This is a list of headphones for misophonia, added to be sufferers of the disorder. This list will be updated regularly. These headphones are in no particular order, and feature the view of the submitter. Please do send in your own headphone review if you have a pair that you believe are amazing. Headphones and earbuds will be included on this page.
Lower End Headphones for Misophonia
Bluedio Wireless Headphones
Price Range: Low-Mid
Where To Buy: Amazon
I mentioned these headphones in my article, “The Tools I Use To Cope With Misophonia“, and while I am still on the market for new headphones, I still maintain that Bluedio are a great value for their lower-end price.
Here’s a confession. I’ve never found the perfect pair of headphones for my misophonia.
Actually, I’m not really sure one exists but I am always willing to find solutions. I’ve bought, sold, and gave away so many pairs. These ones are pretty good, though. They’re bluetooth compatible with most devices, wireless, and very easy to switch the song and volume by clicking buttons on the right earpiece.
By Post Author
Samsung Phone Earbuds
Price Range: Low
Where To Buy: Amazon
This suggestion comes from Rachel’s article, “Earplug & Headphone Suggestions by Rachel“. So far, the most comfortable, and noise canceling headphones I have come across, are ones that have the plastic cup buds. They are lightweight, and can even be slept in, if small enough. They can come with a mic, so if you are on your phone, you can still answer calls. They are usually sold at dollar stores, and I would recommend getting the cheaper ones. No matter how expensive it is, with the amount of times a Misophone has to use it, and the frustration that usually comes with having to, they are bound to break often.
By Rachel
Avantree 40 hr Wireless / Wired Bluetooth 4.0 Over-the-Ear Headphones
Price Range: Low-Mid
Where To Buy: Amazon
For the lower to middle end of the price-range, I am rather impressed by these Avantree headphones. Firstly, they hold their charge quite well, despite only being charged now and then. Most importantly, they are comfortable, and the sound is not abrasive. While they do not have the same blocking coverage as the higher end Bose, they are certainly more reliable than the other cheap options on the list. An added bonus is that they are capable of both Bluetooth and Aux. Therefore, if you’re trapped without a bluetooth device, you can still quickly plug your headphones in. I’ve used these grocery shopping, and the range was so great that when I accidentally walked away from my mother who had the cart, I got coverage through half a store.
By Post Author
Sol-Republic Relays Sport Ear-buds
Where To Buy: Amazon
Great product. It works really well to block out sounds. They are frequently on sale, too. The sound quality is pretty good too. I give it 4/5 stars.
Submitted by Hayden
Sony NC-7 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Price Range: Low
*Where To Buy: Ebay (United States, Canada)
*These headphones may be hard to find, but they’re being added in the off-chance people can find second-hand or in-store.
It says on the package that these are “ideal for travel” and offer an “87.4% Ambient Noise Reduction.” It’s not perfect but it is better than a lot of so-called noise canceling headphones out there. These come with a sliding on/off button for times when you want or don’t want noise canceling. When I have the button on I cannot hear anything except what is playing through the headphones. What I like about the headphones besides the fact that they’re great on buses, trains and planes is that they are collapsible and not bulky like other headsets. They take one AAA battery and come with a plug adaptor to plug into a dual jack or stereo jack. Mine also came with a soft black carrying pouch for storage. You can also buy a hard case for these separately. The ear pads can make your ears sweaty in the summer, but can be replaced, and the headphones may stop working after continuous usage, but it usually takes years for that to happen unless you don’t take care of them. The headband may pinch your neck so take precautions. Sony discontinued this model several years ago but you can still get them on eBay or Amazon. I like sales so I try to get two pairs at once. These come in black but I believe I have seen then in white. They are pretty good at blocking out sounds like tapping and clicking and mute sharper sounds like gum popping provided you have white or pink noise playing.
Submitted by Shaye
AblePlanet Wired Headphones
Price Range: Low
*Where To Buy: Ebay (United States, Canada)
*These headphones may be hard to find, but they’re being added in the off-chance people can find second-hand or in-store.
When I was Princess Auto (a Canadian retail chain specializing in farm, industrial, garage, hydraulics and surplus items), I found these headphones. On an impulse, I bought them. I had no headphones with me, and I wanted the car ride to be more favourable. I didn’t have high hopes for them, but they’re surprisingly sound resistant. Like the Sony headphones above, these are no longer stocked in stores, but you can find them on Ebay. I find these headphones rather comfortable (almost all headphones hurt my ears) and have lasted me a few years of regular use. They also have a dial on them where I can easily adjust the volume.
By Post Author
Higher End Headphones for Misophonia
Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones
Where To Buy: Amazon
Beats Studio3 are the closest I get to a safe place. For various issues, TV is the one thing that relaxes me but, unfortunately, we have ridiculously loud neighbors and very thin walls. I found a wireless transmitter that allows me to hear the TV through my headphones, blocking out the world around me. Additionally, if I want to read a book, the headphones connect to my meditation app on my phone that provides the sounds of rain or the ocean to make the distractions disappear. The headphones are very comfortable and hold a good charge for hours. I did have to replace my first pair after about a year, but that could have been a fluke. Overall, pricey but worth it for the sound security.
Submitted by Sara
Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Headphones
Where To Buy: Amazon
I have several fancy/expensive sets of headphones, but these are by far my favorite! The Bose 35’s (my 2nd favorite) are too big for my head and flop around if I have to lean forward or bend over, but these Skullcandy Crusher Wireless headphones fit perfectly. They aren’t as noise cancelling as Bose, but that’s better for me in social situations because I can hear normal conversation without hearing background trigger noises. I also like that I don’t have to download an app to make these work, they connect to my phone with Bluetooth automatically. These headphones are durable and fold up small enough to easily fit in my purse. I like that they are wireless because I don’t have to worry about the cord getting tangled or caught. They do have a place for a cord if you prefer having a cord. Sometimes I use the cord to connect to machines at the gym.
Submitted By Amanda
Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Noise Canceling Headphones
Where To Buy: Amazon
The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 (II) are kind of heavy, especially if you are used to earbuds. The style is around-the-ear. I use them because I think they are very good at noise canceling.
They also reproduce music well, and are not bass-heavy like beats, which I don’t like. I find that I can wear them for hours, while earbuds irritate me in less than an hour. I wear them everywhere, around my neck. I don’t care if I look nerdy. Being able to wear them when someone triggers me makes it worth it. My wireless range is about 20 feet. I recharge every night. The earphones still say 100 percent charged even if not used for a few days.
Submitted by Sondheim
Bose QuietComfort 25 (QC 25)
Price Range: High
Where To Buy: Amazon
I love the Bose QC25s. They are very very similar to the 35’s, the newest model from Bose, however their are slight differences. One being, the 25’s have replaceable batteries, whereas the 35’s have an internal irreplaceable single battery that needs to be charged for the noise cancelling to work. These batteries in the 35’s last slightly more than 10 hours or so which suits most people and is great for the office and travelling to and from work. However, for extended use; i.e. on a plane trip from Sydney to Los Angeles, which is > 20 hours; this simply will not do. And is why for me at least, the QC 25’s reign supreme. Another difference, is the 35’s have built in BlueTooth, where as the 25’s don’t. There are third party bluetooth adapters for the 25’s if you need it that badly, and still require > 10 hours of battery use at a time. Otherwise; this would be the only downside I see to the 25’s. Is having to have the cord in your way, especially when working at a crowded desk.
Submitted by Rowan
Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Price Range: High
Where To Buy: Amazon
The Bose QuietComfort 20 earbuds are sound cancelling and they simply block out almost everything. Especially if you are watching tv or playing music through them. But even just with noise cancelling turned on they are incredible! They are very snug and come with 3 different size buds. I try not to sleep with them in so I don’t break the wires. But the few times I have slept with them in they don’t hurt too much, maybe only a little, but if it assists with aiding misophonia I can deal with a little uncomfortable-ness. They have an expensive price tag, but as a sufferer, truly believe they are worth it
Submitted by Camilla
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.
Price Range: High
Where To Buy: Amazon
I liked these headphones so much at work, I wound up getting a second pair for home. Insulation is very good even if you’re not playing any sound. If you play music, it sounds great.
Pay attention to the Ohm rating and make sure it’s the right one for how you’re going to use them. I use 32 Ohm for just plugging into my computer.
I would encourage anyone to read about the different types of headphones, especially the difference between “noise-cancelling” and “noise-isolating.” I find the latter to be far better for misophonia mitigation purposes.
Submitted by Dean
Rowkin Bit Charge Wireless Earbuds
Where To Buy: Amazon
If you need discreet headphones, these tiny wireless headphones are amazing! In situations that require cover up noise, but not socially appropriate to wear headphones, these barely noticeable ear pieces are the next best thing to hearing aid sound generators that cost a lot of money. Unfortunately the battery only lasts about 2 hours, but they recharge quickly and the carry case is the charger. The carry case charger doubles as a backup phone battery, and can recharge the headphones or a phone 2-3 times before needing to be plugged in to fully recharge. I seriously love these tiny in ear headphones for work situations when I can’t use my favorite over the ear headphones. They cover sounds extremely well, so well that I usually only use one ear at a time.
Submitted By Amanda
I’d like to thank all the people willing to share their headphones with us, and generous enough to submit!
Some other awesome options: