Over the ear high decibel noise isolation

Question

I am looking for some over-the-ear noise canceling headphones that can deal with really loud environments. I work in a lab/server room with high noise levels. I often listen to music or audio books as I work, and would need to wear them for several hours at a time.

As far as I can tell, most are built for more diverse sounding but relatively quiet environments like an office or public space, not for loud constant white-noise. For this situation, it may be better to call it noise isolation rather than noise canceling. Any other Tech/Developer/Engineers found a good pair for similar situations?

I wear earplugs when I'm not listening to music but regular in-ear or over-ear headphones don't give me enough attenuation to protect my hearing. I have tried using the Walker Razor which are great for attenuation but get uncomfortable for long periods and have disappointing sound quality. I even got desperate enough to try fitting my headphones into some disposable earplugs... I would love to hear any suggestions!

Answer 1

Look at aviation headsets. A lot of small airplanes have big engines (compared to cars at least) with no exhaust treatment whatsoever, close to the cockpit, running at high power for long periods of time. Seems pretty close to what you're dealing with.

Most headsets nowadays have additional connections for a phone and/or computer. I got one to use in industrial manufacturing plants, so I could connect my phone to it and call for help while standing next to the thing that's acting up.

Two well-known brands in the aviation industry:

• https://www.davidclarkcompany.com/
• https://www.lightspeedaviation.com/

And a generic google search:

• https://www.google.com/search?q=aviation+headset