[PabloR]

Thanks for your reply. I agree with your "library voices" concept and I'm very respectful in regards to keeping volume down and minimal duration if there was a need for a chat. The issue is when others are not and you have no control over it, making it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

[db48x]

Agreed, that type of cultural change takes time, and is particularly difficult if you're a newcomer.

In the mean time, get some nice headphones. I second the recommendation of the HD-280s; they're great. Note that over-the-ear headphones come in both open-ear and closed-ear varieties; the former don't provide any isolation (they're designed to let you keep your situational awareness, which is often desirable).