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Noise & sound conditioners, machines, apps:

This article explains using white noise or colored noise machines for privacy, sleeping aids, or to control sound transmission in buildings: how to make a quiet home, office, or place of business using masking sound or noise generating machines and equipment.

We describe the difference between white noise, pink noise, brown noise, and sound programs such as rain, surf, owls, and we include a table comparing types, features, & prices of various sound generators, noise machines, and apps.

We also provide a MASTER INDEX to this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need.

Use of White Noise to Mask Sounds in buildings

This article series discusses noise and sound control in buildings, and includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.

Article Contents

• WHITE NOISE & SOUND CONDITIONERS
  • Sound Conditioners / White Noise Machines: brands, models, Smartphone apps, features, prices, where to buy noise & sound conditioners

Our building sound control articles begin

at SOUND CONTROL in buildings.

Other noise and sound diagnosis and control articles are found

at NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE.

Sound conditioners for conversation privacy

As we show in our photo (left), white noise generators may also be used in locations where an extra measure of privacy is required. This installation is in the waiting room outside offices used by psychotherapists.

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White noise is a sound containing a blend of all the audible frequencies distributed equally over the range of the frequency band.

When this sound is generated it tends to make unintelligible or even less noticeable other sounds such as nearby conversation. Korkki (2008) reported that people working in open plan offices particularly suffer from noise distraction, citing experts who explain that the effort to ignore distracting noises (such as recognizable speech) forces attention switching to and from one's work, interfering with concentration.

Even small noises can be distracting, particularly recognizable speech.

Shown in our photo above is the Sleep Mate™ sound generator produced by Marpac. In addition to white noise, sound conditioners may produce sounds of nature such as that of a river or brook, lakeshore, surf, thunderstorms, or rainfall. Sound Screen® and SleepMate® are registered trademarks owned by Marpac Corporation.

The Marpac SleepMate™ is currently sold as the Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner by Marpac (formerly known as the Sleepmate/Sound Screen 980A) in a two-speed model and in the $50. U.S. price range.

What setting to use with a white noise generator or sound conditioner

The proper setting for a white noise generator or sound conditioner is not to make the output as loud as possible.

Rather, set the volume on the white noise machine to just mask the noise (or conversation) to be overcome. Setting the white noise volume higher than that level risks making the white noise itself an annoyance in the building.

Depending on the model, sound conditioners, unlike white noise generators that produce a standard 'hissing' type sound, other sound conditioner types include speed settings, volume settings, and choices among sound tracks that in some models can be mixed or overlaid.

See SOUND CONTROL in buildings for complete information about noise transmission in buildings and how to control noise and sound problems.

Sound Conditioners / White Noise Machines: brands, models, Smartphone apps, features, prices, where to buy

Alternatives to Using White Noise or Sound Conditioning Machines

Smartphone App Provides Variations on 'White Noise': definitions of white noise, pink noise, brown noise

Simply Noise [5], producer of a downloadable smartphone app that allows use of a smartphone as a noise generator, offers the following alternative type & definitions of masking sound programs:

White Noise - Contains sound across all frequencies. White noise is the most effective at blocking distractions because it covers the largest spectrum range. It's great for reading, writing, studying, and anything else that requires focus.

Pink Noise - A blend of high and low frequencies that produce a mesmerizing waterfall effect. Pink noise is great for melting away stress while keeping you alert and energized. The airy drone creates a therapeutic environment that relaxes your mind and body.

Brown Noise - Utilizes the lower sound frequencies to generate a deep ambient rumble. Brown noise is excellent for aiding sleep, pacifying children and pets, even masking Tinnitus. It's also great for breaking in audio equipment and soothing migraines.[5]

We purchased this smartphone app and installed it on an android Galaxy S for testing. The application (About $1.00 U.S.) includes a volume control, timer, and sound programs that select among white noise, pink noise, brown noise, an oscillating noise program. If you plan to leave the noise conditioner app running for a long period you might want to connect your phone to its power adapter.

Ear Plugs

While they may be less comfortable and while they don't offer sophisticated noise cancellation, simple ear plugs are certainly the most economical way to block noise in the workplace, while traveling, in noisy hotels, etc.

Noise-cancelling Headphones

Several companies provide sophisticated noise-cancelling earphones or headphones that do a stunning job of blocking regular, constant and in some cases even sudden loud noises. Typically these devices are combined with the ability to connect the headphones to a music or other desired source. Here are some current example products:

• AKG K4n5 Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Audio Technica ATH-ANC1 Quiet Point Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Beats Studio 2013 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Bose QC 15 Quiet Comfort 3 U Bose Quiet Comfort 20i Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Harmon Kardon NC Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Monoprice Noise Cancelling Headphones
• PSB Speakers M4U 2 Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Sony MDR-NC200D Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Soul Ludacris SL 300 Noise Cancelling Headphones

Before buying any of these or their successors you'll want to both read review and actually try out the unit. Some useful references for noise cancelling headphones include

• Akhtar, Shamsuddin, Carl GM Weigle, Eugene Y. Cheng, Robert Toohill, and Richard J. Berens. 'Use of active noise cancellation devices in caregivers in the intensive care unit.' Critical care medicine 28, no. 4 (2000): 1157-1160.
• Gower, Daniel W., and John G. Casalvi. 'Speech intelligibility and protective effectiveness of selected active noise reduction and conventional communications headsets.' Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 36.2 (1994): 350-367.
• Gan, Woon S., and Sen M. Kuo. 'An integrated audio and active noise control headset.' Consumer Electronics, IEEE Transactions on 48.2 (2002): 242-247.
• Hansen, Colin N. Understanding active noise cancellation. CRC Press, 2002. [book]
• Kuo, Sen M., Sohini Mitra, and Woon-Seng Gan. 'Active noise control system for headphone applications.' Control Systems Technology, IEEE Transactions on 14.2 (2006): 331-335.

Attending to Tinnitis as a Mitigator for Other Background Noise

I [DF] have suffered tinnitus since learning to fire the 3.5' rocket launcher and the 50 caliber machine gun during basic army training. No earplugs were issued in 1965, and we tried cigarette butts or just ducking when the rocket went off or the machine gun was firing overhead, sometimes just a foot away.

A result is permanent ringing in the ear or tinnitis. Most of the time tinnitis is annoying and it correlates with significant hearing loss in old age (me).

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But it's also handy. In a noisy hotel I just put my better ear down on the pillow, turn the ringing ear up to the world, and consciously attend the ringing hissing sound that's always there. It's like being in a room with my own air conditioner or my own white noise machine.

Question:

Where can we buy a white noise machine for use in our Ottowa office - Anonymous 9/25/12

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Reply:

We have added the table above listing a number of noise and sound conditioners including white noise machines - thanks for this prompt. Let me emphasize that to protect reader confidence in InspectApedia's information, we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public.

...

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SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS - home

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Technical Reviewers & References

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• Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com
  Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com
• Phyllis Korkki, 'Where Sounds Have No Barrier - In today's open work spaces, even small noises can prove distracting and annoying', The New York Times, p. 8, 3 March 2014
• [2] Marpac, produces white sound generators, a product that they identify as the Marpac sound conditioner. Marpac can be contacted at http://www.marpac.com/ or contact the Marpac Corporation, P.O. Box 560 Rocky Point, NC 28457 Phone: 800-999-6962 (USA and Canada) Fax: 910-602-1435 1-910-602-1421 (worldwide), 800-999- or email: info@marpac.com
• [3] Sound Oasis sound conditioners are produced by Sound Oasis: http://www.sound-oasis.com/ email: info@sound-oasis.com or 1-866-625-3218
• [4] National Sleep Foundation, 1010 N. Glebe RoadSuite 310Arlington, VA 22201 USA, (703) 243-1697, Email: nsf@sleepfoundation.org, Website: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/ - Quoting: The National Sleep Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable, educational, and scientific not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving sleep health and safety through education, public awareness, and advocacy.
• [5] Simply Noise, retrieved 9/25/12, original source: http://simplynoise.com/

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
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  Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material.
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July 2015


Kiseki Purple Heart NS Moving Coil Phono Cartridge
The sound of sonic art.
Review ByTom Lyle

Phono cartridges occupy a reverent place in anaudiophile'sarsenal. The Kiseki Purple Heart NS (new style) moving coil phono cartridgereviewed here is a good example. Their significance, however, is often under-appreciated by neophytes whodon't understand that cartridges have a shorter lifespan than othercomponents. The manufacturers are not to blame; after a few years, even the mostrobust stylus wears out or the cantilever breaks. The uninitiated – or thefinancially strapped – will frequently opt to replace those elements(re-tipping), but the DNA of a true audiophile relentlessly demands upgrading toa better phono cartridge. Luckily, a large majority of manufacturers are willingto credit the purchase price of an older cartridge towards a new one higher upin their line.

That brings us to the subject of this review, the KisekiPurple Heart NS moving coil phono cartridge. In November 2014 I reviewed the excellent Kiseki BlueNS,priced about a thousand dollars less than the Purple Heart. Those who read thereview know that Kiseki cartridges are manufactured by Herman van den Dungen,the same innovator behind the excellent and quite popular PrimaLuna brand oftube components. With Kiseki, he has created an air of mystique by being alittle cagey with the cartridges' specifications. Those with a basic knowledgeof phono cartridges can glean much from the info he does provide, but after that, little else is known. Yes...sometimes I'm overly prone to skepticism. From the Kiseki-USA website we knowthat van den Dungen set out to market a cartridge with as littlesample-to-sample variation as humanly possible. He's also kept a tight rein onthe number of dealers, presumably to ensure the selected few are alwayswell-stocked. But specifications and marketing uncertainties don't mean muchto me...as long as the product's sound quality is up to par. While I found theaffordable Blue NS superb, especially considering its price-to-performanceratio, the Purple Heart plays – literally and figuratively – in an entirelydifferent league.

Recommended
Upon initial observation, the Purple Heart NS possesses asimple, well-crafted wooden body that somehow hues purple in just the rightlight. OK... cool. Beyond that however, its specifications and construction don't appear to distinguish it from other cartridges at this price point. Ithas a boron cantilever, a nude line-contact diamond stylus that is mirrorpolished, and an output of .48mV, which is common for a Moving Coil (MC)cartridge. I mounted it on my recently rewired and updated Tri-Planar tonearmwithout effort, and set the loading on my Pass Laboratories XP-15 phonopreamplifier reviewed here at the recommended 400 Ohms. (I experimented with other loadingoptions but always ended back at the prescribed setting.) Kiseki recommends atracking force between 2.0 and 2.6 grams; I found the best results at a fewthousandths less than 2.4. It should be noted that for about a week during myreview session, I swapped my Pass Labs for a Merrill Audio Jens that cost fourtimes as much. (See RonNagle's April review.) The Purple Heart NS deftly rose to the pairing,with a sound discernibly superior to the coupling with the Pass Labs XP-15.However, that side trial also made me appreciate even more my Pass Labs unit; itfits my system to a tee, is super transparent, and rarely leaves me wanting formore.

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Apparent
I hold a unique, long-standing fondness for ColtraneJazz and when I played The Master's two-45rpm LPs from ORG(originally released by Atlantic), it was immediately apparent that the KisekiPurple Heart NS phono cartridge was allowing me to hear it as never before.There's no shortage of opinions regarding the prolific number of albums JohnColtrane released from 1960-1962, and even though ColtraneJazz is rarely mentioned as a favorite among critics (the champion is– and will remain – Giant Steps),I believe it singularly reveals how Coltrane honed his already prodigiousskills. And revealing is exactly how I'd describe the Purple Heart'ssophisticated character, providing a transparent sonic window into the recordingsession, with virtually all mechanisms of reproduction disappearing. Thecartridge passed silently through my clean copy's grooves, but excellenttracking is just one of many traits that enabled me to feel as though I wasthere, a fly on the studio wall, listening to Coltrane's brilliancesimultaneously soar above and mesh with bandmates McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones,Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and others. And despite the fact that I'll neverin a million years unravel the genius that Coltrane was able to harness duringthese sessions, the cliché 'I was able to just sit back and enjoy the music' was never truer than when the Purple Heart was part of my analogplayback system.

Mention must be made of the Purple Hearts treble reproductionprowess. This is one very detailed cartridge, but never did it soundinordinately analytical. Its paradoxical character was quite apparent whenreproducing the cymbals of Elvin Jones and Jimmy Cobbs. Their styles aredistinct and although Jones plays only on the second track, it perfectly blendswith the others. That's probably because it is John Coltrane who is theconstant, and his brilliant leadership is obvious (as is the engineeringexpertise of the renowned Tom Dowd and Phil Iehle). The Purple Heart's trebleproficiency not only allows for distinction between the type and size of cymbalsin the drum kit, but the area where the cymbal is struck, the velocity of thedrum stick hitting it, and the emotion of the drummer wielding the stick. Can acymbal sound musical? Through the Purple Heart, it sure can.

One track that stands out in this brilliant collection is'Like Sonny,' a tribute to fellow saxman Sonny Collins. Coltrane wasperforming it live at the time, tinkering with much of it, especially his solos,which intentionally reflect Rollins' influence. The Purple Heart rendersColtrane's horn as an exact replica of what was laid to tape. Just asimportantly, it captures the gestalt of the musician and his instrument. Yes,obtuse descriptions are just that, but the Purple Heart easily made Coltrane'ssound not just like a saxophone but like asaxophone that is being played by a living, breathing human being. OnColtrane Jazz, despite the factthat the instruments are panned to the left and right speakers, this cartridgeallows this record to create astriking example of how a recording studio can be a perfect place to capturereal instruments being recorded in a real place (and can therefore dismiss thetired objections of old timers that it wasn't recorded live in a concerthall).

Another excellent example of the Purple Heart's seeminglylimitless frequency extension is the 12' EP of Kraftwerk's tune 'Radioactivity.' Relatively rare, this four-tracker– the original songand three remixes – emanates from the song found on their 1991 album, TheMix, which itself was something akin to a demo-disc of the style thatushered in the great electronica-dance scare of the ‘90s. The Purple Heartreproduced the very prominent synth bass parts with appropriate fierceness,which were EQ'd on these re-mixes to ensure that they could bombard the dancefloors with maximum subsonic intensity. The bass frequencies I heard werehandled with exceptional control, not only because I designed my system andlistening room to avoid runaway low end frequencies, but because of the components in mysystem... namely the Kiseki Purple Heart NS. It reproduces bass tones withseemingly limitless frequency extension, and did so with exacting pitch controland the precise timbre chosen by the programming producers. The manner in whichthe Purple Heart separates the bass sounds from the synthetic kick drum is,frankly, astonishing. Additionally, although the directionality of these basssounds was quite difficult to localize (the nature of the beast), I could easilydetect that all the low-end drumsounds were recorded on different tracks and that they also were beingreproduced as distinct sounds in my listening room.

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Clearly, the Kiseki Purple Heart NS was designed to handlemore than the bottom-heavy bombast of a dance record or a recording in asmoke-filled studio with baffles between musicians, so out came my favoriteorchestral and jazz albums. In 1960 Dimitri Shostakovich wrote his StringQuartet No. 8 and his motivation immediately fell under intensescrutiny and debate. Space constraints prohibit a full discussion, but there isno doubt that he left us with a fantastic piece of music that can withstandanyone's interpretation. My reference recording of this work is played by theBorodin Quartet, and is expertly pressed onto vinyl by King Records of Japan, a1980s reissue of the Decca/London recording originally sold in 1963.

I played the Shostakovich quartet uninterrupted –and itnever sounded better. The Purple Heart effortlessly exposed the recording venue:a small auditorium or rehearsal hall. (In fact, during the last movement trafficcan be heard coming from outside the venue.) As I played the record, I becameengulfed in sound, the quartet wrapping around me as if I was surrounded by themusicians seated in a semi-circle, the air and environs of the hall placedwithin the soundstage behind and wayto the sides of the cello and first violin. The street noise seemed to be comingfrom the far left side of the soundstage, creating the sonic illusion that itwas emanating from the suburban street outside my home. The quartet goes fromsoft to loud and back to soft again within a measure or two, and sometimeswithin the same measure. The Purple Heart breezed through this with a kind of 'foresight;' reproducing the artistry as though it could anticipate whichnotes were to come next.

During the section with rapid-fire, equally spaceddown-strokes (that many have interpreted as gun shots), I relived thatColtrane-moment and was again transported to the venue itself; I could 'see'the players' frayed bows and a cloud of rosin surrounding them, mixing withthe cigarette smoke and clouding the players. The Purple Heart's ability toreproduce the macro- and micro-dynamics that were engraved into the vinyl wasunparalleled, yet with all this appraisal and dissection of sound quality, Inever lost sight of the genius of Shostakovich; that this is one of the bestexamples of his later years, when these compositions were personal statementsrather than public. Emanating from my speakers was a semblance of a stringquartet recorded over 50 years ago, but transpiring in my listening room asthough it was happing in real time.

Instruments
I would be negligent if I didn't write of the way in whichthe Purple Heart was able to separate the instruments or groups of instrumentsof a large ensemble, regardless of the size and volume in which they areplaying. A perfect example of this is on my Classic Records vinyl reissue of theMussorgsky/Ravel masterpiece Pictures At AnExhibition with Fritz Reiner conducting. This old warhorse definitelyhas some miles left on it. It is a fine record to test the sound of audioequipment, but often I find myself playing this record for enjoyment on aregular basis. I'll be brief, though, and just say that when playing thesecond side – where the tympani is pounding and the horns are blaring and allheck is breaking loose – the Purple Heart kept its composure. When reproducinginstruments that were playing at the same volume this phono cartridge wassomehow able to place these instruments or sections into discrete areas of thesoundstage, creating a dynamic distance between them.

Near the end of the review period, for comparisons sake, Ireturned my Lyra Kleos to its position mounted on the Tri-Planar 6. The Lyra isno slouch; it is beyond question that it is one of the best cartridges in itsprice class. When asked for a recommendation more often than not I recommend anappropriately priced Lyra cartridge. The Lyra brand is popular for a reason. Atfirst I thought that it might not be fair to compare the Purple Heart to theKleos since the Kiseki Purple Heart costs so much more than the Kleos – so itwould be much more appropriate if I were compare two cartridges closer in price.In addition, it would also be more appropriate if I remembered to remember thatI have a crummy memory, as a result almost fell off my desk chair when Irealized that these cartridges cost nearly thesame amount of money. The Lyra is a fine cartridge. I could easilylive with it for all eternity (that is, if I could resist the upgrade ascent).But if one were to simply sit down and listen to the Kiseki Purple Heart onecould easily forgive me for mistaking it for a much more expensive cartridge.The differences live largely in the midrange of the two. Compared to the KisekiPurple Heart, the Kleos sounds a bit coarse; its midrange doesn't have nearlyas much refinement. And when directly compared to the Purple Heart the Kleos'treble has an almost whitish character, and is also a bit unrefined. I oncepraised the Kleos for its treble – the way in which it is able todifferentiate between different treble sounds, but it might simply be that thelower treble sounds more than a bit pumped up compared to the Purple Heart, andon that account more realistic sounding. When switching cartridges (as quicklyas I could, but carefully) the upper midrange of the Lyra also seemed a bitboosted and less refined. Just for fun, and to make sure I was hearing what Iwas hearing; I left the Lyra in place for a week. I became accustomed to theLyra once more, and could easily see why I feel in love with it in the firstplace four years ago. But all my findings in regard to the superiority of theKiseki Purple Heart were confirmed when I re-installed the Purple Heart.

Are there any negatives in regards to the PurpleHeart'ssound? Only one that I can think of: Even though I stated that the Purple Heart's sound is detailed but not over-analytical, there were some records Iplayed where this cartridge was able to peek behind the curtain – manyrecordings, especially 'classic rock' records from the 1960s and 1970s, itwas fairly obvious that some engineers and producers were still learning fromtheir mistakes, or were experimenting, and these experiments might have notturned out exactly as they planned. Lest I get into arguments over personaltaste (or lack thereof) I won't point to any records in particular. But I wassurprised that some records that I never considered poor recordings wererevealed as such with the Purple Heart as part of my analog front-end. Don'tget me wrong; by listening to these records through the Purple Heart they weren't'ruined', it simply revealed them for what they were. I was stillable to enjoy them, but more for their artistry than their sound quality. Isuppose this might not be thought of as a negative by more than some – this isthe risk one takes by having such a transparent cartridge in one's system.

One Of The Best
The Kiseki Purple Heart Moving Coil phono cartridge asreviewed here is thebest six thousand dollar phono cartridge I've ever heard. But the Kiseki Purple Heart doesn't cost six thousand dollars, it costs $3299. I realizethat this amount of money is not chump change. But I am hardly taking much ofa risk by proclaiming that this is money well spent. After living with theKiseki Purple Heart most if not all vinyl-loving audiophiles will be amazed atwhat they can hear hidden in the grooves of their favorite records, and how itcan turn these mere sounds into the works of art the musicians, producers andengineers intended for us to hear. It certainly amazed me as soon as thiscartridge was broken in and correctly set-up. Yes, care must be taken in settingup this phono cartridge as accurately as possible. This makes sense, as thiscartridge is not only a refined piece of electronic equipment, but a work ofart. And all fine works of art require special handling.

Asusual I have painted myself into a corner. Of course the Kiseki Purple heart isn't the best cartridge out there– even though at present it is the bestcartridge that Kiseki manufactures – and after all, many experiencedaudiophiles would consider this cartridge only 'mid-priced'. If one is ableand willing to spend more on a cartridge, make that a lot more on a cartridge,there is no doubt that better can be had. And I hope to one day soon audition acartridge that is better than the Kiseki Purple Heart. But Kiseki has set thebar awfully high. The Kiseki Purple Heart is revealing but never analyticalsounding, runs silently in the grooves of the record, and its frequency responseand frequency extremes coincide with reality – or an altered reality whenrequired, as it reproduces exactly what is pressed into the grooves of therecord with no editorializing of the program material, and turns these soundsinto sonic art. I would lean in to marvel at its delicate micro-dynamic detail,and a split second later it could knock me off my listening seat with itspowerful bass and controlled macro-dynamic slam. When playing some records itwould impress me with its ultra-realistic, lifelike reproduction, and on somerecords could seduce me with its near scientific rendering of man-made studiocreations. Do I recommend the Kiseki Purple Heart? Absolutely.