SoundOff Earplugs Review for Snoring

SoundOff Earplugs Review

There’s nothing worse than having your peaceful slumber interrupted by the deafening rumble of a snorer. You can ask the snorer to roll over, or use a special pillow, or seek medical treatment. Or, you may find refuge in another room. There is a lot of technology trying to reduce snoring and many of the mouthpiece solutions like SnoreRx and ZQuiet work for some people but if they don’t it’s up to the non-snorer to find a solution.

Most of the anti-snoring devices on the market focus on the snorer. Mouthpieces help keep airways open. Nasal strips sometimes help. Special pillows inflate to change sleep angles. Many of these aids can help, but we continue to seek out snoring solutions because the alternative is sleepless nights punctuated by frustrating noise.

Noise-canceling headphones and earplugs are mostly effective solutions for sleep partners, but they are bulky and uncomfortable. Neither can block the conduction of sound by the bones and cartilage around the ear to the inner ear bones.

In a move of equal parts desperation and innovation, SoundOff earbuds were created by the company founder after having to rent a hotel room to escape from her husband’s snoring. This technologically advanced solution combines all the best elements attempted by sleeping partners. The revolutionary product uses “pink noise” to mask the sounds of snoring.

The company and product

The company makes a single product, the self-titled SoundOff Sleep Noise Masking device. SoundOff’s uniquely designed case also functions as a charger for the two rechargeable earbuds.

Each earbud has independent on/off switches and six-levels of volume controls. A quick one-hour charge lasts for 10-20 hours of use, depending on the volume setting. A daily recharge will have them ready to give you a peaceful night, every night.

SoundOff earbuds are retail priced at $129.99, but the company discounts them regularly to $99.99. The product comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and a 12-month warranty.

Pink Noise

Many people have heard of “white noise.” White noise is sound which has the same intensity throughout the range humans can hear—20 to 20,000 hertz. It is analogous to white light, which contains the full range of visible frequencies of light, which human eyes and brains interpret as white light.

“Pink noise” contains the full range of audible frequencies like white noise. With pink noise, however, the power per hertz decreases as the frequency gets higher, while the power per octave remains constant.

Research indicates that while both white and pink noise can help with sleeping difficulty by masking other sounds, pink noise provides unique memory building benefits and increases the duration of deep sleep. Pink noise can lead to more restful sleep, reduce the time needed to fall asleep, and synchronize brain waves during sleep, which all contribute to a better night’s rest.

Most people are familiar with the sound produced by a fan, or the sound of rain falling steadily on a roof. These are both examples of pink noise, as are the sound that wind makes as it moves through trees, and the relaxing burbling of a brook falling over rocks. One of the major appeals of pink noise to humans is that it mimics the sounds of nature.

Noise masking and SnoreOff

Unlike noise-canceling devices, such as headphones, the technology used for noise masking covers up the undesired sound. SnoreOff earbuds fill the sleeper’s ears with pink noise, masking the snoring and allowing uninterrupted sleep. Because pink noise has a stronger set of octaves at the lower frequencies in which snoring exists, the pink noise can mask the matching frequencies.

Users can choose from six volume settings in the flexible, comfortable earbuds. The sound engineers at SnoreOff recommend that side sleepers—at least those with sensitive ears—place the ear in the gap created where two pillows meet.

Noise masking prevents bone conduction of snoring

A standard solution tried by partners of snorers is to use earplugs. While the earplugs do stop the direct transmission of sound into the ear, thus lowering the volume, the sound is also transmitted through the cartilage. From there, the vibrations transmit to the bone and are conducted to the middle and inner ear. Bone conduction allows the sound to penetrate the otherwise plugged ear.

The sound conducted through the bone means that earplugs are not successfully blocking the noise. Bone especially conducts low-frequency sounds like snoring, which makes earplugs a less than perfect solution.

Anatomically, people hear through vibrations in the air and the bones around the ear. Pink noise masks both air and bone vibrations thereby blocking the sounds of snoring completely.

Other Uses

SoundOff earbuds are useful in a variety of ways. One of the most medically promising uses is the reduction of the symptoms of tinnitus, a debilitating chronic audiological and neurological condition. SoundOff has had promising results in providing relief for sufferers of the aggravating condition.

College students and apartment dwellers may find relief from noisy neighbors. The pink noise of the earbuds will shut out the sounds of the music or party next door—whether invited or not.

Napping during the day, especially in the workplace, is sometimes difficult because of all the noise around. SoundOff allows the napper to catch that refreshing 30 minutes and increase their productivity for the rest of the day.

Sleepers might otherwise struggle through a night in a noisy hotel near a highway, or suffer on a redeye flight. Sometimes sleeping in a new bed is difficult, and sleeping in planes can be impossible. But SoundOff masks all exterior noises and provides you with the rest you need to be productive and accomplished the next day.

Reviews and testimonials

One reviewer noted that on his first try with SoundOff, he found the sound to be surprisingly loud, even on the lowest setting. He became quickly accustomed to the volume, however, and found them comfortable to wear.

Most users will have to use trial and error to find the correct volume settings. The reviewer noted that level 3 worked to muffle the sound of his wife’s snoring. The lowest setting typically works to block snoring from a person in another room.

The customer reviews at SoundOff’s website are overwhelmingly positive. Customers note a variety of successful uses of the product and indicate how appreciative they are for the innovative solution. One reviewer notes that the pink noise helped relax her brain because she had difficulty getting to sleep. Another notes SoundOff’s success at blocking highway noise during summer when sleeping with the windows open. A frequent traveler appreciated the ability to control the noise level regardless of location.

SoundOff can be purchased directly from the manufacturer’s website.