[daemoncoder]

One doesn't actually have to listen to anything through the headphones. I've used noise cancelling without music in the past.

I also have a set of earbud rubber thingies that have been stoppered with hot glue and a short piece of hollow lolly stick. Those fit better (don't feel itchy after long periods) and provide more isolation than the squishy yellow ear protectors.

[Arizhel]

Nose canceling headphones don't work for blocking conversations.

[chinathrow]

Not all, but some achieve very nice results.

E.g. Bose Quiet Comfort 20 are indeed good also for blocking more quiet conversations.

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Acoustic-Cancelling...

[Arizhel]

The only way NC headphones block conversations is because they are also acoustically isolating. That is, they would block conversations even with the NC feature turned off. The headphones you link to look like this: they're basically earplugs with headphones built in. Earplugs block conversations because they physically block sound waves from entering your ears. The same principle works with the big over-the-ear cans. It's not the NC feature that's helping, it's the fact that the headphones themselves are isolating your ears from the outside world.

[chinathrow]

I own them so I can assure that having them plugged in without NC does not block conversation voices. Turn them on and they are gone or way quieter.

Edit due to downrate: I own or owned multiple over ear medium size NC models and the mentioned in'ear ones win by large.

[Arizhel]

Hmm, interesting. I wonder if it's because they fit in the ear, rather than sitting outside like more traditional headphones. This would allow them to cancel noise at higher frequencies since the driver-to-eardrum distance is smaller.

Have you used other, more traditional can-type NC headphones? Can you compare?

[chinathrow]

I edited my previous comment to address your questions.

[kdamken]

Agreed - there's a big difference between having it on and off.