Employee productivity

Have you tried noise cancelling headphones to boost productivity?

Posted on 18. Feb, 2009 by admin in Employee productivity tips

We all know the days of the closed office door are gone… collaborative working environments (oh – and $£ per sq ft) call for open plan spaces. People are encouraged to shout questions across the office and to stop emailing each other… cellphones are winning the day over landlines because of the convenience factor and so ringtones get quite interesting.

Are we painting the picture of your office – the perfect collaborative envronment, WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE THE ABILITY TO THINK!! Peace and quiet is also essential to the perfect collaborative environment, or nobody will get anything done you can even vaguely start to collaborate on.

So how do you balance this all up? Have you ever considered noise cancelling headphones? Those who’ve used them will never go back and the good news is that they are becoming cheaper over time.

There are three recommended pairs to try in different price ranges below. If you’re the boss – why not put in a bulk order and watch your employee productivity increase…

Bose Quiet Comfort 3 (high end)

As you would expect from anything from Bose, the build-quality is very high and the leather they use is incredibly soft. The only drawback, a minor one, is that the unit uses a proprietary rechargeable battery which if you are using the phones whilst travelling, it makes an in-air battery change impossible. When fully charged, the battery will last for 20 hours.

Find out more here (UK customers)

Find out more here (US customers)

ATH-ANC7 Noise Cancelling Headphones (mid-range)

With excellent sound quality and above average noise cancellation, these are high quality headphones for a reasonable price tag. They have comfortable leather cushioning around the ear and can be worn for long periods of time without discomfort. There is a large carrying case but with one detachable wire making them easy to take on and off. The noise cancellation switch is conveniently located on the left earphone, making it easy to turn on and off. The sound quality is far superior when the noise cancellation is turned on.

Find out more here (UK customers)

Find out more here (US customers)

Plane Quiet Platinum (low end)

Don’t be put off by the Plane tag – these headphones are also great in the office. The large size and leather that surrounds your ears makes the Plane Quiet Platinum extremely comfortable. The sound quality is above average with a nice balance between the bass and higher sounds.  The noise-cancellation switch is large and located on the cord, which is a bit of a design floor – but at this price, not the end of the world…

Buy from here

Related articles

• Hitachi Maxell iPod-Only Noise-Canceling Headphones Don’t Need Batteries [Headphones] (gizmodo.com)
• Ask Engadget: Best noise-canceling headphones? (engadget.com)
• Sony unveils five new audio accessories: headphones, speakers and remote (engadget.com)

Tags: employee productivity, Noise-cancelling headphones