PSA: My $200 noise-cancelling headphones were pointless until I moved my desk away from the kitchen.

I finally realized the constant hum from the fridge was the real focus killer, not the street noise I was trying to block, so has anyone else found a weird noise source in their setup that you didn't notice at first?

4 comments

4 Comments

davidshah3mo ago

My old desk was right above the furnace, so I get it.

faithpatel3mo ago

That furnace hum must have been a constant background noise. Wonder if it actually helped you focus by drowning out other office sounds, or if it just gave you a low-grade headache by the end of the day.

faithpatel19d ago

Oh, is that what it was? A furnace? I always just called it "the hum" and never really thought about where it came from. Honestly, it was the same for me back when I worked in an old building. That constant drone was like a train going by really far away. It helped me tune out the loud conversations at the front desk way more than it gave me a headache. I'd almost miss it on quiet days, you know, made the office feel less empty somehow.

dylanrodriguez3mo ago

Oh man, faithpatel, that's the whole thing with background noise. It either tunes everything else out or slowly drives you nuts.