Well, that's an improvement.

Phew. Either these folks fixed the brakes on this train, or I just didn’t notice them with these new earbuds. Good for blocking out the rant-y passenger (one: too early, dude; and two: no phone in which to rant). Bad for catching the announcement for the next stop (I know what they can fix next: the tannoy. On this line, it’s difficult to hear it, even without the earbuds). Inexpensive they may be, and really quite simple in structure, but my old pair don’t hold a candle to these. The two sets aren’t much different; they’re basically earbuds that are inserted slightly deeper into the ear canal, combined with reasonably good earplug-like padding. The fit on this newer pair is better, so sound reduction from outside sources is likewise improved. Noise-canceling as defined in the previous post on this issue is entirely the wrong term for this pair, but since they solve the problem, I can live with the mislabeling of the product. Ish. Next time I need a fresh set (like I said, inexpensive; I don’t think they’ll last more than a couple years), it’s probably a good bet to look for something with industrial-style foam, the kind you squish before fitting into the ear. Or maybe those earplugs that look like multilayered medieval torture devices, except that the edges of each layer are floppy. My eloquence diminishes the sleepier I— snorr. Also, happy New Year.