As the name of this blog suggests^*, low-frequency machine noise drives me bug-fucking mad. Well, now I’m in (silent) heaven, having just bought a pair of Bose QuietComfort 2 noise-cancelling headphones.

If low frequency background noise stresses you out, I highly recommend these gadgets. They’re designed to eliminate engine noise in aircraft cabins, but they also cancel things like: idling busses, trucks, and generators; a fair bit of machine fan noise (not all); and of course…fridge compressors. You can still hear people talking and the phone ringing and all that other stuff you don’t want blocked out (unless you’ve got them plugged into your iPod, that is.) For city-dwellers, they’re a must-have. Possibly the best—and healthiest—toy I’ve ever bought myself.

^*And you thought it was a reference to Radiohead, didn’t you? Well, even though it isn’t, I am definitely a fan. See you at the Hummingbird Centre Thursday night!