[travisl12]

As an Acoustic Consultant turned Developer I have to stress that from the perspective of "noise" alone, open plan offices are detrimental to concentration. I define concentration as time spent without interruptions.

Even the use of headphones, can in a sense, be a distraction. Music being played too loud creates stress in the body, and if you are trying to listen to music to drown out a busy office then chances are you are not increasing concentration by much (if any).

As an Acoustician I visited many tech open plan offices who wanted to hear suggestions on quieting down conversations, and phones ringing. And I always laughed to myself at this because the best suggestion is to build walls! Cubicles help, but generally only the kind with the 6-8ft walls.

As a developer these days, I honestly feel that working from home can be much more productive than the office because it is peace and quiet.

Quiet is good for me as a developer.