I tried a set of in ear noise protectors but found they were set to cut off noises above 75db, meaning I got to listen to the continuous noise of my machine at that level. Not quite what I had in mind. Somehow, when I’m operating my other machines, the sound doesn’t bother me as much, probably because I have a sense of control over it but also because I’m monitoring the sound for bogging down or other problems. However ,the CNC and vacuum combo is just a continuous loud drone over which I have no control and I find it quite aggravating after a while. Any ideas other than earplugs which is what I’m using now?
I have a 3 layers of protection. Enclosure for the machine, disposable ear plugs and then over ear hearing protection. There are the 3M blue tooth hearing devices that cut out the sound while letting you listen to music. Though if I want to do that, I just use a pair of wireless ear buds and turn on the ANC and then put on my over ear protection.
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I use the “3M WorkTunes Connect” full-size Bluetooth headphones (~$60 from Home Depot) and have been really happy with them. I connect to my phone, or my laptop sitting on my workbench, for listening to music or podcasts. Or sometimes not listening to anything at all. They are very comfortable to me, wearing them most if not all day, and have an almost all day battery life.
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I use Bose Qquite Comfort 35 over the ear noise cancelling headphones. Bose is quite adamant that they aren’t ‘hearing protection’, but the simple reality is that 1. They block almost 100% of low pitched noise and 50-60%ish of high pitched noise. My ears do not ring after a shop session wearing them. If I don’t wear them…ouch. They are great BT headphones as well. So good, in fact, that if my wife wants to get my attention she blinks the over head lights a few times as a signal.
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Airpods Pro have been the best for me because I can switch between noise-canceling and transparency modes very quickly. My machine runs at about 85 dB during a cut so not super comfortable without protection. Also, you can listen to some music or a podcast while using them.
I have used them every day since purchasing them 3 years ago.
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I switched from the trim router to a spindle, and a small dust collector unit instead of a shop vac. Way quieter overall. 
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I have had a 3M G500 harness prior to owner a 1F and I continue to be happy with it.
It’s comfortable, has good ear protection and I like the option of a face shield for other jobs in the workshop (as a teenager, I had an accident while removing nails that made quite an impression).
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Hey Mike, a spindle and Fein vacuum would be wonderful but A/ way out of my price range and B/ I run my whole shop on one 120V extension cord. I can’t power up two machines at the same time or heat my shop with electricity and certainly don’t have enough power for a VFD and spindle.
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Hi Charles.
Understood, it’s not a solution for everyone, hence the winky face in my post.
Actually it isn’t a solution for the noise, but a benefit 
My other hearing protection “fix” for the saws and routers is to turn my hearing aids all the way down- works(for me) similar to inexpensive ear plugs.
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Gotcha Mike, although I’d like to find a better solution for myself before I need some hearing aids myself.
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I use these Isotunes Bluetooth earmuffs. I can listen to the radio or watch TV while I babysit the machine.
There are sometimes discount codes for these on YouTube, from Stumpy Nubs or other content creators.
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iJoy Bluetooth Headphones Over Ear, Wireless and Wired Foldable Headset Built-in Microphone, FM, Micro SD Card Slot - (Orange) Adults Kids Men Women
$22.00 on amazon… they work great and the spring tension doen not hurt my ears after 3 to 4 hrs of use.
Cant speak for longer use dont get more than 4 hrs running my CNC in a day
Rechargable so no batteries to replace and charge lasts days for me
These appear to just be wireless headphones, not hearing protectors. No ANSI Noise Reduction Rating listed, no mention of it being OSHA-compliant hearing protection. One reviewer stated you can clearly hear outside noises with them on. Personally, I wouldn’t trust my hearing to these. In my younger years I was not so careful protecting my hearing, and have a bit of tinnitus. Believe me, it’s not something you want to live with.
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The ‘hearing just a bit of the noise’ part was got me to start this thread. Already wake up most mornings listening to the high pitched whine of ( I’m assuming ) titinitus. The ear buds I was using before had a cut- off of 75db so none of the higher ,louder sounds around the shop but the continuous drone of all the sounds at that level were irritating. So I guess what I’m wondering is…is there anything that cuts out ALL the noise outside but allows me to hear phone calls and maybe even listen to some decent music while I’m at it.
Ever consider https://www.decibullz.com ? They’re custom earplugs that you mold at home. Anyone ever try these?
Using Bose noise cancelling headphones, they are pretty good and quite comfortable, wish the level of noise cancelling could be increased.
Tinnitus: On a fast train in England, sat beside an audiologist and had a long interesting discussion with him, one of the topics was tinnitus, he told me that the brain’s plasticity allows your brain to rewire itself to ignore the tinnitus.
Personally have had tinnitus but these days seldom notice it.
I would imagine that a good hypnotherapist could help one get past the problem.
The simplest thing, and something I used for a long time, is just use some earphones, and then wear some noise-protection earmuffs over those. I got a little tired of dealing with the wire so I got the Isotunes with a discount code.
Note that noise-cancelling headphones are designed for ambient noise reduction like on airplanes, and not for protection against dangerous noises. The technology mainly works for lower frequencies.
I had same issue and first bought a new Dewalt shop vac that is noticeably better than the old Craftsman. I recently upgraded my dust collector to a 3hp 3 phase unit but power off 220v single phase with a VFD. This allows me to run it at 20hz and the noise is way less than 60db (using phone app). I put on the hepa cartridge filter from Onieda and have been super happy with performance and reduced noise level since. Can always crank up the suction and noise level on other machines but rarely use above 40hz.
It just happens that my wife went to Audiologist about 3 weeks ago to get hearing aid for my mom. The Audiologist told her that most people just protect the inner ear by using the ear plugs, but it was equally as important to protect the outer ear from the loud noises and vibrations. He recommended to use the ear muffs that completely cover the ears along with the part right behind the ears. So I would say that @Swick has the best solution. I’ll start using at least the ear plugs and ear muffs instead of just using the ear plugs.
I addressed this problem in couple of ways - 1) Replaced Dewalt Shop Vacuum with a proper dust collector system from Harvey (G700) 2) This allowed me to move it away from the machine so distance lowered to noise level, 3) G700 allows to lower the airflow and since I at most times use one machine I can run this at the lowest setting for most part which keeps the noise-level ver low, 4) finally, I use Bose’s noise-cancelling over the ear headphones.
All of these combined have been very helpful, and let me in the shop while router is doing its job. Prior to having new dust collector, I relied on the camera to keep an eye and will go in occasionally to check the finer details.