Bose QC35 Noise Reducing Headphones and Woodworking Machinery

[Steve-Rice]

I've been curious about noise reducing headphones and how effective they might be with woodworking machinery.  As it turns out, I read this week that Bose just came out with their latest model, the QC 35, so I decided to read a few on-line reviews of this new product.  All the reviews I read gave the QC 35's very high marks.  Apparently, Bose is considered to have the best noise canceling technology and supposedly, the QC 35's are the best of the best. So having absolutely no previous exposure to noise canceling headphones, I decided to give the QC 35's a try.

I tried the headphones with my ETS EC 150/3 and my CT26. I have no idea if my expectations were realistic or not, but I have to say I was somewhat disappointed with the noise canceling effect.  Without music, I could clearly hear the machinery.  The noise canceling effect was a little less effective than my SensGard SG-31 hearing protection which I typically use. But of course, the SensGard cannot play music.  With music, I became less aware of the remaining machinery noise as I turned up the volume, but at low volume or soft musical passages, that ambient noise was still there. Naturally, it was most obvious during the pause between songs.

The sound quality of the music itself was, however, very satisfying. Admittedly, I am not an expert on sound quality, but I was very happy with the QC 35's in that regard. The wireless bluetooth works quite well and was extremely easy to pair with my iPhone.

Again, I have no idea if my expectation were unrealistic, but at $374.50 including tax, I was hoping for more.  I believe I get a very similar listening experience with my LG bluetooth ear buds under over the ear hearing protection, so I'm considering returning the QC 35's.

Does anyone have any other relevant experiences with noise canceling technology? Is there something better out there than Bose products? How do others listen to music while working with machinery?

Thanks.

 

[six-point socket]

Hi!

I think the short answer is that those are not meant to be used around machinery or the like. They are supposed to cancel/reduce noise when using public transportation (subway, bus, train, airplane...) and when sitting in stations, airports and the like. Nothing of that comes close to running machines in a workshop. And, they're also not hearing protection - they're headphones.

Bose is kind of an industry leader when it comes to noise canceling technology, but I can't stand their "sound" - I'm more of a "monitor" headphones guy.

Personally I have mixed feelings about the distraction by music that sits directly in/over my ear while working - but if I was going to do that, and if I wanted a quality sound experience I'd go with in-ear buds from Shure and custom molding (otoplastik). Again, that is not hearing protection.

Personally, when working I have a job site radio running - and when using machinery I concentrate on that and don't want/need to hear music.

For hearing protection I chose 3M Peltor products. They do make professional noise canceling communication-headsets, I don't know if you can hook them up to a stereo/iDevice... But that would be another industry leader

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[Steve-Rice]

Thanks, Oliver.  I appreciate your feedback,

Steve

 

[junk731]

I don't think its the job of any noise canceling headphone to completely remove all noise just to quiet it enough for protection. That said I don't like the sound of the Bose units especially for the price but did opt for the new Samsung Level pro BT wireless. They let enough ambient sound in while working so you can hear problems and sound good. I bought them just for shop use and the occasional bit of air travel. They're for the mundane days that involve a lot sanding. I use a Note 4 currently and with the pairing have had no issues.

John

 

[Holmz]

Noise cancelling is active. Other blocking units are passive.
Ideally both would be best, but that would likely be active after the passive.
There is a bandwidth that the active part works over, so some noise will come through and more at the higher frequencies.

Secondly noise blocking cuts out somewhere in the 20-35 dB range. And this is even for whispers through to jet engines.

Active cancellation peaks out somewhere in the 100dB(A) area.so anything loader will not be cancelled. So 110dB of machinery - 100dB (cancellation) is ~109DB.

Ear muffs with music drivers, and foam plugs in the ears work well.
Or in-ear drivers, with muffs.
Or foam in-ear and muffs that have an amplying switch like the Dillon jobs.

 

[Stephen B]

In the Untidy Shop I use Sthill Professional ear muffs - no music, no noise cancellation - just very efficient noise protection.

On the mower I use one of two ear muff radio sets, one is an Hasqvanna FM model. Great radio, not so efficient at noise cancelation. The other set, cheep Chinese made from a hardware/big box store (the Doggy one if you are Aussie), has AM/FM and active noise cancellation. These I like.

 

[grbmds]

Like others said, while Bose is clearly on the top end of noise cancelling headphones, they don't cut out sufficient sound to be considered hearing protection. Just that alone makes them unsuitable for the shop. Protect your hearing first and get the music second.

When mowing the lawn, I have used regular wired in-ear buds with over-ear hearing protection muffs and that cuts the noise to the appropriate level (although not as good as ear plugs). However, bluetooth in-ear buds don't work well this way as the muffs tend to at least periodically block the bluetooth signal. This has always been the downside for bluetooth for me; maintaining an uninterrupted connection to the source.

I also think that music tends to distract too much from the task at hand. The priorities are safety, hearing protection, and elimination of errors in the work. So, while it's nice to listen to music I do that when I'm not using machinery and doing tasks that don't require my undivided attention in the shop.

 

[Stephen B]

. . .

When mowing the lawn, . . . .

I also think that music tends to distract too much from the task at hand.

The priorities are safety, hearing protection, and elimination of errors in the work. So, while it's nice to listen to music I do that when I'm not using machinery and doing tasks that don't require my undivided attention in the shop.

[size=13pt]But without music how does one dance with the Zero Turn mower around and between the trees?  [smile]

On the mower I find music actually allows me to feel as one with the mower and the task at hand. In the shop however, I have background music down low, as this allows for better concentration on difficult or intricate tasks. However if I am in for a long sanding session, the volume goes up so I can hear the shop radio whilst still wearing the ear muffs.
[size=8pt]
[member=19734]grbmds[/member]

 

[grbmds]

[size=8pt]

[size=13pt]But without music how does one dance with the Zero Turn mower around and between the trees?  [smile]

Music on the mower is definitely a plus and, since it's a rather mindless, repetitive task, doesn't distract me. Thus, I do listen to music many times. Never tried "dancing" between and around trees, though, but will try it next time. Music in the shop, though, is not really for me as I've made a few mistakes measuring because I was listening rather than concentrating.

 

[McNally Family]

[size=13pt]In the Untidy Shop I use Sthill Professional ear muffs - no music, no noise cancellation - just very efficient noise protection.

This is exactly what I use in the shop, and they work!  We also use them when mowing because we use a diesel engine mower and if you don't use hearing protection, your ears will be ringing when your done.

I do like the BOSE when I am walking however, but keep in mind, your sweat will disintegrate the cushion pads over time (the local BOSE store will sell you a replacement set).

 

[Holmz]

. . .

When mowing the lawn, . . . .

I also think that music tends to distract too much from the task at hand.

The priorities are safety, hearing protection, and elimination of errors in the work. So, while it's nice to listen to music I do that when I'm not using machinery and doing tasks that don't require my undivided attention in the shop.

[size=13pt]But without music how does one dance with the Zero Turn mower around and between the trees?  [smile]

On the mower I find music actually allows me to feel as one with the mower and the task at hand. In the shop however, I have background music down low, as this allows for better concentration on difficult or intricate tasks. However if I am in for a long sanding session, the volume goes up so I can hear the shop radio whilst still wearing the ear muffs.
[size=8pt]
[member=19734]grbmds[/member]

Not everyone appreciate bluegrass

 

[live4ever]

For hearing protection I like many woodworkers use the 3M Peltor 105 earmuffs.  These are cheap (currently $18 on AMZ but can be had for less during sales), provide a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 30 db (difficult to get much higher for anything close to the price range), and are basic but reasonably comfortable.  They effectively dampen just about any loud sound you might generate in the shop, but also allow you to hear quieter sounds (e.g. you forgot to take off the muffs and someone is calling your name).  There are many muffs that are more expensive (possibly due to fancier headbands) but have lower NRRs.

When I absolutely need music, I just wear earbuds (with the wire running under my topmost layer) under the muffs.

 

[Sparktrician]

I use these Howard Leight earmuffs.  You can connect up an iPod or smartphone via cable.  No Bluetooth, sorry to say.  30 dB noise reduction; clips ambient noise at 82 dB; built-in microphones so you can hear colleagues or machinery without removing them.  They're not Bose audio quality, but quite serviceable.

 

[grbmds]

The best NRR are the Spark Plugs foam earplugs. I use those when I use the planer, table saw, and jointer with my dust collector. The NRR is 32. They are relatively cheap but not, of course, reusable. I have the Pelter muffs and some other things which are easy to take on and off for the lower noise producers like my Festool vac and power tools. So far, the only way to listen to music while using hearing protection is with wired earbud or ear muffs as indicated but [member=7493]Sparktrician[/member]. Bluetooth has not given consistent performance based on my trials to this point. Still think the best is not to distract yourself while using power tools.

 

[bglenden]

Sorry for reviving an old thread, but this is the one that shows up on google.

I actually find the QC35's are incredibly good for some machines (to the extent that I'm not sure if they are on without looking, potential safety hazard), and not so good for others. Presumably this depends on whether the noise output of the machine is in the range that the active noise cancellation is tuned for or not (airplanes I imagine).

Bose Aviation headsets are very well regarded. I don't know if the noise reduction specs are the same as for the consumer units or not, but have made a personal decision that they are OK for the shop (I can't find any actual data by googling). My main concern is whether dust will kill them - time will tell!

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I use these Howard Leight earmuffs.  You can connect up an iPod or smartphone via cable.  No Bluetooth, sorry to say.  30 dB noise reduction; clips ambient noise at 82 dB; built-in microphones so you can hear colleagues or machinery without removing them.  They're not Bose audio quality, but quite serviceable.

I have the Bose ones that aren't wireless.  Great for constant low-frequency noise.  They work well in the office to cut out the AC and other ambient machine noise.  Music is required to cut out some people talking.  They are not hearing protection.

I've tried Sordin headphones in the shop (briefly).  You can hear well, and when you use a tool like the Kapex, it clips the peak at 80 dB.  Music performance is horrible.

I currently use Plantronics Back Beat Fits or a wired headphone under a 3M hearing protector.  The advantage of the Plantronics ones is that you can conveniently pause your music when your family members come up and start talking to you.

 

[pixelated]

I began wearing the Bose noise canceling earbuds on my motorcycle during the summer. Even though they are not meant to be hearing protection devices, my (and others) impression is that they are more effective than wearing ear plugs. When the active noise cancellation is turned on the effect is almost magical, the wind noise that makes it through is slight, and the engine noise is reduced to almost nothing as well. What I have is the wired version and I didn't use them connected to anything.

I've not tried them in a workshop though, I did try them once when mowing with my lawn tractor, they worked, but I think ear plugs or muffs do just as well or perhaps better in that setting. The over-the-ear-type that are wireless would probably be better than my earbuds in a workshop, but those don't fit under a helmet very well.

 

[Jimmy FineCut]

I use the Bose sound link ae2 wireless over ear headphones with built in bluetooth in the workshop and love them.

Connected to both my sound system and iPhone they work great, meaning I don't miss calls, messages and I can work and chat on the phone at the same time!

They are not the sound cancelling ones, but still do take the edge off the machine or tool. And in fact I still like to be able to hear and think it good to still be able to hear the tool or machine.

One of the best buys I made last year  [big grin]

[attachimg=1]

 

[miclee15]

For those looking for something with the best fit, go to your local hearing aid store (not a chain) and get a set of custom moulded ones.  I use the ones by Westone and I can wear these all day and forget they are in my ear.  I tried the foams, but just found they never fit or would fall out of my ear at the worst time.  You can get them in all sorts of colors too.  I have a orange pair I use for sporting clays and clear when I'm wood working or doing anything else around the house...like the girls yelling at each other to get out of the bathroom.....

 

[Kodi Crescent]

Would you mind letting us know what the ballpark cost was?  I looked into this and I thought they were in the > $1k per pair range.  Am I misinformed?