 | Check Price |
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Sony WH-1000XM4 | Check Price |
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Philips Fidelio L3 Over-Ear Wireless Headphones | Check Price |
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Bose 700 | Check Price |
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Jabra Elite 85h | Check Price |
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Philips H9505 | Check Price |
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Apple AirPods Max | Check Price |
Following are the best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload;
New Bose Quiet Comfort 45 Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
The new Bose Quiet Comfort 45 Headphones are predominantly noise-canceling headphones. As we know sensory overload is a serious thing and can be hectic; keeping the same fact in mind, these headsets are a perfect choice. The noise-canceling feature of these headphones is extraordinary and serves the purpose well of containing noise and keeping you safe from sensory overload.
New Bose quiet comfort 45 Bluetooth makes sure that you don’t experience sensory overload due to its noise-canceling features. It has a tendency to curtail around 45 decibels. So, if you are in a bustling place, it is inherently frustrating and also has a noise that can cause sensory overload. As we know that there is around 100 dB of noise in such a bustling place. Quiet comfort 45 curtails noise to over 40 dB. It will save you from getting affected by high sound and becoming a victim of sensory overload.
As for its design, these headsets look pretty much the same as the previous model (QC35), supporting the same plastic construction and finish. The lightweight of 240 grams and the shape of the headphones makes it a perfect fit on the head with a fair distribution of weight. The ear cups are large enough to suit all sizes of ears. The synthetic leather pads create decent isolation and are smooth enough to provide a comfy feeling to the listener while being breathable enough to prevent any noticeable heat buildup. The headbands are also adjustable and have hinges near the ear cups, which helps in folding the headphones flat for easier storage. It has a wireless connection through Bluetooth 5.1, which has a distance range of up to 9 meters or 30 feet. It also supports multiple Bluetooth connections.
Bose QC45 comes with two iconic modes, quiet mode, and aware mode, to give you two different experiences. The listener can switch to the quiet mode when complete noise canceling is required, and the aware mode is for partial or no noise cancellation. Its active noise canceling feature makes it a leading product when it comes to the best noise-canceling headphone for sensory overload.
Noise rejecting mic filters out environmental sounds for smooth and clear conversations. It focuses on your voice for a better experience and cancels out unnecessary ambient sound.
Its battery gives you 24 hours of playtime with a single charge. It has a USB-C charging slot, and a full charge is achieved in a time span of 2.5 hours. With the help of fast charging, 15 minutes of fast charging can provide up to 3 hours of playtime. An audio cable is provided to convert it into a wired mode in case the battery dies.
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Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
Sony WH-1OOOXM4 Cancels out high, and mid-frequency ambient sounds with its industry-leading noise cancellation technology, which uses two mics on each ear cup to receive ambient sound from the environment and then cancel it by destructive interference. This feature makes it one of the best noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload.
These headsets cancel out the noise of more than 50 decibels. These headsets will successfully curtail the noise coming from the bustling area, industrial areas, superbikes, generators, and noises of pretty much equal decibels.
Moreover, its optimizing noise-canceling technology provides you the ability to control your noise cancellation phenomenon. You can design your personal noise canceling optimizer for you. And it also has a pressure optimizer designed for air travel which is a really great feature for those who travel.
The battery life of up to 30 hours with noise cancellation (NC) on in a single charge and 10 min of quick charge provides you 5 hours of playtime. Standby max time with (NC Off) is 200 hours.
Frequency response ranges from 4 Hz- to 40,000 Hz. It weighs 254g with foldable ear cups to give a handy experience. Speak to chat technology automatically reduces volume the moment you utter a word. When unworn, its detection automatically pauses the music when you remove the headphones and plays it when you wear it again. You can control volume, pause, play, skip music, and answer phone calls with a touch sensor on the ear cup. Its wireless Bluetooth 5.0 technology provides you with a range of 10 m for effective connectivity.
It supports Google’s new Fast pair feature, which can easily help you locate your WH-1000XM4 by tone sound or by checking its location on the Find My Device app from your smartphone.
Its super-soft ear pads distribute pressure evenly on your ears to give you the most comfortable experience you have ever had.
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Philips Fidelio L3 Over-Ear Wireless Headphones
Philips Fidelio L3 over-ear wireless headphones are considered one of the best active noise-canceling headsets. They have the capability to cancel outside noise of over around 40 decibels. These headsets have the potential to cancel the outside noise of higher decibels like jet engines and shotguns. It is highly recommended for people with ADHD and PTSD as they are considered more prone to getting affected by sensory overload. It cancels out noise and keeps ears from getting damaged. These headsets can be safely considered the best noise-canceling headsets for sensory overload for both adults and kids.
Furthermore, Philips Fidelio L3 headphone comes with leather, aluminum metal, and high-class plastic. Its soft leather case for storage gives it an aesthetic look. Two mics on each ear cup provide the best calling experience along with active noise canceling feature. Its external mic and internal mic filter out the unwanted ambient sound of the surrounding. Awareness mode gets on just by a touch on the touch sensor available on the ear cup to make you aware of your surroundings. Its hybrid active noise canceling feature makes it a good-to-go product for those who are looking for noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload.
Fidelio L3 comes with a playback battery timing of around 32 hours with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) on a single charge, and this battery timing increases to 38 hours when the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is off.
It has wireless Bluetooth connectivity, which supports almost all devices for connections. It pairs with two devices at a time. You can listen to calls on your phone while you are streaming videos from your laptop. It also supports a detachable wire to use when the battery is dead or when you have to connect it to a device with no wireless connection. This audio cable or detachable wire is provided in the box, so you don’t have to worry about buying one.
Philips Fidelio L3 also supports Google’s assistant and Alexa for hands-free control of the device. You can control volume adjustments, skip audios, play and pause audios with voice control.
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Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
Bose noise-canceling headphones 700 is next in the line and is considered one of the best headsets for sensory overload for both adults and kids. These headsets can cancel noise to reasonable decibels. To the places where there is noise that can cause sensory overload, these headphones can curtail much frustrating noise; with a noise-canceling capacity of over 40 dB, it can be worn in bustling and industrial areas.
Bose noise-canceling headphones 700 is one of the best-built quality headphones with a remarkable style. It comes with a stainless steel headband covered with soft gel-like foam. The ear cushions are ultra-soft and made with protein leather which gives you next-level comfort. Ear cups have a touch sensor for touch controls and also contain eight microphones, 6 are for Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and four microphones are for Voice Pickup, and out of the two are shared with ANC. Noise-canceling levels can be changed to Low, Medium, and High to experience noise-canceling according to your environment. Its Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) performance makes it a perfect fit for someone who is looking for noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload.
The battery life of a wireless headphone is the backbone of the device. Bose 700 comes with a battery timing of 20 hours of playback time on a single charge. And it takes up to 2.5 hours to charge it fully. A quick 15-minute charge can provide up to 3.5 hours of playtime. USB-C port is available for charging.
Bose 700 has Bluetooth version 5.0 with an effective range of about 10 m. And it has a USB-C on headphones and USB-A on the source site. Along with that, it comes with a 2.5 mm audio cable on the headphone side and a 3.5 mm jack for the device side, if in case wired mode is required.
Bose 700 can be controlled with voice via Google’s assistant, Amazon Alexa, bose music app, and Siri. A touchpad can also be used to control volume strength, play, pause, and skip music.
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Jabra Elite 85h Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
Jabra Elite 85 headsets cancel environmental sounds of around 45 decibels. Therefore, for adults and for kids, these Jabra Elite 85h are considered one of the best active noise-canceling headphones which are perfect for dealing with sensory overload. As humans normally experience a noise of around 120 dB. And the normal safe range is up to 80db. Beyond this normal range, human ears can be affected. Given the reason, these headsets are a wise pick.
Jabra Elite 85h headphones come with a sophisticated style along with a fabric and leather exterior. Its smart sound audio features allow you to have the best smart Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) experience by analyzing your surroundings to automatically control the Noise Cancelling feature. Its smart Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) makes it a worthy product for those who are looking for noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload. Its smart feature automatically turns on Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) when it receives any unwanted noise from the surroundings. The headphones have eight microphones in total, out of which four are specified for Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). The remaining microphones are used to give you the best voice call experience you have ever had.
Jabra Elite 85h has a battery timing of 36 hours in a single charge with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) switched on, and when the ANC is off, it can go up to 41 hours in a single charge. The standby time of the battery is one year. 15 min of fast charging gives you up to 5 hours of playback time, and a complete charge is achieved in 2.5 hours.
Bluetooth version 5.0 is available in the device, which has a range of 10m .it can pair with eight devices in total, and two devices can be connected at one time.
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Philips H9505 Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
These Philips H9505 Hybrid ANC headsets are next and are also considered one of the best headsets for sensory overload. They can contain up to 40 dB. The canceling out of noise will save you from being affected by sensory overload. In all settings ranging from low-level surrounding noises to bustling industrial noises, these headsets are the best. These headsets can be used for both adults and kids.
Philips H9505 headphones are one of the best products made by Philips. Its comfy soft cushions of earcups make it king in comfortability. It has one internal and one external microphone, which work together to filter unwanted ambient noise with the help of the Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature.
The Philips headphones app helps you in controlling the bass and treble of the song. You can also choose to change different modes of the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) Feature. Touch controls are also present for music and calls and buttons on the right earcup for (ANC).
Philips H9505 comes with a Bluetooth 5.0 version with a range of 10 m. Detachable wire can also be used to listen to hi-Res audio. Google fast pair can help you in connecting your device to any android device with a single tap.
Battery timing matters a lot when it comes to wireless headphones. Its powerful lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 900 mAh, which gives you a playtime of 27 hours in a single full charge of 4 hours. Fast charging of 15 min can give you 5 hours of playtime.
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Apple AirPods Max Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
Apple AirPods Max with Active Noise Canceling cancels out significant decibels. There are two ways to outside noise. One is its inherent capacity of containing outside noise, while the other is its own loud noise that can overshadow noises coming from its surroundings. Apple AirPods can generate sounds between 102 to 112 dB, which is significantly higher. For those who are prone to sensory overload, these Apple AirPod Max are a perfect pick. They have been manufactured keeping these adversities in mind. They are as much better as other best headphones for sensory overload.
In addition to that, Apple AirPods Max comes with an incredible canopy design on headbands and aluminum Earcups. Its unique design helps in fair distribution of weight to reduce pressure on the head and ears. Its industry-leading Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature makes it a worthy device to be considered in the list of the best noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload. Its high fidelity audio and Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature provides the best quality sound experience, with each and every note being clearly audible to you. Its (ANC) feature cancels ambient sound with exact anti-noise created with the help of 3 external microphones on each earcup. Transparency mode is available to keep you aware of the surroundings.
It has a battery timing of 20 hours on a single charge with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) switched on and playback music. A quick 5 min charge gives you 1.5 hours of listening. Apple Airpods Max uses optical sensors to detect if the headphone’s position is on the head or not. This feature is used to stop the music when the headphone is not on the head.
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Buying Guide for Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sensory Overload
While finding the best noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload, you will have to look for some features in the headphone.
Active Noise Cancelling (ANC): Active noise canceling feature is a must for people with the issue of sensory overload. Active noise-canceling headphones use the phenomenon of destructive interference in which it receives ambient sound waves from the surrounding environment and then cancels them by producing the opposite of those ambient sound waves.
Passive noise cancellation (PNC) is another way of canceling ambient sound waves by isolation, and it is a natural way of blocking ambient sound waves. Active noise canceling (ANC) is a lot better than passive noise canceling (PNC) which can only diminish 20 dB of ambient sound waves, whereas ANC can reduce up to 40dbs of sound waves.
The feature of active noise cancellation (ANC) can also be controlled electronically to reduce or increase its effectiveness of it. It is advisable that you should have active noise canceling feature when it comes to sensory overload as opposed to passive noise-canceling headsets. You do not always need complete silence in your life; sometimes, you have to be aware of your surroundings in order to interact with people in places where there is noise.
Comfortability: The shape, size, weight, and manufacturing quality of the body of the headphones matter as far as the comfort level of the headphones is concerned. Prolonged use of headphones is very common these days, and the level of comfort is really important when it comes to prolonged use. Uncomfortable headphones can really give you pain in your ears just by using them for like an hour or two.
Ear cups play a big role in comfortability. Big sized ear cups made with soft material are a great feature to consider when it comes to comfort. Adjustable headbands and lightweight headphones help to fit on the head and to distribute weight fairly on both sides of the head.
Battery Life: If you are going to buy a wireless headphone, then one of the main things to consider is battery life. Usually, the battery life of good quality noise-canceling headphones ranges from 20 hours to 30 hours, which is, in my opinion, enough for a day or two. The fast charging feature in wireless headphones allows providing 60 minutes of battery life in just 10 – 15 minutes.
Sound Quality: The quality of sound is the top priority of a buyer, especially when he/she is buying expensive noise-canceling headphones. The frequency response of headphones tells us about the range of frequencies that the headphone can produce. Frequency response is measured in Hertz. Most headphones range from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Frequency response is not a reliable way of checking the sound quality of a headphone; instead, the best way is to listen to notes, vocals, and tunes carefully to find any roughness in the sound at high and low volumes. Another way is to compare it to well-known good quality headphones.
Ear Placement: In-ear and over-ear are the two placements where you can put your headphones on. When we look for the best noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload, over-ear headphones are the winners in this race. The high quality of noise cancellation is unbeatable when it comes to over-ear headphones. For prolonged use, over-ear headphones are preferred because of their comfortability in comparison to in-ear headphones. In-ear headphones are very close to your ear canal, which increases the sound by 9 decibels, and it can damage your ears.
Battery life: The battery life of headphones is as important as a vital organ in the human body. It is really important to consider the battery timings of the Headphones you are going to buy. Battery timing should not be less than 20 hours on a single charge if you want to have a long listening experience.
Reviews and Ratings: Ratings and reviews can also help a lot in finding the best headphones online. Products with the majority of bad reviews and ratings are often bad in quality. On the other hand, products with high ratings and good reviews are often the best thing you can find on the internet.
This review blog has considered all the basic and expert guidelines to provide you with the list of the best noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload for adults and we also have considered that the headphones are able to change sizes, so this list also serves as a guide to buying noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload for kids.
Conclusion
After detailed research, we have come to a conclusion that the best noise-canceling headphone for sensory overload, out of all these on the list, is the Sony WH1000 XM4. It cancels noise up to 53 decibels. It does not only fulfills all the demands in buying guide, but it actually is the best in every feature compared to any of the Noise Cancelling headphones for sensory overload in the market. Its exceptional feature of airplane pressure optimizing feature is not available in any other device on the market. Its ANC is most efficient when it comes to the performance of noise cancellation.
FAQ’s
What is Sensory Overload?
Sensory overload occurs mostly in autistic people and people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Sensory processing disorder, and some other conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But this does not mean that the issue of sensory overload or sensory processing challenges cannot occur in someone who is not diagnosed with any of the above disorders. Almost everyone in the general population experiences sensory overload at some point in their life. However, some children and adults face this problem quite regularly in their lives which can be really challenging for them.
What is Auditory sensory overload?
Auditory sensory overload is really common among people with sensory overload issues. Many among us and I, myself, have faced the same issue of auditory sensory overload. Keeping in mind my experience I researched and tried to come up with headphones that address the issue of sensory overload. The issue of auditory sensory overload occurs mostly at crowded places like train stations, roads, subways, markets, cafeterias, and school hallways, all of these places have noise levels measured around 80-100 decibels (dB), which is quite irritating for people with sensory overload issues. The noisy environment causes anxiety to people facing sensory overload. The severity of anxiety depends upon environmental noise pollution, which can lead to moderate to intense anxiety.
