Noise-Cancel Culture

Disclaimer: I partnered with Best Buy and Sony to promote their noise-canceling headphones, but all opinions and whining about my kids are my own.

I spend a lot of time wearing headphones.

On my commute to work, when I work at my desk, when I’m writing, when I’m mowing the lawn, when I’m emptying the dishwasher, I even used to go to sleep with my headphones in.Music is life. Podcasts are pretty good too. (Check out the latest episode of mine!)

Basically, I prefer to listen to things besides the noise of the street, or the strangers standing next to me on the subway, or the people in my home asking me for snacks and shows and toys.

That’s why I love my new noise-cancelling headphones. 

I’ve had a lot of different headphones and earbuds over the years, but I’d never had noise-cancelling ones. And now I have two!

Sort of.

I procured two sets of Sony noise-canceling headphones: a pair of big, over-the-ear ones and a pair of earbuds. I gave the earbuds to Mom and Buried because it’s her birthday next week (not that she’ll accept this as part of her contingent of birthday gifts don’t be crazy. These are just “extras.” Can you feel my eye-roll?).

Their official names are “Sony True Wireless In-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones” (the earbuds) and “Sony Wireless Noise Canceling Extra Bass Headphones” (the big over-the-ear ones). The trend lately is toward the buds, and while I like them – they’re super-portable, small, and unobtrusive, they have a cool little carrying case that doubles as a quick-charger – I’ve long been looking for a good pair of headphones that cover my ears. Because I wanted to shut out the outside world!

Now I have them, and they’re noise-cancelling to boot, and I love them. I’m especially going to appreciate them as we head into the winter months here in NYC, where they’ll double as earmuffs!

They have all sorts of bells and whistles – they’re wireless, Bluetooth, they hold a 30-hour charge, they have easy to use volume, song, and call control, there’s voice activation, and the built-in microphone sounds great – but the key for me is the silence. Well, the silence beyond what I’m listening to.

When you have a long subway commute and are surrounded by boisterous New Yorkers, being able to shut everything out and immerse yourself in the Dad and Buried podcast (no, I don’t listen and laugh along to my own podcast, what kind of lunatic would do that?) is essential to maintaining your sanity.

When you’re a parent to two unruly children who are constantly bickering and begging you for things, being able to shut everything out and immerse yourself in the new Bob Dylan Bootleg Series album is crucial to maintaining your composure. These new headphones deliver on both counts.

I mean, look how happy I am!

Sometimes I’ll even where them without playing any music at all, just to give myself a little peace and quiet. With my kids’ sibling rivalry in full swing, it’s not easy to come by these days.


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