Great Headphones For Misophonia

All noise cancelling headphones are not created equal.  If you want to see the real benefit noise cancelling headphones have to offer, you need to try the best.  Traditionally, noise cancelling headphones try to eliminate steady background noise such as the air conditioner fan or the roar in an airplane.  But with misophonia, you need to have single occurrence sounds blocked.  Starting with the Bose QC20, Bose headphones try to block single occurrence sounds, such as speech or chewing.  I tried a pair of Beats headphones that were owned by a client, and I could not tell the difference for a single “thud” sound with noise cancelling on and off.  I can’t say that all headphones except new Bose and Parrot don’t work for misophonia, but I can say that Bose and Parrot work great.

The Bose QC20 (wired) and QC30 (Bluetooth) are earbud style.  They seal against the ear canal and so do not create pain in the ear canal from prolonged use.  A great feature of these is the “aware” mode.  You push a button and you hear as if you were not wearing headphones.  Push the button again, and you go into silence.  Wonderful feature!  These headphones also work with your smartphone, so you can use them to talk on the phone.  This can be terrific if you need to talk on the phone in an open office setting.

One problem with noise cancelling headphones is that they provide almost no protection from sniffing.  The frequency is too high.  If you need to block sniffing, then try the noise isolating headphones like Etymotic MC5.

In any case, you should also use a noise app to supply your favorite noise mix to your headphones.  The combination of noise and these headphones can be a miracle for the person with misophonia.

Sonxtronic XDR-8000 Sport vertical headband in-ear headphones (Black)

• Ultra comfort sport design (with polished smooth surfaces)
• Vertical in ear headband: Best stay in place design for running and sports
• Lets in some air and sound for ear breathability and personal saftey
• Ultra lightweight extended wear comfort for gaming and active sports
• Sonxtronic extra high performance magnetic drivers deliver great sound

SONXTRONIC WHITE ICE Xdr-8001 Vertical in Ear Ultralight Headband Headphones

• Ultra comfort vertical headphones ( with in ear comfort design and smooth surfaces )
• Vertical in ear headphones have best stay in place design for serious running and sports
• Lets in some air and sound for ear breathability and personal saftey
• Ultra lightweight extended wear comfort for gaming and active sports ( mdr-w08l style)
• Sonxtronic extra high performance magnetic drivers deliver great sound

Sony MDRAS200 Active Sports Headphones (Black)

• Lightweight clip-on headphones for active lifestyles
• Loop hanger for secure fitting
• Water-resistant design prevents sweat from leaking in1
• 13.5 mm high sensitivity drivers for premium sound
• Angled earbud structure for stable fitting