Loop Quiet Noise Reduction Earplugs“They're better than nothing if you're in a situation with a trigger sound and you can't get away from it, but they really don't do all that much. I'd say have them in your arsenal but don't count on them making a huge difference.
(for comparison, my biggest triggers at the moment are open mouth chewing, frequent throat clearing, frequent coughing or sniffling, snorting, and a particularly creaky printer)”
Apple AirPods Max“I did not actually buy these because I don't have Apple products, which you need in order to use them. However, I did do lots of research on noise cancelling headphones when deciding to buy so I just thought I'd let y'all know that for just use alone, it did sound like these were the best on the market. Most effective noise cancellation, most neat features of using the headphone, and super comfortable. Also definitely the most expensive. If you can afford them and you have an iPhone and/or other Apple products to use these with, I'd so go ahead and decide on these babies. If not, I landed on the Bose QC45 and am very happy with that decision.”
Sony WH1000XM4/B Headphones“TLDR: For long term wear, the Sony's were way too uncomfortable. I exchanged them for the Bose QC45. I think the noise cancelling of the Bose is slightly better and they're much more comfortable for me to wear all day at work.
FULL REVIEW: After doing a ton of research about budget and advanced tech, these are the headphones I decided to buy. They were in my running against the Bose QC45, but I picked these because based on said research they were supposed to be pretty much the same but the Sony's come with a more useful app. What ended up happening is that I personally was disappointed in them, for my specific needs. I needed to be able to wear them for a consistent 9 hours while at work to block out consistent coughing, throat clearing, sniffling, and my creaky printer. It like, sort of dulled those things but didn't really cancel them out. I know that any noise cancelling isn't going to 100% get rid of sound, but I guess I was still expecting more than what it gave. I will say, the bonus functions of these headphones are really cool. They automatically change to aware/ambient mode if I stand up and move around or if I start talking to someone, and it has a lot of controls just from tapping or sliding your finger on the ear cup as opposed to buttons, but really, all those things are just a convenience and not a necessity when your main concern is getting through the work day with your misophonia minimally disturbed. They became sooo uncomfortable on my head and neck, to the point where it ached and I had to take pain medicine, and yes I did give it a few days worth of trial, not just one. If you're like me, go for the Bose QC line instead for comfort alone. (I also read great things about the comfort and function of the Apple headphones but those are more expensive and you need to have lots of Apple products to make that worth while).
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